For publishers, building a truly sustainable growth and retention strategy is an important challenge. It all starts with identifying the most successful user journey, from engagement to retention.
So, what does the most successful user journey actually look like? At OpenWeb, we partner with more than 1,000 of the world’s top publishers to crack the code, and we’ve created OpenWebOS to bring these solutions into one end-to-end resource for publishers.
In this post, we’re walking through the strategy most effective for building strong communities and impacting on publishers’ bottom line – all made possible, seamlessly, through OpenWebOS.
1. Experience: Create engaging social experiences rooted in quality
It begins with creating a social experience for your audience, right on your site. That’s why publishers using OpenWebOS see lifts in retention of 450% or higher.
The root of this social experience is in the comments section. And our proven, multi-layered, AI-backed moderation tech gives your users the opportunity to engage in quality conversations.
Why the emphasis on quality, you ask? At OpenWeb, we know that high-quality, civil discussions lead to more active users in the comments section, who spend 35% more time on-site, and view 200% more pages than non-engaged users.
Our moderation technology reduces toxicity and surfaces the most productive comments to create a healthy environment where users feel comfortable joining the discussion. More users engage, register, and return when they feel like a valued member of a community.
There are a number of other ways that publishers can bring a social experience to life as well. For instance, you can provide your users with real-time updates and keep them coming back to your website using a Live Blog.
Another popular tactic is an Ask Me Anything (AMA) – a virtual lounge where you can connect your readers to subject matter experts. HuffPo did this throughout the 2020 election to answer frequently asked questions about the presidential race.
A Community Feed creates an immersive content experience with a social media feed-like functionality. It brings together similar conversations from across your website to keep readers engaged longer.
Finally, using customizable, one-click polls can drive engagement outside of the conversation and provide valuable first-party data insights about your audience.
2. Identity: Convert visitors into registered users to boost loyalty and gather valuable audience data
Growing a registered user base should be top-of-mind for all publishers.
With the right approach, the quality, engaging experiences your users have on your site can directly convert your casual readers into active, returning users—and our top partners have seen up to 30% of their registered users coming in through OpenWebOS.
These communities are a must-have for publishers looking to develop 1:1 relationships with their audience. Why? Publishers come to understand valuable first-party data insights from registered users, including their behavior and even the topics that interest them the most. Our partners have reported that this is incredibly useful for informing editorial strategy and for making timely, targeted incentives to boost registrations, subscriptions, and more.
3. Activate: Bring first-party data to life with real-time segmentation and advanced targeting
So you have a wealth of audience data. Now what? Your data is only as good as your ability to action it. And the ability to activate your audience data is crucial: in 2022, the end of third-party cookies could result in a 70% loss in ad revenue.
A first-party data strategy is a critical part of a long-term growth plan for publishers.
Building real-time, custom segments to develop remarketing and inform revenue strategies helps publishers create highly targeted ad experiences for their users. OpenWebOS is fully integrated with LiveRamp to make it even easier for publishers to create personalized ad experiences—all while putting the user’s privacy first.
OpenWebOS is the end-to-end growth and retention solution for publishers
Today’s user journey doesn’t end with registration. It’s critical that publishers have a proven method to gather and activate first-party audience data. OpenWebOS helps thousands of publishers future-proof their growth and retention strategies with thriving communities of active users who are 25% more likely to return weekly on average. And with OpenWeb’s integration with LiveRamp, publishers can get even more out of their audience data.
Want to know how a vibrant community really impacts your bottom line? Try our Impact Calculator to learn the value of partnering with OpenWebOS.
