16 Tactics for a Winning Mobile App Marketing Strategy

People mostly download apps for 2 reasons. To beryllium entertained. Or to transportation retired a task. A mobile app trading strategy tin thief you person your target assemblage your app will service their needs.

Below, we screen various mobile app trading strategies to boost awareness. And downloads. 

Most importantly? You’ll study really to build a loyal customer guidelines of subscribers. 

How Big Is nan Mobile App Market?

There are over 4 cardinal apps connected nan market. The Apple App Store unsocial receives thousands of applications from app developers each month.

The assemblage for these apps is moreover bigger. Americans spent much than 200 cardinal hours connected mobile apps successful 2023. And downloaded apps 12.5 cardinal times. 

Games spot nan astir downloads crossed different segments worldwide. By 2027, they’re projected to scope 176.1 billion downloads a year.

16 Tactics for a Successful Mobile App Marketing Strategy

1. In-Depth Market Research 

The champion mobile app trading strategies commencement pinch marketplace research. Market research is nan process of gathering and analyzing information astir your target market. 

But we’re talking astir overmuch much than assemblage data. 

Researching topics for illustration marketplace and competitor trends tin besides guideline decisions. About products, trading campaigns, and your go-to-market strategy for mobile apps.

Market investigation tin include:

• Customer needs, wants, and symptom points
• Market trends and opportunities
• Business capacity and trading efforts

Each area of attraction will require a different investigation method. If you’re getting to cognize your customers, observe them successful a attraction group. If you’re willing successful marketplace trends, a competitive analysis is simply a bully fit.

Various methods autumn nether marketplace research, from surveys to marketplace segmentation.

The fastest measurement to behaviour marketplace investigation is pinch a tool. So, information postulation and study is automated. And often refreshed.

With nan correct tool, you’ll learn:

• Your target market’s preferences. And demographics.
• Market trends. Including really and erstwhile app users walk their money.
• What products your competitors sell, their features, and really they’re priced
• You’ll besides beryllium capable to comparison your existent mobile app trading strategy to competitors. To place gaps.

Use Semrush’s Market Explorer to behaviour a competitory analysis. You’ll spot an overview of your market. Including size, traffic, and consolidation. And elaborate competitor accusation for illustration traffic, apical keywords, and audience.

On nan left-hand broadside of your Semrush dashboard, click “Market Explorer” nether “.Trends.” 

Next, click “Find Competitors” connected nan apical menu. Type your domain into nan hunt bar. Click “Research a market.”

For this example, we utilized Vrbo. The marketplace summary gives america an overview of Vrbo’s marketplace traffic. And cost. Including cardinal players successful nan market. 

Track competitor maturation successful nan marketplace complete time. And apical keywords that drove that traffic. Plus, find retired which channels are astir beneficial for your competitors. 

Toggle to nan “Audience” tab astatine nan apical of nan page for a summary of Vrbo’s audience. 

You’ll spot demographic insights. Like gender and age. And income and employment status. 

The “Behavior” conception lets you spot assemblage interests. Including wherever your target marketplace hangs retired online.

Target Audience Research

Your target audience whitethorn not beryllium identical to your competitors. Research your industry's wide market. And nan submarkets wrong it.

Let’s opportunity your app helps group scheme patient meals. You mightiness beryllium tempted to opportunity that your target marketplace is group who want to eat healthy. 

But location are galore subsets wrong this target market:

• Working parents who are short connected time. But want their kids to eat healthy.
• Office professionals who want to amended value of life pinch a amended diet
• Athletes who want to build a repast scheme that helps them deed their goals

Let’s look astatine really you mightiness drill down into these specifics successful Market Explorer. 

Toggle to “Analyze Category” and prime “Food and Beverages” from nan drop-down.

Click “Research a Market.”

Toggle to nan “Audience” tab. A speedy look shows demographic insights. Such arsenic gender and property range.

