With over 5 million apps across the major app stores, standing out and driving adoption is harder than ever. Mobile app industry reports per Statista show that, on average, only about 25% of users who download an app will use it more than once in the first six months after installing it. Clearly, getting customers to initially install your app is just the first step – you also need to drive engagement and retention after that first download.
This article provides an overview of key strategies to get more customers to install your new app during the launch phase and in the critical period after release. We’ll cover understanding your target audience, conveying the value proposition, choosing launch platforms, utilizing influential marketing, running app install ads, offering incentives, simplifying the install process, retargeting users, and optimizing based on data and feedback.
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Follow these steps to give your new app the best chance of being discovered, downloaded, and actively used by customers.
Understand Your Target Audience
The first step in getting customers to install your new app is to have a deep understanding of your target audience. You need to research the demographics and psychographics of the people you want to reach.
Demographic information includes age, gender, location, income level, education, marital status and more. But you also need to understand psychographics – the attitudes, behaviors, motivations, and interests of your target users.
- Conduct surveys and user interviews to uncover pain points and desires. What problems could your app solve for them? What value will it provide?
- Analyze behavioral data to identify usage patterns. Look at what apps and platforms your audience already engages with. This will help determine the best channels and messaging to reach them.
- Create detailed buyer personas that humanize your targets. Give them names, photos, background stories, and details about goals and frustrations. Empathize with their perspectives.
When you intimately understand the lifestyles and needs of your ideal users, you can craft tailored marketing that speaks directly to them. Your messaging and positioning will resonate much more strongly when it aligns with their wants and values. An app that solves real problems for real people will see much higher install rates.
Convey the Value Proposition
When launching a new app, it’s critical to clearly convey the core value proposition to your target audience. Focus on summarizing the key benefits of your app and how it solves real pain points for users.
For example, if your app helps people track their workouts, emphasize how it makes fitness tracking and goal setting seamless and efficient. Or, if your app enables easier networking, highlight how it allows professionals to grow their networks and find new opportunities.
The value proposition should be front and center in your launch messaging across channels. Ensure your app store descriptions, website copy, videos, and ads all zone in on the top 1-3 reasons your target audience should download and use your app. This consistent messaging will make it crystal clear what your app offers and why it’s worth installing.
Avoid generic claims about your app being “the best” or “most advanced.” Instead, use specific examples and data to back up your claims about the tangible value your app provides. For instance, you could cite metrics around how much time your app saves people or how many more connections it enables.
Conveying a compelling value proposition is crucial for convincing new users to take that first step to install your app. Take the time to distill what makes your app special and craft messaging that resonates with your audience.
Choose the Right Launch Platforms
When launching a new app, one of the most important decisions is which platform(s) to build for. You’ll want to carefully research where your target audience is most active.
- Consider iOS vs. Android vs. Web App
The majority of smartphone users fall into one of two camps – iOS or Android. Here are some factors to consider for each:
iOS
- iOS users tend to spend more money on apps and in-app purchases.
- Publishing on the Apple App Store has more stringent requirements.
- iOS development can only be done on Macs.
Android
- Android has a much larger global market share than iOS.
- Android app development can be done on Windows, Mac, or Linux machines.
- The Google Play store has less restrictive publishing policies than the Apple App Store.
Web Apps
- Developing for the web avoids device-specific app stores.
- Can be used on any device with a modern web browser.
- Unable to access native device functionality like camera, contacts, etc.
Research Ideal Platforms for Target Audience
Do market research to determine where your target audience is most active. For example, if your app is a mobile game targeted at teenagers, Android and iOS apps are likely better bets than a web app.
Look at user statistics and trends for each platform to determine the size of your potential user base. Also, research the demographics – does your target audience skew towards a certain mobile OS or device type?
Consider making a minimum viable product (MVP) to test on each platform and gauge user interest and engagement before committing significant development resources. With data-driven research, you can determine the ideal launch platforms for your app.
Utilize Influential Marketing
Influential marketing involves partnering with relevant influencers to promote your app to their audience. This can be an extremely effective strategy for driving downloads.
To get started, identify influencers who are a strong match for your app and have an engaged following in your target demographic. Make a list of top micro-influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, and social media stars that relate to your niche.
Reach out to them to see if they would be interested in featuring your app. Offer to provide early access to the app, insider information, or exclusive content in exchange for coverage. Negotiate terms for sponsored posts, video reviews, giveaways, or social mentions promoting your launch.
