ServiceNow client onboarding

  • Role

    Marketing publications writer

  • Company

    ServiceNow | Content Experience Team (CET)

  • Team

    Content strategists, writers, and editors, plus customer satisfaction partners

  • Company background

    CET supports global campaign efforts by defining customer marketing journeys and aligning content for critical touchpoints. They create demand assets that target personas at every stage in the pipeline.

  • Problem

    New users faced a fragmented onboarding experience. Critical information was spread across multiple locations, but there was no central guide to help new users get started, leaving customers confused about where and how to begin their journey.

  • Opportunity

    The goal was to design a streamlined onboarding guide that would give new users clarity on where to start, what to do next, and how to access the resources they need—replacing confusion with a clear roadmap to accelerate time-to-value and enhance user satisfaction.

Overview

This project involved transforming ServiceNow's fragmented onboarding materials into a cohesive, user-centered guide, establishing a centralized resource for new users and creating supporting email templates to ensure consistent communication throughout the customer journey.

Process

I started by auditing existing onboarding content and identifying gaps in the user journey. Through my work with customer satisfaction partners, I gathered insights into new employees’ pain points and onboarding needs.

The audit revealed several critical issues:

  • Inconsistent terminology across different resources created confusion

  • Confusing navigation made it difficult for users to find what they needed

  • Dense, text-heavy content overwhelmed new users

  • Unclear next steps left users unsure of who to contact or what to do

  • Lack of a single source of truth forced users to hunt across multiple locations

Solution

I helped transform the scattered materials into a cohesive guide with a clear structure and user-friendly approach:

  • Reorganized the content to follow the natural user journey, making information easier to find and navigate

  • Simplified language throughout, breaking down complex concepts into accessible, scannable content

  • Standardized terminology to create consistency across all onboarding touchpoints

  • Clarified next steps and contact information so users always knew where to turn for help

  • Created email templates that linked to the guide, ensuring consistent communication and easy access

Before and after: Email communications

As part of the onboarding streamlining effort, I also revised email communications to better support the user journey. Here's how the emails evolved:

Email for users who registered but didn't attend an onboarding session:

Before:

Subject: Sorry we missed you at the ServiceNow 360 Academy: Oreintation [sic]

Hi (contact name),

Sorry we missed you at the ServiceNow 360 Academy: Orientation. It is not too late to register for next month's session!

This essential webinar is your opportunity to get familiar with ServiceNow and the products you've purchased, connect with fellow new customers, learn best practices, and plan your immediate next steps. We'll explain all the ServiceNow resources available to you— including when and how to use them. Discover how to find product information, access the Community, and engage with Now Support to start your journey on the right foot. Don't miss out!

Register here:

Issues: Typo in subject line, overly long paragraph that's hard to scan, buried call-to-action, lacks clear value proposition

After:

Subject: We missed you! Reserve your spot at the next ServiceNow orientation

Hi (contact name),

We missed you at today's ServiceNow 360 Orientation Academy!

This live event is designed to help you unlock the full potential of the Now Platform®, receive expert guidance, and connect with fellow users to build your ServiceNow community—and we don't want you to miss out.

The good news is: It's not too late to register for our next session.

Reserve your place at the next ServiceNow 360 Orientation Academy. We look forward to seeing you!

[Register Now]

Improvements: Error-free, empathetic tone, scannable short paragraphs, clear value proposition upfront, prominent CTA

Email for users who attended their initial onboarding session:

Before:

Subject: Thank you for attending ServiceNow 360 Academy: Orientation

Hi [First Name],

Congratulations on completing the ServiceNow 360 Academy: Orientation— the first step on your ServiceNow journey!

Now, let's keep the momentum going. Ready to dive into your product implementation? Join us at ServiceNow 360 Get Started, our live webinar series designed to:

Connect you with product experts.

Share actionable best practices.

Provide clear steps to kick off your implementation successfully.

Don't wait—secure your spot today!

[Register Now]

Let's turn your plans into action. See you there!

Issues: Bullets aren't formatted, slightly wordy, double CTA feels exhaustive

After:

Subject: Congrats on finishing ServiceNow orientation! Now, learn what's next

Hi [First Name],

Congratulations on completing your first ServiceNow 360 Orientation Academy session, the first step on your ServiceNow journey. To keep the momentum going, we'd like you to join us at ServiceNow 360 Get Started, designed to:

  • Connect you to product experts

  • Share actionable best practices

  • Provide steps to begin a successful implementation

Don't wait—secure your spot today!

[Register Now]

Improvements: More engaging subject line, proper bullet formatting for scannability, concise and focused messaging, single clear CTA