industry insights11/14/2024,
MWMMaking a lasting impression on first-time users is critical, especially for apps that offer a wide array of tools and customization options. This case study dives into how we leveraged in-app community strategies in Color Pop—our virtual coloring book app—to guide new users into meaningful engagement, overcome choice overload, and foster long-term retention.
Color Pop’s wide variety of options—more than a million coloring pages, a generative AI feature, and hundreds of colors, gradients, patterns, and brushes—opens up a world of creativity but can also overwhelm new users. Our goal was to simplify the first-time experience while introducing users to the app’s core value: a vibrant community that encourages creativity and connection, which in turn uplifts engagement and retention.
Build a Community-First Infrastructure
Before diving into specific user engagement techniques, our product team focused on building the structural elements that make community interaction easy and inviting. Over time, we implemented features such as:
Personal Profiles to let users create a unique identity within the app.
A “For You” Page that surfaces content aligned with user preferences.
Comments and Likes that enable interaction with other users.
Challenge Hashtags that connect users through themed activities.
This foundational structure was key to setting up a thriving in-app community where first-time users feel welcomed and connected. With this infrastructure in place, we could design a first-user journey that integrates seamlessly into the community.
Introduce First-Time Users through Community Challenges
Every week, our community manager launches a themed challenge, which serves as a gentle introduction for new users. Challenges are designed to make the first-time experience fun and straightforward, helping users avoid choice paralysis while discovering the community’s benefits. Each challenge includes:
A Custom Coloring Page or Template, often tied to a seasonal or thematic topic (e.g., #spookychallenge).
Clear Instructions that simplify the creative process, such as “Use only one color” or “Focus on coloring the hair,” to make it easier for users to get started.
By integrating these challenges into the onboarding experience, we offer new users an immediate point of focus, guiding them toward their first coloring page and into the app’s community. This strategy reduces decision fatigue, providing a structured, welcoming introduction.
Encourage Interaction by Showcasing High-Impact Content
When new users participate in a challenge, they see firsthand how the community responds to their creations. Challenge-related hashtags and templates have consistently ranked in the top 20 user-generated posts, with themed templates (like #spookychallenge) receiving x29 more likes than standard templates on average.
By connecting new users with popular content and challenge-related posts, Color Pop taps into an existing network of user engagement, increasing the chances that first-time users will receive likes, comments, and positive reinforcement. This validation encourages new users to continue creating and participating.
Use Data-Driven Insights to Refine Community Dynamics
Monitoring the community’s response to each challenge allows us to refine and enhance future initiatives. For example, since we introduced challenges, we’ve seen:
Higher engagement on challenge-related templates compared to regular templates.
An uptick in user-led initiatives, as more members launch their own challenges or ask others for creative advice.
A stronger sense of community, where users support each other’s artistic journeys by exchanging ideas and giving positive feedback.
Peer to peer engagement prompting—for example, one user launches a challenge, another chooses a template, and assigns it to a third user to complete. This organic collaboration adds a unique, social layer to engagement.
Through consistent tracking of engagement metrics, we can identify themes that resonate and continue improving first-time experiences. Challenges that foster collaboration and inspiration (versus competition) have proven especially effective, leading to higher re-engagement rates and sustained community growth.
From our experience with Color Pop, we’ve developed strategic insights that can help other app developers create an impactful first-time experience:
Focus on Simple, Guided Activities: Offering users a small, manageable task, like coloring a specific area or using a single color, reduces initial overwhelm.
Leverage Social Validation: New users are more likely to stay engaged when they receive positive feedback. Using popular templates or community-led themes connects them with active members and maximizes early interactions.
Enable Organic User Engagement: By creating an environment where users feel comfortable launching their own mini-challenges, we nurture a sense of ownership that sustains engagement over time.
Iterate with Data: Regularly assess the impact of community-driven activities and adapt to emerging trends within your app’s community. Use metrics to identify what drives meaningful interaction and optimize accordingly.
As we move forward, we’ll build on these strategies with new features that deepen community connection and interaction. Planned initiatives include:
Seasonal Challenge Series to keep themes fresh and timely, giving users even more ways to engage with the community.
Community Voting for challenge winners, allowing users to have a direct voice in recognizing the best artwork and increasing interaction.
Q&A Sessions with the Color Pop Team, where users can connect directly with us, share feedback, and learn more about creative techniques and app features.
Exhibitions of User Artwork to highlight top contributions and foster a sense of accomplishment, inspiring others to create and share.
Ambassador Roles for some users, recognizing community leaders who actively contribute to engagement and inspire others.
Building in-app community sounds like an impossible task? Let us do the work by publishing with MWM.