Activation milestones
We use your product and funnel data to identify the actions that predict retention, and set clear time-to-value targets.
Lifecycle Marketing
Turn new signups into active customers.
The first 14 days decide whether a new customer becomes a long-term user. We design and build onboarding journeys that guide people to the moments that matter, triggered by what they do (and don't do), across email, push and in-app messaging.
Overview
Most churn starts in onboarding.
A customer who never reaches first value was never really a customer. Yet onboarding is often a fixed sequence of welcome emails that ignores what each person has already done. People who finished setup get reminded to start it, and people who are stuck get a generic product tour.
We build onboarding around your activation milestones: the two or three actions that predict long-term usage. Every message is triggered by behaviour, suppressed as soon as the customer completes the step, and measured against a holdout so you know exactly what onboarding adds.
Services
What we do
From the first welcome message to the first habit:
Drop-off analysis
Step-by-step funnel analysis to find where new users stall, so effort goes where it will move the numbers.
Behavioural triggers
Entry, wait and exit rules built on real product events, so each message reflects what the customer has actually done.
Multi-channel orchestration
Email for depth, push for timely nudges and in-app for in-context guidance, coordinated so customers aren't bombarded.
Onboarding content
Welcome series, feature education, progress checklists and reminders, written and designed to match your product experience.
Testing and measurement
A/B tests and holdout groups on activation rate and time to first value, with dashboards your team can act on.
Process
How we work
- 01
Map
Map the current onboarding experience across every channel and identify your activation milestones.
- 02
Diagnose
Analyse funnel drop-offs and prioritise the steps where better messaging will have the biggest impact.
- 03
Build
Design, write and build the journeys in your platform, including event triggers, suppressions and fallbacks.
- 04
Test
Launch against a holdout, run structured tests and iterate on the messages and timings that move activation.
What you get
- Activation milestone definitions and targets
- Onboarding journey map across email, push and in-app
- Behavioural event requirements
- Designed and built onboarding emails
- Push and in-app message copy
- Testing plan and holdout setup
- Activation dashboard and reporting
A good fit if
- Lots of signups, but few reach first value
- Your welcome series ignores what users actually do
- Push notification opt-in rates are low
- Product and marketing run onboarding separately
- You've never measured what onboarding adds
Resources
Related reading
Practical guides from our Resources section, written from real client work.
Accelerating activation: getting new users to first value faster
Find your activation drop-offs, combine proactive and reactive messaging across email, push and in-app, and test your way to faster time to first value.
Read article →
Behavioural triggers: building an event framework for lifecycle journeys
How to design a behavioural event framework: events by lifecycle stage, entry, wait and exit triggers, event specifications and event-driven segmentation.
Read article →
Email, push or in-app? The role of each channel in lifecycle marketing
What email, push notifications and in-app messages are each best at, how to choose the right channel for every lifecycle message, and how to orchestrate them.
Read article →
Proving lifecycle marketing works: holdout groups and incremental uplift
Measure what lifecycle marketing really adds with global and programme holdout groups: sizing, worked examples, A/B testing with holdouts, metrics and dashboards.
Read article →FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What is activation in lifecycle marketing?
Activation is the point where a new customer first experiences the core value of your product, such as completing setup, making a first transaction or inviting a teammate. Customers who activate quickly are far more likely to stay.
How many emails should an onboarding sequence have?
There's no magic number. Rather than a fixed sequence, we build journeys around milestones: each message has one job, and customers exit as soon as they've done it. Most programmes need a handful of core messages plus behaviour-based reminders.
Do we need product analytics in place?
It helps, but it isn't a blocker. We'll specify the events your journeys need, and many can be tracked through your existing email platform or customer data platform.
Does this work for B2C and ecommerce as well as SaaS?
Yes. The milestones change, for example a first order, an app install or completing a profile, but the approach is the same.
Contact
Let us take the stress out of managing your lifecycle marketing.
If you are interested in hearing how our lifecycle marketing services can help maximise your email channel and wider customer journey, fill in the form below and receive a FREE consultation. In our initial consultation, we will dive deeper into your unique requirements and learn how we can maximise your email channel for increased performance and conversions.