Unlocking App Success: How to Turn Your App Into a Mobile Growth Engine

How to turn your app into a mobile growth engine

UNLOCKING APP SUCCESS

MEET YOUR HOST

Annum Munir @annummunir

Content Marketing Manager

P.S. Check out our app marketing blog!

.com/blog

#AppAnswers

CEO

Alex Austin @branchmetrics

MEET YOUR SPEAKERS

Josh Todd @localytics

CMO

Closed-loop app

analytics &

marketing software

Josh Todd @localytics

CMO CEO

Alex Austin @branchmetrics

Growth-focused, cross-channel mobile links

MEET YOUR SPEAKERS

1.  The Reality of Building a Successful Mobile Business

2.  What is a Mobile Growth Engine? 3.  How to Turbo-Charge the Mobile Engine 4.  Next Steps and Q&A

AGENDA

Stage 1: Awareness Stage 2: Download Stage 3: Activation Stage 4: Share

THE Reality OF BUILDING A MOBILE APP BUSINESS

Building a successful mobile app business is like running in a marathon … “

… and then fighting a sumo wrestler. ” -  Alex Austin, Branch Metrics

EVEN IF YOU BEAT

THE OTHER

50,000 APPS IN THE RACE TO THE

APP STORE …

In Round 2, when you’re fighting to earn and engage users ...

Your new app The other 1.4 million apps already in Apple’s App Store

Vs.

… you will likely be eliminated by the incumbent professionals.

The existing heavyweight apps people already love

Vs.

84% Of people’s time on their smartphones is spent using just 5 apps

Source: TechCrunch, 2015

UNLESS

YOU BUILD A

MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

WHAT IS A MOBILE Growth ENGINE?

THE MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

Cyclical process that causes people to

download your app, meaningfully

engage with it, and then

promote your app.  

THE MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

Awareness

Download Activation

Share

(How you get attention)

(How you engage users)

(How you increase virility)

(How you earn users)

STAGE ONE: GENERATE Awareness

HOW CAN YOU GET

PEOPLE TO

NOTICE YOUR APP?

THE MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

Awareness

Download Activation

Share

Paid & affiliate campaigns

Blood, sweat, tears Organic channels

ORGANIC CHANNELS For Driving Awareness

ORGANIC CHANNELS: APP STORE OPTIMIZATION

Optimize your app store

listing

Gain visibility in app store

searches

ORGANIC CHANNELS: WEBSITE

Redirect mobile website traffic to your app

ORGANIC CHANNELS: EMAIL

Encourage email subscribers to download

your app

53% of emails are opened on a

mobile device.

Source: Litmus, 2015

ORGANIC CHANNELS: SOCIAL MEDIA

Promote your app on social platforms

ORGANIC CHANNELS: PR

Earn media coverage by highlighting how your app

is different

PAID CHANNELS For Driving Awareness

PAID CHANNELS: MOBILE ADS

Work with a mobile advertising company to place

targeted ads in other apps

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Use a link that stores meta-data from Yummly’s shopping cart

PAID CHANNELS: AFFILIATE CAMPAIGNS

Share  &  Get  Free  Moves!  

Call  it  Quits!  

New user is brought to items from Yummly recipe upon first opening Instacart

PAID CHANNELS: AFFILIATE CAMPAIGNS

The 1st stage of the mobile growth engine is about GENERATING TRAFFIC to your app store listing.

STAGE TWO: MONITOR Downloads

WHICH AWARENESS

CHANNELS ARE BRINGING IN THE

USERS?

MOST VALUABLE

THE MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

Awareness

Download Activation

Share

Gauge success of organic and paid campaigns

Measure user acquisition

HOW TO MEASURE Organic Downloads

ORGANIC CHANNELS: ATTRIBUTION

Replace each link that points to your app with a uniquely tagged link

HOW TO MEASURE Paid Downloads

PAID CHANNELS: ATTRIBUTION

Use an app analytics platform that partners with major ad networks to track user acquisition campaigns

BUT REMEMBER

NOT EVERYONE WHO DOWNLOADS YOUR APP WILL BECOME

A USER.

