How to Write an App Description - App marketing Guide for 2020!

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App Marketing in 2021: A Guide for Startups & Corporations.🙭

February 17, 2021

Originally published on 09.28.19 and updated on 02.17.21. With over 5 million apps on the app stores, learning how to promote an app and establishing an app marketing strategy are a must for any newly added app. Users churn through apps really fast and increasing app store ranking is a process that takes time. Without a dedicated marketing campaign, the chances of growing your userbase is unfortunately close to none. 2020 wasn’t only a tumultuous year due to COVID-19. While many people approached 2021 eagerly awaiting a vaccine, app marketers were (perhaps more trepidatiously) awaiting drastic changes to the mobile marketing ecosystem. Navigating 2021's new landscape will be tricky with updates such as Apple's effective cancellation of IDFA. In this article, we'll guide you through everything you need to know if you want to promote an app in 2021, from pre-launch tasks to complete checklists, free marketing ideas, and FAQs. You'll also learn what not to do. Not all marketing is good marketing, and luckily for you we happen to know a thing or two about the great kind. How can we help? For more questions, or to speak to award-winning mobile marketers here at Moburst, get in touch. Contact us! Steps for App Marketing: Pre-Launch When learning how to market an app, it's important to remember to do your pre-launch tasks first. Before pressing the big red launch button, you need to work on the following: Market researchBranding and messagingApp marketing budgetApp marketing strategyTraditional marketing methods Without these, you'll be wasting money on ads that are not targeted. Your purpose is to bring as many people to your app as possible, without wasting money or having a high churn rate. Paying $1,000 for 100 installs with a 50% uninstall rate can happen if you don't think things through in advance. 1. Conduct market research before you promote your app Before marketing your app, you need to do three things: Define your userEstablish which keywords you want to targetConduct a competitive analysis For the first one, your company needs to decide on a user persona. Think about the traits common to the types of users that will use your app on a daily basis. You can set multiple user personas as long as you're able to create a custom marketing message for each of them. Your messaging to Gen Z should be totally different from your messaging to Millennials, for example. To establish keywords, you can do an app store keyword research and decide on which keyword sets you'll optimize your app for. App store keyword research can be done through the following methods: Use ASO tools to find out which keywords bring the most searches. There are many tools out there ranging in price, such as AppTweak, AppFollow and MobileAction. They’re all upwards of $10,000 a year, which can be costly for your business, especially without the knowledge of how to navigate them to achieve optimum results. Enlisting the help of a mobile marketing agency can work in your favor. Analyze your competitors for keyword ideas and marketing strategies. What keywords are they ranking for? Perhaps they’re targeting ones you hadn’t even considered, but should. Analyze reviews to better understand how users are describing an app. This can give you clues as to what they may search for.Brainstorm keyword ideas based on your app’s features. What will appeal most to potential users? Choosing the best keywords is one of the most important tasks when marketing your app! Ranking on a query that only has 50 searches a month will result in extreme budget losses. Also, conducting a competitive analysis is not only limited to keywords. It’s important to understand the market in which you’re operating to know what performs best with your potential users. Always keep your eyes on your competitors’ games to stay in the running. 2. Define your branding and messaging One of the most important aspects of marketing is communication with the customer. The tone, message, and ideas you communicate are part of your brand and will influence the user's decision to install your app or not. For example, social media apps communicate in a personal and cheerful way with users. In their marketing copy, it's all about the user. Everything the app does is to enrich the user's experience and allow them to share it with others. Another example we can is Calm, a guided meditation app that Moburst optimized for the App Store. Calm's purpose is to help people relax. Everything surrounding their brand identity and marketing communication is tranquil. This includes: A handwritten logoImages of natureIcons that "breathe" in order to help a user control their own breathingRelaxing blue tones meant to relax the user With their entire social media presence, they do everything they can to help the user relax. For example, the majority of their social media posts have specific goals, to remind users to: breathebe presentrelaxslow down By taking care of their users' well being, they keep them close, increase brand awareness and build upon the relationship between the brand and user. In 2021, it’s wise to bear in mind important political conversations when establishing your branding and messaging. Last year, for example, global Black Lives Matter protests brought critical conversations to the forefront of nearly every brand’s identity and future strategy. Showing empathy and a willingness to do better is now more important than ever. Ensure your brand values match those of your target users and that you’re effectively communicating them. 3. Tweak your app promotion budgets It doesn't matter if you're starting at $10,000 a month or $1,000,000 a month to promote an app, a clear budget is needed to make sure that you're not wasting money. Even a 2% decreases in costs can be beneficial. Out of 1 million, that's $20,000. It's better for that money to stay in your company's pocket, right? Firstly, split your budgets into multiple niches. A percentage for ASO services, another for PPC and so on. A quick tip that we recommend is defining your profit