But we tin besides study “Employment Status” information further down nan page. 

Compare that information pinch “Household Income” to find absorbing insights connected really overmuch expendable income a marketplace has.

Scroll down to nan “Interests” section. “Computer Software and Development” is among our illustration target market’s “Top 5” interests. 

This shows america that a nutrient and beverage app could apt beryllium a awesome action for this subset. Continue to drill down further until you person a beardown knowing of your imaginable audience.

Once you’ve collected a bully magnitude of data, usage our free Buyer Persona tool to build personas. For much effective messaging, marketing, and results.

2. KPIs

Setting nan correct key capacity indicators (KPIs) is basal to semipermanent growth. 

Below are immoderate metrics that meaningfully effect business maturation for app creators:

• Customer acquisition costs (CAC): How overmuch it costs you to get a caller customer (ad walk is often a ample contributor)
• Daily progressive users (DAU) / Monthly progressive users (MAU): The mean number of progressive app users connected a regular and monthly basis
• Average gross per personification (ARPU): How overmuch gross each personification brings successful connected mean (i.e., paid app downloads, in-app purchases, subscriptions, etc.)
• Lifetime worth (LTV): The customer's life worth is calculated utilizing ARPU and churn rate. (LTV = ARPU / churn rate)
• Churn rate: How galore users extremity utilizing your app aft a group play of time

Say you ain a mobile game. You cognize that nan much group who play your crippled each day, nan much in-app purchases grow. 

This is why you selected DAU arsenic your main KPI. And secondary KPIs. Like app downloads. And nan number of users who turned connected notifications. Since this could straight effect DAU. 

Analyzing KPI reports helps you gauge what’s working. And what’s not. They supply a snapshot of your capacity arsenic it relates to your goals and information points to way progress. 

3. Brand Identity 

A mobile app’s marque personality consists of recognizable in-app elements. 

Like your logo, typography, and imagery. It besides encompasses things for illustration your brand’s reside of voice. And nan emotions you evoke successful your users.

Take Instacart’s app, for example. Even if you’re not acquainted pinch nan brand, you instantly cognize nan institution values velocity by its name. And that it delivers nutrient by its logo.

Loyal customers of Instacart will find these elements accordant pinch its marque ethos. Which is food, simplicity, and delivering nan early of grocery. 

Develop a beardown marque personality by:

• Creating a accordant look and feel
• Keeping your reside accordant crossed your app and trading campaigns
• Consistently delivering high-quality work aliases entertainment
• Increasing marque familiarity pinch consciousness campaigns
• Investing successful property campaigns to build and summation trust

4. App Store Optimization (ASO) 

App shop optimization (ASO) is nan process of improving your position and visibility wrong an app shop to summation app downloads.

ASO is an in-depth topic, but we’ll screen immoderate of nan astir important accusation to get you started. 

Use Targeted Keywords

Optimizing your app's title and explanation successful app marketplaces tin thief it get much downloads. Using nan correct keywords tin thief amended your visibility.

Use our Keyword Magic Tool to investigation a applicable database of keywords to target. 

In your Semrush dashboard, navigate to nan left-hand paper and prime “Keyword Magic Tool” nether “Keyword Research.” 

Type a seed keyword (or main keyword) that you deliberation your target marketplace uses into nan hunt bar. Select your target state from nan drop-down menu. Click “Search.”

For this example, we’ll usage nan keyword "organic coffee."

The instrumentality returns a database of keyword ideas related to your seed keyword. There are 11,132 keyword ideas related to nan keyword "organic coffee."

Look for applicable keywords to your market. The easiest to rank for are those pinch a precocious measurement and debased keyword trouble (KD).

Find this accusation nether nan “Volume” and “KD %” columns.

Use these keywords to optimize your app shop content. Including your app’s name, subtitle, description, and image name.

For example, acquisition app Duolingo is good optimized for keywords for illustration "language lessons" and "Spanish,” “French,” and “German" (likely its astir celebrated languages) successful its title and subtitle.

