When you create a mobile app, one of your main goals is to get as many users as possible. But it is important to know how to acquire these users. So your success relies a lot on the different user acquisition techniques you use.
Today, we all know that people like to spend their time on mobile apps that bring them value.
According to ComScore’s 2016 Mobile Application Report, people spend more than 3 hours per month on the top 1000 applications. However, the same report shows that almost half of smartphone users do not download any app in a month, and the average user downloads 2.
To be one of these 2 downloads, you have to make to work hard, but most importantly, you have to be smart! You need to build a user acquisition strategy to be successful in the long run and you need to start developing this strategy before you even launch your app.
Start by segmenting your audience
Every marketing strategy starts with a good segmentation of your audience. Targeting the right audience will bring more results than developing a strategy for a wide range of users who have no interest in the features that your application offers.
However, segmenting your audience can be difficult, so here are some tips:
- Start with your current users and use their feedback and how they use the app to identify who is your average user
- Define the important attributes of each audience, such as gender, country, age…
There is no ideal number of groups, but build at least 2 or 3 and create different goals for each one of them. And remember, do not overdo it to avoid confusion.
Test each group over time and modify their attributes if necessary.
Use organic acquisition channels
You should try all the organic channels available to you. Their main advantage is they don’t require a large budget and they are very effective to gain more visibility, give future users a preview of your app, and acquire new qualified users at the same time.
Here are the organic channels that you can use to attract new users to your app.
1 – ASO (Optimisation de l’App Store)
It is important to search for the right keywords to use when you launch your app on the App Store. Put them in the title and description of the application, but avoid keyword stuffing. And remember that in the App Store, you are only allowed to use 50 characters for your title. Try to communicate the benefits and features of your application without exceeding the limit.
Including a short demo video in the description of your app also greatly improve the conversion rate.
Finally, remember that not everyone speaks English. Translate your application and its description on the App Store in as many languages as possible. If users like your application or if its the only one of its category in a given language, users are likely to spread the word in their country about it and it will become powerful for user acquisition.
2 – Have a website
If you want to attract more users to download your app, you can create a simple and responsive website. Using a free CMS, like WordPress, is all you need to create a website where you present screenshots of your app as well as a short introduction video that show the different features of your app and explain how to use it.
It sounds obvious, but don’t forget to include a link to download the app on the App Store or Google Play. Also, add a link to your website from the App Stores description to send users there if they want more information.
A website will give more credibility to your brand and your app. It will also help you to increase your visibility online.
3 – Social media
Use social media to increase awareness about your app. You need to find the best social media platforms for your app by analyzing the behavior of your target audience on each of them.
Think like your users, talk like them, and communicate in multiple languages.
Another thing you can do to be active on social media is to join groups. Find relevant active groups and engage with your audience there.
Also, make sure you encourage your users to share your app on social media. This is one of the best ways for your app to go viral.
4 – Content marketing
Be generous with the content you offer: write, design, and share valuable content specifically for your audience. For example, you can maintain a blog and develop a community in your field. It will also help you acquire users because your readers can spread the word about your app and you can receive feedback about it that you can then use to improve it.
Videos also contribute to your online visibility, and of course, help your actual and future users to know more about your app. They can also encourage user-generated content, like comments, reaction videos, tutorials…
Finally, there are many social platforms where you can share information about your app. These are important channels to connect with your potential users. Engage with people who talk about your app or your industry on these platforms and convince them to try your app.
After this, check their opinions about your app. You can use social content platforms like Reddit or Quora to see what users say or want to know about your app.
5 – Be featured on app review sites
Some sites like AppFollow offers you to list your app for free and even additional services to boost your visibility.
You can also contact other app review sites to convince them to feature your app on their site. To be featured, it is generally important to have an app with a nice design, unique content, and that is stable (no bugs, not crash…). Get your app featured in as many as review sites as possible to get more feedback from users and increase your online visibility.
6 – Increase your number of ratings/reviews
Ratings play an important role in convincing people to download apps. Consider including a call to action to encourage your users to give you feedback about the features before asking them to leave a comment on the app store.
There are many ways to increase ratings and reviews, like:
- Use push notifications and in-app messages to ask users to rate your app and leave a review.
- Get your app featured on review sites and platforms, find users who leave good reviews, and ask to also rate you on the app store.
- Reward people who rate and leave a review of your app, with in-app exclusive features, or with free digital or physical products.
