# The 3-Step Onboarding System Every Newsletter Needs Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/growth-in-reverse-newsletter-email-growth-7107720/the-3-step-onboarding-system-every-newsletter-needs Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/growth-in-reverse-newsletter-email-growth-7107720/the-3-step-onboarding-system-every-newsletter-needs.md Podcast: [Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth](https://stenobird.com/podcast/growth-in-reverse-newsletter-email-growth-7107720) Published: 2026-04-08T09:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/62837771 Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/62837771/0bf59178.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/growth-in-reverse-newsletter-email-growth-7107720/episodes/the-3-step-onboarding-system-every-newsletter-needs Duration seconds: 2440 ## Resource NOTE: This is a rerun of an episode we published in September 2025. But just because it's a rerun doesn't mean it ain't still a banger 💥 -------------------------------------- “One of the worst things you can do is send new subscribers to a dead-end thank you page. That kills engagement immediately. " — Chenell We're breaking down the most overlooked (yet critical) part of growing a newsletter: onboarding new subscribers. We'll take you through Chenell's 3-step onboarding process every newsletter creator should have in place—and show how to optimize each for higher engagement, deliverability, and long-term retention. We also tease an advanced 5-step version and share examples from top creators like Katelyn Bourgoin, Tom Alder, and Eddie Shleyner. Whether you’re just starting out or already running a large newsletter, you’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls and set up onboarding that actually works. KEY TAKEAWAYS The 3 Cs of a high-converting landing page Why default Thank-you pages kill engagement (and what to do instead) How "sniper links" can push new subscribers directly into their inbox to find your email The #1 mistake welcome emails make The most important job your welcome email has A simple incentive trick to encourage replies The difference between a “true” and “false” double opt-in How (and why) to include surveys in your onboarding What top creators do with their “almost there” pages to hook new subscribers LINKS MENTIONED The Growth Vault → Katelyn Bourgoin's Why We Buy landing page → Eddie Shleyner's 'Social Proof Avalanche' → Tom Alder's Strategy Breakdowns → Growth.Design → Senja → RightMessage → Growth In Reverse PRO Community → Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/growth-in-reverse-newsletter-email-growth-7107720/episodes/the-3-step-onboarding-system-every-newsletter-needs/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/growth-in-reverse-newsletter-email-growth-7107720/the-3-step-onboarding-system-every-newsletter-needs.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.