In-App Referral Marketing – A Rock Solid Strategy for App Marketers

Word-of-mouth – it was there, it is there and it will remain there. We still believe more on our friends and relatives than anyone/anything else. Suppose if I read about an app through news or other promotional ways, I will not put my hands-in until I have a strong need of it or I hear to try the same app, recommended by one of my friends. Agree? 

So, if you are agree and being an app marketer, you also want to jump in word-of-mouth. I would like to tell you that there is an advance version of word-of-mouth, specifically designed for app marketing, named as “in-app referral marketing”.

What is in-app referral marketing?

App Suggestions from friends and families is app reference. And to encourage users to suggest your app is called in-app referral marketing.

Our favourite apps like Airbnb, UBER, Evernote and others are claiming to be benefitted from in-app referral marketing. Airbnb has a record of achieving 300% more sign-ups and bookings after it adopted in-app referral strategy. If they can, you too.

How to Start with In-app Referral Marketing?

1. Wait for a Right Time to Jump

You need genuine users who are actually interested in your app – not those who refer your app just to earn some incentives. That’s why you have to wait. If it’s an initial period of app, you have to wait till the app reach to some good number downloads. For e.g. if an app reaches to 10,000 downloads, you can make sure that the app is eligible for referral marketing or if an app didn’t even reached to 500 downloads, you have to work hard on app before you go for referral marketing strategy.

2. Promote it

Once you confirm thousand-figure downloads, your app is ready for in-app referral marketing. You have assets of 10,000 users who will give a boost to your referral marketing.

Build in-app referral campaigns with online, in-app and offline promotions.

• Online Promotion: Find the platforms where your app users spend their maximum time. For e.g. it may be Facebook or Instagram for general users while professionals spent their time with Linkedin and Twitter. Promote your app on the same platforms where you have confirmed presence of your targeted audience.
• In-app Promotion: Push notifications, alerts, in-app ads and in-app messages act as reminders to your users. Send these reminders to users without irritating them. So that next time when they talk with their friends and families, they don’t forget to mention your app in conversation.
• Offline Promotion: As I told you earlier, word-of-mouth is as powerful or more as it was earlier. Offer users something rewarding if they are ready to refer your app to their friends. For e.g. a fashion app offers free tickets to fashion-themed parties to those who refer the app to their friends. You can customize this trick as per your app type.

3. Confirm it

Are you receiving genuine users through app referrals? Are they just come and go? From which campaign (online, offline, in-app) you are getting users the most? To confirm that you are going on a right direction, you have to monitor it all.

4. Continue it

As you start going with in-app referral program, your app’s total number of users will increase. They will spread your app more if you continue your referral strategy. Keep your referral on the go until your app exists to grab as maximum users as you can.

Long Story Short

Refer users and they refer to others. This is how your app will grow like a buzz. It seems easy but it’s not. Planning with proper monitoring and analytics is what you need to get a track of what you are doing and how it is worth?

Read More

What You Could Expect from Emerging Trends of App Store Optimization?

Days are gone when app marketers were relying simply on keyword stuffing to grow up their app name on app stores. Now, the approach is turning natural. Quality matters more than quantity. Today, if you want to highlight your app on the surface, you have to follow truly natural ways including good quality app, bug free app, well designed app, etc.

Development is a half part of app; another half is app marketing – as you know an app without marketing is simply doesn’t exist. When we are talking about app marketing, how can we ignore App store optimization (ASO) - a fundamental acquisition strategy that continues to evolve? New Year brought new trends in everything including ASO that you must adopt to be on the top of the edge.

Here is the list of trends going to change the face of ASO.

1. Stronger App Indexing

What is app indexing? A system that give smartphone users access to apps through Google search results. It means when users search query on Google through smartphone, they get links to app. It is also called deep linking.

App indexing will be stronger than ever. Previously, when users were typing Google search query, the results were mobile websites. Now, when they type Google search query, the results will be apps than mobile websites (only if their search matches to the app keywords).

