How does a paid content store increase new users?

Since 2016, the concept of "micro-course" has entered our circle of friends: low-price registration, listening to classes on mobile phones, voice + PPT format, live broadcast rewards... It was from this time that " content payment " entered the public life and has been with us until today.

The content payment platforms that everyone is familiar with include: Lizhi Micro Class, Qianliao Micro Class, Qingke, Panda Micro Class, Xiaoetong, etc. The layman sees the excitement while the expert sees the doorway. They all allow people to listen to classes on their mobile phones. What are the differences between these platforms? This article takes Xiaoetong as the main analysis object, and takes you to an in-depth understanding of the content payment and new customer acquisition techniques.

Qianliao Products - User-side Page

For those who are engaged in high-level operations in the field of content payment, Xiaoetong is one of the commonly used platforms because it meets the two needs of "opening a store + refined operation" .

For example, the one-click store opening function has allowed many content providers to get rid of the pain of being "platform kidnapped" and operate independently. Among them, celebrity stores, such as Fan Deng Reading Club, Wu Xiaobo Channel, Douban Time, etc., have already reached a total of millions of paying users.

What is the difference between Xiaoetong and other micro-course platforms such as Lizhi Micro-Course and Qianliao? A picture tells you:

The similarities and differences of the functions of the three major platforms - comparison chart

Currently, many companies have incubated their own paid content products. You can choose the appropriate platform based on staffing, content type, and refined operational needs.

Recently, due to adjustments in my work content, I took over the operation of the company's content store (installed on Xiaoetong). In order to quickly familiarize myself with the platform and produce operational results, I conducted in-depth research on 100+ paid content stores and found that the operating routines of the big Vs were so similar . After "modification" and reused in my own projects many times, it has been effective every time .

Today, I will openly share with you all the operating strategies of the big Vs!

(PS: Imitation is the most effective way to learn. If you want to make achievements in a certain field, you first need to find at least one person to imitate, practice while learning, and then fill in the relevant knowledge according to your own situation after practice. In the past 5 years of work, I have used this method to quickly familiarize myself with a new field. I hope this method will also help you)

1. Course content: Organic combination of production and distribution

When operating a paid content store, the first thing to solve is the problem of content source. Some platforms provide a vast content market, such as Xiaoetong, which includes more than a dozen popular course categories such as personal charging/business management/online education , and there are tens of thousands of individual courses.

Backstage - Content Market

Therefore, content payment stores generally have two identities: content producers and content channels . In terms of the source of course content, they can adopt an organic combination of production and distribution .

1. Content producers:

Our own store is positioned to provide new media professionals (mainly focusing on operations positions) with valuable knowledge to help them achieve rapid growth in their careers and lives.

We have the ability to produce content, and have produced courses including the complete guide to WeChat operations, 10 lectures on traffic growth in 2018, and new media writing.

As a content producer, we must grasp the two key points of user needs and usage scenarios . That is, we must figure out what content needs users have and in what scenarios users will take classes.

Based on the user's lecture scenario, we iterated on the content format:

① For operators, not only systematic courses for capacity improvement are provided, but also special small courses , such as copywriting, data, activities, etc.

② Respond and produce quickly to new trends in operations, such as how to operate Douyin, how to quickly increase followers, and how to operate a social community.

Content Distribution-Operation New Trend Course

Based on the user's lecture scenario, we tried the following content formats:

① Video + pictures and texts focus on the user's complete learning time . Videos can enhance the immersion of learning, while pictures and texts can help users quickly get the key points of the lesson, thereby improving the learning experience.

② Audio targets users’ fragmented time , such as when commuting. When the environment is complex and it is not convenient to hold a mobile phone to read, audio becomes the best solution.

Currently, most e-books available in audio format on the market are general knowledge, and there are very few e-books specifically focusing on new media/operations. (The audio solution provided by Xiaoetong can continue to play after the screen goes off)

③ E-books are suitable for both complete learning time and fragmented time . They are mainly used to expand the categories of knowledge forms and increase user stickiness.

As a content producer, in addition to putting the courses on your own platform, remember to upload a copy to the content market as well , so that other content channels can help you distribute it and increase exposure and revenue.

