How to Build Habit and Retention in the Times of COVID-19: Insights from Glasp and Reforge

How to Build Habit and Retention in the Times of COVID-19: Insights from Glasp and Reforge

In this article, we will explore the concepts of habit building and retention in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will draw insights from Glasp, a social web highlighter, and Reforge, a platform focused on growth and retention strategies. By combining these two perspectives, we hope to provide actionable advice on how to improve user engagement and retention during these challenging times.

Glasp is a powerful tool that allows users to highlight and organize quotes and ideas from the web. With Glasp, users can easily capture and revisit valuable content without the need to switch between screens. Additionally, they can learn from other users they admire by exploring their highlights. This unique feature sets Glasp apart from other web highlighters and creates a sense of community among its users.

During a conversation with the co-founder of Glasp, we gained valuable insights into the journey of 125k users on the platform. It became clear that building and deepening user habits over time is essential for driving retention. Habit building is a science that involves understanding user motivations, cognitive and physical friction, rewards, and more. By focusing on these factors, Glasp has been able to create a loyal user base that consistently engages with the platform.

However, it is important to note that revenue retention is not the primary focus for Glasp. Instead, it is seen as an output of usage. By shifting the focus away from revenue retention and towards the core inputs of activation, engagement, and resurrection, Glasp has been able to drive sustainable growth and retention.

One key takeaway from Glasp's approach is the importance of identifying and retaining the marginal audience. Instead of trying to keep everyone, Glasp focuses on understanding whether the marginal audience is experiencing real value or just temporary value. This requires a deeper analysis of the underlying behavior that drives engagement. If users are only engaging due to current events and not experiencing the broader value proposition of the platform, they are unlikely to retain.

Now, let's turn our attention to Reforge and their insights on retention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reforge emphasizes the need to adapt to the behavior shift that has occurred as a result of the pandemic. Trying to keep everyone is not a viable strategy and will lead to sub-optimal results. Instead, the focus should be on retaining the marginal audience, just like Glasp.

Reforge suggests asking the following question to gauge the value proposition for the marginal audience: "Is the marginal audience experiencing real value or only temporal value?" By understanding whether users are engaging because of the current events or because they genuinely find value in the product or service, companies can make informed decisions about retention strategies.

To improve retention, Reforge recommends focusing on the core inputs of activation, engagement, and resurrection. Activation refers to getting users to experience the initial value of the product or service. Engagement involves creating a habit loop that keeps users coming back for more. Resurrection focuses on bringing back users who have churned or become inactive.

In conclusion, building habits and driving retention during the COVID-19 pandemic requires a deep understanding of user motivations, behavior shifts, and the value proposition of the product or service. By focusing on the marginal audience and improving the core inputs of activation, engagement, and resurrection, companies can increase user engagement and ultimately drive retention. Both Glasp and Reforge provide valuable insights and actionable advice that can be applied to various industries and platforms.