The Trial Clock Is Ticking

Free trials are a conversion machine when done right and a churn factory when done wrong. The difference almost always comes down to email. Users who receive a well-structured trial sequence that guides them to value convert at 2-3x the rate of users who get generic drip emails.

The mistake most SaaS companies make is treating the trial sequence like a countdown timer: "Day 3, here is feature X. Day 7, here is feature Y. Day 12, your trial is ending." This ignores the most important variable: what the user has actually done. A user who activated on day 1 needs different emails than a user who has not logged in since signup.

Activation Before Conversion

The single most important metric for trial email is activation rate, not conversion rate. Activated users convert at 5-10x the rate of unactivated users. Your trial sequence should prioritize getting users to their aha moment above all else.

Figure out what action predicts conversion in your product (first project created, first report generated, first team member invited), then build your early trial emails around getting users to that action. Everything before activation is an onboarding email. Everything after activation is a conversion email. Do not mix them up.

The Post-Trial Opportunity

Most SaaS companies give up on trial users the moment the trial expires. This is a mistake. A significant percentage of expired trials convert weeks or months later. They might have been busy, the timing might have been wrong, or they might have been evaluating alternatives.

A post-trial sequence that shares product updates every 2-3 weeks keeps you in their inbox. When a competitor disappoints or their need becomes urgent again, you are the first product they think of. The cost of sending a few emails per month is nothing compared to the lifetime value of a recovered trial user.