2. Content channel:

Everyone’s energy is limited. For knowledge stores that have insufficient production capacity or do not produce courses at all, they can act as content channels and bring themselves exposure and income by introducing courses.

Booklist Classroom - Star Store in the Distribution Field

As a channel party, we must adhere to one center and two basic points when choosing distribution courses.

The center is " to be user-demand-centered ". When choosing a course, make sure that the course you choose is what the target audience really needs, and don't just satisfy yourself. The two basic points are " introducing courses with high distribution conversion rates " and " introducing suitable courses at the right time ." Let's talk about it separately:

• "We must focus on user needs": As for our store, we are positioned to provide knowledge to new media people (mainly focusing on operations positions), but that doesn't mean all courses must be work-related.

We can expand some related categories based on the relevant needs of new media people , such as "How to Treat Hair Loss" and "10-Minute Fitness Class for Office Workers", which are also strong needs for new media people.

• "Introduce courses with high distribution conversion rates": Some content payment platforms have launched many thoughtful services to help operators have a better sense of direction when distributing products. For example, Xiaoetong allows you to see the weekly/monthly hot list of distributed products in the background after logging in, which provides great reference significance.

Through observation, we found that the contents of these courses that made it into the rankings are relatively universal , such as fitness, learning English, and health preservation. The contents of these courses have been tested by many stores and the conversion rate is guaranteed. As a channel party, you can introduce them with confidence and wait to collect money. However, in order to improve your competitiveness, you can differentiate yourself in price and service, such as limited discounts, 50% off for group purchases of three people, or a community learning model with check-ins.

Content distribution—various lists

• "Introducing the right course at the right time": This is also a key point to pay attention to when distributing. For example, it is autumn and winter now, and the demand for health and wellness is relatively strong . Another example is that there are CET-4 and CET-6 exams and postgraduate entrance examinations at the end of December . Can we distribute a few English sprint courses accordingly? Regarding this, you can refer to the platform's distribution rankings and Baidu Index, taking a two-pronged approach to improve the accuracy of judgment.

After determining the distribution, how to increase sales through continuous optimization and iteration? Here I share a few tips, I hope it will be helpful to you:

① Product selection test:

Product selection is not something that can be done overnight. It requires finalizing the segmented product selection direction of your store based on testing, data feedback, and user surveys , and producing your own course selection standard (SOP). This standard will be used to determine whether a course is worth introducing.

② Data-driven:

Distribution is not a copycat approach. The selected courses should be combined with the positioning of your own store, and the title, details page, and even store decoration should be optimized to ensure that the course presentation style is consistent with the store .

③ Before large-scale promotion, be sure to do a small-scale test first:

There is a cost to promoting courses, and excellent operators will ensure that no exposure opportunity is wasted.

Before large-scale promotion, you can do a test on the company’s small account . If the effect is not good, optimize each link of the conversion funnel : Is the title not attractive enough? Or is the conversion rate of the details page too low? Or is it that the course content is not sufficient? After finding the problem, we will optimize and polish it.

By doing this, at least before each large-scale promotion, you can have a reasonable expectation of the sales volume that the course can achieve.

When it comes to organizing the store's course content, whether you are a content producer or a content channel, I think the most efficient way to improve is to imitate celebrity stores .

According to the lists such as "Content Provider Ranking", "Distribution Product Ranking", "Content Channel Ranking" provided by the background, as an operator, you must consciously learn and summarize a lean operation framework based on your own situation. I believe that you will be able to join them soon.

For example: various rankings of a certain platform in October

2. Exposure and new customer acquisition: Choose the right marketing tools based on the scenario

Many paid content platforms now have various marketing tools, which are a godsend for operators. They no longer have to beg their own developers. All the marketing tools available on the market are available here: promoters, coupons, friends listening, friends helping, fission posters...

Marketing tools are updated relatively quickly. Basically, as soon as a new marketing method emerges on the market, many content payment platforms will follow up as soon as possible.

Below, I will use the operational ideas of "marketing purpose" + "usage tools" + "application scenarios" to help everyone quickly become familiar with how to use these marketing tools.

1. Purpose of increasing followers of public accounts:

It is becoming increasingly difficult to increase followers of a public account. It is now common to ask friends in the circle of friends to help obtain information packages , which is a proven and effective way to increase followers.