margins and the maximum CPI that you can afford. By doing this, you enable your mobile marketing agency to have a nearly unlimited marketing budget. Bear in mind, your app marketing budget should not be set in stone forever. Your agency should be allowed to raise the budgets as much as possible as long as you're still making a good profit. To explain this in detail: CPI= Cost per install You have a budget of $10,000 per month for media buying.The Maximum CPI that allows you to make a profit is $10.Your agency manages to deliver a CPI of $6.Seeing that your CPI is still under the maximum limit, you should allow the agency to push your budget many times over $10,000 per month and only stop if they get close to the $10 limit. By going with this approach, you are creating a scalable system that will skyrocket your earnings. How can we help? For more questions, or to speak to award-winning mobile marketers here at Moburst, get in touch. Contact us! 4. Define your overall app marketing strategy You've already defined who should use your app and decided on how big your budget is. Now, it's time to decide how you'll push your app towards your potential users. It can be anything from social media, paid media or app store optimization. We strongly recommend doing a marketing mix! Your marketing channels should not compete with each other. Instead, they should work together towards the same goal: more app downloads and a high ROI. Your app marketing strategy is only complete if you: Measure everythingCreate a strategy that can be scaledEnsure the channels work togetherContinuously tweak and improve it Without measuring everything, you will have no data to base your decisions on. You can't go with your gut when pushing a $10k budget on an ad. Data needs to approve of your idea. Luckily for you, there are tons of app analytics tools that you can use. Facebook pixels can be integrated, and even Google Analytics. Facebook has released guidelines on how to continue using the Facebook Pixel in the age of iOS 14 and cancelled IDFA. If it's not scalable, chances are you're doing it wrong. Your goal is to get millions of downloads. Because of this, your ads need to first reach tens of millions of people, which requires a scalable strategy. Make sure you're creating ad strategies that can be easily replicated and changed in order to increase app downloads. Let’s say you have a “health and fitness” app. A user can search on Google for “how to lose weight” and reach your guide. They can read it and leave. Fear not, they are still not lost! You can use Facebook Remarketing to get them back. Guide them to a landing page and convince them to download the free version of the app. After that, you can start integrating push notifications and emails into your "fitness app". Use their data to remind them that they forgot to go to the gym or that they managed to achieve their goal in order to boost their motivation. After they use the app enough, you can start using all your channels to push for the conversion, turning the user into a paying customer. This process is not set in stone. People are different. Because of this, you need to continuously work on your processes and strategy. App store optimization is going to take an even more vital role in 2021 given the dramatic changes facing the mobile attribution world. With IDFA and Cookie changes coming from both Apple and Google, the world of paid mobile advertising is rerouting, and while marketers navigate those changes, ASO needs to step up to promote apps. 5. Focus on more traditional marketing methods too Even when you promote an app, you still need a website. You can showcase a better presentation on a web page than an app store page, and it’s a reliable form of app marketing for generating brand awareness and loyalty. And, because you've installed your pixel and analytics tools on both the website and the app, you'll still be able to see the source of the install, no matter where you drive the user first. Some businesses actually start web marketing years before the app launch, thinking in the long term. Email marketing is also an essential for building a dedicated audience. Since paid UA has shown how unreliable it can be, and how it’s dependent on a few key powers (cough *Apple* cough) who call nearly all the shots, integrating both email and web marketing into your strategy allows you to build your own independent audience. For web marketing, you should: Create a blog that’s relevant to your industry, e.g. if you’re a wellness app, start a wellness blog. Start doing SEO to increase your organic traffic in time. Create killer landing pages and banners to get free organic installs in no time. This way, When the app launches, you'll already have a website that gets new traffic daily and directs people to download your app. As for the email marketing part, by creating a newsletter database, you're building yourself a useful app launch tool. A list with over 10,000 users can be used for: Email newsletters announcing the app launch and special promos.Lookalike audiences for better targeted Facebook Ads. Steps for App Marketing: Post-Launch So, you've created an app and pushed the big button to launch it on the app stores? Good for you. Now, it's time to market it and make sure that people know about it. We'll cover how to promote apps by combining multiple mobile marketing strategies: ASO (app store optimization)PPC (pay per click ads - Facebook Ads, Google Ads, etc.)Social media platforms, e.g. Snapchat and TikTokA couple of extra smaller mediums 1. Optimize your app for the app stores App store optimization (ASO) is the process of improving the information present on the app stores and tweaking the marketing campaigns in order to push an app higher in the search results. The main goal of ASO is to provide organic downloads, without the need for paying per install or click. App stores also take into consideration the number of downloads you have, the number of app reviews and the quality of them. They have complex algorithms that can make or break your organic efforts. Don't forget to talk with your app developers to continue updating your app with new features and improved UI (app freshness and updates are ranking factors) and with your marketing agency to tweak your app description and screenshots. There are always new keywords worth targeting or design trends to take into account, it’s a dynamic process. As we mentioned earlier in the article, part of app store optimization is performed around certain core keywords that people will search on the app stores. We have a complete guide on what app store optimization is. Feel free to check it out in order to learn more about this topic. Also, if you don’t know where to start, we can help you out. ASO is one of our main breadwinners here at Moburst. 