Mobile App Marketing
Understanding Mobile App Marketing
Mobile app marketing is a technique that includes understanding and interacting with users at every stage of their experience with your app. It includes engaging with the audience from the first time they learn about your app till you convert them into a regular customer. Good app marketing strategies enable you to increase the download rate through the direct promotion of your mobile application.
For simplification, mobile app marketing can be separated into three areas:
Getting Users
This phase includes how you will promote your app, interact with potential users, and encourage them to download and install the application.
Engagement
The next step is user engagement. App engagement varies by the specific app but examples include signing up, making a purchase, completing a profile, sending a message, completing a survey, etc.. The primary goal here is to encourage users to actively take some action with your app.
Keeping Users
In this stage, you will focus on regularly engaging the user. Your application’s retention rate will define the effectiveness of your application and is likely to generate more revenue.
A successful mobile app marketing strategy focuses on every stage equally, let’s examine each a bit more.
How to Get Users to Download your App
To effectively motivate an audience to download your mobile app you need to build a successful communication and launch strategy. Most of your audience will initially be hesitant to install the application if they have no idea what its main features are. Therefore, you should convince your audience to download and install the application by explaining how it solves their problems. Here are some common channels to message potential users:
Social Media Channels
Social media is a great option to interact with a new audience. It acts as one of the best app acquisition channels. However, using social media platforms to promote your app is only helpful when you already have a large audience. If you do not, you can start paid social promotion campaigns to attract users. Social PPC costs are usually far less expensive than Google AdWords and give you the opportunity to directly engage with users and answer any questions they may have.
Real-World Incentives
Users are consistently looking for a deal especially when there is an instant benefit. You can use this behavior as a strategy by offering your audience a reward for downloading your app. These rewards can be a contest entry, product giveaway, or discount. These promotional campaigns create interest among your audience and usually encourages sharing. It is important that your app offers a lasting benefit so that users are less likely to uninstall it after the app download.
App Store Search Advertising
On both the Apple App and Google Play Stores paid search campaigns are available and they can be very effective at driving user downloads. When a potential user searches for a keyword, such as ‘best workout application’, your advertisement will appear at the top of the search results. In order to achieve better results with this campaign put yourself in the shoes of a potential user and select keywords that you would use to search for your app. Other web based platforms such as Google AdWords offer PPC campaigns as well. When a web user searches for a keyword on their phone, they see your app advertisement, click on the link and are directed to a page where they can download your app.
When choosing an acquisition strategy, it is important to consider the CPA or cost per acquisition. CPA is the marketing metric that indicates the effectiveness of the strategy based on cost per single paying customer. For instance, there are some channels that are budget-friendly but are not quick to generate an audience, these include standard app store listings and organic web traffic. On the other side of the coin, options that may cost more such as paid search and influencer partnerships are usually faster and more effective.
When you compare the CPA to the estimated profit you can generate from a single customer; you can easily decide if your strategies are worthwhile or not. Understanding the potential effectiveness of your acquisition strategies is essential before investing your money and time.
Mobile App User Engagement & Retention
After a user installs your app on their mobile device, they must be encouraged to use it. Only about eight percent of app users generally remain after thirty days. This is a low number but one that can be improved if you follow the below app engagement and user retention strategies.
Simple Onboarding
The process of instructing users as to your apps basic functions and features must be quick and easy to follow.
Easy Account Creation
If your app requires an account, make sure this process is as simple and painless as possible.
Push Notifications
Send gentle reminders to users about app features they may have missed or forgotten about.
Personalization
Where appropriate greet users by their first name and offer suggestions and data relevant to their app use and goals.
In-App Messaging
Offer personalized messages about app status, new features, user progress, etc.. will keep users coming back.
Reward Programs
Allow users to earn points that can be redeemed for digital or physical rewards. For example, the Starbucks app is extraordinarily successful because users are continually rewarded with free drinks the more the app is used.
Communication
Allow users to send feedback, report problems and ask questions that is actively monitored and replied to in short order.
App improvement & Refinement
Successful apps continually add features, fix bugs, listen to user feedback, and optimize their user experience.