Effective onboarding of new paying customers: retain their enthusiasm and ensure long-term satisfaction

Great! Acquiring a paying customer is an important achievement, but the real challenge and opportunity lies in keeping them with you for the long term, actively using your AI expert and continuously perceiving its immense value. Thoughtful and effective post-purchase onboarding is key . Remember, for many of your customers, interacting with such advanced and personalized AI can be a new experience, and they need your guidance.

21.1 Quality training materials - teach them to "fish" with your AI

Your goal is to equip your customers with the knowledge and confidence to get the most out of your AI expert.

Create an information-rich onboarding video

Recommended length is 10-20 minutes. The video should be concise but packed with practical information.

What the onboarding video should include:

• A warm welcome: thank you for your trust and purchase.
• Reiteration of key benefits: Briefly remind them how your AI expert can help them.
• Introduction of the BuddyPro shared user profile:
  • Explain that their new AI expert is part of the BuddyPro platform, which uses a unified AI brain and shared user profile.
  • Client Benefit: If they have interacted with another AI expert on the BuddyPro platform in the past (e.g., a universal Buddy.fm or other expert instance), your AI expert may already partially "know" them. This way, they don't have to re-explain basic information about themselves, their preferences, or the topics they are addressing. This allows the AI expert to provide faster and more relevant support right from the start.
  • Transparency and security: make sure that the AI instance transparently informs them about the use of the shared profile and its purpose at the first contact. Emphasize that:
    • No individual has access to the content of their conversations or the details of their user profile - not you as the instance creator, not the creators of the BuddyPro platform, and not other instance owners.
    • All data is encrypted and securely stored for the sole purpose of communicating with AI experts on the BuddyPro platform.
    • Show them that this is similar to having one "intelligent robot teacher" (see analogy below) who teaches them different subjects - remembering across subjects, but never sharing details from one lesson with another teacher (human) or principal.
  • You can use (and edit) this Google Slides presentation and this guide to editing it for a visual explanation of the shared profile.
• A practical demonstration of effective communication:
  • Use concrete examples to show how to ask questions.
  • Explain the importance of providing AI context to get the best answers.
  • Emphasize that there is no need to write complex and technical "prompts", but that natural, human conversation leads to the best results. AI is designed to understand for itself what the user needs.
  • Show how to ask the AI for clarification, a different perspective, or further elaboration on a topic.
• Examples of typical tasks and topics. Show the breadth of their capabilities.
• Use specific features: Demonstrate how to use voice messages (if relevant to your target audience), how to ask the AI for a reminder on a topic in the future (check the current features available - the user can tell the AI to say e.g. "remind me in a week to discuss X").
• Set realistic expectations:
  • Gently but clearly remind that even if the AI expert is extremely capable, it's still "just" AI. It is not infallible, and it may exceptionally "guess" something or not interpret information perfectly.
  • Encourage them to see AI as a highly intelligent partner, assistant and consultant, not as an absolute omniscient authority.
  • It's a good idea to maintain a healthy level of critical thinking, especially when dealing with very specific or sensitive information, and to verify key facts when necessary.
• Where to find further help: A link to your community (if any), the FAQ section of your website, or your support email.

Onboarding video location:

• Welcome message in Telegram: You can embed the link to the video directly into the welcome message you define in the onboarding.gdoc file (described in PART C, section 13.1). The Telegram will automatically preview the video, which is very efficient.
• If you have a memberssection for your product, the video must not be missing.
• First email after purchase.

Similes to explain the shared profile (you can use in the video or materials):

🤖 Robotic Teacher Comparison "Imagine an advanced robotic teacher that has been programmed to teach several different subjects in school. It uses maths tools, special analytical algorithms and communicates in precise, logical language. In PE, he uses sports equipment, applies training methods based on movement physiology and motivates in an energetic, encouraging way. In art education, he works with creative techniques, teaches according to aesthetic principles, and expresses himself in inspiring, figurative language.For each subject, the robotic teacher has a different teaching module installed with unique expertise, methods and approaches. Yet it's the same robot with one central brain that remembers your preferences, strengths, the topics you're tackling, and the areas where you need support, across all subjects.This robotic teacher has been designed with complete student privacy in mind. While it knows students from all lessons and remembers their individual needs, under no circumstances does it disclose to any live human - neither the principal nor its creators - the content of personal consultations or the progress of lessons. His programming doesn't technically allow for this.This is exactly how your [name of your instance] and other AI experts work on the BuddyPro platform. Each has their own unique specialty and approach, but they all share a unified AI brain that allows them to better understand you. The content of your conversations is encrypted and remains completely secure - no individual, including myself as the creator of [name of your instance], other experts with their BuddyPro AI brains, or even the creators of the BuddyPro platform, can access the content of your profile."