When presenting your partnership opportunity, emphasize the benefits for their audience and platform. Craft custom pitches explaining why your app would resonate with their followers. Highlight standout features and how the app solves a common problem for users.
Make the process for sharing your app as simple as possible. Provide pre-written posts, high-quality visual assets, suggested captions, affiliate links, and any other resources to maximize their reach. Track mentions and clicks to gauge the impact of each influencer partnership.
Strategic influencer marketing taps into their built-in audiences and established trust to get your app in front of receptive users. Focus on micro-influencers in your niche to make a big splash for your launch within your target demographic.
Run App Install Ads
App install ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are a great way to get your app in front of targeted audiences and drive downloads.
When running app install ads, it’s important to follow best practices:
- Target your ads to your ideal audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. Really dig into your audience research and analytics to find the people most likely to love and use your app.
- Highlight the key value proposition and benefits of your app clearly in the ad creative. Focus on the one or two things that make your app stand out and improve people’s lives.
- Use eye-catching visuals and videos that show your app in action and get people excited to try it out. Imagery is crucial for catching attention on social platforms.
- Have a strong, clear call to action telling people exactly what you want them to do, like “Download our new app today!”
- Test different headlines, images, captions, and more to see what resonates best with your target audience. Iterate based on performance data.
- Optimize for app install goals, not just clicks or impressions. Your campaign objective should drive installs.
- Set up app event tracking to gain insights into sign-ups, usage, purchases, and more after installs occur.
- Analyze results frequently and adjust targeting, creatives, and placement as needed. App install campaigns require ongoing optimization for success.
With thoughtful targeting, compelling creativity, and optimization, app install ads can be a valuable part of your user acquisition and growth strategy. Measure their impact and scale up campaigns that deliver.
Offer Incentives to Encourage Installs
Incentives can be a powerful way to get new users to install your app. Offering something of value gives people more motivation to take that initial step. Some incentives to consider:
- Free Trial or Introductory Offer
A free trial or discounted introductory offer is one of the most common incentives. This allows new users to try out your app and experience the value it provides first-hand. When the trial ends, many users will be willing to pay if you’ve delivered a great experience. Just be sure your intro pricing aligns with the long-term value users get from your app.
- Discounted Subscription
For subscription-based apps, consider offering the first month, first year, or other intro period at a discounted rate. This incentive gives users a taste of your premium features at a lower cost to hook them in initially. Gradually phase in full pricing over time once they see the benefits.
- In-App Perks or Credits
Offering new users credits, points, or exclusive perks within your app can also drive installs. These incentives give an immediate benefit once they download it. Just be sure the perks are enticing and aligned with your app experience.
- Balance Acquisition Costs and Lifetime Value
When offering incentives, analyze the acquisition costs versus the predicted lifetime value per user. You want to minimize how much you spend attracting each new user while maximizing how much revenue each user brings in over time. Find the right balance through testing and data analysis.
Incentives require giving something upfront, but they are often worth it to boost installs if done right. Track results over time and double down on what works best.
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Simplify the Install Process
To boost installs, you need to make the installation process as quick and painless as possible for users. Long, complex installs will cause many users to abandon the process before completion.
Here are some tips to simplify and improve the installation process:
- Reduce the number of steps to a bare minimum. Don’t make users register an account before installing unless absolutely necessary. Avoid extra confirmation steps and collecting extraneous information upfront. Get users to the app ASAP.
- Give clear, concise instructions for installing. Spell out each step users need to take simply and accurately. Include screenshots to help guide users if needed.
- Use progress indicators to show where users are in the install process. This provides a sense of progression and completion.
- Auto-fill information when possible to bypass manual data entry. For example, auto-detect location to pre-populate city and state fields.
- Offer guest options so users don’t have to create an account just to initially try the app. Let them easily sign up later from within the app.
- Make sure install buttons and links are highly visible. Use contrasting colors and prominent placements to direct users to complete the installation.
- Provide contextual help and have prompts guide users through any points of confusion.
- Test the install process on multiple devices and ensure it works seamlessly on all platforms you support.
- Use analytics to identify and eliminate points of drop-off. Look at where users are exiting or getting stuck, then address those pain points.
With a simplified, accelerated install process, you will convert more users and reduce frustration during onboarding.
Utilize Retargeting
Don’t let potential customers disappear after visiting your app’s website or mobile landing page. Remarket to visitors who left without installing to keep your app top of mind.
