Onboard into Community

Convert new customers into engaged community members with invitations to exclusive WhatsApp groups and insider communities.

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Onboard into Community

What is a Community Onboarding Campaign?

A community onboarding campaign is designed to connect new customers with your brand’s insider groups right after signup or first purchase. By inviting them into communities like WhatsApp groups, loyalty clubs, or forums, you create deeper engagement beyond transactions. These campaigns foster belonging, increase stickiness, and lay the foundation for long-term brand loyalty.

Why does Community Onboarding matter?

Challenges

New customers often remain transactional without deeper brand engagement. Without community connection, first-time buyers miss opportunities for relationship building and are less likely to become repeat customers.

Opportunities

Community onboarding creates emotional connections that transform customers into brand advocates. Exclusive communities drive higher engagement, repeat purchases, and customer lifetime value through shared experiences and insider access.

Outcomes

Higher Customer Engagement

Better Customer Retention

Improved Brand Loyalty

Who is it for?

Audience

New customers who made their first purchase or signed up, excluding existing community members who are already engaged.

Exclusions

Current community members, customers already in engagement campaigns, or users who have opted out of community invitations.

How it plays out

A sample sequence for this use case.

day
0

You're in! Now sparkle with your circle ✨ Join our WhatsApp community of jewellery lovers to share your style and get early access → [CTA]

day
1

Welcome to the family! Ready to connect with fellow [product category] enthusiasts? Join our insiders-only community → [Join Now]

day
3

Don't miss out on our exclusive community perks - early drops, styling tips, and member-only content await → [Join Community]

day
7

Final invitation: Join hundreds of customers sharing their experiences and getting VIP access → [Be Part of It]

Best Practices

  • Send community invitations immediately after first purchase to capitalize on positive post-purchase emotions and excitement.
  • Clearly communicate community benefits (early access, exclusive content, insider tips) to create compelling reasons to join.
  • Use welcoming, inclusive language that makes new customers feel special and valued as community members.

Onboard into Community Examples & Prompts

Channel Examples

Email
Subject: You're in! Now sparkle with your circle ✨ Body: Join our WhatsApp community of jewellery lovers to share your style, get early access to collections, and discover what's trending. Join now → [CTA]
WhatsApp
Copy
Welcome to the family! 🎉 Ready to connect with fellow [product category] enthusiasts? Join our insiders-only community for early drops & more → [Link]

Ready-to-use ZEPIC prompts

Instead of manually tracking new buyers and sending one-off invites, Zenie automates the entire flow. With one prompt, you can identify eligible customers and deliver cross-channel invitations to join your brand’s community.

Segment Prompt

Segment first-time buyers or signups

Copy
Journey Prompt

Trigger after first purchase or signup. Send community invite across Email + WhatsApp

Copy
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FAQs

Why is community onboarding important for customer retention?

Community onboarding creates emotional connections beyond transactions. Customers who feel part of a community are more likely to remain loyal, make repeat purchases, and recommend your brand to others.

When should community invitations be sent to new customers?

Send invitations immediately after first purchase or signup when customer excitement is highest. This timing leverages positive emotions to drive community participation.

What community benefits should be highlighted in invitations?

Focus on exclusive access (early product launches, special discounts), social connection (sharing experiences, getting advice), and insider knowledge (trends, styling tips, behind-the-scenes content).

Should community onboarding work across email and WhatsApp?

Yes, use both channels strategically. WhatsApp works well for immediate community access and ongoing engagement, while email can provide detailed community guidelines and expectations.

How do you measure community onboarding success?

Track community join rates, member engagement levels, repeat purchase rates from community members vs non-members, and customer lifetime value improvements from community participation.