Mobile Apps have become an integral part of millions of people’s daily routine. Apps allow businesses to maintain direct contact with current and prospective customers from nearly anywhere at anytime, which is why most are now including mobile apps as part of their brand strategy.
According to comScore’s The 2016 U.S. Mobile App Report, people spend as much as 2.8 hours on daily average on mobile devices, with 90% of that on smartphone apps. With millions of apps out there, and more introduced every day, how DO customers find your app in this competitive environment?
Although app stores continue to be the most important method for user acquisition, consumers are now discovering apps from websites, digital ads and traditional media. A well-executed digital strategy to promote your mobile app through paid acquisition not only leads to a measurable increase downloads; it can also introduce your business to a new market, build brand awareness and increase your active customer base.
A study in the Complete Guide to App Marketing by Tune found that when your visibility and ranking increase through your paid acquisition campaign, you can actually achieve an average of 1.5 organic installs for every one paid installation. In other words, for the cost of two paid downloads, you could get three more installs at no additional cost, creating a great ROI on your paid acquisition campaign.
If your strategy is to acquire quality, long-term users who remain engaged and contribute to the financial growth of your business through the app, consider a long-term campaign that uses multiple mediums over an extended period of time. This strategy allows experimental marketing in which you test between creative sizes and offers, then optimize towards best performers and most cost effective combinations.
Include mentions of your app in all of your traditional advertising mediums and incorporate a strong digital strategy. Your digital strategy should use a combination of the many options available to promote your mobile app, which include your website, paid search, social media, native ads, display banners & videos, text messaging and more.
Once you’ve identified where you get the best return on your investment, you can add burst campaigns that occur over a shorter period of time to boost the visibility of the app and increase installs, which in turn, increases your ranking in the app stores. Burst campaigns can also be used to reengage customers who may not be using the app regularly. A Google study found that 30% of users would begin using an app if offered an incentive.
Keep your audience engaged and actively using your app through incentives and new content that encourage them to come back time and again. Showing a clear value to your users by rewarding simple tasks, such as referring a friend or making an online purchase, with special promotions or discounts that are only available in-app, will yield increased sales. And remember to make the rewards simple to redeem, such as offering a digital coupon sent right to their mobile device.
And finally, don’t forget that your website is a fundamental marketing tool that should be mobile friendly and promote your mobile app. This is prime real estate that you already own and is a powerful instrument in building your brand and customer acquisition.
-Tammy Bowen, Media Supervisor
