Top Tips to Improve Mobile App User Acquisition

Without users your app will be a success. Yes, it might win awards for design, concept or innovation but without big download numbers, regular users, and of course a good revenue stream, even the most ingenious app is considered a failure. Today we will share our top tips to improve Mobile App User Acquisition, falling back on our years as a mobile app developer to share the insights we have learned working on a variety of projects.

Of course user acquisition is only one piece of the puzzle. Once they knock on the front door the app itself still needs to invite users in and get them to stay awhile. However that is another discussion completely and today’s focus will be on ways to attract users.

Tips to Improve User Acquisition

• Know your User – Users have different wants and needs. Ideally you will be targeting a specific type or niche of user with your product so it is then critical to learn and understand those users to help hone your acquisition campaign and product.
• Understand the LTV – When it comes to apps, the acronym LTV stands for Lifetime Value. The LTV of your app is the lifetime value lets you know exactly what each user is worth to you. Different user specs have different LTVs so understanding which group to target is important based on the value you need. Some users spend more on apps, use them more often and will share experiences leading to more users checking you out.
• Optimize the App Store – This is an absolute must for app success. Regardless of the store, your app needs to have a great name, description, icon, proper keywords, and the ability to sell your product to users. They need to be able to find your app and then the information on your page needs to nudge them towards giving your app a try. This is an area where testing is invaluable to overall success.
• Run a Test Campaign – A test campaign offers the ability to compare tactics, slogans and ideas before launching a user acquisition campaign with the end result being a sharper, more effective campaign. Why fire at a target blindfolded when you can perform testing to help make your shots more accurate?
• Create Video Ads – Video ads are interesting and engaging which makes them a great introduction to a mobile app. They offer the opportunity to really showcase what your app can do and what people can get out of it quickly, especially if you can produce a high quality video.
• Content Marketing – Content marketing is a great strategy to help increase growth with apps. Valuable content can help showcase the value of your product along with demonstrating how the product will fill needs or solve problems.
• Use a Mailing List – Mailing lists are an “old school” method but one that still works very well. It is a great way to introduce a new product, provide people with information about updates or new releases, and offer users a channel to get back in touch for feedback or questions.
• Include Social Media – Social media use is a must because social media platforms have the ability to create viral hits. On top of that, platforms are highly visual which offers opportunity to showcase your app and social media offers a way to interact with customers.
• Press Releases – Press coverage can be very useful to get your name or the name of the app out there for the public to see. This can help increase awareness and drive installs.
• Track Everything – Knowledge is power. It is critical to utilize analytics to track every bit of data you can from download to opens to session length and so on. This data can then be used to shape plans moving forward for acquisition, development and updates on both the current project and future projects.

The bottom line is that with over a million apps sitting in app store, you need to do everything possible to get noticed. These top tips to improve mobile app user acquisition provide a nice base from which to start regardless of the type of app in development so you can develop a strategy for long-term success.

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