This is a precious opportunity for App marketers. You should start putting maximum app relevant keywords to get users on land page through Google Search Results.

2. Positive Reviews Are More Important than Anything Else

No ratings, no negative reviews, just focus on positive reviews, if you want your app to actually come up in a limelight. If you are getting negative reviews, make sure your app will be thrown at the app store corners. If you are 100% sure with your app – like you are assured of quality app with zero bugs and a real problem solver, still you fail to get positive reviews; App marketers suggest to go for paid app review services. Going for paid will be worth for app in future.

3. it’s a Time for Real Time Analytics

The more you understand your users, the more your app will get close to them. It’s time to analyze users’ behaviour with app in real time. Analyze what users do in app at what time. Where they tend to click, where they stay longer, where they don’t even have a look on, etc. you have to examine each minute of users’ with app.

4. Be an ASO-Savvy

ASO is as important for app as the SEO is for website. Gain as much knowledge as you can about ASO. Implement maximum ideas along with analyzing which one works the best. If you are an app developer or you don’t have time to look after ASO, hire the one who has years of experience in app marketing. 

5. In-app engagement and Personalization are at the top

It is more easy to drive downloads and revenue from an engaging app. If your app is not engaging, no matter how much you spend behind development and advertising, it will be totally a waste. In-app engagement is incomplete without personalization. A personalized user experience can increase shelf life of your app. That’s why; both these things are considered as app essentials.

At last, to make your app drive consistent traffic, you have to invest a good amount of time and efforts in App store optimization.

Read More

5 Mistakes App Marketers Should Get Aware of before it’s too Late

Today, apps are everything for consumers. Apps have become the sources of shopping, socializing, entertainment, etc. Multiple app options for a single task are available at app stores. Consumers click only on those options flowing at the top surface – creating a challengeable environment for app marketers. In spite of building immense relevancy and meaningful experience, app marketers fail to achieve deserved position at app marketplace.

No doubt, app marketers must have accomplished the list of what to do and what not to do? But what about those factors hidden behind the big walls? Some mistakes app marketers often make unknowingly – they don’t even have idea about. Such mistakes lead them to overspending and disappointing outcomes. Let’s find out what those mistakes are and how to get rid of them.

 

1. App First, Monetization Second

App makers prefer to rest on couch until their app gets ready for marketing and monetization efforts. As soon as their app sets stage to walk towards app store, app marketers start rushing faster than train to prepare for app monetization strategies. App monetization is not a quick-to-get-results scheme. It takes weeks/months to show results. Hence, start planning for app monetization as soon as your app undergoes app development procedure. In-app ads, in-app purchases, freemium, subscriptions, paid, etc, there are many to think and plan about.

2. Underestimate the value of why users return to app

Some app marketers don’t derive the value of returning users. They are just happy with users visiting the app only once. Returning users are loyal users. They must be taken utmost care to keep their visits frequent.

Give users come-back reasons with app analysis. Analyze your app to determine app features that make users come back. Also, put an eye on features that users don’t like to have in your app. Consider the value of app among your users. Keep improve existing, likable features and insert demandable features. Alert, push notifications, messages, etc., utilize everything to get users back. Don’t overdo it. 

3. Unknown of LTV (Lifetime Value)

Total revenue generated by users staying with app from download to removal process is called Lifetime Value (LTV) of app. One can measure LTV through monetization, retention and other revenue generating methods. It’s important to calculate Lifetime Value of app to determine expected revenue from users. LTV also lets you get aware of how much you can afford to spend behind grabbing new users.

4. Ignoring questionnaires from app users

App users’ questionnaires are symbol of “they need help in terms of your app” or “they want improvements in your app”. Don’t make a mistake by avoiding them all. Their questionnaires build a way to success. Answer them all and try to improve what users’ expect.

