Are you still watching? The Netflix Effect for binge-able onboarding emails
Tap into the psychology of binge-worthy content to make your onboarding emails convert more trial users into buyers.
It's 11:43 PM... on a Tuesday night....waaay past your bedtime.
But you're deep into this cool British crime drama—remote in hand, waiting to click Next episode, then Skip intro...for the umpteenth time (Slow Horses, anyone?).
Now...
...have you ever had that same "Ooo, I can't wait to see what happens next" feeling learning a new software?
...meh, probably not.
But that same addictive pattern can work....if you do it right.
The Problem: Your drip campaigns are DEAD ☠️
Look, I don't know if it's administrative bloat, a tight budget, or you just don't give a sh#t, but your onboarding sucks.
Your one-size-fits-all emails are completely ignorable because...
They're not written for me
They don't help me
This leaves me with the burning question:
Why did you go to all the trouble of asking me all those pre-onboarding (self-segmenting) questions...
...only to ignore what I shared?
Frustrating. 😡
The Netflix Effect: Binge-worthy onboarding
Netflix, Showtime, Apple TV, and many of the top SaaS companies keep us glued to our screens with seamless, personalized experiences with minimal friction.
It's not by accident.
They've mastered the art of engagement. And you can do it, too.
1. Tag and segment like your business depends on it (because it does)
Netflix doesn't show rom-coms to horror fans. Why? Because they tag and segment their users obsessively. Your onboarding should do the same.
Collect meaningful data during sign-up
Use in-app behavior to refine user segments further
Continuously update user profiles based on interactions
2. Hyper-personalization: Your secret sauce
Netflix's "Because you watched..." isn't just a handy feature. It's a persuasion tactic.
Your onboarding needs this level of personalization.
Create content snippets that speak directly to your users:
What's their role or position?
Team dynamics?
Goals and aspirations?
Obstacles and challenges?
Anxieties and pain points?
3. Weave personalization into every touchpoint
Just as Netflix tailors everything from thumbnails to recommendations, your onboarding should infuse personalization at every turn:
Email subject lines
Dynamic content snippets within
In-app messages
Tutorial content
Feature highlights
Make every interaction feel like it was created just for them.
4. Ditch the drip, Embrace the binge
Traditional timed drip campaigns are the equivalent of waiting a week for the next episode. That's ancient history.
Instead:
Create a content library of onboarding materials (videos, posts, webinars...)
Allow users to "binge" tutorials at their own pace
Use behavioral triggers to suggest relevant next steps
5. Behavioral triggers: The "Next Episode" button for onboarding
Netflix's autoplay feature keeps you watching. Your onboarding should have similar hooks:
Trigger emails based on specific in-app actions (or inactions)
Send push notifications when a user is primed for the next step
Use in-app prompts to guide users to valuable features they haven't explored
The Payoff: From "meh" 😒 to "More, please!" 🤩
Implement these Netflix-inspired tactics, and watch your onboarding transform:
Skyrocketing engagement rates
Faster time-to-value for users
Reduced churn and increased loyalty
More "a-ha!" moments and feature adoption
It's Time to Hit "Play" on Better Onboarding
🛑 Stop treating your users like a captive audience forced to sit through irrelevant content.
🟢 Start treating them like Netflix treats its viewers: as individuals with unique preferences deserving of a tailored, engaging experience.
Your users are waiting. Your churn rate is watching.
Hi, I'm Paul 👋
Customer experience advocate and onboarding aficionado.
I'm obsessed with personalization, social listening, and solving your customers' problems in the most pleasant and unexpected ways.
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You'll walk away with:
→ Subject line/preview text rewrites (x3 emails)
→ Welcome email blueprint
→ Day 0 sequence audit
→ Onboarding flow audit
And a step-by-step checklist to fix what we find 😉