21.2 Automated email onboarding sequence

Set up a series of automated emails (e.g., for 7-30 days) that new paying customers will receive after purchase. The goal is to maintain their initial enthusiasm, gradually guide them through all the AI expert options, and help them develop a habit of regular use.

Email content design:

• Email 1 (Immediately after purchase):
  • Order confirmation and thank you.
  • A warm welcome to the "world" of your AI Expert.
  • Direct link to the onboarding video.
  • Brief "Getting Started" instructions (e.g. "Open Telegram, say hello to your AI expert and tell them what's currently burning you the most...").
• Email 2 (e.g. after 2 days):
  • Tip of the day: Introduce one specific area or type of issue where an AI expert can help significantly (e.g., "Did you know your AI Copywriting Expert can help you with headlines for your articles? Try asking him or her: I need 5 ideas for a catchy headline for an article about...").
  • A short case study or example of how AI has helped someone.
• Email 3 (e.g. after 5 days):
  • For advanced: Comment on a less obvious feature or offer a tip on a more advanced strategy to use (e.g., using voicemails for faster communication, if appropriate).
  • Link to an article or other resource that expands on the topic.
• Additional emails (1-2 times per week for a few weeks):
  • Share success stories or "aha moments" from other users (anonymized, with permission).
  • Answer common questions that come up.
  • Provide additional inspiration for topics to discuss with an AI expert (e.g., "This week, focus on... and discuss it with your AI partner.").
  • Habit building: Encourage users to schedule regular time to interact with their AI expert. For example, "Set aside 15 minutes every Monday morning to chat with your AI marketing strategist and plan key activities for the week." Or "Do you have a moment to yourself in the evening? Instead of scrolling through social media, connect with your AI coach for 10 minutes and discuss what made you happy or uncomfortable that day."
• The last email in the sequence: a summary, encouragement to use it further, a link to the community or other resources.

21.3 Using the community for peer support and inspiration

If you have a closed community for your clients (e.g., Facebook group, Discord server, forum), actively engage it to support the use of your AI expert.

• Create a dedicated space: this can be a special channel or a regular topic where users can exchange tips, tricks and experiences with your AI expert.
• Share "Aha-moments": Invite users to share their best discoveries, most valuable advice, or the most interesting conversations they've had with AI.
• Ask questions: Encourage discussion with questions like, "What questions did you ask your AI Expert this week and how did they help you?" Or "What's the biggest benefit AI Expert has had for you so far?".
• Moderation and your involvement. Your activity is key.
• The power of social proof: Seeing how other members of the AI expert community successfully and enthusiastically use AI is often the best motivation and inspiration for others.

21.4 Proactive reminders and keeping in touch

Your BuddyPro instance can be set up to remind users of itself from time to time. This feature should be used with sensitivity and respect for the user's preferences.

• Global Proactive Messaging Settings:
  • Using the /shouldInitiateMessages:true command, you can enable your AI Expert instance to reach out to users by itself after a period of inactivity (e.g., to ask how they are doing or to follow up on a previously addressed topic).
  • Use /shouldInitiateMessages:false to disable this feature globally.
  • By default, this function is enabled (true). BuddyPro typically writes users approximately 5 hours after the last conversation. If the user does not reply, it will try again in about 10 hours, and then at longer intervals (2 days, etc.).
• Individual user preference:
  • Users can tell your AI instance directly whether they wish (or do not wish) for it to write to them by itself. All they have to do is tell the AI, for example, "Please don't write to me by yourself" or, conversely, "I'd be happy if you remind me occasionally". The AI is designed to respect these individual wishes.
• Use with sensitivity:
  • Some users appreciate proactive outreach as a form of caring and a helpful reminder. Others may find it distracting.
  • It's important to find the right balance and frequency that works for your target audience.
  • Staying on topic: we work to ensure that even proactive messages that AI generates based on a shared profile reflect the specialty of your particular instance as much as possible, and don't drift into topics that are unrelated. This is an aspect that is constantly being tweaked and improved.

Onboarding is a continuous process. Regularly evaluate how your customers are using AI Expert, collect feedback, and refine your onboarding strategies accordingly. The goal is to make your AI expert an indispensable partner for your clients.

