Exploring how community-based live chat has positively impacted the utility of various platforms and how to integrate it easily.

How and Why to Integrate Live Chat: Crucial Reasons and Simple Steps

<div style="font-size:14px;line-height:1;" id="toc">On this page&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="#Why-Add-Community-Live-Chat-to-Your-Platform">Why Add Community Live Chat to Your Platform?</a>&nbsp;<a href="#Reclaim-Users-from-Social-Media">Reclaim Users from Social Media</a>&nbsp;<a href="#Differentiate-from-Competitors">Differentiate from Competitors</a>&nbsp;<a href="#Increase-Retention-Rates">Increase Retention Rates</a>&nbsp;<a href="#Understand-customers-needs-and-pains">Understand your customers’ needs and pains</a>&nbsp;<a href="#How-to-Implement-Live-Chat">How to Implement In-App Live Chat</a>&nbsp;<a href="#key-steps">Key Steps</a>&nbsp;<a href="#Get-in-Touch">Get in Touch</a>&nbsp;<hr style="margin-bottom:1vw;">User retention and engagement growth are among the most critical performance metrics for any digital platform. Research shows that improving customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by up to 95% (Bain &amp; Company). One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through community-based live chat features, which encourage users to connect, share experiences, and return regularly to your platform.Think of it as creating a digital coffee table — a place where your users naturally gather to discuss shared passions, whether it’s sports, language learning, or TV series. With the right tools, your platform becomes a hub of conversation, loyalty, and repeat engagement.<h2 id="Why-Add-Community-Live-Chat-to-Your-Platform">Why Add Community Live Chat to Your Platform?</h2><h3 id="Reclaim-Users-from-Social-Media">Reclaim Users from Social Media</h3>Businesses spend millions building audiences on social networks, but without in-app chat, users drift to external platforms to share their opinions. By implementing real-time chat functionality, you ensure conversations happen on your website or app, not on Facebook, X, or Instagram.<ul data-start="1518" data-end="1660"><li data-start="1518" data-end="1582">Users spend 2x longer on platforms with integrated chat.</li><li data-start="1583" data-end="1660"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232957437_Consumer_Engagement_in_a_Virtual_Brand_Community_An_Exploratory_Analysis">Engagement</a> increases by 30–40% when community features are available.</li></ul><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.laliga.com/en-GB/news/enjoy-the-clasico-with-la-liga-virtual-arena">A prime example is La Liga.</a> Despite millions of social media followers, La Liga struggled with limited access to first-party user data. By launching an app-based chat and “second-screen” experience via QR codes, they not only attracted fans directly to their app but also gained valuable behavioural insights. This move strengthened fan communities and boosted in-app retention rates significantly.<h3 id="Differentiate-from-Competitors">Differentiate from Competitors</h3>When users compare platforms, they choose the one offering the most interactive and engaging experience. Adding community live chat creates the same “stickiness” as social media — people log back in to check conversations, respond to mentions, and catch up with peers.<ul data-start="2392" data-end="2586"><li data-start="2392" data-end="2500">Platforms with unique social features report a 25% higher return rate compared to those without.</li><li data-start="2501" data-end="2586">Keeping users engaged in-app also reduces exposure to competitor advertising.</li></ul><h3 id="Increase-Retention-Rates">Increase Retention Rates</h3>The number one challenge for digital platforms is customer churn. Studies reveal that the average app loses 77% of daily active users (DAUs) within three days of installation. Community-based live chat directly combats this by encouraging frequent interaction, keeping users active and invested.<ul data-start="2934" data-end="3105"><li data-start="2934" data-end="3015">Retention improves <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.alexanderjarvis.com/what-is-community-engagement-index-in-ecommerce/#:~:text=You'll%20find%20that%20a,others%20into%20your%20business%20ecosystem.">by 15–20%</a> with integrated chat and community features.</li><li data-start="3016" data-end="3105">Users who feel part of a community are 3x more likely to remain loyal to a brand.</li></ul><h3 id="Understand-customers-needs-and-pains">Understand your customers’ needs and pains</h3>Traditional analytics and support tickets show limited behaviour patterns — usually focused on problems. Live chat provides authentic insights into user interests, habits, and needs.You can track:<ul data-start="3357" data-end="3485"><li data-start="3357" data-end="3402">Which topics spark the most conversation.</li><li data-start="3403" data-end="3441">When your audience is most active.</li><li data-start="3442" data-end="3485">How users engage with specific content.</li></ul>This allows you to refine your platform, create more relevant content, and build a data-driven engagement strategy.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1000/1000;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/474c51ed-5545-49df-859a-51c44d631984.png" width="1000" height="1000"></figure><h2 id="How-to-Implement-Live-Chat">How to Implement In-App Live Chat</h2>Launching a community chat feature doesn’t have to be complex. Using modern SDKs, chat APIs, and webview integrations, you can quickly add scalable live chat functionality without lengthy development cycles.