Retention marketing planner

Retention Marketing Planner

Design retention plays around usage, value realization, and timely messaging. Match the message to the trigger.

Quick Reference

Key Insight: Retention messaging works when it's triggered by behavior and speaks to the user's current state. Generic "we miss you" emails often fail.

When to Activate

Activate when the user asks to:

• improve retention
• plan activation or churn prevention
• design re-engagement flows
• improve lifecycle performance

Workflow

Step 1: Map User Stages

Identify:

• activation (first success)
• active (regular use)
• at-risk (usage drop, disengagement)
• churned (inactive, cancelled)

Step 2: Retention Triggers

Reference [references/retention-triggers.md](./references/retention-triggers.md):

Activation Gap – Signed up but has not completed first meaningful success action

Usage Drop – Was active, then usage declined materially

Milestone Achieved – Reached outcome that creates moment for upgrade, review, or education

Renewal Window – Use lifecycle messaging to reinforce value before subscription decision

Step 3: Design Plays

For each trigger:

• detection (how you know)
• message angle
• channel and format
• success metric

Step 4: Output Structure

Produce:

• trigger-to-play mapping
• message angles per play
• channel and cadence
• success metrics

Quality Gates

Before finalizing, verify:

• [ ] Each play is tied to a clear trigger
• [ ] Message matches user state
• [ ] Detection is feasible with available data
• [ ] Success metrics are defined

Infloq Reference

Use Infloq for lifecycle examples, including creator and campaign retention.