What to measure
Activation rate
How many trial users reach the first-value moment.
Trial-to-paid conversion
The flow's real outcome.
Return to product from email
Shows which email brings users back.
Week one
- 1
Define the product's first-value moment in one sentence: what does the user do that convinces them?
- 2
Focus the first post-signup email on that one step.
- 3
Branch by behavior: users who did the step and users who didn't.
- 4
Write the reminder two days before the trial ends and the last-day email.
- 5
Add a short feedback email a week after the trial ends.
Content ideas
- A single-step "build your first report in 5 minutes" email.
- A nudge to invite a teammate.
- A short "how's it going?" from the founder.
- A summary of what the user did with the product at trial end.
Common mistakes
Sending by calendar
A day 1, day 3, day 7 series doesn't know where the user is; follow behavior.
A feature in every email
Before first value, a new feature just overwhelms.
Silence at trial end
Asking a non-paying user why is the most valuable insight you'll get.
How GrowColony does it
Email agent
Maps the trial journey, finds the missing emails and writes a flow that branches by behavior: activation, nudges, trial end and win-back, with subject lines and timing. You send from your own tool.
FAQ
How many emails during a trial?
For a 14-day trial, five to eight behavior-based emails is a common start.
When should sales step in?
Once the user passes the activation step and the account size fits; email helps catch that signal.
Should I ask for a credit card?
That's a product decision; the email flow works either way, the messages change.