Platform 2 Guide — This article applies to the new platform. Looking for classic platform docs? Browse the Platform 1 collection.
Why: Keeping your members engaged and fostering a vibrant community leads to higher retention rates and increased satisfaction. By utilizing various engagement strategies, you can create a thriving environment where your members feel valued and connected.
Navigate: App Station > Settings > Engagement (Interactions, Gamification, Community), Inbox, and Announcements
Quick Start
Click on Settings in the App Station menu.
Navigate to Engagement and explore options for Interactions, Gamification, and Community.
Set up Push Notifications to remind members about new content.
Enable Gamification features to reward member activity.
Use Announcements to keep your community informed about updates and events.
Push Notifications
Push notifications are a powerful tool to bring members back to your app. Use them strategically to remind members about new content, special offers, or upcoming events.
When to Use Push Notifications:
New Content Alerts: Notify members when new recipes, meal plans, or blog posts are published.
Engagement Reminders: Encourage members to participate in discussions or complete their courses.
Special Promotions: Inform members about limited-time offers or discounts.
Best Practices:
Avoid overwhelming members with too many notifications. Focus on high-value updates.
Personalize messages when possible to make them more relevant.
Gamification
Gamification adds an element of fun and competition to your app, encouraging members to engage more actively.
Key Features:
Points System: Members earn points for actions like commenting, rating, or sharing content.
Badges: Reward members with badges for milestones such as completing a course or posting their first comment.
Leaderboards: Showcase top members to foster a sense of competition and community.
Implementation Tips:
Set clear point values for different actions to motivate participation.
Regularly update the leaderboard to keep the competition fresh.
Completion Tracking
Help members stay on track with their goals by implementing completion tracking for courses and journeys.
Benefits:
Members can see their progress, which encourages them to finish what they started.
Use visual indicators (like progress bars) to show how close they are to completing a program.
Encouragement Strategies:
Send reminders to members who haven’t completed their courses or journeys.
Celebrate milestones with congratulatory messages or additional rewards.
Comments and Ratings
Encourage members to leave comments and ratings on your content. This not only provides valuable feedback but also fosters a sense of community.
How to Implement:
Enable comments and ratings for all content types in your app settings.
Respond to member comments to show that you value their input.
Community Building:
Highlight insightful comments in your newsletters or social media to recognize active members.
Create discussions around popular ratings to engage members further.
The Forum
A dedicated forum allows for deeper discussions among members, providing a space for them to connect over shared interests.
Features:
Categories: Organize discussions into relevant topics.
Moderation Tools: Ensure a positive environment by managing discussions effectively.
Direct Messaging: Allow members to communicate privately with each other or with admins.
Encouragement Tips:
Promote the forum in your announcements and push notifications.
Host Q&A sessions or themed discussions to drive participation.
Announcements
Use announcements to communicate important updates or events to your community.
Best Practices:
Keep announcements concise and engaging.
Use visuals or links to direct members to more detailed content.
Engagement Strategies:
Encourage members to react to announcements with emojis to gauge interest and feedback.
Highlight key announcements in your newsletters to ensure they reach all members.
Social Sharing
Encourage members to share your content on social media to organically grow your community.
Implementation:
Provide easy-to-use share buttons on all content pages.
Create shareable templates that members can use to promote your app.
Benefits:
Increased visibility can attract new members to your community.
Members feel more connected when they can share their favorite content with their networks.
Referral Programs
Incentivize your current members to invite new members through a referral program.
How It Works:
Offer points or rewards for each successful referral.
Make it easy for members to share their unique referral links.
Best Practices:
Promote your referral program through announcements and push notifications.
Highlight success stories of members who have benefited from referring others.
Engagement Cadence and Avoiding Notification Fatigue
Finding the right balance in your engagement strategy is crucial. Here are some tips:
Cadence: Establish a regular schedule for push notifications and announcements. Avoid sending too many messages in a short period.
Feedback: Regularly ask for member feedback on your engagement strategies to ensure they are well-received.
Opt-Out Options: Allow members to customize their notification preferences to avoid overwhelming them.
By implementing these strategies, you can create a vibrant community that keeps members engaged and encourages growth.