Operational strategy: How to effectively recall lost users?

User churn is a very troubling problem for operations personnel. Even though they have tried various methods, users still keep churning. In fact, it is impossible for operators to take care of everything, and user loss is normal. When user churn occurs, timely measures should be taken to recall lost users and prevent users from churn.

1. A measure of user churn

Before taking remedial measures for lost users, it is necessary to know what kind of users are considered lost users. For instant messaging apps such as QQ and WeChat , if users do not perform any operations within two months, it can be considered that the users have been lost. For e-commerce apps, if a user has not made any operation for six months to a year, it can be considered that the user has been lost. Therefore, when defining user churn, it is necessary to define it based on the characteristics of the APP and user behavior .

2. Build a model for lost users

Through the above definition of lost users, we already know which users are lost users. Here, we will observe these lost users and find out their common attributes. The information that needs to be recorded is as follows:

1. What actions did the user take before churn?
2. From which channels do the lost users come? Are they from one or several channels?
3. Are the user behavior characteristics, gender, proportion of uploaded avatars, average number of speeches per person, age, region, etc. of the lost users similar?
4. Before user churn occurs, has the product released a new version or changed certain features that users rely on?

3. Efficient methods and key points for recalling users

1. Tell the user that you are recalling him

When doing user recall, you need to select channels. As for what kind of channels are suitable, you may wish to take a look at the following introduction.

(1) Mail DEM

Email EDM push has low cost and can send a large number of emails. It is a method for many APPs to recall users. However, the open rate of recalling users through email push is very low. Because the usage rate of mailboxes by ordinary users is not high.

(2) APP message push

Internal message push

APP message push is a more accurate push method. It can push messages to the mobile phones of users who have installed the APP. This method can be used to recall APP users. It has low cost and a very high opening rate. Although the user has been classified as a lost user by you, he has not uninstalled your APP, which proves that your APP is still useful to him, but he did not continue to use it for some reason. At this time, you can push messages to users and recall them.

It is worth noting that pushing messages to users at inappropriate times and pushing messages at a high frequency will make users disgusted, and in serious cases, they will directly uninstall the APP.

Third-party message push

With the help of a third-party message push service provider, push notifications are sent through the APP alliance, which can be understood as push notifications through the APP installed in the mobile phone.

(3) SMS

The arrival rate of SMS push is high, but the cost is also high. Moreover, using SMS to recall users will make users feel that their privacy has been leaked, and their favorability towards the APP will also decrease significantly.

I have written an article before, "Master the Four Channels of APP User Recall: EDM, Push, SMS, and Official Accounts ", which introduced various push notifications in detail. Here I will just give a brief introduction.

2. The user knows you are recalling him

When pushing messages, the writing of copy also requires skill. Chinese people tend to speak in a subtle way. You can’t say directly, “We have made an update, please come and take a look” or “I have an event, please come and join us.”

When pushing recall messages to users, it is necessary to clarify what the users' real needs are.

(1) E-commerce apps: If users want to buy cheap and useful things through the app, the app can push messages based on current hot topics and user needs.

Yitao informed users of recent discounts and other activities via email. It happened to be 618 at the time, and various platforms were holding activities. Yitao also informed users in a timely manner that they could get more discounts by using it. In this way, lost users will come back to check.

(2) Social apps. Social apps are based on people. If social accounts are not maintained by interpersonal relationships, a large number of users will leave.

I once registered a Facebook account, but later gave up because I had no friends to play with. However, Facebook has always been with me. During the time when I gave up, it kept recommending users to me, saying, "Someone you may know has joined Facebook." After Facebook sent me a dozen recall emails, I found the person I wanted to follow on Facebook and was officially recalled.

(3) Tool apps: Tool apps serve as an auxiliary tool for users in some aspects. The reason why tool apps cause user loss may be that their functions do not meet the needs of users, or that the core functions that originally satisfied users have been replaced after the revision.

Ultimately, tool apps attract users with their functions. So at this time, we should tell users that we have improved the functions during the time you were away, so please come and take a look to see if you like it more.

When App Annie was doing user recall, it pushed the following message. App annie is used to monitor the dynamics of APP competitors. The message pushed is just to remind users that it is time to look at the competitor's data and formulate their own competitive strategy.

3. What operations must do after a successful recall

If a user is successfully recalled, it may be that you have just met his needs and he is willing to give you another chance. Nowadays, APPs are rapidly iterating, and their functions and UI will undergo major changes. As soon as the user opens the APP, the entire interface is different from before they left. The user finds it difficult to use and will leave again.

For apps that have undergone major revisions, you can add a new user guidance page to guide users. The accounting APP mentioned above provided a new user guide for the recalled users, telling them how to use the revised APP.

In addition to the novice guide, some operators will push some new features of the APP to the message notification center. Users can see what updates the APP has made when they open the message center, but generally it is through the novice guide method.

Summary: The above are some methods and key points for recalling lost users . When operating for lost users, it is necessary to find out the real demands of lost users and recall lost users based on these demands. After the recall, through operations, users can be made aware of the core value of the APP and the loss of users can be reduced.