{"id":277660,"date":"2025-06-26T08:36:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/?post_type=pitt&p=277660"},"modified":"2025-06-26T08:36:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:36:12","slug":"turning-new-users-into-advocates","status":"publish","type":"pitt","link":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/pitt\/turning-new-users-into-advocates\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning New Users into Advocates with an Omnichannel Lifecycle Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

When was the last time you felt a product truly got you? Not just in terms of solving a problem, but the way it reached out to you. You are so happy with the service and results that you want to share your experience with everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you remember your first ride with Uber? Your additional storage earned by sharing news about Dropbox? Your first streak in Duolingo?<\/span><\/p>\n

That experience isn’t magic. It’s product strategy. Specifically, a well-crafted omnichannel lifecycle strategy<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s unpack what that means and how your product can turn cold signups into raving fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an omnichannel lifecycle strategy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most product teams do some form of multichannel communication, whether it’s planned or not: an email here, a push notification there, maybe some paid retargeting. But omnichannel isn’t about showing up everywhere. It’s about showing up most effectively: rather than sending the same message across platforms, it’s about context-aware coordination. Think perfect time, means, and message, not repetition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why does this work?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because users aren’t just inbox people or mobile people. They move between devices and attention spans. Someone might scroll through your app while waiting in line, open your onboarding email<\/a> later that night, and then tap a retargeting ad a week after going silent. Your strategy should naturally follow this journey, seamlessly bridging these touchpoints into a consistent experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key elements of an omnichannel lifecycle setup<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let’s go over each channel and see when they can be the most useful.<\/p>\n

Email: Used for long-term education and onboarding<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is where you set expectations, deliver deeper value, and guide users through complex features or use cases. A good onboarding sequence using email can teach new users<\/a> how to get value faster without overwhelming them. Additionally, they can always easily go back to the email later if they need to recall some of the past learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

In-app messages: Used to deliver small messages right where the users are<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This can take the form of a pop-up, a tooltip pointing to a helpful feature, or a checklist presenting actions needed to complete onboarding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, if someone hesitates before uploading a resume, a chatbot icon can light up and offer to create a new CV with the user using AI and a dedicated resume generator mini-product.<\/span><\/p>\n

Push notifications: Used to reinforce habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Those, as unreliable as they are, can be used to reinforce habits or highlight wins. These short, mobile-first nudges are most effective when they’re personalized and delivered at the perfect time. <\/span><\/p>\n

A well-timed push saying, “You’re one lesson away from your first badge,” can spark action more than any email.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

SMS: Used for highly urgent moments<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Best for high-urgency moments, such as a payment failure or trial expiry. This is your ultimate, last resort engagement tool, and you want to keep it this way by using it only as a last resort. For example, sending an SMS when a job is about to expire may prompt the job seeker to take immediate action.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to build an omnichannel strategy that works<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let’s go over the steps needed to build an effective strategy:<\/p>\n

1. Map the journey: From new user to advocate<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every user lifecycle can be broken into stages where users have different needs:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Signup<\/b>:<\/strong> You got their interest. This is the honeymoon phase where excitement is high, but trust is low. Your job is to quickly show you understand their needs. You also need to spark users’ confidence that they made the right choice. Social proof, testimonials, and a clear value proposition go a long way here.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Onboarding<\/b>:<\/strong> Now that the user has given you the benefit of a doubt, it’s time to deliver value, fast. Guide them to their first win without friction. A checklist<\/a> or personalized walkthrough can make the product feel instantly usable. In other words, it’s about education and small wins. You could break tasks into simple steps, offer live chat support, or surface FAQs. Think micro-successes that leave the user craving for more or at least taking away their “using something new I don’t know” anxiety bit by bit.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. First Value<\/b>:<\/strong> Onboarding should lead to the users’ first successful action. It’s the moment they realize, “This works for me.” Maybe it’s getting a job match or receiving an insightful report. Reinforce this moment with a subtle celebration.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Habit Formation<\/b>:<\/strong> Users have achieved their first win, and now you need to keep them coming. They start coming back. Now your focus shifts to consistency. Use gamification, streaks, and tailored reminders to turn usage into a routine. You may also propose to set personal goals. Duolingo’s “XP goals” are a perfect example.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Expansion<\/b>:<\/strong> Once users get a handle on the basics, it’s time to introduce them to additional features and boost engagement. Once habits are in place, help users explore new use cases or advanced tools. You might showcase what others like them are doing with your product. A weekly email like “Did you know you can now X?” works well here.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Advocacy<\/b>:<\/strong> At this point, your users can train others on using the product and love doing so. However, what you seek is for them to start referring others. To make it easier for them (and more effective for you), create structured ways to encourage them to share, like referral bonuses or social sharing moments tied to achievements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You need to map those needs to behavioral triggers, not just time-based sequences. Look for “Eureka Moments”. Those are points in time when a customer realizes the value and benefit of using the product and becomes more engaged and loyal to it. A Eureka Moment is also often referred to as an “Aha” moment, a “wow moment”, or a “magic moment”. These are sought after and can make or break a product.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Picture a user of Prime Video who pauses a movie to discover that the overlay shows the actors currently visible on the screen. This little feature made me personally appreciate the Amazon offer more than Netflix or Disney+. I no longer have to wonder if I correctly identified an actor behind the voice of an animated character on the screen.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Amazon\"<\/a>
    Source<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Having this in mind, you can use those Eureka Moments to either trigger a message that will help guide the user to the next Eureka Moment or figure out a way to make your omnichannel strategy lead to such moments.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A similar approach you could take is to plan users’ journey<\/a> in more detail and stick to the “magic journey”. This is a metaphor for a user experience that feels so smooth, intuitive, and delightful that it almost seems effortless. It’s when friction disappears, needs are anticipated, and value is delivered in a way that feels almost magical to the user. <\/span><\/p>\n

    An example of a magical journey is opening Uber for the first time in a rush, effortlessly booking a ride within seconds, and watching the car approach on a live map and then having a smooth, cashless trip with a friendly driver, leaving you thinking, “Why didn’t I always do it this way?”<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Choose the action triggers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Once you collect data from multiple sources and manage to build your journey funnel, you have to understand which consumer groups show the same patterns. For instance, you want to understand the similarity between detractors and promoters.<\/span><\/p>\n

    To do so, create user segments based on shared behavioral characteristics. Here\u2019s a list of behavioral signals you can group customers by:<\/span><\/p>\n