Mobile User Acquisition – Digital Turbine https://www.digitalturbine.com Thu, 24 Jun 2021 16:47:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.2 Anatomy of App Discovery Part 4: Rethinking Your App Discovery Investment https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/anatomy-of-app-discovery-part-4-rethinking-your-app-discovery-investment/ https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/anatomy-of-app-discovery-part-4-rethinking-your-app-discovery-investment/#respond Mon, 14 Jun 2021 14:57:03 +0000 https://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=5705 Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities – at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments – during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these “outside the app”...

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Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities – at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments – during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these “outside the app” discovery moments. Here is Part 3:

In Part 1 of our series, I described three Discovery Dimensions that can affect how fast “outside the app” discovery can occur: Brand recognition, Icon, and Leisure-tem appeal.

In Part 2, we revealed a metric called Days to 25 that measures how many days it takes for 25% of an app’s preinstalled volume to be opened and used. An app’s Days to 25 measure is the equivalent of a vehicle’s 0-60 time – while all apps get discovered (just like all cars will eventually get to 60 mph), some are discovered faster. 

And finally, in Part 3, we talked about the 4 different cohorts of the Days to 25 metric: 1) Fast Discovered (7 or less), 2) 30 or less, 3) 60 or less, and 4) More than 60. The cohort “speed” is based on how app categories rank in the 3 Discovery Dimensions. 

So now the big question is: What should you do with this information? The short answer is to learn to be patient with your discovery campaigns. If your app category doesn’t rank among the “Fast Discovered”, that simply means you’ll want to give your campaign time to run its course. Once your app has hit it’s Days to 25 metric, evaluate again if you felt initial results were lagging. 

Traditional performance campaigns focus on finding that moment of “intent” and sending the right message at the right time. App discovery is more organic, or natural, where it has your app ready and waiting and reminding until that time of “intent” comes. That makes the time to return on investment longer, but it’s more efficient in delivering long term results.

Here are 3 things you want to keep in mind when planning your campaigns: 

  1. Understand Your Investment. How much are you investing in app discovery? While other methods might give you quality air cover, app discovery is the ground game that will get your app into the user end zone consistently. Understanding how app discovery works and the Days to 25 network is critical to understanding the right among to invest.
  1. Compare Apples to Apples. Comparing your campaign to other more traditional forms of advertising won’t be a true barometer – but the Days to 25 metric is a good indicator of when you can start seeing conversions pick up. Outside the app moments tend to be more “organic” than traditional advertising because you are waiting on consumer desire rather than them acting on a prompt. The end result, however, is a customer who has strong intent to be a user of your app and give you high LTV.
  1. Be Complimentary. On-device app discovery happens in more ways than just preloads. You can boost your conversion rates higher by using other methods – like notifications that strategically recommend apps to the user or display ads that are targeted and capture the user at the point of intent. Getting to conversion means focusing on all parts of the funnel, and app discovery is no different. There are many ways to get your app in front of users.

In part 1 of our series, we asked “What prompts an app install?”. The truth is, there isn’t one finite answer. With so much noise out there consumers will often opt to wait til they have a bigger need to install an app. You can only do so much to try and get their attention until that moment comes – but when it does come, you want to make sure they remember where you are and know how to find you. 

If you need help determining if an app discovery campaign would help boost your growth, reply to me and I’ll help you figure out what the expectations for your campaign should be. 

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Anatomy of App Discovery Part 3: All App Categories “Days to 25” Metric, Ranked https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/anatomy-of-app-discovery-part-3-all-app-categories-days-to-25-metric-ranked/ https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/anatomy-of-app-discovery-part-3-all-app-categories-days-to-25-metric-ranked/#respond Tue, 18 May 2021 14:56:00 +0000 https://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=5336 Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities — at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments — during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these “outside the app”...

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Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities — at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments — during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these “outside the app” discovery moments. Here is Part 3:

In Part 1 of our series, I described three Discovery Dimensions that can affect how fast “outside the app” discovery can occur:

  1. If the user is familiar with or curious about your Brand.
  2. If your app Icon is eye catching.
  3. If your app has Leisure-time appeal.

In Part 2, we revealed a metric called Days to 25 that measures how many days it takes for 25% of an app’s preinstalled volume to be opened and used. An app’s Days to 25 measure is the equivalent of a vehicle’s 0–60 time — while all apps get discovered (just like all cars will eventually get to 60 mph), some are discovered faster.