Retargeting ads allow you to reach users who have already shown interest. Display ads with relevant messaging can remind them about your app and prompt them to return and complete the installation.
- Create custom audiences in your ad platform based on website visitors or users who opened your app store listing. Target them with ads across channels.
- Craft tailored messaging and creatives for your retargeting campaigns. Highlight key features they missed or remind them why your app solves their needs.
- Test different offers and Calls-To-Action (CTAs) like “Finish your install” or “Download our app today” to optimize conversion rates.
- Consider limited-time discounts or free trial periods to incentivize users to come back and install your app.
- Analyze behavior flow reports to see where visitors are dropping off so you can improve website journeys and target points of falloff.
Remarketing to interested users helps keep your app top of mind until they are ready to install. With customized creatives and messaging that speak to their needs, you can prompt past visitors to return and convert.
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Track and Optimize
Getting people to install your app is an ongoing process that requires tracking key metrics and continuously optimizing your strategy. Here are some tips for tracking and improving app install performance:
- Monitor install rate over time. Look at how many people download your app each day/week/month and watch for trends. Is the rate going up or down? Did a new marketing campaign increase installs? Tracking this metric lets you see what’s working.
- Analyze conversion rates. What percentage of people exposed to your marketing actually install the app? Look at conversion rates from different campaigns and ad sets. Higher conversion rates indicate more effective targeting and messaging.
- Test different marketing creatives. Try different images, videos, and ad copy to see what resonates most with your audience. A/B test versions and go with the ones that drive the most installs.
- Experiment with incentives. Offer free trials, discounts, or exclusive content to see if that moves the needle on install rates. Monitor results closely to double down on what works.
- Review attribution. Which marketing channels, campaigns, and links are driving the most installs? Focus your efforts on those high-performing sources.
- Optimize for high retention. Look beyond installs to see how many users stick with your app over time. Installs don’t matter if people quickly abandon your app, so prioritize engagement.
By continuously monitoring performance and testing new approaches, you can optimize your install strategy over time and achieve your user acquisition goals. Persistence and dedication to tracking key metrics are crucial.
Conclusion
In conclusion, incorporating these proven strategies into your marketing approach can greatly increase the likelihood of your existing customers installing your new app. By leveraging social proof, personalization, and incentives, you can effectively persuade your customers to take action. Firstly, utilize testimonials from satisfied customers who have already installed and benefited from your app.
This social proof can help build trust and encourage others to follow suit. Additionally, personalizing your communication with customers, such as sending targeted messages based on their previous interactions and preferences, can make them feel valued and more likely to install your app. Furthermore, offering enticing incentives, such as exclusive discounts or rewards, can create a sense of urgency and incentivize customers to take action.
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FAQ
How do I create app deep linking?
There are a couple of ways to create app deep linking. One way is to use the App Links feature in Google Sheets. You can use this feature to create a link that points to your app’s page on the Google Play Store or the App Store. You can also use App Links to create a link to your app’s website.
How do I convince existing customers to install my new app?
Use your app’s unique selling points to convince customers to install it. Make it easy for customers to find and download your app. Keep your app updated and promote it through social media and other channels. Offer customer discounts and other incentives. Hold customer contests or contests that give away prizes.
How do I create a user-friendly app interface?
One of the most important aspects of creating a successful app is making sure that the user interface is easy to use. Ensuring that your app is easy to navigate will help you retain users and encourage them to share your app with their friends. There are a few key strategies you can use to make your app user interface as user-friendly as possible.
How do I persuade my existing customers to install my new app?
There are a number of proven strategies you can use to convince your existing customers to install your new app. You can try various marketing methods, such as email marketing, in-app marketing, and even social media marketing. You can also offer attractive discounts or exclusive offers to your existing customers, depending on the type of app you are promoting.
What is the best way to market my new app?
There are a number of ways to market your new app, but the most effective has been discussed in this article; mobile app marketing depends on the product and the target market. Some popular marketing strategies include PR: Public relations can help generate interest and awareness for your app by working with media outlets and leveraging social media. SEO: Search engine optimization can improve your app’s ranking on search engines and attract new users. AdWords: Ads can generate leads and sales for your app through Google’s Ads Platform.
What are some factors to consider when marketing my new app?
Make sure you have a great app design. Your app’s design can make or break the impression it makes on potential customers. Make sure your app is well-marketed. Promote your app through ads, social media, and other channels. Make sure your app is easy to use.