On average a person has close to 80 apps installed on their phone, however only 9 of these apps are regularly used. People use apps to connect with friends, solve work issues, track their health, or buy tickets. These days, there are apps for any sphere of life. This being said, the competition to make your app successful is quite rough. In this article, we’ll focus on the best mobile app marketing campaigns that can help your app reach its full potential. We’ll share some mobile marketing examples and tips on how to improve your app visibility, and installs, as well as fostering stronger relationships with existing users.
Best Mobile App Marketing Campaigns
When it comes to marketing mobile apps, it’s crucial to leverage various strategies to capture your audience’s attention and drive downloads. Successful campaigns often integrate multiple channels to maximize reach and engagement, ensuring that your app stands out in a competitive market.
Social media campaign
A vast majority of users come across mobile apps while scrolling through their social media. These days people use social media to search, examine, and purchase products. This is a perfect opportunity to induce your potential subscribers to download an app.
A social media campaign involves marketing your mobile app through various social media channels. The idea is to redirect users straight from social media to your app when they click on a link or a CTA. It’s important to use deferred deep linking that will allow you to drive users who already have an app to the in-app content, and those who don’t will be redirected to an app store.
You can include links to your app in social media posts, stories, and bio. Make sure you show the value of your app on social media like various discounts and exclusive offers.
In addition to this, keep in mind that each social media platform has its own format when creating a mobile app campaign. For example, Instagram requires more entertaining and visually appealing content to market your app, whereas LinkedIn is more focused on professional and expert information.
Paid advertising campaign
A paid advertising campaign focuses on promoting your app via paid ads on various channels. Depending on which channel you use, ads will be classified into several common types. You’ll often need to test which type of ads works better for your app in particular.
The first type of ads to discuss is app store ads. When you upload your app to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you can buy search ads, so that your app will be at the top of search results.
The second type is in-app ads. It involves promoting your app inside other apps. A user can see a banner at the top or bottom of another app. Also, a so-called interstitial ad can appear on the whole screen interrupting the app a user is currently using. If used smartly, such an ad can grab user’s attention and lure them into clicking on CTA to download your app. Using reverse video search can help you analyze how similar interstitial ads are being used effectively across other apps.
A popular way to employ interstitial ads is to make them interactive, so users won’t be upset that they’ve been interrupted. On the contrary, they’ll be intrigued with a kind of brain teaser, a game, or a bonus. Say, an interstitial ad appears with a spin-to-win and then redirects a user to an app store.
The last type of paid ads is social media ads. Social media algorithms allow one to reach a targeted audience more easily. As your ad will be shown to the right people, it will help increase app installs and decrease CPIs (cost per install).
App Store Optimization
App Store Optimization (ASO) involves focusing on factors that will improve your app visibility and position in an app store. Factors one should consider to optimize include:
- app name
- app title
- targeted keywords
- visuals like screenshots and videos
- app description
- and reviews
By using the right keywords in an app title and description, you can improve your app’s visibility. Let’s take the meditation app Wild Journey-Nature Sounds as a mobile marketing example. The name itself includes the keyword ‘nature sounds’, as users search for nature sounds to relax or meditate.
To optimize your app in an app store thoroughly research targeted keywords for your audience with a keyword tool. Always include high-quality screenshots from your app, so the user will know what to expect before downloading. Finally, app optimization is a constant work. Keep an eye on trends and user interactions with your app. If you see that some of your app features are more popular than others, create visuals to promote the popular features.
Email Marketing Campaign
Email Marketing is another powerful tool to promote your app. Whether your goal is to encourage installs or re-engage users who haven’t been active for some time, email marketing has its benefits. You can:
- create an email sequence promoting and encouraging newcomers to install your app
- guide your new users with useful tutorials and tips on how to use an app
- foster stronger relationships with users who have already downloaded the app by rewarding them with special offers and discounts
- re-engage users who have been inactive for some time with personalized offers like unique features or plan discounts
To make email marketing successful for your app, keep in mind deferred deep linking. Deferred deep links enable you to direct users from email content straight to the app content they expect. Say, if they click on a promotional image with a specific product, they will be directed to a specific product page, not the main page.
Referral programs
A referral program is a method to promote your app with the assistance of your subscribers. You need to think of a way to encourage your users to refer to your app.
Usually, it’s a double-sided referral system. In other words, when a loyal user promotes your app they get a reward, as well as a newcomer.
Here’s how it works: For example, a make-up company offers its users a 10% discount if they share and invite their friends to join the app. A person who receives a link is also rewarded with a 10% discount if they click and install the app through the shared link.
The reason why referral programs work is because it is a double-sided trust-building process. A brand can foster stronger relationships with its customers and newcomers will trust a brand more if it’s recommended by someone they know.
Implementing conjoint analysis in designing your referral program can help you identify which incentives (e.g., discounts, exclusive features) are most appealing to different user segments, ensuring that your program effectively motivates both existing users and potential new ones.
QR Code Campaign
Last but not least to discuss is a QR code marketing campaign. It involves using QR codes as a way to promote seamless interaction with your app: from installing to getting special discounts.
There’s an endless choice where you can place your QR codes:
- your website or social media channel
- printed handouts like marketing brochures or banners
- spots close to the interaction with a service or product like a menu in the restaurant, payment counter, registration desk, product packaging, etc.
When a potential user scans a QR code, they get personalized incentives like digital coupons, special offers, discounts, and loyalty cards.
Conclusion
We explored the best mobile app marketing campaigns. A strong mobile app marketing campaign is the key to successful app results. While it might be challenging to attract and retain users, don’t hesitate to test where to direct your marketing efforts. For some brands, social media marketing campaigns work the best, while other brands benefit more from paid ads. It’s essential to continuously analyze and adapt your strategies to find the optimal mix that resonates with your target audience.
