The principles and techniques of user operation

Tao and art are one of the topics that entrepreneurs like to talk about most. Once a person reaches a certain position, he starts to talk about some illusory things. This is Tao.

On the other hand, what we like to talk about most in daily operations is what solutions can be used to bring in new users without spending money, how to ensure that there will be a thousand people participating in this fission, etc. These are all technical aspects. If an operator wants to advance from primary operation to advanced operation, in addition to understanding the techniques of operation, he must also understand the principles of operation.

The modules of operation work include user operation , activity operation, data operation and content operation. This article takes the principles and techniques of user operations as an example to explain to everyone how primary and advanced operators think and respond when doing user operations. After learning these, maybe you can also become an advanced user operator.

Let’s talk about it based on the three modules of user operation: user acquisition, user activation and user monetization. Whether the user operation work is done well or not depends on how well these three modules perform. If you can attract users at a low price, make them extremely active, monetize them and make money for the company, then you are the king of operations.

1. The Ways and Techniques of Attracting New Users

1. Technical level

The art of attracting new customers is nothing more than effective methods of attracting new customers. Here are a few very effective methods of attracting new customers that I have used before.

1) New user method 1: Invite 10 people to receive gold ingots

This is a plan I made when I was operating a previous game, when advertising has been suspended and new game additions are stable. We hope to bring in a wave of new users through the event, so we focus on existing users.

In order to motivate these old users to attract new users, we have prepared in-game gold as rewards.

You have to know that gold ingots can only be purchased with money, and the game quality is good, so users recognize the game very much. As soon as the event was launched, the number of new game users reached a new high that day. As you can see, Pinduoduo is very good at induced fission. We started doing it a few years earlier than them, and the effect is indeed very good.

2) Method 2 for attracting new customers: Follow the hot spots to attract new customers

In daily advertising, we will purchase advertising resources and run advertisements to attract new customers.

In the production of materials, I designed a version of emoticon package by chance. Why do we say it was a coincidence? Because the requirements were not made clear when they were submitted. After the designer designed it and made it into an emoticon package, there was no time to change it, so they just went ahead with it.

The resulting effect is several times better than usual materials, which was a bit beyond our expectations.

The above two examples are at the technical level. They are specific and executable methods that junior operators must know.

2. The Level of Tao

Taking the above two cases as examples, let’s first talk about the method of fission and attracting new customers. When we see our peers doing such activities, we can imitate them and do a similar activity by copying them.

But from a Tao perspective, why would users attract new users just for the sake of ingots? To put it in one sentence, as long as the benefits are sufficient, users will be happy to do anything.

The gifts above are ingots. If the gifts are cash or the user’s favorite Gundam model, the effect will be the same. When users do something we want them to do, their inner thoughts are: Is the reward greater than the cost?

If you believe that the reward is greater than the effort, you will take action; otherwise, you will not take action.

The second hot spot is attracting new users. Why are emoticon materials better at attracting new users than ordinary materials? It’s not because emoticons are more attractive, but because it happened to be the time when emoticons were popular.

When users see familiar scenes, they are more likely to resonate and click. Just like when users see a piece of news, when similar news appears, they will also click on it. Creating materials based on the impressions that users already have in their minds will be far better than creating materials that are unknown to users.

2. The Ways and Techniques of User Activation

1. Technical level

Taking APP as an example, user activation means improving the daily activity data of the product. In order to stimulate users to open the APP, we have thought of various methods.

For example, the most commonly used push function can increase the daily active data by 20% after each push. If the push copy is more attractive, it is possible to increase the daily active data by 50%.

Another thing is to add a red dot on the APP. It has to be said that this is the greatest invention of mankind in the 20th century. As long as there is a dot, users will almost click on it. There are also some activities where you can sign in and earn points, which can also help boost activity.

Let’s talk about activation during user community operation. Activation here cannot be separated from a carrier that carries users, such as QQ groups, WeChat groups, Tieba or other places where users can communicate with each other.

Then formulate rules for active users, such as raising topics every day, organizing chain activities, etc. Taking several of my operation groups as an example, the daily promotion activities are based on the unshakable daily reports and dog-licking diaries, plus some hot topic discussions, the community will become very active.

2. The Level of Tao

In order to attract more users to click on this feature, we also start from people's greed.

The push copy often contains something like "You have a reward to be claimed". We can't say that we have no moral integrity. We learned this from a certain platform. They also have similar copy, but when you click on it, there is actually nothing.

Remember, there is no gain without pain. Starting from the level of this principle, you can discover more ways to play.

The principles of the community are easier to understand. Everyone has the need to express their opinions and observe. When operating with users, what we need to do is to guide users to release this need. When implementing these strategies, we must understand that users have different personalities. Extroverts are good at expressing themselves, while introverts like to stay hidden.

Therefore, it is normal for a community to have 10% active members, but a community with 100% active members does not exist.

3. The Way and Technique of User Monetization

1. Technical level

The three magic weapons for Internet monetization: advertising, e-commerce and games.

User monetization of APP products is mostly through advertising, and it is the advertisers who pay the bill, which users are unaware of. User monetization of e-commerce products means that users place orders and purchase, which is more difficult than APP monetization.

Taking a community e-commerce monetization that I have previously managed as an example, in order to encourage people in the community to purchase products, a lot of coupons were issued before the monetization, and the products were introduced in detail, especially highlighting the product's fine quality and design concept originated from France.

Let users recognize this product, and with the large number of discount coupons they have grabbed, they will place orders to buy the product on the day it goes online. The technical level is to control the transaction rhythm.

2. The Level of Tao

After years of user operations, I have discovered that it is not difficult to get users to do anything, except making them spend money, which is harder than climbing to the sky.

Just like my book "Full Stack Operations Master" which only costs two cups of milk tea, even though it contains a lot of useful information, some people would rather buy milk tea than the book. Isn’t that annoying?

Therefore, the level of user monetization is much deeper than attracting new users and promoting activation, and it is also much more difficult to understand. Many companies fail because they cannot overcome the hurdle of user monetization. If you can figure out the way to user monetization, that would be amazing.

Just think about it, why do users want to buy something? There must be a reason to buy it.

The purpose of this purchase is to make users recognize the product and thus bring about a transaction. The essence of the change in the reason for purchase is the user's attitude towards the product. This is why we need to constantly promote the product's fine quality when promoting user activation. It is to change the user's attitude towards the product from caution to liking.

If users don’t like it, they won’t buy it even if the price is lower. Once users like a product, they may place an order even if the price exceeds their expectations.

To change users' attitudes, we need to instill product awareness into users' minds through text, pictures or videos. Knowing this, we will have a direction when creating materials. We will not do it just for the sake of doing it, but will focus on several directions that will touch users' hearts, and the effect will be guaranteed.

4. Final

The road is long and arduous, but I will search for it up and down. As for the technical level, let’s analyze a few cases and try to do it. You will be able to learn it in a few days.

However, the level of Tao cannot be realized in just one or two days. If you think that you have understood the true meaning of user operation after doing it for more than a month, don't worry, this is an illusion.

Our understanding of something gradually deepens over time. Why do people with more experience have a higher chance of success in starting a business? Experience is one aspect, but the gradual deepening of understanding of business is the core.

So, when some investors say that they like to invest in people born after 1995 and 2000, I know that their subtext is that they like to make money rather than build a good company.

Author: Tiger Talks Operations

Source: Tiger Talk Operations