5. Little to Zero research

This is the biggest mistake app marketers do. Don’t expect anything in return from app if you are not ready to spend a good time with in-depth app research. With billions of apps residing there on app store, research is must for an app to come up and continue for a long.

I think now you are well aware of your mistakes. These are just five, there are many hidden in the dark. Find them out and solve them as soon as possible.

Read More

How to Give a New Energy to Your App after Launch?

When app entered to app store, it sells like a hot cake. Users’ eagerness towards new app is high. Once they start interacting with app, you will find they are losing interest for app. Number of users may not remain same as they were at the time of new launch. Number of active users will also decrease as the time passes. You may feel afraid with my wordings (really sorry for that). But basically, I want to tell that you have to put extra efforts to maintain users’ momentum for app.

Job is not done once your app reaches to app store. In fact, be ready to double down your efforts to ensure your app keeps gaining popularity over a long haul. And the best way to do this is: keep putting a new energy within your app. Here are some guidelines:

1. Schedule a Lifestyle for Your App

Messaging apps have to give users regular updates to keep them hook. Mobile games require making new resources for their users. Utility apps should prepare to remind users with daily alerts. Shopping apps are building new deals and offers to provoke users for purchase. Likewise, every app has its own lifestyle: what will be their work after going to app store. Have you fixed up any lifestyle for your app?
 

If not, then start now. Prepare a list of Goals as it will help you work out on app.
 

Answer these questions to know about your goals:

• My app is for whom? Children, Teenagers, Adults, Aged, etc.
• How will my targeted audience use app?
• What make my app a success?

You must get goals of your app, but I would like to share some common goals that every app has:

•  Driving new customers to your shop
• Building brand through app
• Selling products 

2. Get Everyone on Track

This one is for those working with a team (not alone). Many time app fails to gain its priority at app store just because everyone working for app is going through a different direction. Get all your employees on one track to work for app. Distribute different pieces of app to handle among employees like development part, app marketing part, users part, etc. Build department to manage each part of app. 

3. Be prepare for new responsibilities

New responsibilities will add to your schedule, once users start using your app. Start brainstorming situations occur and create a department to handle responsibilities towards new users.

4. Start a Chit-chat with users

 Great apps are great communicators. Their chit-chat with users is always going on. Make sure your app has this quality. Or you hired someone to listen users and solve their issues.
There are some ideas to keep conversation “On” with users even when they are not using app. Tricks like push notifications or alerts help apps communicate with users.

5. Keep Introducing Fresh Content

Products, offers, deals, in-app purchases, extra features, rewards, articles, news or whatever is a part of your app content, keep introducing it on a regular basis. Make a fresh content for everyday to remind your users that app exist with something new for them.
 

6. Measure the return rate of users

• How many users your app has?
• How many users often come back to app?
• How users interact with app?
• Which content attracts users the most?

This will define the success rate of app. With the help of these questions, you will get aware of success and failures of content. You can eliminate the less likely parts, improve the most liked parts and insert the demandable content.
 

Now you are ready to decide an after-launch-life of your app. Keep it improving and keep releasing fresh content.

Read More

5 Metrics playing a crucial role in app marketers’ life

Earlier, it was only analytics helping marketers to know about their app marketing strategies up to certain extent. But now, plenty of data entered the market that includes analytics of everything including What, when and where. Downloads, clicks, ratings, reviews, landings, user behaviour – it includes all.

The days are gone when downloads and ratings were the only methods to measure app’s success. Now, the success factor relies on many other metrics. Today’s metrics is something that app marketers can’t live without. These metrics provide app’s insights, performance level, user behaviour and the list is endless – from which I have mentioned some important one playing a crucial role in app marketer’s life.

1. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is a total amount generated by app from its total number of active users. (Wiki Definition: total revenue divided by number of subscribers).

For e.g. An app generates $5000 per month and it has total 200 active users

It’s ARPU = total revenue/ total customers = 5000/200 = $25 per user.

