What is App User Acquisition?
User acquisition (UA) is a method for increasing the number of a product’s or service’s users. User acquisition refers to a procedure or set of approaches used in the mobile market to make apps more discoverable and encourage more users to acquire them.
Different Stages of User Acquisition Strategy for Apps
One of the primary objectives of a mobile app development team is to attract the enormous possible user base. However, how you attract those customers is crucial.
Today, it is accepted that people enjoy spending their free time using convenient mobile applications. In the Top 1000 applications, users spend more than 3 hours per month, 20X more than mobile web users do in the Top 1000 properties, according to ComScore’s Mobile App Report.
However, gaining a vast audience is a significant obstacle for every app. While over half of all smartphone owners never download apps, the average smartphone user gets two new apps each month.
You must make a significant and intelligent effort to be one of these two files! For apps to succeed over the long term, you must develop a clever user acquisition strategy for apps. Start creating this strategy before your app is released.
If you follow these guidelines, a successful user acquisition strategy for apps will not be far away.
1. Start with Segmentation
However, this segmentation can be challenging to implement for independent developers, app owners, or mobile advertisers. Here are some tips to help you categorize your customers.
- Focus on what your present clients think about your service to attract new customers.
- Identify the crucial characteristics, such as gender and nation. You can expand these characteristics and gather them through in-app messaging.
- There is no optimum number of segments, but you should aim for at least three distinct modules with different goals. Do not overestimate the number of parts you have to avoid confusion.
- Test each section over time, and alter the attributes or the segment itself if necessary.
2. Improve Your App for Engagement
Creating a plan to increase your app’s downloads won’t compensate for a lackluster product. Previous articles, such as Mobile Deep Linking and Push Notifications vs. In-App Messaging, have discussed the importance of developing a high-quality app if you hope to achieve your goal number of app downloads. Various critical technologies were reviewed in greater detail that can help you enhance engagement through in-app messaging, including differences and best practices.
Make it easy for users to share their findings and opinions with others by integrating social sharing buttons into your app. One of the best methods for increasing word of mouth and your downloads is to do this.
3. Use Organic Channels
Try out all of the accessible organic channels. They effectively engage prospective users, give them insights into your app, and attract new qualified users without requiring a large budget. You can use the following natural channels to draw new users to your program.
1- ASO (App Store Optimization)
Conducting a keyword search is crucial when launching your program on the program store. Please put them in the app summary and title, but avoid stuffing the app with keywords. By the way, the maximum character count for your description in the Apple App Store is 50. Try to explain to your users the features and benefits of your program.
Providing an excellent experience for your user also includes localizing your program. Those unfamiliar with your language should nevertheless be able to use your software. If those customers find value in your product, they will spread the word across their country. It will increase your profile and, thus, bring in more visitors.
2- Building a Website for Users
Create a straightforward and, of course, responsive website to encourage people to obtain your app. Confident people do not require knowledge of how to code a website. You can make a beautiful website in no time using a free content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Joomla. After launching your website, you can include screenshots and, even better, a video walking users through your software’s setup and initial use.
If you want to make it easy for potential clients to download your software, provide a link to its page in the Software Store. The app store pages should provide a link to your website. Having a website to accompany your mobile software can help in several ways. One has to do with how people view your company. Your credibility will rise if you have a web page. You can use this to boost your online profile and attract more customers.
3- Social Media
Utilize social media platforms to raise awareness of your application. Please connect with thought leaders in your industry and take their advice on engaging consumers.
Finding the ideal social media sites for your app is the first step. Analyzing the social media activity of your customers will help you with this. Then frequently publish on those platforms.
4- Content Marketing
Promoting a product is not difficult if you remain in touch with people in your industry. Inform them about your program and persuade them that you have something worthwhile to offer. You must use content marketing to connect with them.
There are many social media platforms where you can share information about your app, but if you turn up and start promoting it, you will be rejected. These are crucial channels for connecting with prospective customers. When you first build your app, sign up and engage on these sites, not when you require more users.
Engage the commenters on these sites and persuade them that downloading your app is worthwhile. Check their feedback regarding your program after that. It is an effective method to enhance your app without receiving negative feedback or bug reports.
Please find the best locations to share your eye-catchy content after making it. Social information aggregators like Buzzfeed, Quora, Product Hunt, and StumbleUpon are available.
5- Increase Reviews & Ratings for User Acquisition Strategy for apps
People’s likelihood of downloading your app is determined by its rating. A feedback loop can be executed to gather user opinions on an app’s functionality before it is ranked in the app store. We all want to be liked, therefore feedback that helps us improve is always welcome.
You can take many creative actions, like the ones listed below, to boost ratings and feedback.
- Request ratings and reviews using push alerts and in-app messages.
- Submitting your app for reviews will allow you to try it and determine users’ thoughts.
- Give users incentives to review your program on social media.
- Provide a valuable incentive from your app in exchange for user input.
Use Paid Channels
You have many opportunities to win the trust of your prospective users if you have a marketing budget. Here are the best-paid strategies for attracting new customers.
1- Boost Campaigns
A boost campaign is a fantastic way to increase your app’s marketability and attract casual users after the campaign. It is difficult to increase the number of downloads using only organic methods because the likelihood of being discovered in app stores is declining. Boost campaigns seek to raise the category ranking to increase your app’s exposure and, consequently, the number of organic downloads. If your app meets the needs of prospective users, you stand a good chance of maintaining the position you attained following the burst campaign.
2- Social Media Ads
It provides the chance to engage with your target audience and establish deep connections. Increased brand loyalty and repeat customers can be achieved through social proofing, efficiently proven through social media advertising.
