Ep 193: Why You Need to Track Cohort Retention

Oct 28

Why You Need to Track Cohort Retention

You’re probably tracking retention. Maybe even LTV.

But if you’re not tracking cohort retention, you’re missing the data that actually drives smarter decisions.

Cohort retention shows you what’s working (and what’s not) with your lead sources, onboarding, and member experience… fast.

What Is Cohort Retention?

Cohort retention looks at how long specific groups of members stick around.

You can group cohorts by:

Lead source
Conversion source
When they joined
How long they were on your list before buying

Then compare how each group performs over time.

Why It Matters More Than Average Retention

Here’s what basic retention doesn’t tell you:

Which lead and conversion source brings the best members
Whether cold traffic churns faster than warm
If buyers who’ve been nurtured longer stay longer
Where members are dropping off in your member journey

Without that data, you're guessing.

Start With the Right Question

Don’t track metrics just to track them.

Ask:

What decision will this number help me make?
Would I do anything differently if the result changed?

If not, skip it.

Watch the First 30-60 Days

Your biggest retention losses usually happen early.

Let’s say you have:

1,000 new members with 92% retention = 80 people lost in month 1
920 remaining members with 92% retention = 74 people lost in month 2
846 remaining members with 92% retention = 68 people lost in month 3

Same percentage. Very different revenue impact.

Early retention tells you where you're leaking the most money.

Real Example: Cold vs. Warm Audiences

One client moved from warm leads to cold Facebook audiences.

I warned them: “Your retention will drop.”

They didn’t believe me.

Then they tracked cohort retention. It dropped.

Why?

Cold leads weren’t as ready to buy
They churned faster in the first 30-60 days

The fix? Improve onboarding and set better expectations in the evergreen funnel.

Track What Matters

If you’re not going to act on it, don’t track it.

But if you want:

Higher LTV
Smarter ad spend
Better onboarding decisions

Cohort retention is the metric that makes it possible.

Retention Starts with Experience

Want help tracking cohort retention and keeping more members?

Apply now at joinretain.com

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Shana Lynn