<h3 id="key-steps">Key Steps:</h3><ol data-start="3892" data-end="4496"><li data-start="3892" data-end="4064">Define Chat Visibility&nbsp;Will chat be open to all visitors or only authenticated users? Similar to a paywall, you can require a login or a subscription to participate.</li><li data-start="4065" data-end="4177">Choose AuthenticationAllow users to chat under their platform profile or create anonymous nicknames.</li><li data-start="4178" data-end="4307">Set the Entry PointPlace chat where it drives the most value (homepage, event pages, video content, or live streams).</li><li data-start="4308" data-end="4496">Customise and ModerateTailor the chat design, enable moderation features, and integrate engagement tools like polls, quizzes, or interactive widgets to keep discussions lively.</li></ol>By following these steps, you can create an engaging community that drives user retention, improves brand loyalty, and enhances the overall experience on your platform. By keeping conversations inside your platform, you gain control over user behaviour insights, reduce churn, and strengthen your competitive edge.***<h2 id="Get-in-Touch">Get In Touch</h2><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://calendly.com/watchers-platform/social-tools-for-your">Book a call</a> if you'd like to integrate in-app community chats with the high-level moderation system into your website, app, or game. We'll be happy to help you find the best solution.</div>

Keep your audience interested in your brand. Grow your business on your terms with our six effective strategies to boost user engagement and grow retention. These methods are designed to encourage the audience to interact and remain loyal.

How to Grow User Engagement and Why You Should: Proven Strategies for Retention and Growth

<div style="font-size:14px;line-height:1;" id="toc">Table of Contents&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="#what-is-the-user-engagement">What Is User Engagement?&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<a href="#how-user-engagement-drives">How User Engagement Drives Retention&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<a href="#proven-strategies">Proven Strategies to Boost User Engagement and Retention</a>&nbsp;<a href="#Get-in-Touch">Get in Touch</a>&nbsp;</div><hr style="margin-bottom:1vw;">User engagement varies significantly across digital products. Whether you operate a VOD platform, sports book, or fitness app, engagement isn’t just about volume but about how deeply users interact with your platform.Some businesses can easily measure engagement, such as tracking likes, shares, and comments on social media platforms. However, engagement is often assessed through retention rates, lifetime value (LTV), and revenue impact for content-driven platforms. Failing to focus on user engagement can leave your users feeling bored, disconnected, or lost, leading them to abandon the platform. That’s why prioritising engagement is not just about keeping users active; it’s a strategic necessity for driving retention growth and long-term profitability.Before discussing actionable strategies to enhance engagement, let’s define user engagement in a product-focused context and explain why it is a critical metric.<h2 id="what-is-the-user-engagement">What Is User Engagement?</h2>User engagement reflects users' interest and interaction with a product. It represents their ongoing experiences with your platform, whether through consuming content, using features, or actively participating in the product ecosystem.Key engagement metrics vary based on the platform type but commonly include&nbsp;clicks, likes,&nbsp;and&nbsp;shares&nbsp;within an application;&nbsp;content interactions—such as rating content, adding items to favourites, or saving content for later;&nbsp;and social amplification, where users share content across external platforms. However, engagement should not be viewed as an isolated number. The actual value lies in how it influences&nbsp;high-impact business metrics&nbsp;like time spent on the platform and LTV. Increased engagement typically leads to higher retention rates, improved conversion, and, ultimately, stronger business growth.<figure class="image" style="margin-bottom:1vw;"><img style="aspect-ratio:1301/1304;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/22368673-6219-460d-a8f3-cc3729281c25.jpg" alt="how to increase your platform engagement and user loyalty with live real0time community chats" width="1301" height="1304"></figure><h2 id="how-user-engagement-drives">How User Engagement Drives Retention</h2>Customer retention measures a business’s ability to keep users engaged over time, reducing churn and increasing long-term loyalty. High retention rates indicate that users find continuous value in your product, leading to recurring usage and sustained revenue.Engagement is a&nbsp;key driver of retention—when users actively interact with a product, they are more likely to return, provide feedback, and even advocate for it. A well-engaged user base contributes to:<ol><li data-list="bullet">Higher customer loyalty</li><li data-list="bullet">Improved retention growth</li><li data-list="bullet">A steady stream of recurring revenue</li></ol>Without meaningful engagement, even the most well-designed platform risks losing users. That’s why implementing engagement strategies is critical to encourage users to stay, interact, and ultimately convert into loyal customers.