How To Identify and Engage Top Consumers in Your App or Product

Not all users bring the same value to your business. Some download the app and leave. Some make a single purchase. Others stay, spend, and share. They open every email. They refer friends. They come back week after week. These are your top consumers.

But who exactly qualifies as one? How do you spot them? And more importantly — how do you keep them? This article explains what a top consumer really is. We’ll explore what makes them different, how to identify them, and why they matter more than most teams realize.

What Is a Top Consumer?

A top consumer is a customer who contributes outsized value to your business. This can be through purchases, engagement, loyalty, or influence. They might:

• Spend more than average
• Buy more frequently
• Stay longer as active users
• Share feedback that shapes product decisions
• Influence other users to convert or return

In short, top consumers help your business grow, often without you asking them to. They are not always your highest spenders. Sometimes they are your most active users. Or your most vocal supporters. Or your early adopters who never left. Here are some common traits:

• High frequency of use or orders
• High purchase value over time (not just once)
• Low churn risk
• High engagement with features, messages, or community
• Openness to provide feedback

Top consumers are not defined by just one number. They are the users who keep showing up and giving back. Through their money, time, loyalty, or voice.

Why Top Consumers Matter

Top consumers don’t just perform better than average users. They change the economics of your business. Most products follow a pattern: a small share of users brings in the largest share of revenue. This is known as the 80/20 rule. 

But in many mobile apps and digital businesses, the gap is even wider. It’s not uncommon for 10% of users to drive over 50% of revenue or engagement. These are your top consumers.

1. They drive long-term revenue
   
   Retaining one top consumer is often more valuable than acquiring ten average ones. That’s why identifying these users early and keeping them is a smart move for growth teams.
2. They create organic growth
   
   They leave positive reviews. They post on social media. They refer friends. In some cases, they even build communities around your product. This kind of engagement helps brands scale without spending more on ads.
3. They reduce support and churn costs
   
   Top consumers often need less support. They understand the product. They adapt to changes. Some even help others answering questions in forums, submitting bug reports, or sharing workarounds.
4. They shape product strategy
   
   Listening to them can help you improve the product faster. It also helps you prioritize with more confidence because you’re building for the users who care the most.

How To Identify Top Consumers

Top consumers are easy to miss if you’re only looking at one metric like spend or app opens. The best approach is to combine behavior, value, and intent. That’s how you build a clear picture.

1. Look beyond one-time purchases

A user who buys once—and spends a lot—might look valuable. But that doesn’t make them a top consumer.

Instead, look for:

• Repeat purchases
• Steady or growing spend
• Engagement across different features
• Continued logins after the first few days

Top consumers show patterns. They’re not one-hit users. They’re consistent and intentional.

2. Use behavioral data

Start with your analytics tool. Look for high-frequency actions. These may include:

• Number of sessions per week
• Features used
• Actions completed (e.g., messages sent, videos watched, items added to cart)

If you’re in SaaS or mobile, RFM analysis (Recency, Frequency, Monetary value) can help. It sorts users based on how recently and how often they’ve engaged and how much they’ve spent. Other useful signals:

• Early completion of onboarding
• Opting into notifications
• Filling out a profile
• Referring others

3. Track product engagement, not just clicks

It’s easy to get distracted by vanity metrics. High click counts don’t always mean high value. Look deeper. Which users:

• Finish key tasks without dropping off?
• Explore more than one part of the app?
• Come back when you release new features?

These users are learning. Adapting. Committing. They’re often your best bet for long-term growth.

4. Segment based on real impact

Once you have behavioral data, build segments. For example:

• Power users – use the app daily or weekly
• Repeat buyers – made more than 3 purchases in 30 days
• Promoters – gave you a high NPS or left positive reviews
• Feature adopters – try new releases within 48 hours

You don’t need a perfect system. You need a working signal. Find your version of “top,” then build around it.