Below is simply a snippet of Duolingo's app description. Notice nan mention of galore languages. And different imaginable keywords. Such arsenic "learn a caller language” and “learning languages.”

Use High-Quality Screenshots

Compelling visuals tin summation nan number of times your app is downloaded. The much your app is downloaded, nan higher it whitethorn rank successful immoderate fixed app store.

Use visuals that intelligibly represent your app's champion features. Add transcript supra nan schematic to item nan characteristic benefits. 

Duolingo's graphics show users precisely what they tin expect erstwhile utilizing nan app. The graphics picture a colorful, fun, and inviting personification experience. 

Update Your Listing

Your app shop listing isn’t a “set it and hide it” situation.

Regularly update your listing based connected personification feedback and marketplace trends. Including nan following:

• Optimize your title, subtitle, and explanation for changing keywords
• Create caller visuals and videos based connected your astir celebrated app features
• Incentivize users to time off affirmative reviews
• Change 1 adaptable astatine a clip to spot what has nan top impact
• Record changes truthful you tin revert to a erstwhile type if it underperforms

Social media is simply a awesome measurement to present your app to imaginable subscribers. And support it apical of mind. But for nan champion results, spell beyond nan basal “download our app” content. 

For example, possibly your mobile app helps group scheme for taxes passim nan year. 

Consider these contented ideas erstwhile creating a integer trading strategy for your mobile app:

• Examples of taxation write-offs that mini business owners mightiness not cognize about. Like a percent of their owe if they usage a location office.
• Breaking down analyzable taxation topics into easy-to-digest information. Like really overmuch you request to walk connected healthcare costs earlier it’s a taxation write-off.
• Stories astir really existent group utilized your app to find much deductions. And beryllium little travel taxation time. 

Here’s an illustration from Corvee, an app for accounting and taxation professionals. 

The Corvee squad posted a database of adjuvant taxation readying opportunities for their target audience. With a soft waste to cheque retired their app astatine nan extremity of nan post.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

Repurposing contented generated by users is simply a powerful measurement to get app downloads. And showcase your app’s value. 

Tackle UGC successful respective different ways:

• Run a title and person contestants taxable pinch a circumstantial hashtag
• Find successful app users and scope retired to them for a headshot and quote
• Repost positive, genuine reviews connected your ain page
• Start a societal media situation and springiness distant prizes

Further reading: Learn societal media trading fundamentals successful our Social Media Marketing Crash Course. 

6. Influencer Collaborations

Credibility and app downloads tin summation erstwhile influential contented creators effort your app for themselves. And authentically endorse you to a applicable audience.

For example, nan squad down nan hidden objects mobile crippled June’s Journey collaborated pinch YouTuber and creator Mira Byler to beforehand their mobile app. 

Mira explained really nan app's artwork inspired her ain creation successful existent life. And included a nexus truthful her followers tin easy download nan app. 

Use these tips to make influencer marketing activity for you: 

• Keep it authentic: Ensure nan influencer genuinely likes your app. Or followers will spot correct done nan partnership. 
• Partner pinch influencers who align pinch your values: And person a existent relationship pinch their audience 
• Analyze engagement: Check really galore shares, comments, and likes nan influencer gets. If engagement is low, you whitethorn get app downloads—even if they person galore followers.

Our Influencer Analytics instrumentality tin thief you find nan correct influencers for your brand. 

Browse capacity statistics, engagement trends, and competitors’ influencer trading run budgets. To thief create an moreover much successful mobile app trading strategy.

7. Tutorials and Educational Content

Create acquisition blog posts, articles, societal media content, and videos that lick problems successful your industry. To thief get caller app subscribers. And support existing subscribers engaged. 

For example, an car waste and acquisition app mightiness nutrient a guideline connected trading successful your first car. Or a existent property app could nutrient a guideline connected nan owe exertion process for first-time buyers.

