What is Friend Joins Notification?

Friend Joins Notification is a growth marketing tactic anchored in the arena of Retention.

Its origin traces back to the early days of social media and networking platforms, where the primary objective was to grow user base and keep them engaged. When a user's friend joins a particular service or platform, this tactic prompts a notification to the existing user, a move aimed at fostering re-engagement with the service. As part of a marketer's retention playbook, Friend Joins Notifications are leveraged in order to create a fully interconnected network of users.

Essentially, this tactic builds on the inherent human instinct of wanting to connect and share experiences with friends. It harnesses the power of personal relationships to retain users on the platform. When a Friend Joins Notification pops up, the existing user experiences a magnetic pull towards the product or service due to the added element of social interaction. This resultantly boosts the platform's user retention rates and strengthens the community at large.

Examples of Friend Joins Notification

1. An example is a music streaming platform like Spotify, where the system notifies users once their friends join allowing them to share songs, follow playlists or attend live music events together.
2. On LinkedIn, notifications are sent to existing users when a connection from their network joins a new company or starts a new role, creating more opportunities for professional networking.
3. For mobile gaming apps, a pop-up notification saying a friend has joined a game can incentivise existing users to return to the app, bolstering engagement.
4. E-commerce websites often use this mechanism to inform users when their friends have registered, encouraging them to share their shopping lists or reviews.
5. Fitness apps such as Strava inform users when a friend has joined, igniting friendly competition, and sparking consistent usage.

Marketing Tactics Similar to Friend Joins Notification

• Re-Engagement Emails: This form of communication is aimed at attracting users back to the platform. It could be triggered by a variety of user behaviors, such as a friend joining the platform or if the user has been inactive for a certain period.
• Social Media Integration: It allows users to connect their social media accounts to the platform, thereby facilitating friend join notifications through other platforms.
• In-App Messaging: Similarly to friend joins notifications, in-app messaging is utilized to keep the user abreast of new developments within the app, fostering engagement and retention.
• Push Notifications: These are messages that pop up on a user's mobile device, leveraging similar cues like friend joins notifications to retain users.
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: This type of marketing occurs when a user's satisfaction from a product/service leads them to share their positive experiences with their friends; a tactic which retains existing users and attracts potential users.

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