Brennan Clark (Product Manager at Sago Mini - Kids App) shares with Peggy Anne Salz the ins and outs of user engagement and retention, how they fuel subscription growth, and tactics and strategies deployed by high-growth companies.
A mistake some marketers do is to focus on a single metric (e.g. conversion rate of a sales screen) without looking at the impact on down-funnel events. Example: impact of the free trial conversion on the trial to subscription rate, monthly churn, etc.
Subscriptions have a high floor and a low ceiling. To solve for that, you can cross-sell or upsell.
You can use intro plans to lower the barrier to entry (e.g. 1 month for $.99 instead of just the 24 hours trial). It helps create confidence to the users that they use the app enough before they really commit.
To do geo-specific pricing if you have low resources, you can start by pegging against what Netflix is doing because they have tested everything. Example: Netflix in Turkey costs 35% of what it does in the US.
The core of Sago Mini's product-led marketing/growth is to have a regular cadence in new game content and gameplay and to build anticipation each time through promotion. Example: they launch 5 games per year, as well as daily "surprises".
To set your conversion values you should identify events within the first 24 hours that provide a signal of high-LTV users down the line. Understand what are the engagement thresholds that signal a subscription or purchase down the line.
A mistake some marketers do is to focus on a single metric (e.g. conversion rate of a sales screen) without looking at the impact on down-funnel events. Example: impact of the free trial conversion on the trial to subscription rate, monthly churn, etc.
Subscriptions have a high floor and a low ceiling. To solve for that, you can cross-sell or upsell.
You can use intro plans to lower the barrier to entry (e.g. 1 month for $.99 instead of just the 24 hours trial). It helps create confidence to the users that they use the app enough before they really commit.
To do geo-specific pricing if you have low resources, you can start by pegging against what Netflix is doing because they have tested everything. Example: Netflix in Turkey costs 35% of what it does in the US.
The core of Sago Mini's product-led marketing/growth is to have a regular cadence in new game content and gameplay and to build anticipation each time through promotion. Example: they launch 5 games per year, as well as daily "surprises".
To set your conversion values you should identify events within the first 24 hours that provide a signal of high-LTV users down the line. Understand what are the engagement thresholds that signal a subscription or purchase down the line.
A mistake some marketers do is to focus on a single metric (e.g. conversion rate of a sales screen) without looking at the impact on down-funnel events. Example: impact of the free trial conversion on the trial to subscription rate, monthly churn, etc.
Subscriptions have a high floor and a low ceiling. To solve for that, you can cross-sell or upsell.
You can use intro plans to lower the barrier to entry (e.g. 1 month for $.99 instead of just the 24 hours trial). It helps create confidence to the users that they use the app enough before they really commit.
To do geo-specific pricing if you have low resources, you can start by pegging against what Netflix is doing because they have tested everything. Example: Netflix in Turkey costs 35% of what it does in the US.
The core of Sago Mini's product-led marketing/growth is to have a regular cadence in new game content and gameplay and to build anticipation each time through promotion. Example: they launch 5 games per year, as well as daily "surprises".
To set your conversion values you should identify events within the first 24 hours that provide a signal of high-LTV users down the line. Understand what are the engagement thresholds that signal a subscription or purchase down the line.
Notes for this resource are currently being transferred and will be available soon.
2 buckets:
Before the pandemic, they’d have kids come in and interact with new games and features. Hard to do virtually.
Also talk with consultants in the education and kid development spaces to understand the need of these users.
2 main areas:
They launch 5 new games per year and the quality is great: the product sells itself. Since the lockdown, everything has been going up. But competition is also higher because there is time to try more apps.
“Surprises” is a daily activity (new feature): a kid doesn’t know which experience (character, game) he is going to get. It creates anticipation as well as a more meaningful connection between the kid and the character. They’ve seen a 15 to 20% increase in app opens.
When optimizing retention, do not look at just one metric but instead at a confluence of metrics. It all depends on which part you are focusing on (in Sago Mini’s case: trial period or extending lifetime).
[💎@13:15] A mistake some marketers do is to focus on a single metric (e.g. conversion rate of a sales screen) without looking at the impact on down-funnel events. Example: impact of the free trial conversion on the trial to subscription rate, monthly churn, etc.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to revenue.
[💎@14:28] It takes a while for poor retention to kill growth.
[💎@17:19] Subscriptions have a high floor and a low ceiling. To solve for that, you can cross-sell or upsell.
[💎@18:04] You can use intro plans to lower the barrier to entry (e.g. 1 month for $.99 instead of just the 24 hours trial). It helps create confidence to the users that they use the app enough before they really commit.
[💎@18:45] To do geo-specific pricing if you have low resources, you can start by pegging against what Netflix is doing because they have tested everything. Example: Netflix in Turkey costs 35% of what it does in the US.
Sago doesn't have too much brand awareness but they have strong brand affinity. So the goal is to get people to try the product, because they know the likelihood to convert will increase.
Because brand awareness is low, asking to subscribe directly would probably not work as well.
They're just looking at content marketing, to create content targeting parents. They already have an app for parents.