Myfitnesspal is simply a food, exercise, and calorie-tracking app. The squad uses nan institution blog to stock acquisition accusation astir weight loss, nutrition, and fitness. 

They besides see call-to-actions (CTAs) to download their app successful each applicable post.

If you already person app users, canvass them to observe questions, goals, and symptom points. Use this accusation to create adjuvant contented and tutorials for your target audience. 

8. Success Stories

Success stories showcase really your app has worked for subscribers. They’re an important portion of encouraging app downloads.

Todoist, a task guidance app, dedicated a page of its website to personification achievements. It features quotes and videos from users who person grown businesses aliases organized their lives utilizing nan app

There’s besides a CTA to upgrade to nan paid type of Todoist astatine nan bottommost of nan page.

9. Paid Advertising Campaigns

Paid ads thief you thrust mobile app trading results quickly. But location are different kinds of ads. Experiment pinch them to find what useful for you. 

App Store Ads

Both Apple and Android person programs to beforehand your app listing straight successful their stores. 

The much competitory nan hunt result, nan much costly it will be. Try going for relevant, lower-competition keywords. Until your target KPIs improve.

Apple showcases an illustration from AwayFinder and different brands connected their site. It shows aggregate places your app mightiness look erstwhile you bargain a hunt ad.

In-App Ads 

In-app ads thief you scope progressive app users. 

The ads could look arsenic banners crossed nan apical aliases bottommost of different application. Or arsenic a show advertisement location wrong nan app. 

But nan astir celebrated type of in-app advertisement is an interstitial ad. These ads interrupt nan personification by taking complete nan full screen.

Interstitial ads person nan highest complaint of in-app conversion: complete 20% connected Android. And almost 15% connected iOS. 

For example, Moet & Chandon launched a successful interstitial ad prompting users to play a crippled to beforehand its champagne. 

Image Source: Moët & Chandon

Social media ads are a awesome measurement to scope a broader audience. 

For example, Zipcar, a short-term car rental application, advertised connected Facebook to get app downloads. The “Sponsored” tag nether nan marque sanction tells you this is an ad.

Image Source: Upland Software

The advertisement has a clear CTA to promote contiguous downloads: “Download nan app. Get driving.”

10. User Reviews and Ratings

Reviews tin beryllium utilized successful ads, content, and app descriptions. To summation credibility and your app shop rankings.

Encourage your personification guidelines to time off feedback. Actively respond to their comments to build trust, show your committedness to personification satisfaction, and promote early engagement.

Follow these tips to get much reviews:

• Wait for breathtaking updates: Ask for reviews aft upgrading your app pinch caller features. Users whitethorn beryllium much inclined to time off a affirmative review.
• Leverage affirmative experiences: Has a personification completed a level? Won an grant for achieving their goals? Consider requesting reviews aft personification accomplishments. Check app shop policies earlier implementing this tactic.
• Don't inquire excessively often: The Apple App Store limits in-app reappraisal prompts to 3 times successful a 365-day period. Google Play hasn't established guidelines. But it implies that requesting reviews much than erstwhile a period mightiness forestall nan punctual from displaying. 

You tin besides petition reviews extracurricular of nan app. Requesting reviews connected different channels is little intrusive for users. And doesn't impact their in-app experience. 

For example, inquire Facebook aliases Instagram followers to time off a review. Try encouraging them pinch discounts. Or swag. This tin incentivize happy customers to reappraisal your app. 

In-app discounts and limited-time promotions tin thrust downloads. And boost engagement. They tin besides promote users to mention your app to others.

Incentivize customers to usage your app by offering in-app discounts: 

• Limited-time discount connected in-app purchases. Like crippled rate aliases typical items.
• Subscription discount for users who are consenting to motion up for a afloat year. As opposed to paying period to month.
• Free point aliases month’s subscription for app users who mention different user

12. Email Marketing

Email marketing is simply a powerful measurement to link pinch subscribers. 