Source: Localytics, 2015

Of users only use an app ONCE.

25%

Source: Localytics, 2014

60% The likelihood that an app user who doesn’t return within 7 days will NEVER COME BACK.

The 2nd stage of the mobile growth engine is about MONITORING

both the QUANTITY & QUALITY OF USERS from each channel.

STAGE THREE: ACTIVATE Users

HOW CAN YOU

USERS? ENGAGE

THE MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

Awareness

Download Activation

Share

Personalized onboarding Email

Push & in-app messages

Remarketing

1. PERSONALIZED ONBOARDING For a Socially Relevant Signup Process

PERSONALIZED ONBOARDING: REFERRAL REWARDS

Offer discounts/freebies to users for inviting friends

Personalized Onboarding

PERSONALIZED ONBOARDING: WELCOME SCREEN

Regular Onboarding

78% Conversion to

signup

Source: Branch Metrics, 2015

2. PUSH MESSAGES For Latent Users

PUSH MESSAGES: TO HOMESCREEN

Motivate inactive users to return to your app with targeted, carefully

timed, and well-written copy

88% MORE Users with push enabled have

app launches.

Source: Localytics, 2014

3. IN-APP MESSAGES For Nurturing Users

IN-APP MESSAGES: DRIVE CONVERSIONS

Move users further along funnels to ultimate in-app action with

beautiful, branded, in-app creatives

4X HIGHER

In-app messages presented based on an event have

conversion rates.

Source: Localytics, 2015

4. REMARKETING For Retention & Upselling

REMARKETING: MOBILE ADS TO EXISTING USERS

Show current users ads based on how they’ve previously engaged

with your brand

48% OF USERS Great for reaching the

who opt out of push notifications.

Source: Localytics, 2014

5. EMAIL For Building Deeper Relationships

EMAIL: CROSS CHANNEL MARKETING

Treat users with richer, longer form content that is dynamic,

carefully scheduled, and contains relevant calls-to-action

4,300%. Email marketing has an ROI of

Source: Copyblogger, 2014

The 3rd stage of the mobile growth engine is about

MEANINGFULLY ENGAGING & RETAINING users.

STAGE FOUR: IGNITE Social Sharing

HOW CAN YOU

SPARK WORD OF MOUTH?

THE MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

Awareness

Download Activation

Share

Social activity feed

Exclusive referral perks Contextual deep links

1. CONTEXTUAL DEEP LINKS For App Content Sharing

CONTEXTUAL DEEP LINKS: SEND CONTENT REFERENCES

Allow users to share links to specific content in an app

2. EXCLUSIVE REFERRAL PERKS For Triggering VIP Installs

EXCLUSIVE REFERRAL PERKS: PASS ON SPECIAL TREATMENT

Give existing members perks to share exclusively

with friends

3. SOCIAL ACTIVITY FEED For Creating Social Proof

SOCIAL ACTIVITY FEED: A PLACE TO SHARE APP USE

Encourage users to share in-app activities and accomplishments to

inspire and compete with their friends

The 4th stage of the mobile growth engine is about

MOTIVATING LOYAL USERS TO SHARE your app.

HOW TO Turbo-Charge YOUR MOBILE GROWTH ENGINE

TODAY

Building a successful mobile app business is like running in a marathon … “

… and then fighting a sumo wrestler. ” -  Alex Austin, Branch Metrics

TOMORROW

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PREDICT AND ANTICIPATE

HIS MOVES.

PREDICTIVE APP MARKETING: THE FUTURE

Awareness

Download Activation

Share

Predict Machine learning

Predictive insight into user behavior & auto-

optimization

Understand your

app user’s intent before he or she

acts.

Adjust your app

marketing accordingly to

reduce churn risk and improve conversions.

NEXT STEPS Further Reading

THE 2015 APP MARKETING GUIDE

READ NOW

#AppAnswers Q&A