Now that we've said goodbye to 2016, it's time to get your mobile strategy in place for the new year. Contributor Gilad Bechar outlines seven mobile building blocks you can't afford to ignore.
Now that 2017 is here, it’s time to start planning your mobile strategy for the year.
If you think mobile success is about landing pages and app install ads, I have some news for you: In 2017, your mobile marketing strategy will have to include a lot more than just an advertising plan for your app. No, it won’t inflate your mobile marketing budget — it’ll just make it a lot more effective.
1. Product road map
The strategic product road map must include the development and incorporation of marketing-related features in the app itself, but not only that. An effective onboarding strategy is required for user retention and engagement, as is a push notification strategy that connects with your users at the perfect time, with the right content.
In addition, features like social media sharing integration, deep linking schemes, in-app measurement and tracking of user behavior and engagement — all demand that your mobile marketing strategy and product development plans go hand-in-hand.
2. Data-driven user acquisition
Simply throwing money at install ads is ineffective, and many app marketers are beginning to understand that. Success must be quantified in terms of ROI and user value. To do this, you must consistently and effectively measure and optimize your ad-buying efforts to reach ROI-positive users at the lowest CPI possible.
3. Remarketing
As few as 25 percent of users who install an app will return for a second visit. Additionally, stats show that losing 80 percent of your users within days of app download is very common. That means that three-quarters of your marketing efforts to attract new users to your app fall short and don’t generate positive ROI.
That’s where remarketing comes in: re-engaging dormant users. According to an Econsultancy study, 70 percent of companies say it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one. So instead of spending a significant portion of your app marketing budget on recruiting new users (the majority of whom won’t stick around anyway), you can spend less to engage and monetize users who already have your app installed on their device.
4. App Store Optimization (ASO)
The listing of your app in the app store is an important aspect of your app marketing strategy — one you simply cannot afford to neglect. The app page in the app store is where users make the final decision — to install or not to install? And they only take a few seconds to make this decision, regardless of how they reached this page (an ad or organic search results in the app store).
Another reason for you to invest in an effective app store optimization strategy is that ASO has been proven to be the one of the most cost-effective ways to organically bring relevant and engaged users to your app. Displaying your app to users who are actively searching for a specific solution is the best way to recruit loyal, ROI-positive users.
To ensure visibility in relevant search results, a long-term ASO content strategy is required, and now is a great time to start planning yours for 2017, based on performance in 2016.
5. Measurement and A/B testing
Measurement can’t start and end with the install count. Instead, it needs to be integrated in the app so it can allow for ongoing optimization of your conversion funnel, and let you perform effective A/B testing of your mobile marketing efforts.
A/B testing for performance optimization is not limited to your install ad campaigns. Optimization through A/B testing is relevant for just about every aspect of your mobile app. From push notification and onboarding optimization to creative and ASO, A/B testing is the most effective way to refine and polish your product and marketing strategy.
6. Creative
The artistic and original side of your mobile marketing efforts needs to be part of your mobile marketing strategy from the very beginning. And it’s not just about attractive visuals and spot-on copy for your ads. It’s also about leveraging the unique capabilities of the mobile platform in an engaging way that’ll motivate users not only to download your app, but to actively use it.
A creative and innovative approach can make all the difference. A user-friendly UI (user interface) is a must, and your onboarding process requires creativity and careful planning.
Keeping your users engaged with a thought-out messaging timeline, aimed at connecting with users at the right time and with the perfect content for them, will help you shine above the competition.
7. Localization
If you’re looking to conquer the world with your app, or if you’re planning to expand to just a few new locales in 2017, this move must be part of your mobile marketing strategy. We don’t need to tell you how important localization is, as studies show that 75 percent of users prefer to buy products in their native language.
Localization isn’t about simply uploading your app to international app stores and translating some ads. To succeed in international markets, you must have in-depth familiarity with the target audience’s culture, local trends and the accepted (and expected) style and content.
Another important thing to remember is that we live in an internationalized culture. So you cannot ignore multiple native language speakers in a single locale. For example, localizing to Spanish in the US app store will expose your app to an additional 37 million+ users.
Your localization efforts should aim to be as inclusive as possible, localizing across all user engagement channels — from the app page in the app store to the app UI.
The early bird
Getting the proverbial worm isn’t about waking up early in the morning. It’s about being early to prepare, innovate and create. It’s about getting ahead of your competition.
If you invest time and thought in your mobile marketing strategy for 2017 now, you’ll have a much easier time winning at mobile next year.
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