ARPU figures are important for app marketers as they portray a clear vision of valuable customers’ spending money for app. These figures are also helpful in other metrics too. When ARPU combines with Cost Per Loyal User (CPLU) and Retention rates, it generates accurate results of app success.

2. Cost Per Install (CPI), Cost Per Loyal User (CPLU)

Cost Per Install (CPI) is calculated on the basis of total number of paid installs generated from paid advertising campaign.

Cost Per Loyal User (CPLU) is the cost of a user landed from paid campaigns. A loyal user equals to the user who has open your app at least 3 times.

CPI, CPLU and ARPU are combined together to calculate Return on Investment (ROI).

3. Engagement

Engagement doesn’t need a definition as the single word depicts everything. Engagement is something for which app is actually made. That’s why app marketers care for this metrics the most. Engagement metrics represent a better picture of how users interact with app (whether they like app, hate it or just keep it in their smartphone). It lets you understand user behaviour, so that you can find most appealing content and unnecessary elements within the app. 

4. Crash Reports

Crash reports are as important as user experience is. You can say it is proportional to user experience. App marketers must know how many crashes their app has. Frequent crashes result into an app failure – no matter how much great, entertaining, engaging or resourceful your app is. All your investment from development to marketing will be a ruin, if your app has crashes. To save your investment and app, you need crash reports to heal them as soon as possible.

5. Retention

Retention is: how many users return to your app after a week, month or year. These metrics illustrate the value of your app or the come-back desire of your users.

Retention rate indicates the success measure of your app and current user-base. Apps with millions of downloads can’t measure the success as we don’t know whether users are returning back or not. But with retention rate, we can know whether users are coming back or not – If they are coming back, which things are catching their attention the most or if not, which things are disturbing them the most. One can improve its app a lot by improving liking features and by eliminating unnecessary features.

Metrics give more control over app and users. It helps generating more revenue if taken care properly. It also increases the life span of app in users’ smartphone. Hence, they are the importance part of mobile app marketing campaigns.

Read More

4 Tweet Hacks – Smart Way of Mobile App Promotion

You might be wondering how 140 tweet characters only can work smartly for mobile app promotion?

Initially Twitter started as a SMS based service – generally SMS has limits of 160 characters. So, Twitter thought to limit its tweets up to 140 characters and keep 20 characters aside for username. This is the true and technical reason behind 140 characters limit. But later, the technique became the key reason of Twitter’s success because of which it raised many psychological reasons behind 140 characters limit schema.

140 characters create a perfect idea around the story. It’s like a title revealing what’s the story inside. Let’s understand this from Buffer and its recent tweet.

Buffer wants to teach you tricks to live a successful daily routine. I didn’t read the whole post, but I know the purpose of Buffer. How? Its short and sweet tweet reveals everything about what’s inside. This is called the power of 140 characters limit.

Like Buffer, you can also build an idea of your app and spread it throughout the world. But you need to learn 4 Tweet hacks before you start experimenting with Twitter.

1. Tweet for “Now”

Users visit Twitter to know what’s happening now in their favourite areas of interest. You can capture immediate users’ attention with words revealing what’s going on. While writing this article I searched for some type of “now” news – the below given caught my attention.

Apart from “Now” news, you can also grab attention by creating a feeling of urgency among users. “Hurry Up”, “Quick”, “Fast”, “Limited” are some words creating a sense of top priority among users.

Research says that these kinds of posts (Now & Urgency) can drive 36% lower cost-per-install and 9% higher conversion rate.

2. Message in a personal style

Including words like “you” or “your” will make your message seems personal to users. App marketers or regular tweeters claimed an 18% lower cost-per-install and 13% higher conversion rate with personalized tweets.

3. Set a specific tweet

A specific tweet is the one revealing an exact thing. It can be an offer, discount, deal or anything particular. You will see such types of tweets majorly from apps selling stuff.

Research shows the effectiveness of specific tweets – 26% lower cost-per-install.