Use paid channels
With a marketing budget, you have many opportunities to find potential users and make them download your app. Here are the most effective paid marketing options to acquire new users.
7 – Google ads
Easy to set up and powerful, Google allows you to create app install campaigns where you will only configure your app’s ad to encourage downloads.
Unlike in Google Ads Search campaigns, Google’s algorithm will use your ad and the description of your app on Google Play and the App Store to push your ad to people who are likely to download it.
You can define an overall budget but you don’t have control over your cost per install.
8 – Social media ads (Facebook ads, Linkedin ads, etc.)
This is one of the most effective ways to attract your users because social media users are probably a part of your target audience and these ads are inserted in their news feed.
You can therefore set up app install ad, with screenshots of your app and/or a short video presentation, which will be displayed in the news feeds of the audience’s that you define in the campaign settings.
9 – App search ads
App Store Ads are a really interesting and effective way to promote an app in App Stores search results.
As in Google Ads Search campaigns, your app will be highlighted in the first search results based on keywords you have identified and on which you have placed a bid.
10 – Retargeting
Here’s how retargeting works: a user visits your website and leaves it without downloading your app. Thanks to a cookie stored in the web browser, your retargeting ad is displayed on other websites or on social media he visits to convince him to download your app.
Here are some best practices for a good mobile retargeting strategy:
- Deep links increase the chances of downloads
- Choose eye-catching visuals and catchy text
- Don’t forget to exclude users who have already downloaded your app
- Control the frequency of your campaigns
- Perform A/B testing to find what the best options are
11 – Influencer marketing
With social media becoming increasingly popular, influencer marketing is now a crucial part of any marketing campaign. Find suitable influencers to promote your app, message them, and make your intentions clear. Develop honest, authentic, and mutually beneficial relationships with them. This will be a long-term investment to promote your app.
Improve engagement within the app
Your user acquisition strategy will not be a substitute for the perceived value of your app. You need to develop an app that is original and offers great features if you want to reach the number of downloads you’re dreaming of.
12 – Use deep links
Deep linking is a practice that aims to point the link of a website to a specific screen, content, or experience within an app and not just on the app’s home screen.
Attracting people to your app with deep links to promotions or valuable content helps to build a long-term relationship between your brand and your customers.
13 – In-app messages and push notifications
In-app messages and push notifications are powerful tools to encourage users to perform specific actions and/or make purchases in the app based on their usage behavior.
You can create notifications that include an image, GIF, video, or audio. Learn the best practices for push notifications and in-app messages to start engaging with your users.
14 – Play with pricing and offers
You must offer a competitive advantage to make your application desirable. If the features of your app are similar to other apps, you will need to play with the price and offer promotions to get people to buy it or spend money in the app.
You can also add discount codes within the app or offer a free version with limited features to attract more downloads.
Track your KPIs
When you test these strategies and methods to drive more users to install your app and use it, it is crucial to track the results. Measure the most important metrics in the process and act on the results.
15 – Retention
As we said before, it is imperative to acquire new users but it is also essential to observe what makes users return to your app after they install it.
A successful app motivates the user to use it again and again and to bring his friends to use it as well (see push notifications strategies).
16 – ULV and CAC
The User Lifetime Value (ULV) is the most important measure you need to track during this process. Even if a user doesn’t spend money in or on your app, he can bring other users who will be spending money. These users are very valuable because they will increase the number of downloads, which is the main goal.
Know the different factors that compose ULV calculation, get data on how the factors are intertwined, and find how to optimize it to get better results.
By comparing a user’s average lifetime value, your structural costs (development, marketing…), and your various expenses, you can calculate the maximum amount you are willing to pay to acquire a user.
The Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) represents the real money you pay to acquire a user compared to its lifetime value. The goal is to acquire users with the highest lifetime value at the lowest possible customer acquisition cost.
Track the results and improve your strategy
After experimenting with all these techniques and seeing what works for your app and what doesn’t, you can choose the best strategy to increase the number of installs. You should also keep an eye on your competitors to see what they are doing differently and what you can learn from them.
Mobile users are quick at deciding whether or not they like an app and they make decisions in the blink of an eye. Therefore, your app needs to do its best to be visible, easy to install, awesome to use and keep them coming back.
It’s also crucial to attract more users through different channels, but you have to do it smartly and effectively. You can’t just throw money at different strategies (even if you have a lot of it) and hope for the best, because it won’t work.
User acquisition and retention is an ongoing process to improve both your service and your relation with your users, to target the right audience, and run smart, optimized campaigns.