We also revealed that the “Fast Discovered” app categories (or those with a Days to 25 of less than 7) include Social, Media & VDO, and Music & Audio. These apps rank high across all Discovery Dimensions — they have a well-known Brand, an appealing icon, and high leisure-time appeal.

Beyond Fast Discovered, we break down the Days to 25 metric into 3 other cohorts: 30 or less, 60 or less, and More than 60. The 3 Discovery Dimensions listed above are what drive an app’s speed of discovery. A key thing to always keep in mind about “outside the app” discovery is even if an app is not opened or used in the first 7 days, the app icon serves as an ever-present brand-reinforcing reminder.

All that said, here’s a look at the other Days to 25 cohorts and the app categories that fall within each.

30 Days or less: “I’m ready to have some fun”
Discovery Dimension Rank: Mid Brand, High Icon, High Leisure-time

Gaming apps have a fast discovery window that hits right after 7 days. Gamers are always on the lookout for something new to fill their leisure time — which means an interesting looking game icon already on their phone is bound to be opened as soon as time allows. All genres of games fall in this level, but sim, puzzle, and casual games are slightly faster than others.

Another app category with high leisure time appeal are Communication apps — like WhatsApp or WeChat. Phones were at least initially intended to be communication devices, so it’s not surprising that these also will be used quickly by consumers.

60 Days or less: I have some time and I’m curious
Discovery Dimension Rank: High Brand, Mid Icon, Mid Leisure-time

Apps that fall into this window also can appeal to leisure-time, but also are meant to fulfill a specific desire or “itch” the user has. Categories that fall into this level are Shopping (Wish or Amazon) and News & Magazine (ESPN or CNN) apps. Once someone has the time to buy a certain product or read a topic they’ve been thinking about, they’ll open and use the app.

Other categories that have lower leisure time appeal but still fall into this level are Finance — like your bank or Venmo or Transportation — like Uber or Lyft. Typically these will be opened when someone has a need — and apparently consumers have a need for money or a taxi faster than they have a need for the products/services offered in the below categories.

60+ Days: I have a specific need
Discovery Dimension Rank: Mid Brand, Mid Icon, Low Leisure-time

The primary reason that these apps are slower to be opened and used by consumers is they have low leisure time appeal and fill a very specific, context-dependent need. For example, people don’t necessarily need a LifeStyle app, like Match or Fitbit, unless they start dating or working out respectively. Similarly, a Travel app (Kayak or Hopper) won’t be opened until someone wants to book a vacation.

A benefit for apps that have specific needs being on-device, even if it is for 60+ days, is that there is the increase in unaided brand awareness of people seeing your solution many times per day on their phone. It serves as a mobile billboard building brand equity and is quickly recalled when that specific need arises.

Understanding where your app falls in these windows is critical to evaluating the effectiveness of campaigns. In the final part of this series, we’ll discuss what people should do with this information and how they can use it to evaluate and optimize their user acquisition.

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Anatomy of App Discovery Part 2: The Days to 25 Metric and “Fast Discovered” Apps https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/anatomy-of-app-discovery-part-2-the-days-to-25-metric-and-fast-discovered-apps/ Fri, 30 Apr 2021 15:21:47 +0000 https://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4232 Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities — at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments — during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these “outside the app”...

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Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities — at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments — during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these “outside the app” discovery moments. Here is Part 2:

Key takeaways:

  • While all apps eventually get discovered, some apps get discovered faster
  • We measure speed to discovery by how many days it takes to get to a 25% conversion rate (Days to 25)
  • “Fast Discovered” app categories have a 7 Days to 25 window and include Social, Media & VDO, and Music & Audio apps.

In Part 1 of our series, we learned that there are three dimensions that can affect how fast “outside the app” discovery can occur:

  1. If the user has heard of your Brand.
  2. If your app Icon is eye catching.
  3. If your app has Leisure-time appeal.

Keep in mind that eventually, ALL apps will get discovered — some just take longer than others. For our purposes, we are measuring speed similar to how you might measure a car’s acceleration. While all cars will eventually go from 0–60 mph, some cars get there faster than others. When it comes to apps, we are measuring how long (in days) it takes to get to a 25% conversion rate (Days to 25). A conversion is a preloaded app that gets opened and used.