21.5 Message balance check for end users

End users can check the exact number of remaining messages in their subscription using the following command:

/messageBalance

After entering the command, BuddyPro displays the current number of messages the user still has available.

Important details:

• This command is not listed in /help and is intentionally hidden.
• Instance owners may explicitly share this command with their users (for example during onboarding or in automated messages).
• The command is intended exclusively for end users, not for instance owners or administrators.

This feature helps reduce support questions such as “How many messages do I have left?” and increases transparency regarding message limits.

21.6 Automatic follow-up messages

BuddyPro can automatically send follow-up messages if a user does not respond to Buddy’s previous message. These follow-ups are typically sent 1–2 minutes after Buddy’s last response.

The purpose of follow-up messages is to:

• increase user engagement,
• gently remind users about an ongoing conversation,
• create a more human-like communication experience.

Disabling follow-up messages (instance owner)

The BuddyPro instance owner can globally disable follow-up messages for all users using the command:

/shouldSendFollowUpMessages:false

21.7 User control over initiated messages

By default, BuddyPro can initiate messages on its own (for example, follow-ups or conversation reminders). If an end user does not want Buddy to message them proactively, they can explicitly control this behavior using commands.

Commands available to end users

End users can use the following commands:

/shouldMessageMe:false

Buddy will not initiate any new messages and will respond only to direct user inputs.

/shouldMessageMe:true

Buddy is allowed to initiate messages again (such as follow-ups or reminders).

Important notes

• Buddy may still react to natural-language instructions like “don’t message me on your own”,

  but these commands provide a clear and reliable way to control behavior.

• This setting applies only to the specific user who issues the command.

• The commands work only if global message initiation is enabled by the instance owner.

ℹ️ Onboarding tip:

We recommend informing users about this option during onboarding so they can adjust Buddy’s behavior to their personal preferences.

21.8 Additional approximate costs for advanced AI features

In addition to processing know-how sources (text, audio, video, URLs), BuddyPro can also use advanced AI features such as voice messages (Text-to-Speech) and AI-generated images during user conversations.

These features consume AI credits separately and are not included in the know-how processing costs above.

Below are approximate reference costs to help you better estimate real-world usage:

🎤 Voice messages (Text-to-Speech)

Approximate cost per generated voice message, depending on its length:

Voice length	Approx. cost
1 minute	~$0.072
2 minutes	~$0.074
5 minutes	~$0.083
20 minutes	~$0.15

🎨 AI-generated images

Approximate cost per image:

• ~$0.03 – $0.15 per image

The final cost depends on the selected model, image resolution, style, and complexity.

---

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on this step:

• How long should an onboarding video be?
  • Ideally 10-20 minutes. It should be concise enough to hold attention, but also contain all the key information and practical demonstrations.
• How often should I send emails in the onboarding sequence?
  • The frequency can be higher in the beginning (e.g., the first three emails during the first week), and you can decrease the frequency later (e.g., 1-2 times per week). The entire sequence can last anywhere from one to four weeks, depending on how much information and tips you want to communicate over time.
• What if my customer doesn't want the AI to reach out to them?
  • The customer can tell your AI instance directly that they don't want proactive messages (e.g., "Don't text me by yourself."). The AI should respect this wish. As an instance owner, you can also globally disable proactive addressing with /shouldInitiateMessages:false.
• How do I explain a shared user profile to customers so they don't worry about their data?
  • Emphasize the benefits (faster introductions, better personalization right from the start) and especially security and privacy. Explain that no physical person has access to their profile details or the content of their conversations, everything is encrypted and only used to improve the AI functionality within the BuddyPro platform. You can use a "robot teacher" comparison to illustrate this. Transparent communication builds trust.
• What to do if my AI expert talks about something unrelated to his/her specialty (due to a shared profile) in a proactive report?
  • This is an aspect that is constantly being fine-tuned on the BuddyPro platform. The goal is for AI experts to stick to the topic of their specialization even in initiated reports. If this happens frequently, please inform BuddyPro support. For now, it's good to transparently communicate with users how the shared profile works and that the AI is trying to be as relevant as possible.
• Where can I find specific examples of how to structure emails or onboarding video content?
  • Take inspiration from online marketing best practices for onboarding new customers. In this document and other materials from BuddyPro, you'll find specific tips and examples of how successful creators do it. Don't be afraid to ask in the BuddyPro Owners community on Telegram, too.

---

---