5. Watch what they say, not just what they do

Qualitative feedback matters. Do these users:

• Reach out with helpful suggestions?
• Mention you publicly, without being prompted?
• Ask for features because they want to do more?

That’s a signal of ownership. A user who cares enough to give feedback is often a user worth keeping close.

Examples of Top Consumer Profiles by Industry

Top consumers don’t look the same in every business. In some cases, they’re high spenders. In others, they’re community builders or daily users. Let’s look at what top consumers might look like across different industries and app types.

1. Ecommerce

Top consumer traits:

• Buys multiple times per month
• Tries new product lines quickly
• Leaves detailed reviews
• Uses discount codes, but also pays full price when needed

2. Subscription SaaS

Top consumer traits:

• Subscribed for 6+ months
• Uses multiple core features weekly
• Logs in from multiple devices or workspaces
• Submits product feedback and requests

In SaaS, retention is everything. These users give you insight into what keeps people from churning. They also help stress-test the product and can become advocates in their companies.

3. Mobile Gaming

Top consumer traits:

• Plays daily
• Reaches high levels quickly
• Spends on upgrades, skins, or coins
• Engages with the community (chat, guilds, forums)

Top gamers increase in-app purchases and help retain others through social interaction. They’re often the first to test new events or game mechanics. Losing one can hurt a whole cluster of users.

4. Food Delivery

Top consumer traits:

• Orders 2–4 times per week
• Uses scheduled delivery and loyalty programs
• Writes feedback or rates drivers
• Tries partner restaurants and promotions

These users are predictable, profitable, and responsive. Their habits generate high LTV, and they’re more likely to notice and report issues that others ignore.

5. Streaming and Media Apps

Top consumer traits:

• Watches 10+ hours per week
• Creates playlists or follows creators
• Shares content
• Engages with niche genres or original content

They help shape content algorithms, drive engagement metrics, and increase subscription renewals. They’re often early adopters of new formats (podcasts, shorts, live streams).

Every product has its own version of a top consumer. The job is to define it clearly, find them early, and understand what keeps them coming back.

How to Engage and Retain Top Consumers

Identifying your top consumers is only the beginning. The real work is keeping them. These users are already invested—but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay forever. Engagement and retention must be intentional. Here’s how to do it well.

1. Personalize the experience

Top consumers expect relevance. They don’t want the same notifications, emails, or offers as casual users. You already have their behavior data—use it.

For example:

1. Show personalized product or content recommendations
2. Tailor onboarding for advanced users
3. Offer early access to new features they’re likely to use

Personalization should feel helpful, not creepy. Show them you know them without overdoing it.

2. Create VIP programs

Top consumers like to feel seen. Some brands use loyalty tiers. Others offer “insider” access to betas, private groups, or direct feedback channels. You don’t need a complex system. Small rewards. Exclusive content. A faster support line. It’s about recognition.

3. Close the feedback loop

Top users often give feedback. The mistake? Ignoring it. Let them know when you act on something they suggested. Even a simple update can build trust. This shows you listen. And it increases the chance they’ll keep sharing.

4. Watch for signs of decline

Just because someone was a top consumer doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. Monitor:

• Drop in session frequency
• Reduced purchases or feature usage
• Longer response time to messages or push notifications

These signals matter. They let you intervene before the user disappears.

You can trigger a re-engagement flow. Or send a survey to understand what changed.

5. Don’t over-communicate

Top consumers are loyal, but not always patient. Too many push notifications. Too many emails. Too many “we miss you” messages, and they’ll mute you. Respect their attention. Give them value every time you reach out. Ask yourself: is this message useful to them, or just to your KPI?

Conclusion

Top consumers are not just your best users. They are the ones who shape your business. They buy more. They stay longer. They give feedback. They bring others with them.

But they don’t stay loyal by default. You have to know who they are. You have to earn their trust again and again — with relevance, clarity, and care.

If you identify them early, listen well, and build around their experience, they become more than customers. They become partners in your growth.