Top tier performing apps have Days to 25 rates that are 7 days or less. These “fast discovered” apps check the box in at least 2, if not all 3, of the dimensions above.

Social apps, like Facebook or TikTok, have quickly recognizable icons through prior use or word of mouth reviews and appeal to our “lean-back” moments when we’re looking for something fun to occupy us. New phone owners that want apps they know they will use right out of the gate. Social apps where they can start connecting (and, hey — brag about their new phone) are HIGHLY desired.

Other categories that fit in the 7 Days to 25 window are Media & VDO apps (like Hulu or Netflix) and Music & Audio (like Spotify or Pandora). In many cases, these apps are very well known brands and have a very high leisure-time appeal. After all, our smartphones are also our new-age radios and televisions!

Just because an app has a longer Days to 25 metric doesn’t mean it won’t thrive via app discovery UA. Oftentimes, users need a specific prompt, event or circumstance to spark the need to open up and use the app. Meanwhile, the app icon sits on the phone as an ever-present reminder. And once the day comes that they have the need to travel, order food, play a game, or read a news article, the app is right there waiting for them.

How many Days to 25 does it take for these other categories? Find out in part 3 of our series coming soon!

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Anatomy of App Discovery Part 1: The Evolution of “Lean-Back” Discovery https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/anatomy-of-app-discovery-part-1-the-evolution-of-lean-back-discovery/ Thu, 15 Apr 2021 14:55:06 +0000 http://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4228 Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities – at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments – during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these intermediary – or...

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Mobile advertising tends to happen during moments when consumers are engaged in other activities – at a pause in a game, reading content, browsing a feed. But consumers also are discovering new apps outside those moments – during phone set-up, changing screens, or organizing apps. Our 4 part series talks about these intermediary – or idle – moments of app discovery. Here is Part 1:

What prompts an app install? This is the golden question for app marketers. Most of our advertising intends to grab consumer attention away from activities where they are currently engaged. The goal is for our ads to get the user to lean in during a “lean-back moment” in their  current activity – at the end of a story’s paragraph, in-between game levels, or somewhere within their social feed.

What this doesn’t take into account is how phone usage has changed. A whopping 49% of the time we pick up our phones with no first app in mind. Much of today’s use comes outside our favorite apps and has become a lean-back activity in itself, like when we flip through screens to find what’s next.     

These behavioral changes have made the opportunity for discovery much richer. Now there are solutions that can target consumers in both lean-in and lean-back activities that occur on-device, but outside an app.

For example:

  • During Device Set-up – Setup wizards that display recommended apps target discovery when consumers are “Leaning In” to configure their new device.  New devices create new installs (3x more than usual in the first quarter of ownership) making a new phone purchase an ideal moment to capture consumer attention. 
  • Scrolling Between Apps – Device preloads target discovery when consumers are “Leaning back” and looking for their next thing to do.  A considerable amount of time is spent thumbing through your phone looking for what’s next. Getting your app on-device via a preload can generate brand impressions and build curiosity until the consumer has the ideal moment to engage. 
  • Organizing Their Device – Smart folders target discovery when consumers are “Leaning In” to picking their next game to play.  As app clutter grows on phones, people seek ways to group apps into different categories so they are easy to find. Many Android phones now offer a Smart Games Folder where the device will help organize their games in one convenient place – and then recommend new games within the folder to the user.

With app installs becoming less frequent the longer we own a smartphone – people with 10 years of smartphone ownership install 40% fewer apps than someone with under 2 years – it’s critical for app marketers to recognize these outside the app activities to capture attention. These solutions put apps on-device waiting for users to have a specific desire  – like an itch for something new or an immediate need. 

When will they have that desire? That depends on certain dimensions:

  1. Brand – Have they heard of your brand? A user will likely be quicker to jump into your app if they’ve heard a lot of buzz about it or have friends who use it.
  2. Icon Appeal – Is your app icon eye catching? Does your icon look like something the user would like? If a user sees your app and it’s in their wheelhouse, they’ll be more likely to jump in sooner rather than later.
  3. Leisure Time Use – How do people use your app? If your app is used more for “lean-back” moments (gaming or social), people might engage quicker than if it serves a specific need or purpose (travel or finance).