<h2 id="proven-strategies">Proven strategies to boost user engagement and retention</h2>Now that we’ve established why engagement is crucial, let’s explore several actionable strategies, backed by real-world examples, to enhance user engagement and increase retention growth rates.<h3>Building an In-App Community</h3>This refers to users' interactions and activities within your platform. Many brands engage their users on social media, and their users spend their time (and money) on social media. There is a surprise: they could communicate, text, chat, comment, and exchange stickers directly on your app and discuss your content if you provide them with in-app tools for it. They can even participate in events directly on your platform. What, you don’t have any events? Yet you should, it’s easy and works perfectly.<h4>Real-time events</h4>For many platforms, it is still difficult to imagine that they can host events without any additional tools, just by providing video or audio live streams in-app. Invite guests, influencers, celebrities, athletes, brand ambassadors, anybody, and users, along with these guests' followers, who will engage on the main platform without any Instagram or Twitch. Do you have a sports app? Let’s have commentators or athletes host a meeting with users. Do you provide video streaming? Invite critics, bloggers, actors, or any other people who can talk about films or TV. Is your app for fitness? Without counsellors, athletes are the best hosts for live streaming on how to make more effective training.<figure class="image" style="margin-bottom:1vw;"><img style="aspect-ratio:1500/1000;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/c6730e50-0866-4e6a-9281-7452d764c15d.jpg" alt="how to increase your user engagement and loyalty with real-time live community chats" width="1500" height="1000"></figure><h4>Real-time communication&nbsp;</h4>It is what grabs users' attention. It’s impossible to turn off the sports channel during the break if you are talking about the game or an episode with someone right now. The right tools help boost user engagement even more: try AI chatbots or personalised messages, which greatly enhance engagement and improve the user’s overall experience.<h4>Gather user feedback and Quality data</h4>In-app community chats always show your users’ preferences and behaviours. You can also use surveys and polls to get more information and insights from your audience than ever before, and your users will appreciate being heard.<h3>Enhancing the Customer Experience Through Gamification</h3>Gamification integrates game-like elements into the user experience, transforming routine interactions into engaging and enjoyable experiences.Implement a point system—reward customers with points for purchases, interactions, or consuming content. Points can be redeemed for discounts or special offers, encouraging repeat engagement.Offer rewards—introduce engaging challenges or quests where users earn rewards for completing specific actions, such as surveys or brand promotions.Create interactive experiences—use quizzes, polls, and interactive content relevant to your business to boost engagement.<figure class="image" style="margin-bottom:1vw;"><img style="aspect-ratio:2000/1333;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/b90fc373-f63f-425a-ad84-01e9a2e94408.jpg" width="2000" height="1333"></figure>Build a community around your brand—provide users with a space to share experiences, celebrate achievements, and exchange tips, fostering a sense of belonging.Gamify customer support—reward customers for using self-service options or assisting others in forums, making support more engaging.Enable social recognition—remember that people like to show off. If your users have badges or specific awards, they need a place to display them. Community public chats can be the best place for them to showcase their awards and expertise and advise other users on how to get the same goodies.<h3>Using Tools for User Feedback</h3>If you do not understand your users' basic needs, how will they engage with your platform? Without clear communication, they may become frustrated. To foster engagement, provide users with tools to send feedback and never ignore their questions. User loyalty is essential for long-term business growth.<h4>Tips for Effective Feedback Management:</h4><ol><li data-list="bullet">Gather customer feedback regularly to improve satisfaction and surpass expectations. Gaining insights into their views and needs is essential for delivering outstanding interactive experiences.</li><li data-list="bullet">Personalise the customer experience to match individual preferences, leading to more meaningful engagements.</li><li data-list="bullet">Offer incentives such as unexpected gifts to returning customers to strengthen their loyalty and appreciation.</li><li data-list="bullet">Use automated systems, such as raffles for loyal customers, to streamline engagement efforts.</li></ol><h3>Personalising User-Interactive Experiences</h3>Incorporating personalisation into a business strategy can significantly enhance customer retention and growth. When customers feel acknowledged and valued based on their previous interactions, they are more likely to return, leading to an increase in repeat purchases. Additionally, personalised recommendations enable customers to discover products they may not have found independently, enriching their shopping experience.