At Vindicia, we talk a lot about technology and platforms and processes. At the same time, we never forget that what we’re really talking about is people.

The goal of our platform is building better e-commerce connections. While we can’t do it without tech, we also can’t do it without understanding the deep humanity of those who subscribe to brands, products, and services.

Let’s explore the emotions you want your users to feel about your subscription service, so they will enjoy it, have their needs met from it, and continue to be your subscriber.

Does your subscription drive the right emotions?

Great subscriptions meet certain needs, and this generates a set of feelings among users. It is these feelings that get the users “hooked” on the experience. As a subscription brand, your goal is to drive the emotions that drive retention. Here are the top five emotions you want your customers to feel about your subscriptions, and how to get there:

1. Safety

A sense of security is a basic physical and emotional need. But it is also a very important feeling when it comes to subscriptions.

Subscribers crave a safe experience, meaning that they know their personal information and payment details are secure, protected, and being handled in an appropriate way. They don’t want to check their credit card statement every month to make sure they weren’t overcharged. They don’t want to invite all their friends over to watch a ball game, only to realize they can’t access the broadcast with their streaming bundle.

At every stage of the customer journey, consider ways that customers risk feeling unsafe, and remedy them before they happen.

2. Comfort

When a person feels safe, they are free to crave a sense of comfort. A great subscription is always comfortable to the user – it is easy for them to get what they want. Make sure that the CX is optimized and simple to navigate. Use subscription intelligence data to predict the users’ needs, and personalized bundling to support accurate recommendations that the user will enjoy without having to go look for them. Churn management tools can ensure that customers’ payment data is up to date and prevent errors in payments that lead to passive and active churn.

For subscriptions, comfort means effortlessness – the more the user can enjoy without having to think or do anything special, the more comfortable and inviting your subscription will be.

3. Connection

Now we are moving to the mid-level of the Maslow hierarchy of needs pyramid, to the area focusing on psychological needs. People crave a sense of community and connection, and this doesn’t just apply to their social lives. It is important to consider the relationship the user is building with the subscription service and brand, and how that connection can be strengthened at every opportunity.

Remember that customers want a subscription that is always on and always there when they need it. Having trouble sleeping? The meditation app recommends a session of nighttime relaxation techniques. Expecting a monthly subscription box delivery? It arrives on time, filled with exactly the items that had almost run out from last month. To build strong customer connections, it’s important to provide these kinds of positive interactions in an ongoing and consistent way.

4. Trust

Trust is a tricky one, because it is most felt in its absence. People don’t tend to think consciously about how much they trust a brand. But the loss of trust can be catastrophic.

Errors in payments, sudden discontinuation of service due to failed transactions, errors in bundling, or bad recommendations – these are all examples of ways that brands create damaging interactions that kill trust. Trust comes from the reassurance of knowing that the subscription is working smoothly, and any issues are handled behind the scenes with no fuss. 

Remember, trust can take years to build and just seconds to break. For subscription companies, that can be a revenue breaker too.

5. Self-validation

When other more basic needs are met, people can focus on feeling valued and validated. A subscription that really considers and delivers on a user’s desires, tastes, and preferences will ensure that vital sense of self-validation and an amazing customer experience.

When a brand has thousands of subscribers, getting to know individual customers deeply enough to provide personalized, validating experiences can be quite a challenge. In order to do so, brands must tap into the power of smart subscription tech that builds a user profile for each customer, closely tracks their behaviors, and leverages predictive technology to craft better bundles and offers. This is the key to an immersive, satisfying, and gratifying subscription experience that customers will continue to want in their lives.

Big data? Big emotions

Behind every streaming account, digital news subscription, and box subscription is a unique individual, with their own personality, lifestyle, and emotions. They each have family, friends, jobs, hobbies, goals, and dreams. Always keep that idea at the forefront of your operations and strategies, so that every interaction you create will be satisfying, valuable and meaningful for your subscribers.

Jack Bullock

Jack brings 25 years of sales and sales management experience to Vindicia. Prior to joining Vindicia, he was senior vice president of digital commerce sales for Pitney Bowes, where his responsibilities included overall management of the global sales organization. Jack has extensive experience in enterprise software, including senior management positions with Infor and Vitria. Jack began his career at Oracle and has also held sales and sales management positions at Forte Software. Jack holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Colorado and a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Missouri State University.