Different apps can rank differently on these dimensions, which means time to discovery can vary from app to app. In part 2 of this series, we’ll take a look at how and why different categories will have different discovery velocities and find out which categories will be discovered the fastest.

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Now is the Time to Leverage Web Traffic for App UA https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/now-is-the-time-to-leverage-web-traffic-for-app-ua/ Tue, 13 Apr 2021 17:32:17 +0000 http://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4223 Key Takeaways: The recent changes to iOS 14 means advertisers should act urgently to maintain user acquisition and stay ahead of competition A joint solution from Digital Turbine and Branch can improve your conversion rate by 10x or more Journeys + SingleTap is easy to implement and removes friction end to end on the UA...

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Key Takeaways:

  • The recent changes to iOS 14 means advertisers should act urgently to maintain user acquisition and stay ahead of competition
  • A joint solution from Digital Turbine and Branch can improve your conversion rate by 10x or more
  • Journeys + SingleTap is easy to implement and removes friction end to end on the UA funnel
  • This one solution can help convert mobile web users to apps at exponentially high rates and be up to 50% of total UA

For advertisers looking to make up for an expected shortfall in user acquisition due to iOS uncertainty, there’s a solution that can help. A joint solution that combines Branch’s Journeys with Digital Turbine’s SingleTap optimizes every part of your mobile funnel to convert users at rates 10x higher than industry averages. What’s more – it’s super easy to use. We’ve seen advertisers drive up to 50% of their UA – which is why advertisers should act urgently to try this unique solution.

Why Now?

The recent changes to iOS 14 that prioritizes user privacy will impact advertisers and have many looking for new ways to spend their budgets. With effective Cost per Install (or eCPI) on iPhones increasing, other “safer” mediums, like Android, will be explored. But due to the immediacy of the moment, optimizing those campaigns will be of great importance. Journeys + SingleTap is an Android solution that can bring about immediate, high impact value to your user acquisition campaigns.

How It Helps

User friction is a common thorn when it comes to UA. As solutions emerge and evolve, the most successful ones have always made it easier for the user to see, click, or get what they want. Journeys + SingleTap is an easy to use solution that does all 3 – proven to improve view to click, click to install, and conversion rates exponentially.

Every Journey Begins with a Single Step

Journeys makes that first step super enticing for the user. By using contextual algorithms, the solution uses certain triggers (like if they’ve visited the app and what they’ve seen prior) to create smart, personalized banners that provide a quick and seamless way into your app. The click preserves the “context” and then deep links the user to the desired place within the app.

For example, let’s say a user has been browsing a mobile web site and viewed a certain dress multiple times. Journeys will take that context and offer promotional ads to buy that specific dress within an app. The user sees the promotion, clicks, and once they open the app – they are taken right to the dress deal they initially wanted. While most view to click rates are less than 1%, Journeys VTC range from 3-10%!

More Clicks is Great, But Then What?

Glad you asked. With SingleTap, those increased clicks convert at a MUCH higher rate. While normal click to install rates are below 20%, Journey’s personalization along with SingleTap can improve them to as high as 70%. SingleTap removes friction from the install process by allowing a user to bypass the store and download the app with, well, a single tap.

Now, in the above dress example, those increased clicks can go right to the dress within the app with a single click. No traversing the app store, reading reviews, or wading through other distractions before they click the install button. Instead, those distractions are minimized and the user’s intended interaction with the ad (viewing and purchasing the dress) is maintained in one simple and easy user flow.

The Ideal Journeys + SingleTap Customer

Dress retailers aren’t the only ones who can benefit from this joint solution. Any app that has large value in pushing users to their app environment will be rewarded. Retail, e-delivery, quick service restaurants, finance and other eCommerce apps have strong use cases. However, any category of app with the following characteristics can see a huge benefit:

  • Low App Adoption
  • High Mobile Web Traffic
  • High Value of App Users (Higher conversion, Lower churn)
  • Have contextual “signals” in their users’ journeys that an advertiser can use to improve targeting

The best part about all of this? If you are interested, the solution is simple to implement. It can be as easy as swapping out a link!

Next Steps

If you want to see another real world example, this video case study with iFit gives more information. You can also contact us or request a demo.

