Activation seems like a simple enough word but one that apparently has numerous connotations. The Free Dictionary offers one meaning as \u201cturning on.\u201d Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali\u2019s response to activation into the U.S. armed forces was, \u201cI ain\u2019t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, known for naming the concept of flow or \u201cbeing in a zone\u201d and connecting it to productivity, once said: \u201cPurpose provides activation energy for living.\u201d Despite these variations, all but Ali\u2019s seem to point in the direction of this definition by Sixteen Ventures\u2019 Lincoln Murphy that \u201cActivation is the moment your customer derives value from your product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ideally, getting the brand\u2019s customers into a zone and feeling they got value from the product are the best of both worlds. This is crucial because it will bring customers back time and time again if they continue to feel that way. It also increases the potential to up-sell and\/or cross-sell consumers and get them to advocate on behalf of the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to first learn how the brand\u2019s industry tracks users\u2019 frequency to get started. Is it by the daily active users (DAU), weekly average users (WAU), or monthly active users (MAU) rates or a combination of two? Popular social media sites report high percentages in all categories because of the frequency of visits. Airlines and mortuaries, on the other hand, usually see low MAUs when compared to DAUs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If that data is already being captured, how does the brand measure up to the industry average(s)? DAU and MAU are often compared. DAU numbers 20% or higher than MAU are generally considered good in many industries. 50% or higher is stellar!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to invest in the right tool to enable the brand to recognize the customers regardless of where they check-in from, what browser, and what device. Determining that that\u2019s the same person and not a new one each time is important. Assigning an ID to each customer helps ensure that accuracy, even if it’s just their email address or username.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on industry information gathered on DAUs and MAUs, how would the brand define active? With that number as a benchmark, the main task is to set a goal and layout a strategy to achieve it. Included in it should be considerations to reduce friction and anxiety with customers, better nurture customer relationships, and empower and re-engage customers. Critical to this strategy is establishing a benchmark and regularly checking on the strategy\u2019s results and tweaking it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not every brand is conducive to employing and increasing DAU and MAU. If it\u2019s low with the brand and industry, inspect its loyal customer base and run their numbers. They should be stronger than the rest of the customer base. Analyze them closely both from the demographics as well as the brand perspectives. Are there differences between them and the rest of the customer base? If so, consider focusing on a narrower audience that mirrors the demographic and\/or brand findings. Rather than blanketing a broad audience, it may be more viable to focus more narrowly on one or both. At the very least, consider giving it a try and compare the results.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Activation seems like a simple enough word but one that apparently has numerous connotations. The Free Dictionary offers one meaning as \u201cturning on.\u201d Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali\u2019s response …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":5953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[271,19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n