At the start of May, over 2,500 leaders from top mobile brands gathered for Mobile Apps Unlocked, a leading mobile acquisition and retention summit held each spring in Vegas. Willis Nelson, Fluent’s Director of Business Development, spoke on a rock star panel alongside executives from HER, Amazon Music, FeedMob and Truebill. Check out some key takeaways from their discussion on testing new acquisition channels.
Deploy rewarded ads to drive further engagement and increase the lifetime value of users.
Following an opt-in structure, rewarded ads give users the option to watch a video or engage with a playable ad in exchange for a reward (i.e. unlocking additional lives in a game or gaining access to uninterrupted streaming content). Rewarded ads increase user retention because they encourage users to spend more time engaging with the app. According to Tapjoy, mobile app users who engage with rewarded ads are also 4.5x more likely to make an in-app purchase than those who don’t. Mutually beneficial to users, advertisers, and developers alike, rewarded ads drive long-term engagement, brand loyalty, and additional opportunities for monetization.
Leverage a content-driven performance marketing strategy to communicate the value proposition of your app.
Work with a publisher to sponsor listicles or standalone sponsored content pieces that highlight real-world use cases for your app. For example, if your app helps users save money, partner with a publisher that creates content centered on financial tips and advice. When working with a new acquisition partner, be sure to clearly define campaign objectives and consider strategies for driving measurable, down-funnel engagement beyond the app install.
Bundle self-declared user data and behavioral data to develop a holistic view of your target audience and inform your overall marketing strategy.
Behavioral data collected from current users can help developers better understand in-app engagement. While data points related to usage are helpful for optimizing UX/UI, app marketers can also leverage first-party, self-declared insights to nurture existing users, and target and acquire new users with an interest in a specific type of app experience (i.e. gaming, finance, entertainment).
Work with micro influencers within current user base to support organic growth.
Influencer marketing is a $2 billion dollar industry, with 75% of national advertisers already leveraging bloggers, social media influencers, and celebrities to amplify their brand message. Encouraging or incentivizing your current user base to share on social and other platforms can help to drive new organic users & engagement. Connect with a trusted influencer, establish guidelines for social sharing, and expand your community via a modern iteration of word of mouth advertising.
