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Vernesa Cutuk on Building Retention in Your Sleep and the Value of Predictability

Shivkumar M 20+ yrs shaping technology Product & GTM strategy. Fintech, healthcare & retail industry expertise. Leads product launches, adoption & GTM as Director, Product Marketing.
Vernesa Cutuk on Building Retention in Your Sleep and the Value of Predictability

The promise of a good night’s sleep — it’s an easy sell right? Sweden-based app Sleep Cycle has that clear value proposition that brings users in. But once they’ve unlocked the key to a restful night, what’s needed to keep them coming back?

For CRM Marketing Specialist Vernesa Cutuk, Sleep Cycle’s unique approach to segmentation and customer data mapping is the key. They appeal to the app user’s natural ‘nerdiness’ and offer a service that’s closer to life coaching than sleep tracking. But it keeps users engaged and most importantly, subscribing.

Tune in to this edition of The Big Leap and discover Cutuk’s tips on baking in retention, sleep segmentation, and the importance of habit forming in both sleep and app usage.

Studying Your Subject

Knowing the audience — particularly in the healthcare sector — is hugely important. Understanding an audience’s needs and preferences is particularly potent when twinned with a strong message and the right delivery.

Throughout her career, Cutuk has sat on the intersection of product and marketing, both of which serve her well when looking at the customer relationship aspect of retention. And it’s her thirst for knowledge that has helped her make a mark: “I keep myself updated constantly about different trends when I like something and I want to go deep and I want to learn more, and I want to be on top of that game.”

Staying Ahead with Data

Cutuk knows that the key to the Sleep Cycle audience is data; statistical points that shed light on what makes the difference between a deep and a broken sleep: “Our users really, really like data. Our premium users like to track their own data. They compare the data with peers around the world. So for us, it has worked really well to stay on top of the game of the features that are kind of nerdy, kind of cool for these types of people.”

Sleep Cycle is certainly packed with data, which owes to the nuances of sleep itself. Cutuk elaborates: “We want to tap into those generic myths of sleep. Is it the pillow? Is it something psychological? Is it the two beers that I had the night before? You can use our sleep notes and track if that impacted badly on your sleep. It’s super individual, there are so many things that influence your sleep.”

Standing Out

The sleep tracking app market is crowded, but a clear value exchange has helped Sleep Cycle gain and retain their users: “We are the assistant in moving the needle from bad sleep to good sleep. So it’s very tangible.”

For Cutuk, it’s less a tracker and more of a coach: “You need a guide. You need somebody that is cheering for you when you’re stuck, when you are not on top of your game.”

So when is the best time to hit free subscribers with the chance to go premium? “We are trying to grasp our customers’ attention in the first hour, first days, first week, because that’s when they are most receptive to the information that we want to give them. And we do that in a variety of channels. And we are constantly testing to see which combination works the best.”

While sleep is a universal necessity, different regions have various needs and habits when it comes to app usage. Being present in over 150 countries means that Sleep Cycle needs to test and learn across all regions to really understand how to improve conversions: “We’re constantly working on improving those and optimizing these intersections where we have the most effect on our customers moving from free to premium.”

To hear the full story from Cutuk, and how CleverTap drives Sleep Cycle’s marketing success, watch the latest episode of The Big Leap:

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Last updated on March 29, 2024