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3 Thoughts Why When It Comes to UA, Easy Does It https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/3-thoughts-why-when-it-comes-to-ua-easy-does-it-2/ Fri, 26 Feb 2021 17:17:06 +0000 http://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4213 Key Takeaways: Digital Turbine recently placed on the Singular 2021 ROI Index and was featured in Forbes Both Singular and Forbes indicated that removing friction and making it easier for the consumer was critical for the future of UA On-device solutions have been successful for a variety of categories – games, retail, on-demand, news, streaming,...

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Key Takeaways:

  • Digital Turbine recently placed on the Singular 2021 ROI Index and was featured in Forbes
  • Both Singular and Forbes indicated that removing friction and making it easier for the consumer was critical for the future of UA
  • On-device solutions have been successful for a variety of categories – games, retail, on-demand, news, streaming, travel, social, finance, and more. 
  • Frictionless solutions help consumers discover on the first day of phone ownership – and on every day following

Following the recent reveal of the Singular 2021 ROI Index, I had the pleasure of chatting with Peggy Anne Salz from Forbes about Digital Turbine’s place on the index and the future of UA. At DT, our laser focus is on removing the friction from the process to make it as easy as possible to connect advertisers to their audience. 

While many of the same players are, rightfully, still anchored in the Index, Peggy was correct to indicate the “seismic shift” that has taken place within the index for how advertisers can improve on the ROI of their campaigns – and it all comes down to removing friction. Here are 3 additional thoughts I wanted to share about how when it comes to UA, Easy Does It:

  • Being There Is Half The Battle. There’s a reason on-device solutions have click-to-install ratios that are 8x the industry average. On-device solutions keep your app top of mind – so when they have a need or desire for your app, they know where to find it. Consider the early days of Windows where simple games like Minesweeper and Solitaire were included with the OS. People played them simply because they were there – not because they were better than other games.
  • It’s not just about games. Game companies have always been innovative when cutting through the noise with interactive and playable ads. And sure enough, we have more game apps than any other category. But now with the number of apps in the Play Store approaching 3 million, other categories also need to cut through the noise. That’s why we’ve seen tremendous growth in retail, on-demand, news, streaming, travel, social, and other non-game categories. And much of their success is rooted in the new device install frenzy – where new device owners install 3x more apps than those with older phones.
  • Skip the store… Every Day. But making it easy isn’t just about the first day. The UA process is filled with friction – seeing an ad, clicking, going to the store, determining whether to install, and the install itself – that can derail a user from getting your app. By skipping the store, you remove a LOT of those hurdles and give users a direct path to install. Our on-device solutions give that frictionless experience to users on the first day of phone ownership – and every following day with our SingleTap solution. 

People these days are normally overwhelmed. We’re bombarded with options at the store, when we watch TV, and in the app store. In each case, people have sought solutions like Amazon and Netflix because they simplify their choices and keep things they need or desire top of mind. Apps are no exception to that. Which means the winner in the UA game will be those that understand that when it comes to discovering apps – Easy Does It. 

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Gaming Publishers & Preloads: Next Level of Discovery https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-marketing/gaming-publishers-preloads-next-level-of-discovery/ Thu, 04 Feb 2021 20:12:41 +0000 http://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4162 Key Takeaways: Game publishers use preloads 5x more than other app publishers. Preloads helping gaming publishers break into global markets. All types of preloads lead to high open rates and returning players. Millions of new players due to gaming app preloads. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how gamers prefer finding new games via preloads than...

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Key Takeaways:
  • Game publishers use preloads 5x more than other app publishers.
  • Preloads helping gaming publishers break into global markets.
  • All types of preloads lead to high open rates and returning players.
  • Millions of new players due to gaming app preloads.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how gamers prefer finding new games via preloads than any other UA method. But gamers aren’t the only ones who prefer preloads — Game publishers are using them to find a competitive edge as well. Gaming publishers across the mobile industry are preloading their apps five times more than other app publishers. With stellar conversion rates across all types of games, gaming preloads are seeing noteworthy success.

Catching Their Interest

Unpacking the market further, we’re seeing the preload strategy show some impressive use. All these preloads aren’t just U.S. based either — leading game publishers are powering out into markets for global scale. While U.S. markets take the lead at over 70M game preloads, non-U.S. markets saw nearly 50M preloads in Q2 of 2020.

Preloads Claim Big Wins

No matter what lane your games are in, you can hit the big time too. Learn more in our insight report to see how your games can start ranking up with preloads.

