New Member Onboarding Campaign – RHAWA

Guiding New Members with Confidence, Clarity, and Connection

Organization: Rental Housing Association of Washington (RHAWA)
Project: New Member Drip Campaign + Companion Guide
Role: Membership & Marketing Director
Timeline: 12-Month On-Boarding Campaign
Platform: Email automation system (custom timing tied to Zoom Orientation)
Goal: To create a thoughtful, low-friction onboarding experience that welcomed new members, introduced key benefits, and encouraged early engagement.

The Strategy

We launched the onboarding journey with a live Zoom orientation, offered monthly, and followed it with a 12-part automated email series timed every 30 days over the first year of membership. Each message focused on a different area of membership—offering short, actionable guidance with links to explore more.

To support visual learners and ensure access to everything in one place, we also created a comprehensive New Member Companion Guide—a digital handbook filled with instructions, contact info, benefit overviews, and step-by-step walkthroughs of RHAWA’s platform. This handbook was distributed via the Welcome Email and during the Zoom Orientation.

Together, the campaign functioned as a warm, personalized roadmap that made members feel supported from day one.

The New Member Companion Guide

This branded, interactive PDF served as the heart of the onboarding experience. It included:

Download GuIDE

A full breakdown of RHAWA benefits and services
Contact information for all departments and staff
Platform how-tos (Member Compass, Legal Forms, Screening, Help Center)
Highlights of events, education, and advocacy
Embedded links for easy navigation

The guide was promoted in the welcome email and available online year-round for all new and existing members.

Email Series Highlights

Here are a few featured messages from the 12-part series:

Welcome Email: “Here’s What You Need to Know First”
- Sets expectations and introduces login steps and benefits overview.
- New members were directed to this article from the Welcome Message
Meet the Team
- Humanizes the organization and connects members with key staff.
Intro to Legal Forms
- Offers a guided tour of the rental forms library with usage tips.
Intro to Screening
- Explains tenant screening options with a simple step-by-step guide.