<hr style="margin-bottom:0.8vw;"><h2 id="Get-in-Touch">Get in Touch</h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Inter;font-size:0.9375vw;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.35417vw;margin:0px 0px 1.30208vw;orphans:2;outline:0px;padding:0px;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;border:1pt none windowtext;box-sizing:border-box;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;line-height:16.1px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0cm;vertical-align:baseline;" lang="EN-GB" dir="ltr">Please <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://calendly.com/watchers-platform/social-tools-for-your?month=2025-08"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;border:1pt none windowtext;box-sizing:border-box;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;line-height:16.1px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0cm;vertical-align:baseline;" lang="EN-GB" dir="ltr">book a call</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;border:1pt none windowtext;box-sizing:border-box;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;line-height:16.1px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0cm;vertical-align:baseline;" lang="EN-GB" dir="ltr"> to explore how integrating community chats can boost your platform engagement and optimise your business performance. We'll be happy to help you find the best solution.&nbsp;

An in-depth look at the latest cutting-edge technologies and strategies to gain and retain customers.

Discover key strategies to foster brand loyalty, improve customer retention, and increase lifetime value through emotional engagement, social features, and reliable support.

Building Brand Loyalty: The Battle to Retain Customers

<div style="font-size:14px;line-height:1;" id="toc">Table of Contents&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="#what-is-brand-loyalty">What is Brand Loyalty?</a>&nbsp;<a href="#measuring-lifetime-value-of-brand-loyalty">Measuring the Lifetime Value of Brand Loyalty</a>&nbsp;<a href="#how-companies-improve-brand-loyalty">How Can Companies Improve Brand Loyalty Today?</a>&nbsp;<a href="#social-features-for-brand-loyalty">Social Features for Brand Loyalty</a>&nbsp;<a href="#brand-loyalty-is-build-over-time">Brand Loyalty is Built Over Time: Begin the Process Today</a>&nbsp;<a href="#Get-in-touch">Get in Touch</a>&nbsp;<hr style="margin-bottom:1vw;">There is a commonly held belief that consumers will always opt for the least expensive variety of a particular good for which they are in the market. However, we see this disproven every day in the real world as many consumers ultimately opt for a brand that they feel a sense of loyalty to. This begs the question: Is it possible to foster brand loyalty, and if so, how might one go about doing so?<h2 id="what-is-brand-loyalty">What is Brand Loyalty?</h2>You know the feeling, even if you can’t quite put a finger on it. When it comes to specific products, you have a preference for one particular brand over another. You might not even bother to compare the price of your preferred brand against the price of a competitor. You have fully bought into your brand of choice, and you are unlikely to change your attitude toward that brand ever again.Modern marketing professionals recognise the extreme value of this kind of loyalty and believe they can generate it through <a style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(17, 85, 204);" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2024/02/16/how-brands-can-drive-emotional-engagement-with-customers/">emotional engagement strategies</a>. If a savvy marketer can pull this off, then they may well have added significant lifetime value to every interaction the brand has with that customer moving forward.&nbsp;<h2 id="measuring-lifetime-value-of-brand-loyalty">Measuring the Lifetime Value of Brand Loyalty</h2>Building brand loyalty among customers requires a significant investment of time, financial resources, and energy. One might reasonably wonder why a company would choose to invest so many resources into this particular goal. As it happens, there are a multitude of reasons why one might measure a customer’s lifetime value, including:<ul><li data-list="bullet">The Connection Between Retention and Lifetime ValueThere is a direct correlation between one’s success with retaining customers and the lifetime value of those customers. This is to say that the better one gets at retaining customers, the higher their lifetime value will be. It is far less expensive and far more profitable for a company to maintain a customer rather than try to go out and find a new one.</li><li data-list="bullet">High Lifetime Value Increases the Odds of Word-of-Mouth AdvertisingWord-of-mouth advertising is the most potent form of advertising known on the planet. Customers who are excited about a product and tell their friends and family about it are offering free advertising. People want to hear about products that they may consider purchasing from those they already trust, and that is precisely what word-of-mouth advertising provides.</li><li data-list="bullet">Higher Customer Satisfaction Leads to Higher Lifetime ValueAnother reason to keep one’s eye on the lifetime value of a given customer is that it directly translates to higher customer satisfaction. The most satisfied customers are those who are most likely to keep coming back and buying more products over time. Thus, the higher the lifetime value, the higher the customer satisfaction.