As for how to divert traffic to the official account through courses , I have tried many models before, mainly the following two:

① Invite to join the group, robot maintenance:

That is, people are pulled into the WeChat group through group fission. When students scan the active code to join the group, the robot will ask them to forward the course poster and related scripts to their friends circle, take a screenshot and return it to the group before they can get the qualification to attend the class.

Although this method saves operating personnel costs, it can easily result in "dead" groups, and the group turnover rate is very high both before and after the course starts.

② After following the official account, reply with the following keywords:

Through relevant interface settings, everyone who follows the official account can reply to keywords to obtain a unique lecture address.

Although this method can increase the number of followers for the official account, there is a lack of communication channels between users and course providers, the attendance rate cannot be guaranteed, and the process of obtaining class qualifications is much more complicated than directly joining the class group.

In comparison, the so-called "fan-increasing tool" that is currently popular on the market is very user-friendly: for example, setting up a single course requires the help of three people. When three users who have not followed the official account scan the QR code on your poster, they will automatically follow the official account. When the three people have completed the help, you will receive the class link.

During the process, no operator intervention is required, and the chain in the middle is short, so the operation cost for trainees is low. If some operational problems arise, you can also leave a message directly in the background, and the corresponding course operator can provide a solution as soon as possible.

2. To increase course exposure:

Marketing functions such as fission posters, group buying, friend assistance, and setting up promoters can all achieve the goal of increasing course exposure.

Here I would like to focus on the fission poster function. Many people confuse it with the above-mentioned fan-increasing tool.

The core of fission posters lies in distribution rewards . The scenarios for generating fission posters can be before/after users make a purchase. As long as others complete the course purchase through your QR code on the reference poster, you can get distribution rewards.

The New World View and NetEase Drama King that were all over the internet back then all used this tactic when they gave lectures.

3. To increase income:

If you want to increase your revenue quickly, you can achieve amazing results by making rational use of flash sales, limited-time discounts, and group buying.

Here I would like to focus on the "flash sale" function that is often overlooked. I believe you have already asked, "flash sales" obviously lose money but gain publicity, so how can it increase revenue? Please listen to me patiently as I explain below:

For the Double 12 event two days ago, I planned a flash sale that lasted for three days. I would sell out one course product at 10 o'clock every day, and the flash sale price was 1 yuan.

In advance warm-up tweets, guide users to make reservations for the event, which can attract a group of new users to follow the official account. 10 minutes before the event starts, the bound service account will automatically push a template message of "The event is about to start" to users who have made reservations before.

Traffic generation—Follow the official account and make an appointment for flash sales

Reminder - Automatically remind you before the event starts

On the day of the tweet alone, 741 new followers were added, as shown in the figure:

On the day of the tweet and the first day of the event, a large amount of traffic will flow into the flash sale page. At this time, you must make good use of this traffic. What I did at that time was to recommend the 50% off courses for Double 12 on the flash sale page . Since these courses received sufficient exposure, sales were also boosted.

However, after all, the flash sale products are limited, and many users will choose to unfollow the official account after failing to buy the products. At this time, the coping strategy is here: you can use the [User Grouping] function to send [7-Day Trial Super Membership] to users who have booked the flash sale but did not grab the products, set up free learning of designated products and give 20% off on all products. If your course is good enough, users will most likely take advantage of the 20% discount to place an order directly after the trial, as shown in the figure:

You didn’t expect that there are so many small operational moves around “flash sales” that can stimulate conversions in minutes and increase revenue by 666.

3. Improve activity: Use learning tools

After the course is sold, the "heavyweight" operational work has just begun.

After so many years in the knowledge payment industry, I have discovered a pattern: 80% of users are unable to evaluate the courses after purchasing them. The reason is that many people "only buy but do not learn."

Many paid platforms have many learning aid tools, and the core purpose of using them is very clear: to activate course purchasing users, encourage them to learn and stay active, and ultimately achieve repeat purchases and recommend social friends in the same circle to sign up (old users bring new ones).

Next, I will talk about how to use Xiaoetong’s learning tools through three aspects: retaining students, activating students, and converting students again .

1. Accumulate students

Create a community associated with the course column. All users who have purchased the column can enter the community.