Facebook, the largest social network, is the primary driver of your campaign. Twitter has a character limit of 140, forcing you to keep your message brief and to the point while still including a link to the app in the app store. Instagram offers a different method to promote the app through images, whereas Twitter requires you to be succinct while still including a link to the app in the app store. You can learn more about social media advertisements in a previous article.
3- Retargeting
Someone sees your website but doesn’t download your app. Your retargeting ad is watched to convince visitors to acquire your app because of a cookie in their browser. The best outcomes for your app require caution, even though it is simple to launch a retargeting ad.
4- Ad Networks
A platform to develop user acquisition programs for mobile apps is offered by mobile ad networks to marketers. CPI (Cost Per Install), CPI (Cost Per Action), CPA (Cost Per Action), and CPV (Cost Per View) are the five major categories of advertisements that we are discussing. (Cost Per View). Additionally, various ad formats include banners, videos, and interstitial ads. Segment the user base to increase the likelihood of downloads and achieve the best outcomes.
Track Important Metrics
It is prime to consider the outcomes when testing these tactics and strategies to get people to download your app. The most determining metrics in this process should be measured, and actions should be taken. The Fundamental Metrics to Measure Your Mobile App Performance is a comprehensive essay.
1- Retention
As previously stated, it is crucial to gain users, but it is also a high priority to understand what keeps them using your app after the initial download. An effective app convinces the user to use it repeatedly and convinces his peers to do the same. Visit the piece where we discuss using mobile analytics to boost app downloads.
2- LTV
The most crucial measure you must monitor in this process is user lifetime value. Even though a user doesn’t invest money in your program, he can refer others who will. Because they will raise the number of downloads, which is the goal of your strategy, those users are valuable.
3- CAC
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) measures the actual cost of acquiring a user compared to his lifetime value. The answer is getting users with the highest lifetime value and the lowest customer acquisition cost.
Review the results and enhance your approach by your app category.
You can choose the best approach to increasing the number of users who acquire your app once you’ve tried all these techniques and determined what works and what doesn’t for your app. You can monitor what your rivals do to stand out by following them.
Attracting users from all angles is crucial for any development team or mobile marketer. You cannot just toss cash around and hope for the best, even if you have it. To target the right population, run effective campaigns, improve your app and approach toward your users and continue the above-mentioned process.
Top 10 Tips in Detail
You can use many paid and organic tactics to acquire new app users. The following represent a few of the more useful ones:
1. Paid Acquisition:
- Promotion on social media and search engines like Google, Facebook, and Instagram
- Working with influencers to promote your app
- Running targeted ad campaigns on specific channels or networks
- Using retargeting ads to reach people who have already shown an interest in your app or similar products
2. Organic Acquisition:
- Optimizing your app store listing with the right keywords, title, and description
- Creating compelling App Store screenshots and videos
- Doing ASO (App Store Optimization) to improve your ranking in search results
- Getting featured on popular app review sites or blogs
- Leveraging social media platforms to promote your app organically
3. Paid Advertising
In today’s digital environment, paid advertising is becoming increasingly significant for businesses. Broader audience targeting, increased brand exposure, higher conversion rates, cost-effective marketing, flexibility, and customizability are all made possible by this highly focused form of advertising.
4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO increases visibility to potential customers, encouraging interaction. Depending on your objectives, search engine optimization (SEO) is a route to visibility, which may influence the purchase cycle. The trick is to undertake in-depth SEO research to understand what consumers seek.
5. Social Media Marketing
Undoubtedly, social media marketing can be an effective method for increasing app user acquisition. However, determining where to begin cannot be straightforward with many distinct platforms and strategies.
Here are some proven tactics for boosting app user acquisition through social media marketing:
✅ Determine who your target market is and what platforms they prefer to use.
✅ Create engaging and relevant material for your target demographic since this will encourage them to download your app.
✅ To reach a wider audience and maximize downloads, consider purchasing advertising space on social media platforms.
✅ Work with influencers who can promote your app to their audiences.
✅ Include links and call-to-actions in your posts to make it easy for consumers to share your content and download your app.
6. Content marketing
Content marketing aims to attract and retain an audience by producing instructive, engaging, and valuable material for that audience. When executed correctly, it can potentially be a highly effective method of increasing app downloads and user engagement.
7. Guest posting
Guest posting is another powerful tactic for increasing app visibility and downloads. By contributing articles to popular blogs and websites in your industry, you can reach a larger audience and build relationships with influencers.
8. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is one of the most efficient ways to increase app installs. You can get more users to download and utilize your app if you collaborate with well-known figures in your field.
9. Referral Programs
Referral programs are a great way to boost app user acquisition. You can quickly expand your user base by recommending incentives for users to refer their friends and family to your app.
10. Email and Push Notifications
Email notifications are a great way to keep users updated on new content, special offers, or updates to the app. They can be sent as a welcome series when a user first signs up for the app or as part of an ongoing communication strategy.
Users can be reached more quickly and with current information by using push notifications. They can disseminate information, alert users to upcoming events, or advertise fresh material. Push notifications can be a powerful tool for increasing app usage, but they should be used only in moderation to prevent being obtrusive.
Conclusion
The user acquisition process is crucial to the functionality and success of subscription apps. The success of a user acquisition strategy for apps closely correlates with how easily users can find it. These tips’ effectiveness can be evaluated and used as a benchmark for upcoming ones. Plans for customer acquisition have changed due to the market’s emergence of new goods and services. A Subscription App can succeed with the help of an original user recruitment plan.