2. Work on your PPC campaign For the first few months, the main source of your app installs will come from your PPC marketing strategy. There are multiple tools for PPC campaigns: Facebook AdsGoogle AdsYoutube AdsTwitter AdsAny ad networks inside apps There is no "best network". It all depends on the type of app you're promoting and on the customer persona. Find out where your users are spending more time and target them there. PRO tip: Remarketing is one of the best types of PPC marketing. Targeting people that visited your site already will greatly increase the Conversion rate and ROI. Also, don't forget about optimizing your campaign and A/B testing. Create multiple ad sets on all platforms with small changes between them. One ad set can use black and white images, while another can use brightly colored ones. Leave them to run for a week and eliminate the bad ones. Rinse and repeat until you find the best ad format and channel for your app. Automated Campaigns A trend for paid campaigns in 2021 is definitely programmatic advertising. The introduction of automated ads has come from the likes of key platforms such as Pinterest and Facebook. The purpose of automating the paid ad process is to reduce the time and effort marketers need to input, while improving the results and insights. You can read more about Pinterest’s automated creatives here. 3. Promote your app on social media Social media refers to all of the platforms fueled by user generated content that can be shared and discussed. Social media platforms to consider for marketing, beyond Facebook: RedditPinterestInstagramLinkedInYouTubeSnapchatTikTok And many, many, many more. Getting social media right is one of the hardest and most costly tasks a company will have. You need to know your users deeply and create content that they'll resonate with and be willing to share. Also, what works on Facebook will not necessarily work on Snapchat or TikTok. And what works on TikTok will for sure not work on LinkedIn or Reddit. Because of this, your company will need to either decide on a few main social media channels or create personalized content for each platform. Encourage users to participate in your social media campaign. If you're working on promoting fitness apps, you can encourage users to share their before and after stories. If you have an awesome recipe app, ask users to photograph their foods and share them via a special # you created for your brand. This is the cheapest and most effective marketing you can do on social media. Not quite an app, but employing the same method of social media user interaction to grow the brand, UK famous food company Ottolenghi began the hashtag #icookedottolenghi that now has over 30,000 posts and a dedicated following. Food app giant Yummly has a dedicated hashtag with over 63,000 posts too. If you're a global company, it will pay off to go a little smaller on social media. Hire small social media companies in each country and localize your app's social media campaign. Netflix does this really well. If you have a social media campaign in a certain country, they can link your content and app to the main events, customs and social norms specific to that country, resulting in increased conversions and better brand awareness. New Girlfriend: What's your Netflix password? You knowing your ex still uses your Netflix.Translated from Netflix Facebook Page in Romania. TikTok in 2021 2020 was the year that saw TikTok become the most downloaded (non-gaming) app out there. With around 690 million monthly users globally, and 100 million of those hailing from the US alone, it’s a huge platform for marketing your app. It’s estimated that 18% of global internet users aged 16-64 use TikTok. If it’s appropriate to your brand and your target users might be hanging out there, you simply can’t ignore the value TikTok marketing can bring to your app promotion. 4. Mobile marketing channels that you shouldn't forget about Of course, there are tens of other channels that you can use in order to promote apps. You can hire PR firms to push you or one of your company members in front of media companies. TV interviews, podcasts and newspaper articles will still get your app well known. Podcasts have risen in popularity over the past few years with no signs of stopping. In 2021, if you can find podcasts with listeners who overlap with your target userbase - sponsor them! That way you’re targeting potential users where their attention is already, and your ROI is sure to be higher. Mix (previously StumbleUpon) discovery platform is also a great tool to promote your app, as they have a paid package. Yet, this is only recommended for apps that have a really wide user persona. Games work great here. Many businesses also transform their users into micro influencers. Give out a commission for every sale and people will flock to help you out while cashing in something for themselves as well. Revolut, one of the largest banking apps in Europe is giving away commissions to anyone bringing users to their app via a custom code. Uber, the world renowned ride-sharing app, offers users free rides when they refer a friend. Talking about influencers, you can also go a little bigger. Influencers exist across a whole spectrum in terms of followers. At the top end, you could find famous athletes, celebrities or scientists and ask them to promote your app, or go for macro-influencers with a few hundred thousand followers. You can read all about influencer marketing here. Image association is one of the simplest forms of marketing. 