Are Web Marketing Strategies Good For Mobile App Marketing?
Guest Blog: Aurélie Genet is currently Senior Product Marketing Manager at Skyscanner. She was formerly mobile marketing lead at Trainline, the world’s leading independent digital rail platform. Her team was in charge of driving the acquisition and retention of app users across Europe.
Prior to Trainline, I built the mobile app acquisition team at Gamesys for apps like Virgin Casino and Jackpotjoy, and helped start-up Yplan establish strong user bases in London and New York.
I started my career in the agency world taking an internship at Phonevalley, a mobile specialist agency acquired by Publicis Group in Paris. I then moved to London and joined Zenith Optimedia and OMD International where I supported clients like O2 Telefonica and Google with their user acquisition and branding campaigns.
I fell into mobile marketing by accident but ended up loving it. It is a fast paced environment that keeps you on your toes. No one has seen and done it all, but we are all trying!
ON METRICS
Data is key, but I’ve been in situations where we can easily drown in data. I think having a single objective is key to your success. It sounds logical but so many companies are still trying to mirror web metrics to mobile apps and it does not work that way – tracking technology and user behavior are too different. You need to acknowledge that to win on both platforms.
App marketing is all about quality engagement and lifetime value. You need strong analytics or data science teams to build the LTV model. From that model, you can then identify and value the milestones you need to maximize LTV such as install, registration, order, etc.
Once you are clear on what you want to drive, you can automate reports and share as many insights as possible with your partners so you get the best return.
ON CREATIVES
The key is to develop creative concepts with mobile devices in mind first. We cannot re-purpose web or above-the-line creative, it will not be as impactful.
Stick to one clear message per creative set, and build variants of that message testing call-to-action, colors and design. I found that focusing on one feature per creative actually has much greater impact than trying to squeeze in too many messages.
Best practices encourage you to tailor messaging to the targeted audience to improve conversions. Make sure you are setup to track and analyze the performance on a creative level. Some networks do not give you that visibility and it then becomes a struggle to keep the creative fresh and improved.
Learn more about Aurélie from her Mobile Heroes profile.
ON OPPORTUNITIES
Engagement is the most valuable metric in the app world. Engagement can mean different things based on your business model – it can be time spent in the app, daily visits, or frequency of transactions.
Monetization of this engagement can take many shapes. But the bottom line is the more engagement you have in your app, the more successful you are. The average person will only use a fraction of the apps installed on their phone, so stealing time away from other apps is a massive achievement!
Understand the path to a sticky user by learning from your current user base. What do they use most in the app? What do they use less? What is the magic moment when users reach that sticky state? How many user segments can you identify?
From that piece of research you can make tweaks to your product and build your contact strategy. Test and learn about the right mix, frequency and the sequencing of push notifications, in-app messages, traditional CRM channels and paid advertising.
THE LAST WORD
Surround yourself with smart and curious people you trust so you can bounce ideas off each other. The truth is – the questions that keep you up at night are the same challenges other marketers faced or might still be facing.
Be humble and keep learning. The technology moves so fast, you have to step out of your comfort zone. Work with your instinct, test strategies and build on your experience. And finally, have fun! This industry is young and dynamic so embrace the ride.