[💎@23:15] The core of Sago Mini's product-led marketing/growth is to have a regular cadence in new game content and gameplay and to build anticipation each time through promotion. Example: they launch 5 games per year, as well as daily "surprises".
For most subscription apps, if you don't have a paywall upfront you're not going to have much purchase data in the first 24 hours. So you have to default to engagement.
[💎@25:13] To set your conversion values you should identify events within the first 24 hours that provide a signal of high-LTV users down the line. Understand what are the engagement thresholds that signal a subscription or purchase down the line.
2 buckets:
Before the pandemic, they’d have kids come in and interact with new games and features. Hard to do virtually.
Also talk with consultants in the education and kid development spaces to understand the need of these users.
2 main areas:
They launch 5 new games per year and the quality is great: the product sells itself. Since the lockdown, everything has been going up. But competition is also higher because there is time to try more apps.
“Surprises” is a daily activity (new feature): a kid doesn’t know which experience (character, game) he is going to get. It creates anticipation as well as a more meaningful connection between the kid and the character. They’ve seen a 15 to 20% increase in app opens.
When optimizing retention, do not look at just one metric but instead at a confluence of metrics. It all depends on which part you are focusing on (in Sago Mini’s case: trial period or extending lifetime).
[💎@13:15] A mistake some marketers do is to focus on a single metric (e.g. conversion rate of a sales screen) without looking at the impact on down-funnel events. Example: impact of the free trial conversion on the trial to subscription rate, monthly churn, etc.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to revenue.
[💎@14:28] It takes a while for poor retention to kill growth.
[💎@17:19] Subscriptions have a high floor and a low ceiling. To solve for that, you can cross-sell or upsell.
[💎@18:04] You can use intro plans to lower the barrier to entry (e.g. 1 month for $.99 instead of just the 24 hours trial). It helps create confidence to the users that they use the app enough before they really commit.
[💎@18:45] To do geo-specific pricing if you have low resources, you can start by pegging against what Netflix is doing because they have tested everything. Example: Netflix in Turkey costs 35% of what it does in the US.
Sago doesn't have too much brand awareness but they have strong brand affinity. So the goal is to get people to try the product, because they know the likelihood to convert will increase.
Because brand awareness is low, asking to subscribe directly would probably not work as well.
They're just looking at content marketing, to create content targeting parents. They already have an app for parents.
[💎@23:15] The core of Sago Mini's product-led marketing/growth is to have a regular cadence in new game content and gameplay and to build anticipation each time through promotion. Example: they launch 5 games per year, as well as daily "surprises".
For most subscription apps, if you don't have a paywall upfront you're not going to have much purchase data in the first 24 hours. So you have to default to engagement.
[💎@25:13] To set your conversion values you should identify events within the first 24 hours that provide a signal of high-LTV users down the line. Understand what are the engagement thresholds that signal a subscription or purchase down the line.
2 buckets:
Before the pandemic, they’d have kids come in and interact with new games and features. Hard to do virtually.
Also talk with consultants in the education and kid development spaces to understand the need of these users.
2 main areas:
They launch 5 new games per year and the quality is great: the product sells itself. Since the lockdown, everything has been going up. But competition is also higher because there is time to try more apps.
“Surprises” is a daily activity (new feature): a kid doesn’t know which experience (character, game) he is going to get. It creates anticipation as well as a more meaningful connection between the kid and the character. They’ve seen a 15 to 20% increase in app opens.
When optimizing retention, do not look at just one metric but instead at a confluence of metrics. It all depends on which part you are focusing on (in Sago Mini’s case: trial period or extending lifetime).
[💎@13:15] A mistake some marketers do is to focus on a single metric (e.g. conversion rate of a sales screen) without looking at the impact on down-funnel events. Example: impact of the free trial conversion on the trial to subscription rate, monthly churn, etc.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to revenue.
[💎@14:28] It takes a while for poor retention to kill growth.
[💎@17:19] Subscriptions have a high floor and a low ceiling. To solve for that, you can cross-sell or upsell.
[💎@18:04] You can use intro plans to lower the barrier to entry (e.g. 1 month for $.99 instead of just the 24 hours trial). It helps create confidence to the users that they use the app enough before they really commit.
[💎@18:45] To do geo-specific pricing if you have low resources, you can start by pegging against what Netflix is doing because they have tested everything. Example: Netflix in Turkey costs 35% of what it does in the US.
Sago doesn't have too much brand awareness but they have strong brand affinity. So the goal is to get people to try the product, because they know the likelihood to convert will increase.
Because brand awareness is low, asking to subscribe directly would probably not work as well.
They're just looking at content marketing, to create content targeting parents. They already have an app for parents.
[💎@23:15] The core of Sago Mini's product-led marketing/growth is to have a regular cadence in new game content and gameplay and to build anticipation each time through promotion. Example: they launch 5 games per year, as well as daily "surprises".
For most subscription apps, if you don't have a paywall upfront you're not going to have much purchase data in the first 24 hours. So you have to default to engagement.
[💎@25:13] To set your conversion values you should identify events within the first 24 hours that provide a signal of high-LTV users down the line. Understand what are the engagement thresholds that signal a subscription or purchase down the line.
