How to increase the participation rate within your program?

We thought you would enjoy getting some suggestions on how you can engage users in the RandomCoffee initiative.

1- Email Subject Line Best Practices:

We usually reply to emails with an interesting subject line and engaging content. To catch the reader's attention, you need to follow those tips to create a catchy Subject line.

• Personalizing the subject line: Everyone likes to receive emails showing their names. It affects the open rate.

• Using Emojis &/or Numbers: Make sure not to overuse the emojis in email subject lines. It would be nice to have one emoji resembling the objective of the title. Ex: " Would you like to meet with a colleague informally and just for fun? 😀" or

• Posing a question: First Name, Are you ready to meet a new colleague? First Name, Would you like to chit-chat with a new colleague?

• Adding Power Words: Certain words make the email subject line catchy! Those words could be: Ready, Save the date, Learn, Change, or Engage. Ex: "Ready to have an informal conversation with a new colleague?😀"

2- Email Template Best Practices:

Once the user gets attracted by the subject line and opens the email, the content should be equally engaging, straight to the point, and with words that convey the readers' attention which would also make them interested in participating in this initiative. The program's objectives and the meeting's benefits are worthwhile to mention. In addition, you can ask for their feedback regarding this initiative, especially since we are social beings.

• A clear call to action: Would you like to participate (Yes/No), and join this initiative to feel like belonging to the company?

• Offering some benefits out of this participation: get to know what your colleagues do, share experience, find a better opportunity in a different department...

• Encouraging participants to share their matching experience: Ask employees in those templates to share pictures with their match on the company's social media page (Yammer, teams, Slack…). This will increase their sense of belonging and make them want to be part of the initiative.

3- Communication & Assigning Ambassadors

Communication is always a key to achieving assigned goals. Employees would appreciate sharing with them the new events & initiatives set in place. Assigning ambassadors who are the top randomers and communicating about it through your social network is a great way to raise the attention of the users who would also be interested in participating in this initiative.

• Internal communication before kick-off (Could be any form of communication ex. the town hall, email, through your social network, during an informal company event...)

• Use the top Randomer Feature in the RandomCoffee platform to assign the lucky ambassador for a set period (Changing the ambassador every month based on the updates in the top randomer section.)

• Create a post on your social network to communicate about it to employees

• Ask your ambassador to share their experience with others through social networks as this would encourage others to participate after hearing one of the employee's testimonials → You can check this post shared on Linkedin by one of our customers (Cox Enterprise)

4- Follow up with Users Constantly

Engaging your users with this topic is key to a successful program. They need to feel that their opinions matter. So be sure to keep asking for their feedback constantly.

• Surveys are the best options to get the user's feedback regarding the initiative: Create your survey or ask us to create one for you.

• Ask for qualitative feedback since it could provide you with insights about their interests and what they would like to change within the program (Frequency, matching rules...)

• By periodically posting to the company's social networks (Slack channel, yammer...) to ask for their feedback, we can encourage them to share their experience and insights.

5- Offering Incentives

Incentives are always a great idea to make people participate in any event. The participation rates of programs or events that use incentives are much higher. Also, the type of incentives impacts participation. Motivating incentives can include gift cards or gym membership discounts. Incentive programs based on results can also be successful.

• Coffee coupons with each match they make

• Offering recognition to frequent participants

You know your employee population best. Consider which incentives are likely to motivate them. You can also ask them directly in an employee survey or through an email.