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Gamers and Preloads: A Tasty Combination https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/gamers-and-preloads-a-tasty-combination/ Fri, 08 Jan 2021 21:49:56 +0000 http://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4144 Key Takeaways: Half of mobile gamers do not find UA ads helpful. Gamers prefer preloads over all other paid UA methods. Within 90 days, gamers often try out preloads. An average of 37% of game preloads lead to ongoing players. The only thing gamers like more than playing games is finding new ones. And their...

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Key Takeaways:

  • Half of mobile gamers do not find UA ads helpful.
  • Gamers prefer preloads over all other paid UA methods.
  • Within 90 days, gamers often try out preloads.
  • An average of 37% of game preloads lead to ongoing players.

The only thing gamers like more than playing games is finding new ones. And their preferred way to whet their appetite with a new game is having them right on the device, hot and ready to be served. Recently, leading research firm Phoenix Marketing International conducted a survey of mobile phone users and found that out of all paid UA methods, the one that gamers found most savory was preloads.

Game preloads offer low-friction access that make them extremely easy for gamers to try out. If you’re not one of many publishers already using preloads, putting your games in front of new eyeballs typically means pushing promos in the usual spots.

But that’s a clear mistake in promoting your games: half of mobile gamers do not find UA ads helpful. For perspective, that’d be 1.1 billion players you’d miss if you stuck with traditional methods alone.

You’re probably wondering how that can be, especially when traditional app marketing methods are a staple in this massive industry? After all, apps like Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans made a name for themselves through effective use of UA ads and app store optimization. However, not all games have the immediate mass appeal and word of mouth virality that enabled these games to cut through the competitive noise that every other game gets lost in.

For those games looking to break through the competition in the app store, preloads offer a great answer. They offer the whole product, neatly plated, and served direct to the customer on a digital platter. Whether a full game or a trial, preloaded games are ready to widen a player’s palate from the first fresh bootup of their new phones — or any time thereafter where they might be ready for a new challenge. It’s the low-friction decision making that grabs your audience, offering you an undeniable chance at gaining recurring players.

Publishers have a clear opportunity to hit the jackpot by delivering their game right to a gamer’s doorstep: the smartphone home screen. Preloads might be the right way to invite these underserved gamers to dig into your hot-and-ready releases. Check out our insight report to discover more about why preloads could be the extra spice you need to flavor up your marketing campaigns.

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4 Must Know Trends To Get Your Shopping App on Phones in Q4 https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/4-must-know-trends-to-get-your-shopping-app-on-phones-in-q4/ Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:00:26 +0000 http://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4104 Key Takeaways Q4 is the best time to get your shopping app on the phones of your buyers Installs of shopping apps soar during Q4 before falling sharply in Q1 Shopping apps are also installed in droves on newly bought devices – which also spike in Q4 Key buyers prefer Direct-to-Device preloads for finding their...

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Key Takeaways

  • Q4 is the best time to get your shopping app on the phones of your buyers
  • Installs of shopping apps soar during Q4 before falling sharply in Q1
  • Shopping apps are also installed in droves on newly bought devices – which also spike in Q4
  • Key buyers prefer Direct-to-Device preloads for finding their shopping apps

Consumer shopping sprees that regularly occur in Q4 are now accompanied by another type of shopping spree – one for shopping apps! Much like people stock their shopping carts with items, they are also stocking their phones with the right apps to buy the goodies and gifts they need. And much like you want to get your products in front of consumers the best way possible – retailers should be doing the same for their app. And the best path for their app is by going Direct-to-Device.

Learn more trends that top shopping apps use to boost their UA campaigns in Q4

In normal years, there are 4 key trends that make Q4 prime time for shopping apps. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, will likely make this holiday season the biggest ever in terms of eCommerce sales. Which means retailers should not only be aggressively shopping their products – but also aggressively shopping their app. Here are the 4 trends that all shopping app publishers must know:

Trend 1: Q4 is the Peak for Shopping App Installs, Falling Sharply in Q1

Shopping apps account for the second most popular app category install in Q4. In Q4 2019, 42.6% of consumers installed a shopping app on their device. Following a similar trend to device sales, this figure dropped to 29.7% in Q1 2020. Again, if reaching critical mass is important for your shopping app, your campaign activities should focus on Q4.

