Member activation program
Lead Copywriter | Behavioral Messaging Strategist
TL;DR
Cityblock needed a scalable way to activate members who had never responded to any outreach—even after multiple attempts. As Lead Copywriter, I created a new behavioral-driven messaging system that turned a previously low-performing task into one of the company’s most successful engagement programs.
Highlights
- Achieved a 142.7% year-over-year lift in monthly self-activation completions (from 30.2 → 73.3 per month)
- Improved conversion from 1.1% (V1) to 1.8% (V2 + Welcome funnels) in 2025
- Developed new SMS and email variants that successfully re-engaged previously unresponsive members
- Reframed activation from an administrative step into an accessible, empowering on-ramp to care
- Helped establish self-activation as a core pillar of Cityblock’s engagement strategy across all segments
- Used behavioral insights to shape tone, structure, CTA design, and friction-reduction across the entire workflow
Challenge
Self-activation is one of the most important steps in helping members get connected to care—but historically, it had one of the lowest engagement rates in the company.
Members ignored emails, abandoned onboarding steps, or didn’t understand why they were being asked to complete a form at all.
The members receiving these messages were some of the least responsive people in our system.
Cityblock needed a new approach—one that felt human, relevant, and motivating.
My Role: Lead Copywriter and Behavioral Messaging Strategist
- Built the message architecture and narrative for Self-Activation V2
- Developed re-engagement SMS + email variants for members who ignored prior outreach
- Reframed the intake form in a way that felt meaningful and personal
- Shaped behavioral pathways that reduced cognitive load and increased momentum
- Partnered with design, marketing, clinical, and data teams to refine and operationalize the workflow
Strategy
1. Make the value immediately obvious
Instead of “Fill out this form,” the copy reframed the action as:
“This helps us learn what support you want—and how we can help.”
2. Remove friction and assumptions
We acknowledged that members likely:
- didn’t remember receiving the form
- didn’t realize the form was required
- weren’t sure what would happen next
3. Replace pressure with agency
The tone emphasized:
“This is your care and your space. We’re here to support you.”
4. Vary messaging for re-engagement
Members who ignored version one needed something new. Instead of a reminder, we reframed an invitation.
Mockup SMS:
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Worked with Behavioral Insights on tone, sequencing, CTA psychology
- Collaborated with Clinical Intake leadership to ensure clarity around next steps
- Partnered with design to reduce visual noise and create member-friendly layouts
- Coordinated with Marketing Ops on routing logic, segmentation, and send patterns
- Aligned with Member Experience leadership to embed self-activation into the broader engagement ecosystem
Results
Program-Level Outcomes
- 142.7% increase in average monthly self-activation completions
- 2024: 30.2 per month
- 2025: 73.3 per month
Conversion Improvements
- 1.1% → 1.8% conversion rate
- A 64% improvement in conversion performance
Systemwide Impact
Self-activation is now:
- integrated into welcome funnels
- used across multiple segments
- a core component of Cityblock’s engagement strategy
- one of the highest-yield engagement actions Cityblock runs
Why This Work Matters
People often disengage from care not because they don’t want help, but because the process feels overwhelming, confusing, or emotionally loaded.
This campaign met members with clarity, empathy, and agency—creating real openings where there had been silence.
By transforming an administrative task into an easier, more human first step, Cityblock unlocked connection with members who had been unreachable for months—or years.