</li></ul><figure class="image" style="margin-bottom:1vw;"><img style="aspect-ratio:6000/4000;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/efdb4abf-16f9-43e4-a33b-be0e65343077.jpg" alt="Higher Customer Satisfaction Leads to Higher Lifetime Value" width="6000" height="4000"></figure>These are all superb reasons to monitor one’s customers' lifetime value. Improving that lifetime value can add to the bountiful benefits mentioned above.<h2 id="how-companies-improve-brand-loyalty">How Can Companies Improve Brand Loyalty Today?</h2>You can now see the benefits of strong brand loyalty, but you may still be wondering how today’s companies can foster the kind of brand loyalty they seek. What steps can they take to cultivate it that will secure a lasting relationship with the customers they've managed to attract thus far?- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Capturing attentionThink about the brands you prefer to use. What have their platforms offered you? How do they interact? What do you expect from them? What do users tend to seek while using different platforms, especially considering the level of variety in the digital sphere? What catches your attention on a platform, especially if there are several more or less identical platforms on the market offering you the same things—the same content or features?To answer such questions, we need to talk about the connection between the brand and the user. If users watch a film on this platform because it is exclusively available there, that is one case. But if the film is available on many platforms, what forces a viewer to choose this particular platform? If the user tries several similar workout apps, what makes them stick with one?- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;OnboardingPeople who use digital services are more or less digitally savvy. We don’t need a tutorial to find a game on a video platform or to find needed goods in an online store. We don’t need any help or advice on how to use apps... Or do we? Users won’t ask you for help; they will just go to the App Store if your app isn’t clear to them. FAQ is a good instrument, but it is better to postpone interaction until later. Make the experience of discovering your app and its features seamless. If the experience goes smoothly for users, they will come back. Show them what you have, what tools they can use, and say hi. If you are sure that your users are too busy to go through your onboarding, let them skip it—but don’t be too arrogant or ignorant to say at least a few greeting phrases.- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Clear and comfortable UXYou can use JTBD or any other UX strategy, but in any case, your users have to feel good while using your app or website.- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Embedded Live Social FeedsPerhaps you want to share your brand's social media feeds directly on your website. You can do so via a live social feed. In fact, this is often recommended as a great step in the right direction for keeping your customers up to date with the latest happenings within your company.- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Community-building tools such as public and private chatsThe sense of community that can be built with these tools is linked directly to loyalty. If users feel like a part of something live, can discuss their experiences with soulmates, can become experts to share advice or opinions, or can share their thoughts with the brand directly (not just through a tech support ticket), it can be crucial and helpful for your users and your relationships with them.- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Reliant supportIf your users face technical or other negative issues, they need to see that you care: you explain what happened, fix the problem, and do everything to avoid such issues in the future. If you build a strong brand and then just ignore users’ problems, it’s just a waste of money, time, and people’s trust.<figure class="image" style="margin-bottom:1vw;"><img style="aspect-ratio:4584/3063;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/0da95520-48e7-45be-a2ce-9ddaab8d8c57.jpg" alt="reliant support is essential to grow retention and build brand loyalty" width="4584" height="3063"></figure>- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Channels for feedback (and proof that you see and hear it!)&nbsp;These channels can and should be various. Brands that care about their image have to gather feedback from various channels. You can catch posts on TikTok, X, or LinkedIn and reply to them, showing that you care. You can see blog posts or YouTube reviews and be present in the comments. But you should also initiate the feedback flow, not just wait for it. Customer development interviews and focus groups help get early reactions to new content and features. Integrated community chats help a lot because they accumulate the average mood of your users and allow you to stay in constant touch with your audience. If users see that they are heard—not only when they are popular Instagram influencers but just as regular users—they will value it.These are some of the ways that many companies have integrated the use of existing social media accounts to enhance their image with the public. However, there are even more advanced approaches that you should consider as well. What if you could make your website itself a social hub where people gather? That is the latest brand loyalty technique being tested, and it is working extremely well for many different brands.