 

Trend 2: Q4 is the Peak Season for New Phone Purchases

Smartphone sales are, of course, not immune to retail trends and also enjoy a peak in sales during Q4. More than 400 million new smartphones were sold during Q4 2019. Sales of new devices typically slow in Q1 and Q2 and as demonstrated in the chart below.

This means that any app developer hoping to reach the largest possible audience should prioritize Q4 or risk playing catch-up in the second half of the following year.

Trend 3: Shopping App Installs are Especially Popular on New Devices

Naturally, when people get their hands on a new device, they want to get to try it out and start installing apps. App installs are dramatically more frequent on new devices than older ones — we call this event The App-alanche.

The impact a new device has on installs extends beyond the peak Q4 period. Of the 29.7% of consumers who installed a shopping app in Q1 2020, 49.3% of them came from new device owners.

Trend 4: Consumers Prefer Direct-to-Device Preloads

Of course, there’s an elephant in the room. A significant number of smartphone users will never download an app to their device from an app store. This could be for many reasons, including the fear of fraud, the lack of data availability, or simply just not knowing how to or having the desire to. So how can you reach them?

The good news is consumers love discovering shopping apps by going Direct-to-Device. This is particularly true when targeting key consumer groups like 18-35 year-olds who are 20% more likely to prefer preloads to social advertising for app discovery.

There is no place more visible for your app than on the home screen of a new device from the moment it is unboxed. This is exactly what a Direct-to-Device preloaded campaign does for your app. Think of it as providing premium shelf space for your shopping app on millions of new devices.

Learn more trends that top shopping apps use to boost their UA campaigns in Q4

Learn More

To learn more about maximizing your shopping apps potential during the busy Q4 sales period, contact us today and ask to speak with one of our retail app marketing specialists.

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Case Study: Banco Azteca and Digital Turbine Shake-up Banking in Mexico https://www.digitalturbine.com/blog/mobile-user-acquisition/case-study-banco-azteca-and-digital-turbine-shake-up-banking-in-mexico/ Tue, 30 Jun 2020 13:00:23 +0000 http://www.digitalturbine.com/?p=4010 As a leading financial institution with more than 1,800 branches across Mexico, Banco Azteca knows a thing or two about the limitations of operating a business purely around traditional banking hours. Keen to extend access to their services, Banco Azteca created an app, enabling their clients to access their financial services anytime, anywhere. While the...

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As a leading financial institution with more than 1,800 branches across Mexico, Banco Azteca knows a thing or two about the limitations of operating a business purely around traditional banking hours. Keen to extend access to their services, Banco Azteca created an app, enabling their clients to access their financial services anytime, anywhere.

While the app solved a very real problem for the bank, they soon discovered that changing the banking habits of their existing clients, who had always called into their local branch to pay their bills or arrange a loan, wasn’t so easy.

They needed a way to highlight their app to potential users and encourage activations without breaking the bank (or at the very least their marketing budget).

Banco Azteca turned to Digital Turbine to help them increase the potential of their app-based banking service. They were initially attracted by Digital Turbine’s capacity to reach more than 2.5 million monthly users in Mexico and “boots on the ground” expertise in the local market.

Further Reading: Mexico: An Economy of Scale Beyond the BRICS

Further Reading: COVID-19: The Rise and Rise of the Fintech App

Dynamic Installs (Pre-Loaded Apps)

Banco Azteca started a Dynamic Install campaign with Digital Turbine in mid-2019 to preload its app on mobile devices across Mexico with the goal of driving high-quality activations while increasing Customer Lifetime Value and Return-on-Investment.

Following a successful campaign launch, Banco Azteca increased their investment into Dynamic Installs which again reflected positively against campaign KPIs.

To date, Digital Turbine’s campaigns have rewarded Banco Azteca with more than 1.74 million downloads of their app, accounting for 17% of their total number of app downloads.

Unlike many other app marketing strategies, Dynamic Installs continue to contribute activations long after the initial placement. Banco Azteca has actually seen their app open rate increase from 21% in the first 30 days to 32% in the first 180 days, highlighting the importance of making apps available at the right time, on the right device — addressing the users’ needs rather than hoping they will be interested at a specific time.

Learn More

To learn more about how Digital Turbine helped Banco Azteca rank as the top finance app in Mexico in 2020, click here to download our full case study.

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