The exponential growth in mobile app usage has meant more choices for users and stiffer competition for app marketers. With over 4 million apps on both Google Play and the App Store, increasing install volume requires more than basic app store optimization.
According to a report by Tune, brand recognition or what they call publisher recognition has been found to be a major factor in users’ decision to install an app. The report found that brand recognition could increase app install volume 100-1,000 times more. In other words, if users know your name or your app, there is a higher likelihood that they will install it when they come across it on the App Store or Google Play.
Yes, you need a very awesome app to rank at the top of both app stores. But you also need to consider that there are plenty of extremely good apps that never make it to the top 1% in the app store. This means that your app marketing efforts should be focused on boosting your brand value as a platform for higher volumes of app installs.
So, how do you go about building a strong brand platform from which to promote your app?
PAID APP INSTALL CAMPAIGNS CAN CREATE RESULTS
9 to 10 %of apps are branded, meaning that the remaining ninety percent are stumbled upon organically. However, given that users literally have millions of apps at their disposal to choose from, combining both organic and paid campaigns can aid in beating the competition and therefore generating a higher volume of installs.
Paid installs require active, consistent and extensive promotions via social media campaigns and PPC advertising. App marketers are also increasingly using incentivized networks where users are rewarded with incentives such as virtual currency for downloading and installing an app.
The install volume significantly influences app store optimization so that the more times an app is installed, the better its rank in the app store search result. A quick research by HubSpot showed that for each paid install, three apps are installed organically. Essentially, paid install campaigns aid in building brand value and awareness, which as mentioned earlier is crucial for increasing install volume. At the same time:
[easy-tweet tweet=”Paid installs boost organic installs by aiding in app store optimization through improved rankings. “]
BALANCING BETWEEN FREEMIUM AND PAID ADS
Let’s admit it, people love a good free app. According to Gartner, up to 94% of apps are free to install and unsurprisingly most of these apps are some of the most popular in terms of install volume.
When you are thinking of increasing install volume organically, the freemium model can provide the much-needed traction. Even then, free apps still need promotional efforts including paid install campaigns, reviews, guest blogging etc.
The advantage of a freemium model when supported by non-organic promotional effort is that it can garner a lot of installs within a short time, thereby contributing to app store optimization. In their report, Tune showed that high rankings in the app store and in particular, the top 50 position generate greater brand recognition and drives organic installs. In many ways, combining an incredibly good application with the freemium model can increase eyeballs and consequently promote brand awareness.
THE PLACE OF CONTENT MARKETING
Content marketing is at the heart of brand value creation, whether you are promoting an app, a book or your new online course. For people to know you i.e. brand/publisher recognition, they will need to see, hear and read about you in as many platforms as possible.
When developing content specifically for building brand value with the goal of increasing install volume, you want to address the potential questions the people who may be interested in your app will likely ask. Different content marketing platforms including video, blogs and social media platforms should provide information about what problem your app solves -with millions of apps to choose from, users are largely inclined to install and use only those apps that effectively solve a real problem.
[easy-tweet tweet=”Content marketing not only creates buzz; it also establishes authority for your brand “]
This benefit lasts much longer than buzz. While users do engage in organic searches, at the end of the day they are more inclined to download, install or buy a brand that seems to understand their needs and effectively addresses these needs.
Increasing app installs volume is often a multidimensional effort in that no single method can increase the number of app downloads and installs. Combining smart content marketing, paid campaigns and incentivizing users can go a long way in building brand recognition, which has proven to be a key factor in app install decisions among users. While organic efforts that build into app store optimization are crucial, nonorganic promotional strategies also play a key role in boosting install volume.
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