<h2 id="social-features-for-brand-loyalty">Social Features for Brand Loyalty</h2>There are plenty of social features that can easily be integrated into virtually any platform to boost brand loyalty and the amount of time that visitors spend on the platform. Let’s see some of the features that can be considered.<h3>Public and Private Community Chats</h3>People are truly seeking to be brought together. They are seeking a sense of community that is rapidly disappearing due to the growth of competition in all digital spheres. When there was one social network, it was easier to find soulmates. However, via the use of tools such as community chat features, it might be possible to create the bonds of community once again, and it works perfectly because, in this case, people will be gathered based on their personal interests: they communicate here because they all watch the same game or follow tutorials of the same workout trainer.<h3>In-App Live Streaming</h3>Influencers host their streams on Twitch, YouTube, and other relevant platforms. Sometimes, they tell their audiences about your brand and sometimes about your content. Also, while discussing content available on your platform, they may share it on the platforms of your competitors.<figure class="image" style="margin-bottom:1vw;"><img style="aspect-ratio:3174/1785;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/a6ff8351-7836-4ad2-a116-bac20c038a69.png" alt="In-app live streaming to maintain customers" width="3174" height="1785"></figure>Instead of this pattern, you can invite influencers and their entire audiences to your platform. In this case, you can expect that people will feel a sense of brand loyalty when they are offered the opportunity to interact with their favourite influencers directly on your platform. You can even build a habit for users to join your platform to watch this popular streamer instead of Twitch.<h3>AI Bots for Real-Time Interactions</h3>Don’t forget to consider investing in AI bots to facilitate real-time conversations with website users. These bots can help answer some simple questions that the users might have, give recommendations for film or fitness platforms, and provide predictions for sports and gaming apps. AI participation is something users expect to see on digital platforms, and the integration of chats with added AI bots can meet users’ needs and connect them with hidden and needed information.<h2 id="brand-loyalty-is-build-over-time">Brand Loyalty is Built Over Time: Begin the Process Today&nbsp;</h2>Building brand loyalty with any customer takes time. However, this process will never happen if you aren’t willing to take the necessary steps. That is why you should develop a strategy for obtaining the brand loyalty you crave and deserve from your customers.<hr style="margin-bottom:0.8vw;"><h2 id="Get-in-touch">Get in Touch</h2><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://calendly.com/watchers-platform/social-tools-for-your">Book a call</a> if you'd like to integrate in-app community chats with the high-level moderation system into your website, app, or game. We'll be happy to help you find the best solution.</div>

How can content platforms increase user retention? Kinda easily. Spoiler: they need to stay in touch, catch feedback and engage users.

The Ultimate Guide to Boost User Retention 

<div style="font-size:14px;line-height:1;" id="toc">On this page&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="#shared-values">Shared values help keep users</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fast-feedback-tools">Fast tools for getting feedback</a>&nbsp;<a href="#part-of-the-service">Let users be part of the service</a>&nbsp;<a href="#prizes-and-achievements">Give them prizes and achievements</a>&nbsp;<a href="#cross-platform-experience">Build a seamless cross-platform experience</a>&nbsp;<a href="#engaging-activities">Add more engaging activities</a>&nbsp;<a href="#analyse-and-listen">Analyse and listen</a>&nbsp;<a href="#get-in-touch">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;<hr style="margin-bottom:1vw;">During the last few years, users of different services have noticed that brands spend a lot of time attracting new users with marketing offers, sales, promo codes, and other benefits. However, users who are actually brand lovers and dedicated to the platform often get nothing to support their loyalty. Sometimes, it can lead to disappointment and even disillusionment with other services, because people like to be noticed and not like to be invisible, especially for the brand they pay for.How can companies increase users’ retention and loyalty without a global pivot of the marketing strategy?You can find a lot of straightforward advice on how to work with customers, help them retain, and keep them longer, but sometimes, these tips and tricks need to be revised. For example, if you have an OTT service, sometimes it is not so easy to show users that you share the same ideas because you usually don’t have a direct dialogue with them. So, we have decided to adopt retention tricks for digital content platforms.