In October 2020, YouTube quietly shifted its beta testing strategy, allowing only premium subscribers to opt-in to test new features. This marks a change from the previous method of selecting beta testers at random.
We believe YouTube recognizes that paid subscribers are more invested in the process than randomly selected users. This results in higher engagement and better feedback. High engagement leads to more feedback, more feedback results in more fixes, and more fixes enhance product quality.
If this is indeed the reason, we completely agree, as we have demonstrated this at Centercode for two decades.
For paying subscribers, this is a significant advantage. By accessing beta features before the broader user community, power users can gain a competitive edge and potentially monetize their early access. This scenario benefits both YouTube and its subscribers.
Our main takeaway from YouTube’s decision aligns with what we’ve advocated for years. The best way to refine your existing product is to focus on your power users in all Beta and Delta tests.
Why Power Users Make Great Testers
Power users are individuals who, due to personal or professional reasons, spend significantly more time with your product than the average user. They possess substantial technical expertise and frequently utilize your product’s new or advanced features to meet their demands or boost efficiency.
How does this relate to the criteria for exceptional beta testers? Great testers are users in your target market with ample reasons and opportunities to use your product daily. Their vested interest in your product naturally makes them more enthusiastic about improving it.
You might wonder, “If power users are such valuable beta testers, why don’t more organizations utilize them?”
That’s exactly our point: More organizations should actively seek them out!
4 Powerful Benefits
Now, don’t misunderstand us. There are valuable insights to be gained from testing your product with average users, as they comprise the majority of your audience. However, testing with power users — whether they’re audiophiles, software engineers, video editors, content creators, or professional gamers — offers above-average benefits to your project and organization. Here are a few of them:
Higher Engagement
The more invested your testers are in your product, the longer they remain engaged and the more feedback they provide. Unlike randomly selected testers, power users are deeply invested — they were already using your product more than average before your test — making them rich sources of in-depth feedback. In addition to offering more technical insights and uncovering deep-seated issues, they often engage with other testers in discussions, boosting overall engagement.
Better Scoping of Features and Your Product Roadmap
Power users operate on the cutting edge of your product’s functionality. They’re early adopters, pushing boundaries and even discovering innovative ways to use your product that your organization hadn’t considered. As industry barometers, their ideas and habits provide insights you can use to develop new features and guide your roadmap. While they often use products in nuanced and specific ways, their methods frequently predict trends that average users will adopt later.
Winning Friends and Influencing People
Speaking of trendsetting, some power users — such as content creators, professional gamers, or music producers — are also influencers. They have the attention of thousands, sometimes millions, of followers. By inviting these influential users to participate in beta testing, they develop a sense of ownership. Cementing their interest in your product makes them more likely to become product evangelists and promote your product to their extensive networks.
Expanding Your QA Lab
Power users often become “power users” out of necessity. Their professions or hobbies require more time spent with the tool or device, more powerful functionality, and a need for more technical features than the average user. Their work or interests also mean they likely have top-of-the-line products in their tech stack.
Take a content creator, for example. They’ll likely use a variety of software and devices for recording, video and photo editing, sound editing, and even project management. By testing with these users, you can assess how your product performs among these more specialized tools without incurring the costs of expanding your QA lab.
Harness the Power of Your Power Users
Don’t let the insights from your power users slip away. Centercode makes it easy to connect directly with all members of your target audience and tester community. Recruit, converse, collect feedback, analyze, and report from a single tool, purpose-built to help you turn pre-release feedback into perfected products. Talk to our experts about elevating your program.
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