In the product development process, the focus of the growth system construction corresponding to each stage is different. The article summarizes some of the author’s experience in establishing a growth system and shares it with everyone.
First of all, the purpose of the growth system is simply to promote survival and retention.
The growth system accumulates the user’s loyalty and contribution to the product through quantifiable and calculable user behavior, and uses this as a basis for user operations.
However, we must have a basic understanding that the growth system is only a means, and the product is the most important. Only when the product is truly attractive can the growth system have a positive impact.
Therefore, there are two fallacies in the user growth system:
- The first one: a bad product, no matter how good the system is, it seems to be futile, and it can only speed up the speed at which users abandon you; while a good product does not seem to be operated, and users will use it.
- Another: The specialty system is to retain advanced users, and many advanced users don’t care what system you use, and what should they do.
So does the user growth system still have a reason for its existence? Is this people’s wishful thinking?
It is also easy to answer this question. Unless your product is an epoch-making product, such as Microsoft’s personal computer, Apple’s iPhone, otherwise, when it does not have an absolute lead in similar products, a good growth system can at least be a bonus part of a product. In addition, the growth system is also one of the means to guide users to use the core business of the product, rationally guide users and maintain product operations.
I have read some articles about the growth system, most of which elaborated and analyzed the content and practices of the growth system. This article attempts to analyze the construction strategy of each stage based on the timeline of product development.
The sequence of growth system construction
If we build a growth system from the development process of a product, the growth system I understand can be divided into three stages to iterate. When the product development route is not clear, the three-stage iterations need to be implemented serially. The next step is the correction and completion of the previous step; if the product positioning is already clear, the three can be designed in parallel. This requires The product manager has extensive industry experience.
1. Points system
The points system can be established first, and the characteristic of points is that they can be consumed. For early stage products, users need to use the shortest time to get the most benefits. Feelings are cultivated slowly, and from the very beginning, feelings are disrespect for users. The points can be obtained by using the main process of the product. The specific rules for obtaining points will not be explained first, and the design idea is based on the principle of simplicity and clarity. The user can understand and remember the rules within 5 seconds. This is the characteristic of your product. Sincerity is very important. Now users are trained to the point that they don’t even bother to squeeze wool without sincerity. Give users feedback quickly, don’t try to test the patience of users, users can’t stand the test.
The consumption of points is roughly divided into two categories: own resources and foreign resources. Taking into account the cost factor, the product itself needs to convert the points into money. For the low marginal cost (mostly its own resources), the benefits can be given to the user, and the foreign resources purchased for real money can be exchanged restrictively. Let me talk more about it. Cross-industry cooperation tries to access resources that conform to the product’s own positioning and character. Don’t let users think that this is a tasteless product.
The point system is a cost-effective means for high-frequency participating users in the early stages of the product. The purpose is to retain users through the added value of points. Anyway, using WeChat and Alipay are the same. If Alipay sends points, then you can use Alipay.
2. Hierarchy system
The construction of the registration system itself needs to be opened on the basis of a certain number of users. Unless you can accurately determine where the user’s sensitive points are, what business of the product is most needed by the user, and what operation you want the user to complete. The greater the intersection of the two, the easier the design of the hierarchical system. The essence of the hierarchical system is to serve the core business, and the principle of designing the path to reach the standard is actually to stimulate users to reuse the core business.
Specifically, if the scoring system is linear, the level is more like a milestone. User level is accumulated through experience or growth value. It is generally designed as an exponential function. If the level is less, you can consider the experience value recovery mechanism. The experience value can be obtained by using product novice missions, main tasks, and daily missions, and we will not start it here.
There must be corresponding rewards for level promotion. Rewards can be divided into expendable rewards (vouchers, points, etc.) and privileged rewards. The flexibility of privileged rewards can be formulated according to the user’s grading, and the differences between the membership grades can be highlighted in multiple places to stimulate low-level users to work hard to advance to the high-level.
3. Medal system
Let’s tell a story first. It’s like we go shopping for clothes, just enter a shop, buy a piece of clothing, and when we pay the order, the clerk says, “You can apply for a membership card. You don’t need money. You can earn points for today’s consumption, and you can get a discount if you have more points. , Membership card can also be upgraded.”
You will think “This is okay, let’s do one!”
The clerk then said, “Congratulations, you have also become our honorary customer!”
You think in your heart “What the hell is this! We are not familiar yet, so passionate, is there any plan?”
In real life, the dialogue should end at the membership card upgrade, because the follow-up dialogue was compiled by me, and I think it is very embarrassing for everyone to read it. But this kind of embarrassment is happening now and again. As a user, many APPs are now registered, and only after a few clicks, your medal system has received a lot of honors, such as “newbie registration”, “small test”, “checked in” and other honors. What the hell is this? The definition of a medal is a badge of honor awarded to a meritorious person. Although it has been generalized now, it is not so cheap. Such easy access will only make users feel that it is too advanced.
The greatest function of the medal system is a sense of self-fulfillment after hard work, which is spiritual motivation. Although most of the apps on the market have a medal system as soon as they are launched, the homogeneity is serious, and the user’s psychology after seeing it does not arouse any ripples, and it is often the product manager’s self-high. Therefore, the construction of the medal system is considered in the third stage.
The medal itself is not a material reward, but the user’s sense of belonging and self-realization of the product. If the product can achieve this level, I think it has been quite successful. The medal system is accompanied by memories and pride.
The design of the design medal system needs to be divided into files, and the difficulty of obtaining medals needs to be graded. To make users at each stage need to work hard to get it. The medal is a scarce asset, and the UI design and the name of the medal must be polished in line with the product positioning
Summarize
The growth system is necessary and one of the important means to maintain users. In the early stage of the product, only points can be considered to give users affordable feedback in time; the addition of the tier system in the mid-term can strengthen the core process of the user’s use of the product and facilitate the user’s group operation; after the product sentiment is made in the later stage, you can consider building a medal system to meet the user’s ownership Desire and superiority.
I have just started on the road, and I would like to ask you to correct and discuss things that you can’t think about.