<h2 id="shared-values">Shared values help keep users</h2>But how do you show users that you share the same ideas? Of course, it can be part of your design, UX, and content, but it’s an implicit way. How do we make it more explicit? How to come into the conversation with users? With special tools.When you have a place to communicate with users and convey the company’s ideas, the easiest part becomes sharing these ideas and having a dialogue. You can tell users what you think about, or show it through special tools, or just tone of voice.Sometimes, it’s possible to show ideas even through restrictions. So, if you have conversation tools on your app or website, you can, for example, restrict them from being intolerant or rude so users will get that their comfort is crucial.As customers grasp and align with your principles, it fosters a sense of resonance, allowing them to establish a connection and feel connected.<h2 id="fast-feedback-tools">Fast tools for getting feedback</h2>Sometimes, people face an unpleasant experience using a service, but often, they hold off on writing or calling support, their loyalty decreases, and they exit from the service. How can it be prevented? Primarily, if they don’t text the support team.If users have tools to communicate with each other, they can share their experiences—stunning or awful—there. It is a first step when users try to understand if it is a problem on their or the service’s side. If this issue is solved at once because the service cares, users notice or ignore it, but even ignoring will be a part of seamless, comfortable usage. You can answer them on the issue description or work as a magical creature, invisible and helpful—the result will be great. So, give users tools for sharing, but don’t forget to listen to them and catch their troubles and pains.<h2 id="part-of-the-service">Let users be part of the service</h2>Encourage users to think more about the service, of course, in a good way. Sometimes, people don’t have any reason to return to apps or websites more frequently because they have their routine on messengers and social media or something like Reddit. If you add the opportunity to spend more time on service, staying habitually, and just hanging out at the service, that will be a new part of their daily habits. Users will be part of the service, and your service will become part of their everyday life.<h2 id="prizes-and-achievements">Give them prizes and achievements</h2>Incorporate gamification elements like rewards, badges, and progress tracking to make the user experience more interactive and enjoyable. Humans are inherently competitive, and these elements can encourage users to keep returning to your platform to achieve new milestones. It also helps to make returning to your service a habit. Yesterday, I opened an app to check my badge mark. Today, to level it up, I will open it tomorrow because I will get used to opening it daily.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1301/1304;" src="https://cdn.eu.watchers.io/1967ae27-07d7-41a0-8299-85c5f0d944ae.jpg" width="1301" height="1304"></figure><h2>Force users to be part of the community</h2>Achievements and chats are exemplary separately as well, but they are beneficial when combined with one big thing—building a community—which boosts retention and loyalty. When you foster a sense of community among your users through chat tools, comment sections, and user-generated content elements, users tend to return to engaging with other like-minded individuals and sharing their insights, experiences, and opinions.<h2 id="cross-platform-experience">Build a seamless cross-platform experience.</h2>In today’s multi-device landscape, ensure a seamless experience across various platforms and devices. Users should be able to transition effortlessly from a desktop to a mobile device without losing progress or functionality. If your users have other devices, like a Smart TV, link them. It is especially crucial for video platforms and classic broadcasters with linear TV. Often, users are distracted by content on social media. Implementing social media experience into watching can become your product's killer feature.<h2 id="engaging-activities">Add more engaging activities</h2>It doesn't matter what type of content is located on your platform. People like to be engaged, and if you add some polls, quizzes, and other fun things, people will like to participate as much as they want to write reviews in stores. If they know they can find a new poll or quiz daily, they will be motivated to check your service even if they have nothing to do with it today. Their choice between your service and any similar competitor's service without fun tools and games will be obvious.<h2 id="analyse-and-listen">Analyse and listen&nbsp;</h2>It’s crucial to continuously monitor user engagement metrics, such as time spent on the platform, bounce rates, and returning visitors. Use these insights to identify areas that need improvement and fine-tune your user retention strategies accordingly. But sometimes numbers are not enough. If you have a lot of user-generated content like conversations, comments, and reviews sent to your chats and other special sections, use it—explore them and find insights. Often, people share tremendous ideas, and your job is to catch them. Remember that sometimes direct interviews can give you less helpful and less honest feedback than just casual conversations between two users about your product.<h2 id="get-in-touch">Get in touch</h2><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://watchers.io/form">Please feel free to book a call with us</a> if you want to integrate live chats, audio or video in-app streaming, or other community-building tools to your platform. We'll be happy to help you find the best solution.</div>