Use these email trading tips to support app users engaged: 

• Onboarding campaigns: Build relationships pinch caller users. Send a invited email series that includes adjuvant tips and tutorials.
• News: Send an email erstwhile you motorboat caller updates aliases features
• Offers: Promote offers, discounts, and giveaways (e.g., 15% disconnected monthly scheme pinch caller signup)
• Upgrade: Encourage users to upgrade to premium plans
• Rewards and achievements: Inform users erstwhile they scope an in-app milestone. Or get a reward. 
• Tips and education: Help your target assemblage pinch issues they face. Send emails erstwhile you motorboat caller blog posts, videos, aliases tutorials connected really to usage app features.
• Re-engagement campaigns: Give offers aliases personalized incentives to reengage inactive users (e.g., scheme discounts, caller characteristic announcements, upgrade offers)

For example, Grammarly, a penning and editing app, sends play emails to users summarizing their accomplishments: 

Grammarly besides sends emails promoting its Premium plan. With specifications astir really it tin thief amended users’ writing. 

13. Analytics

Analyze your app trading efforts pinch an analytics instrumentality that tracks basal information. Like downloads, revenue, app performance, and more.

Use Semrush's Mobile App Insights to show app capacity successful operation pinch your trading efforts. 

View full app downloads and revenue. And keywords driving those downloads. And really your competitors’ apps are performing.

14. App Updates 

Regular updates amended app functionality. They besides show users you're committed to providing a awesome experience. 

Updates tin include:

• Bug fixes
• New features
• Enhancements based connected feedback from your mobile app users

Travel app Roadtrippers updates its app respective times a month. To heighten personification experience. And to explicate caller features aliases functionality. 

15. Localization

Localization is nan believe of adapting your merchandise to suit nan needs of a fixed market. 

For example, a personification mightiness download your app but uninstall it erstwhile they recognize it doesn't support their autochthonal language, taste requirements, aliases lifestyle. 

Localization is simply a maneuver that tin thief forestall this.

For example, McDonald's app tailors its contented and paper to section tastes and cultures. 

Here’s an illustration from nan U.S. and China.

IKEA changes its merchandise offerings depending connected nan city. Like smaller furnishings successful China to fresh smaller kitchens. 

Before entering a caller market, return nan pursuing into account: 

• Product marketplace fit: Your app’s halfway connection whitethorn request to alteration crossed markets
• Brand identity: Your values, app logo, and font mightiness resonate much if adapted to circumstantial markets
• Transcreation: Rewrite app contented for each caller market. Simply translating matter could lead to your caller marketplace misunderstanding colloquialisms aliases metaphors.
• Technical elements: Consider keyboard shortcuts, date, time, and rate features that will request to alteration for a caller market
• App partners: A caller marketplace whitethorn mean caller partners. Like costs partners. 

16. Push Notifications 

Push notifications look connected a user’s instrumentality to punctual them to usage your app. And congratulate them connected app milestones. 

For example, Pacer, a step-tracking app, sends measurement notifications to promote subscribers to sojourn nan app: 

Instacart uses notifications to alert users of limited-time promotional discounts:

Amazon sends remarketing push notifications to punctual users to bargain products they were browsing: 

When utilized correctly, notifications tin thief boost engagement and app loyalty. But if utilized excessively often, they tin annoy subscribers. And lead to uninstalls. 

Consider allowing users to opt retired of messaging. 

Thrive Market periodically gives users nan chance to move disconnected notifications. This lets their users cognize nan institution respects their preferences.

Grow Your Mobile App Strategy pinch Semrush

Successful app maturation requires a analyzable trading strategy. But devices for illustration Keyword Magic Tool, Mobile App Insights, and Market Explorer tin make it easier. 

Define your target market, build a mobile app trading strategy, and analyse your efforts. To successfully beforehand your app. And spot semipermanent success.