In order to increase the rate of joining the group, operators can create some small baits , such as popping up a guiding button "Join the group now to get a lucky red envelope" after purchasing the course. Most people will join without thinking.

After joining the group, you can also design a small link "Fill out the form in 5 seconds to receive a lucky red envelope, which will be instantly transferred to your WeChat wallet", and collect user information at the same time.

In addition to giving out small favors, you can also distribute them together with the store’s “new course coupons”. Remember! These must be distributed when users first join the group , when their enthusiasm is highest.

2. Active students

Now that the community is established, how can we operate it effectively on a daily basis during a learning cycle without wasting too much of the operator’s time? It is strongly recommended here that many platforms have a "homework book" function.

After each class, teachers can create homework cards, and the homework will be displayed in a dynamic form in the small community. If the questions are difficult, it can also trigger discussions among students in the community. After correcting the homework, the teacher can also set "excellent homework to be publicly visible" to trigger community learning discussions again.

3. Convert students again

After many courses are over, it is inevitable that the place is deserted and nothing is left. For users, they don’t know how well they have mastered the knowledge, and for institutions, there is no feedback on the effectiveness of the course.

Based on our previous experience, adding an "examination" link can effectively solve the above two problems.

Before the end of a course, the system pushes exam tasks to students, allowing them to take the exam, understand their knowledge status, and repeatedly study based on their weak points. For institutions, they can also understand students' knowledge status through exam results, and optimize knowledge points with high frequency of loss of points in subsequent teaching and research.

After students complete the exam, the operator can set up in the background to issue certificates to those who perform well in the exam. This positive incentive can stimulate students to forward to their friends, thereby attracting social friends in the same circle to sign up.

There are also many platforms that have scholarship functions, which is a more motivating way for students and can be combined with learning methods such as training camps, check-ins, and exams.

"Micro-classes" are the main way people learn nowadays. A single class has a light knowledge load, a light learning format, and light communication with teachers and institutions...

In contrast to "light" is the "heavy" part of the operation process. The operation of a knowledge store must be responsible for the user's learning experience and results, design and open up a complete learning chain, from course content production, attracting new students, settling students, activating students, to converting students again, improving students' reputation, and fulfilling its mission as an educational institution.

In the past two weeks, I have browsed more than 100 celebrity knowledge stores, including Wu Xiaobo Channel, Jianshu University, Elephant Academy, etc. In addition to their outstanding performance in the above three areas (i.e. course content, exposure and increasing student activity), they also pay special attention to the decoration of the store and create brand appearance differences. There are also many things worth learning from them in the writing of course copy.

Regarding this point, you can read my previous article "Details page copywriting template with conversion rate over 85%, why didn’t I see it earlier..."

IV. Conclusion

Through in-depth research on more than 100 paid content stores, I found that big Vs have similar operating routines:

1. Attach great importance to course content and adopt an organic combination of production and distribution.

When producing your own courses, you should try more content and format based on the user's listening scenarios:

• The "video + pictures and text" format cuts into the user's complete learning time;
• The "audio" format taps into users' fragmented time;
• The "e-book" format is suitable for both complete learning time and fragmented time.

When distributing courses, we must adhere to one central point, namely “focusing on user needs”, and two basic points, namely “introducing courses with high distribution conversion rates” and “introducing suitable courses at the right time”.

2. Continue to optimize after introducing the distribution course.

Common methods include product selection testing, data-driven approach, and small-scale testing before large-scale promotion.

3. Exposure and new customer acquisition tools can be used to match different marketing purposes:

• Public account followers increase → followers increase tool
• Increase course exposure → fission poster
• Increase revenue → Use a combination of marketing tools around "flash sales"

4. Learning aid tools can be used to match the following gameplay to the different stages of student operations:

• Accumulate students → Open a small community for column courses
• Active students → Associated homework book function after each class
• Convert students again → After the course, there will be an exam + certificate function

From knowing nothing about content store operations to being familiar with using various tools to get things done, my learning method was very simple and crude, which was to learn from the experiences of successful people, gradually disassemble them, and reuse them in my own projects.

The older you get, the more you understand one thing: 90% of the problems you encounter in work and life have already been solved by previous people. Only by imitating first and then innovating can we avoid detours.

Source: Mugongzi