4. Don’t Stick to Capitalization

Writing capitals can attract more users – believe me, that’s a myth. Analysis says something else. Research shows that including excessive capitalization leads to 58% higher cost-per-install and 36% lower conversion rate. So, it’s better to capitalize only one or two words in your tweets.

Conclusion

While making tweets, put all your focus on its words. These are just five hacks, you can explore more and more by seeing the tweets of your competitors and others like shopping apps, travelling apps or those selling stuff. Better tweets will promptly improve your ROI of app marketing campaigns. Optimization will help you improve Tweets and also make it sure that you are going through a right direction.

Read More

5 ways Mobile marketing makes social media more effective

Mobile technology has mingled our lives with social media sites in such a way that it’s unthinkable to go-on without mobile a single day. More difficult than this is thinking our life without social media networks where we hang out with friends, finding jobs, creating professional networks, and doing many more things to pass our day with activeness.

Social media was there before the existence of smartphone era, but we all agree that it was not as effective as it is today. Let’s not forget the social media giant Facebook who brought mobile-compatible Facebook website and later the Facebook apps that renewed the face of social media. After that it became or it is a trend to publish your business in app format.

It was mobile-first approach that made it convenient to do the things on-the-go, but who was that – brought each mobile-compatible thing on your fingertips. It was none other than mobile app marketing. Mobile marketing was adopted for the sake of doing and increasing business, but people accepted that they are too close with their favourite brands just because of mobile marketing.

So, how mobile app marketing increased the effect of social media on users via mobile technology? Let’s find it out.

1. Mobile marketing includes better mobile formatting for social media

First rule of mobile marketing is app designs and content must be easy-to-understand on mobile devices. This formula includes a better formatting of apps and its content compatible for mobile which gave birth to columnar fashion and shareable mobile content.

• Columnar Fashion: Columnar fashion is a fix format of mobile app includes a header image, short and sweet one-sentence bio and company’s content. Other features are also there to include depending on the type of app, but the mentioned ones are compulsory for a powerful communication between brand and users.

• Using Shareable Content: After following a fix format strategy, next comes your content that fits your brand into users’ mind. For mobile apps, visual content like images and videos create more engagement than others. Adding customers’ reviews to your app will be an added benefit.

2. Niche mobile apps are filling the role of static landing pages 

Niche mobile apps have ended up the need of static landing pages. In fact, in mobile marketing zone, niche apps have their own place because of their obvious advantages: 

1. Niche apps are made to focus on specific leads or limited audience.
2. They are far away from competition with big apps as because of specific targeted audience they don’t need to do so.
3. Niche apps offer great marketing advantages like user interaction tracking and use of push messages

3. Users consume more Social media news through mobiles than desk 

63% of Facebook users and same number of Twitter users say that they are consuming major amount of news through social mobile networks. They commit that mobile + social media technology has increased their willingness to know more about the world beyond their personal lives.

Proper mobile app formatting + users growing trust on social media sites have made it possible. I agree with this because whenever I open Facebook, my mind fills up with some news that I found while scrolling down.
In fact, I like to subscribe in various pages to get auto-updates of things I like to read on my FB page. 

 

4. Social Networks can deliver better targeted content via smartphones

Social networks can better define the age group resides in them. For e.g. you will find younger people more on Facebook and Twitter, while adults like managers and other executives are passing their hours on LinkedIn and Google+. Furthermore, teens or less than this age are more likely to be viewing social networks via their handheld device.

App marketers consider this data invaluable for their marketing strategies as they can provide specific content based on age-group.

5. Social media ads are more interactive with mobile technology than ever before

Mobile ads are built on the backbone of correspondence and intuitional usage. Ads simply ask for involvement of users and feedback in return which will hardly take few minutes for mobile users. By obtaining data from users, marketers can analyse users’ behaviour and use the same to increase its ROI.

This is just a view of sea from the sea shore. If you jump in, you will find many jaw dropping benefits of mobile technology and social media marketing.

Read More