Growing your User, Not Just Your User Base

We know that we are different and this leads us to the conclusion that everyone else is too. And yet research seems to show that those individual differences do not always lead to differences in behaviour. Indeed, people tend to overrate just how different human responses will be.

However, we know that these differences have an impact on our customer behaviours and therefore our revenues. Designing a product or service either has to respond to or transcend these differences.

So how do we handle them? What factors are critical? How do different factors interact? We used to have no idea.

Individual differences include psychological factors such as affect, cognition, behaviour and motivation. They also include physical differences in abilities as diverse as taste, smell, or strength. They include gender and age differences. At the edge of these are differences which are more difficult to quantify such as status, self-efficacy, curiosity, sociability, and many more.

But differences weren’t seen as a critical area of study until 1975 when it was possible for a leading researcher in psychology to state that “individual differences ought to be considered central in theory construction, not peripheral”.

So how do you build your user personas or differentiate your market research populations, when thinking about who will buy or subscribe? Who will bring lots of other subscribers or buyers? What will they respond to in terms of advertisements, content, games, products or whatever you are selling?

The trouble with traditional model of individual differences is that they were trait based — dedicated to particular functions- and for every ‘positive’ trait, there was a ‘negative’ one. . Take for instance Plato’s discussion of the personality and ability characteristics required of the hypothetical figure of the philosopher — king

… quick intelligence, memory, sagacity, cleverness, and similar qualities, do not often grow together, and that persons who possess them and are at the same time high — spirited and magnanimous are not so constituted by nature as to live orderly and in a peaceful and settled manner; they are driven any way by their impulses, and all solid principle goes out of them. [ … ] On the other hand, those steadfast natures which can better be depended upon, which in a battle are impregnable to fear and immovable, are equally immovable when there is anything to be learned; they are always in a torpid state, and are apt to yawn and go to sleep over any intellectual toil. [ … ] And yet we were saying

that both qualities were necessary in those to whom the higher education is to be imparted, and who are to share in any office or command.

(Plato, 1892 : The republic ,VI, 503c — e)

Just imagine something like this as your customer or user profile.

…interested in new applications but is easily distracted. Gets addicted to new games, but tends to be hypercritical in comments on social media and gaming sites. Loads of disposable income but very careful with money. Lots of friends who think s/he is an idiot. Loves new clothes but uses an Adblocker…

Every advantage is accompanied by a disadvantage.

And this is why it is increasingly important for businesses to grow — not just their customer base- but also their customers. Life Time Value of a customer is about crafting data collection and communication strategies to meet and help your customer improve their lives with your help.

Start now.

It may take a while.