Best practices when using the Insights Dashboard

The User Engagement Dashboard provides key insights into how students and mentors interact with your platform.

This article outlines best practices for interpreting and acting on the information displayed on the dashboard. By leveraging these insights, you can ensure your programs are running smoothly, identify areas for improvement, and foster deeper engagement between students and mentors.

Regularly Monitor Key Metrics

The dashboard provides a comprehensive view of user behaviour across various engagement channels.

Here are the best practices for regularly monitoring these metrics:

Total Users and Active Users: Monitor total users to assess platform adoption and active users to gauge immediate engagement.

If you notice a drop in active users, launch re-engagement campaigns or offer incentives to drive participation.

New Members and Supporters: A steady inflow of new members and supporters indicates healthy program growth.

However, if these metrics decline, consider reviewing your onboarding process to ensure it’s welcoming, clear & easy for newcomers.

Connections: A low number of connections between students and mentors might indicate users aren’t making the most of the platform’s networking features.

You can encourage more connections through events or by promoting the benefits of forming meaningful relationships on the platform.

Identify Engagement Gaps Using Activity Metrics

The dashboard includes specific metrics related to engagement, such as active members and retained members.

Here are ways to identify and address engagement gaps:

Track Active and Retained Members: A high number of active members shows your program is maintaining interest.

However, if retained member numbers decline, you may need to introduce new features, events, or incentives to keep members engaged.

Review Supporter Activity: Supporters, such as mentors, play a crucial role in keeping students engaged.

If you notice low supporter activity, consider holding workshops or meetings to ensure they feel supported and valued on the platform.

Optimise Sessions and Events for Maximum Impact

The sessions and events metrics provide valuable insights into how users engage with structured activities. Best practices include:

Focus on Private and Group Sessions: Regular private sessions between mentors and students foster personal growth, while group sessions enhance community learning.

If session participation is low, try introducing session reminders or highlighting the benefits of these interactions.

Boost Event Participation: A drop in event attendance may indicate a mismatch between user interests and event content.

Gather feedback to understand what users seek and tailor future events accordingly.

Leverage Private and Group Chats to Foster Communication

The dashboard also tracks messaging activity, providing a detailed view of communication trends:

Encourage More Chat Activity: Low private or group chat activity could indicate that users aren’t leveraging communication features.

Consider promoting these channels by sharing tips on how users can make the most of chats or by introducing icebreaker topics for new users.

Monitor Program-Wide Group Chats: If program-wide group chat engagement is low, you can introduce discussion topics that encourage participation or schedule chat-based events that draw users into conversations.

Analyse Trends Over Time

The dashboard allows you to adjust the date range, making it easy to identify trends.

Best practices for using this feature include:

Track Month-on-Month Changes: Monitor percentage changes in activity metrics to detect positive or negative trends.

Increases are highlighted in blue and decreases in red, giving you a quick visual cue of performance.

Focus on Ongoing Data: Columns highlighted in yellow represent ongoing data for the current month.

Use this data to assess real-time performance and make quick adjustments if needed.

Take Action based on Data-Driven Insights

The purpose of monitoring dashboard metrics is to take action where needed. Some actionable steps include:

Run Targeted Campaigns: Use the insights from the dashboard to design campaigns aimed at boosting engagement. For example, if active users decline, consider sending personalised emails or creating events that re-engage users.
Host Engagement Workshops: Host workshops for supporters or mentors who may not be actively involved to ensure they are equipped to engage fully with students.
Adjust Program Offerings: Based on user activity, consider adjusting the types of sessions, events, or communication channels you promote.