Over the past two decades, man has made incredible progress in the field of technology and innovation. Gone are the days when we needed to rely on landline phones to communicate with each other. Nowadays, most of our tasks can be completed with the help of our mobile phones that can easily fit in our pockets. The launch and evolution of mobile applications have played a huge role in this regard. Today we use mobile apps for multiple purposes like communicating, navigating, shopping, ordering food, booking tickets, etc. Mobile apps are now responsible for more than 50% of the world’s web traffic.
Imagine you decided to develop a new app for a specific purpose like online shopping. You made sure that the app is easier to navigate, runs smoothly without any issues, and manages to get it on the app store. How are you going to make sure that your app stands out among the many others already present in the app store? Statistics have shown that there are currently more than 4 million apps present on the Google play store. The spread of globalization has resulted in increased competition from all over the world as products are no longer restricted to their native countries. In this scenario, app manufacturers need to use mobile app marketing or other promotional strategies to increase app visibility. Marketing will bring more eyes to your app which will then lead to an increase in mobile app downloads. This is the reason why every app developer requires a solid user acquisition strategy.
What is the user acquisition strategy?
User acquisition refers to the act of bringing in new customers i.e. convincing people to use or purchase your products and services. The User acquisition process includes the entire journey from spreading brand awareness to finalizing the purchase decision. Once the entire process is completed, businesses then focus on customer retention. The cost of acquiring a new customer or user is referred to as user acquisition cost. According to statistics, user acquisition costs have increased by more than 50% in the last few years. Most new businesses fail because they don’t have a clear-cut user acquisition strategy. Some businesses rely on similar tactics that stunt their growth in the long run as they are missing out on potential users available through other channels.
Learn More: User Acquisition Agency
Importance of user acquisition
The main goal of any business should always be growth. Some of the most successful businesses are those that focus on long-term plans instead of short-term gains. Yes, profit is important for the success of any company. But without a long-term roadmap, the short-term financial gains would not be enough to sustain the business in the long run. Similarly, user acquisition helps app developers focus on growth instead of profit. The better the experience an app has to offer, the more users it will attract. The more users that an app acquires, the more profitable it will be in the long run. Offering a quality app experience builds trust and boosts customer loyalty. Loyal customers stick with a brand and even refer it to their social circle (family, friends, colleagues, etc.). This in turn helps in the growth of the app’s user base. Thus, user acquisition is important for the long-term critical and commercial success of an app.
User Acquisition Strategies To Aquire New Users For Your Mobile App
You can adopt the following practices to gain new users for your mobile app:
App Store optimization
This is a big one. App store optimization involves all the activities you do for the optimization of your app. This in turn leads to your app being ranked higher on an app store which is a must to acquire new users. This works similarly to search engine optimization. There are multiple ways to increase your app optimization. You can optimize your keywords in the app description by using the most relevant search terms through a keyword search tool. While submitting your app, you should always select the most relevant and less crowded category related to your app. Also, make sure to tailor your app to regions and areas where your target audience is located. In addition, stuff like the number of app downloads and positive reviews will also affect the ranking of your app in search results.
Email marketing
Email marketing is another effective way to boost app users. Email marketing can be used to gain subscribers even before your app has launched. This means by the time you have launched your app, you will already have an in-built audience. You can use emails to notify users of new updates and changes. Make sure to optimize your emails for mobile phones as most people access their emails through phones these days.
Use social media
Social media marketing is a must in today’s age as it allows you to expand your business beyond your local area. Millions of people spend a huge portion of their time on social media sites daily and every businessman or entrepreneur should take advantage of this fact. Thus, using social media platforms to advertise your apps is a no-brainer. Build your online presence using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Use these platforms for advertisements and promotions. Engage with your audience through conversations and build a good relationship with your customers. The more visibility you have, the more chances of an increase in acquired users.
Try the freemium approach
Everyone knows that app development costs time and money. If you are submitting your app on the app store, chances are you are going to monetize your app to earn your share of the profit. The downside to this strategy is that people will be hesitant to spend their money on new or unknown apps. In this scenario, one can take the freemium approach to app monetization. This means that your app is going to be free to download but you can earn money through in-app purchases. Usually, only a small fraction of people spend money on in-app purchases but it is an efficient way to increase the number of downloads and increase the app’s visibility.
Ø Influencer marketing
Affiliate or influencer marketing involves affiliating yourself with well-known influencers or a social network to promote your products. In turn, the affiliates receive a commission for every click or sale made. Affiliate marketing can be highly advantageous as the influencers have an already in-built audience and can use their social media reach to build brand awareness. This can then translate into new leads or customers. You can also receive information from your affiliates regarding the behavior of their audience to construct ads that can deliver the most optimal results. The data received from these campaigns can then be used to determine which affiliates delivered the most efficient results. This can provide you with a plan on how to move forward with your marketing strategies for the foreseeable future. Affiliate marketing is a great way to boost your app’s user numbers.
Ø Referral marketing
Even in this age of digital marketing, “word of mouth” can play a huge role in the success of your app. People tend to trust brands that have an established reputation as this indicates their reliability. Similarly, people will avoid any service, product, or brand with negative reviews or ratings. Studies have shown that almost 80% of customers discover new businesses through referrals. Satisfied customers will always refer people in their social circle to your app. You can also offer discounts or extra features to encourage more customer referrals. Also make sure to record reviews, ratings, and testimonials that you can use in your marketing campaigns.
Conclusion
In short, acquiring new users to boost app download numbers is a learning process. You will have to constantly learn, experiment and tweak your marketing and optimization tactics to get the desired result. Once you finally get an idea of what works and what doesn’t, only then can you start safely experimenting with your overall strategy to further increase your customer base.