5 Ways to Romance Your Mobile App Users

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re examining the art and science of courting new users.  As any app marketer will agree, User Acquisition is powered by performance data, efficient bidding and drilling down into metrics that are well, somewhat unromantic.  Yet there is a gentler side to growing a steady user base, the art of which allows users to fall in love with your app as part of a journey. Here are 5 additional factors to keep in mind while crunching the numbers:

Actively Shape Your Reputation

Allure is oftentimes elusive, but in the mobile app business, there are specific and actionable steps marketers can take to ensure that an app stands out among the competition and attracts quality users. First impressions shape our app choices as much as our real life human choices.

  • Reviews and Ratings – What are existing users saying about your app? Ratings tell a story, and it’s important not to neglect having favorable reviews in place.  (A 2-star app won’t get much love.)
  • PR – What does the media have to say about your app? Has it been reviewed by an app critic, or covered by the media in some way? Reaching out to editors with a reason why your app is relevant is a good start to getting some earned publicity and building momentum.

ASO is a necessary part of app discovery, and worth the effort in conjunction with a paid strategy.

Create the right mobile moment – In the ad-serving business, we talk all the time about “relevancy”; the importance of a campaign resonating with or having usefulness and meaning in your audiences’ lives.  Relevancy answers the “why should they care?” question. Are ads delivered at the best times of day to reach a receptive user?  Are campaigns localized in the language spoken by users in specific regions?  Are the ads delivered to targeted audiences based on special interests, device type, location, etc.?

The ad formats used (e.g., video ads, playable ads, interstitials, etc.) must also be appropriate for the device type, operating system, and display beautifully without re-buffering or technical glitches.

Deliver a worthy app experience – Whether you operate a mobile game, shopping app, dating app, or any other app type, do your part to make it a great experience.  Fix any known bugs, add new features as you go, and refresh the experience from time to time (e.g., introduce seasonal designs if possible) to keep existing users engaged.  If your app is event-based, plan ahead to include those additions to give users a steady stream of ways to stay engaged.

Show respect for your app users  – App developers, exercise restraint with your monetization strategy.  Allowing ads are a proven way to generate revenue, but do so with the elegance and class your app visitors deserve.  Consider rewarding your users’ time by giving in-app perks such as coins in exchange for their ad view, via Rewarded Video Ads.  Give your in-app ad placement strategy ample focus and consult your mobile advertising platform partner to find the best fit within your app flow.  Consider native ads that fit seamlessly into your app design for a non-intrusive user experience. There are several options for monetization while keeping your app users loyal and engaged.

Re-engagement – Nurturing a long-lasting relationship is an ongoing job. Even those who love using your app need a gentle nudge to return from time to time if too much time lapses.  Re-engagement ads are great way to let existing users know about the latest updates and events happening in the app so they don’t miss out.