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The problem is real and growing more serious as the US population ages: According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. One health and fitness app is addressing this issue by helping adults age while maintaining their independence and leading healthier and fuller lives. Launched in 2014, fast-growing Nymbl Science has received Series A funding and is seeing 30-day user retention rates twice those of the category’s top 10 apps.
In this episode of the Mobile Presence podcast, our host Peggy Anne Salz interviews Laura “Lo” Schroeder, Director of Marketing at Nymbl Science, on the science behind the app and how the company is building trust and creating highly personalized user journeys to improve retention.
Schroeder is a skilled marketing professional with a passion for helping older adults age independently. Known for her ability to design effective multichannel outreach programs, she has wide-ranging experience in industries including nonprofits, advertising, and healthcare. At Denver-based Nymbl, she spearheaded Colorado’s most effective campaign and engagement program for fall prevention, achieving 10x the efficacy of previous national campaigns. The campaign helped position Nymbl as the leader in fall prevention efforts nationwide.
Nymbl’s evidence-based mobility program helps older adults strengthen their reflexive balance while at home and using only a smart device. It helps prevent falls by teaching simple functional movements alongside entertaining cognitive challenges like trivia quizzes and math puzzles. “As we age, our reflexive balance really starts to decline,” Schroeder explains. Nymbl combines “brain challenges and body challenges to help you regain your balance and reconnect brain and body. Only 10 minutes a day [on Nymbl] allows older adults to regain their independence, expand their mobility, and live a more meaningful life.”
One key to Nymbl’s success is reaching older adults in the channels they’re most comfortable with. Contrary to popular myth, one of those channels is in-app. “Ninety percent of older adults have a smart device in their home,” Schroeder points out. “They know how to download apps and they’re more tech-savvy than we think.”
Despite their surprising level of tech ability, the truth remains that older adults are more likely to be the victims of online scams. This is why Nymbl maintains marketing efforts in traditional media like print; these offline channels play a vital role in establishing trust among an older audience. “It’s important to first validate with as much trust as you can,” Schroeder says.
Once the trust is there, a multichannel digital approach comes into play. “Email is our greatest predictor of engagement, and it’s a low CPA (cost per acquisition),” she notes. “We are also heavily involved in SMS, Facebook Ads, and Google Ads for retargeting. We’re hitting all that multichannel engagement.”
Since early 2021, Nymbl Science has partnered with CleverTap for campaigns, journeys, user segmentation, and analytics. According to Schroeder, the partnership has yielded great value in terms of developing highly personalized user journeys. “We’re utilizing dynamic content,” she says. “When you engage [with certain content], we recognize that you engaged with it. We then curate the next few steps of your program given that you just took that action. We are moving you along to where you need to be.”
Also valuable is CleverTap’s facilitation of A/B testing. “You should always be testing,” Schroeder advises. “Always listen to your customers because they know. We’ve done design tests, and they’ve always picked the thing I thought they weren’t going to pick. When you’re testing, move and reiterate rapidly. Your results will be much better and you’ll feel more confident with what you’ve put out there. You’ll know it’s exactly what your customers want.”
To hear more from Lo Schroeder about how to successfully navigate customer retention and engagement in a targeted category like the older-adult market, tune into the entire interview.