5. How to Market An App for Mobile Users’ Limited Attention Span The mobile world moves fast. It seems like every time we blink a new app is either born or gone. App marketing pros know how tough it is to get users to install a product and actually use it, and even after achieving this goal – it still has to compete with at least one more screen. Mobile presents unique and difficult challenges that require unique solutions, as well as a solid mobile strategy. So here are a few tips to help you get started: Get to the Point Every mobile expert knows that users are firm believers in "TL;DD" – Too Long; Didn’t Download. Don’t waste their time with unnecessary explanations and lengthy stories. Whether it’s your app page description, push notifications, or onboarding tutorial – your messages must be straightforward. Make sure to include a strong call to action to let users know exactly what you need them to do, and be your own harshest critic with every word you choose to include. Does it truly add value? Luckily, the character limit on most content forms will keep you in check. Take Action Present users with actionable ads that allow them to click and immediately put the app to use (by booking a cab, for instance), and use interactive push notifications to not only show users a call to action but to have them execute it right then and there. You only have a few seconds to get things moving. Keep it Simple When it comes to your mobile strategy, less can most definitely be more. I know your mind must be bursting with ideas for features and content you’d like to share with users, but narrowing it down will serve them better in many cases. An overwhelming interface creates a bad UX that will scare users away, so opt for a clean and intuitive flow instead. It’s important to adopt this logic when crafting your app’s onboarding process and fight the urge to exhaust users by showing them every corner of your app. Focus on your USPs Remember: when it comes to app marketing, you’re dealing with an audience that has seen and done it all, so the best thing you can do is give them something truly interesting. Focusing on the keywords that will bring you the most organic downloads is great, but they also have to highlight your USPs. The same goes for the content of your mobile ads and how you choose to interact with users – sending original notifications can be magic for your retention rate. Working with a creative agency can work wonders for killer campaign concepts that help you meet your KPIs. How can we help? For more questions, or to speak to award-winning mobile marketers here at Moburst, get in touch. Contact us! Deep Link Deep linking is the perfect solution for mobile ADHD. It allows you to get users’ attention by indexing your app more effectively and sending users exactly where they need to go within the app. If you haven’t embraced this technology as part of your mobile strategy up until now, reality is about to make that decision for you. Soon users tapping an ad will expect to be immediately directed to the relevant screen as opposed to the app's main page. Providing the user with a counter-intuitive result will make them jump ship. With a little technical help from mobile experts, deep links are a tool you can use to turn a short term experience into a productive one. Best ways to promote an app for free Sometimes, the budget is small, so we've also created a list of methods you can use to promote your app for free (or almost free). Want to know how to promote apps for free? Organize guest posting You can publish articles on different blogs for free, as long as you're writing something useful. Just contact bloggers and website owners in your niche, tell them about your app and ask if you can write something for them. If you have your own website or blog, you can offer an exchange. Publish your app on other app stores Google Play Store and Apple's App Store aren't the only app stores you can use. Feel Free to publish your app on Mac App Store, Huawei App Gallery, Samsung Galaxy Store, or the Amazon App Store (to name just a few). Huawei sells the second most smartphones after Samsung and its App Gallery is used by 490 million people, and yet there’s far less competition to rank highly there because app developers have ignored it. Take advantage. Get your app noticed You can always pitch your app to app reviewers, app associations or critiques. The worst that can happen is you get ignored. The best case scenario is that you get a prize and some awesome PR alongside it. Join Facebook groups in your niche Start interacting with the users and push your app as a solution for their problems. Do a press release for your app The press is always on the lookout for the next big thing. Create a press kit with relevant information and images that they can use. Make sure to add info about the business as well, not only about the app. Influencer marketing can be a great option here, too. Become an expert If you’re an expert in a certain niche that’s relevant to your app, speak at conferences and events. Tell people about your experiences and promote the app in the process. Help people on forums There are tons of people that have problems. If your app is the solution, tell them how it can help them and leave a link. Quora and Reddit are great places to start. Do a cross-promotion with someone else. There are tons of ad platforms that allow you to promote another app in exchange for credits instead of ad revenue. You can then use those credits to promote your app for free in other apps. How Not to Market Your App Of course, there are also methods you shouldn't use to promote an app. Some people say that there is no negative marketing, only marketing. Yet, we do recommend staying on the good side of the customer. Make sure that in your marketing efforts you don't do the following: Share false informationSpam groups, forums and emailsPromote your app without giving any value to the users How to Promote Apps: FAQs Do we really need a Landing Page for an App Download Campaign? You can promote an app without a landing page. Yet, we strongly recommend having one as it will increase your conversion rate. What are the best blogs/sites for promoting an app? We recommend websites like Product Hunt, Beta List, the Startup Pitch, Hacker news, App Gratis, and the Reddit Startup Section. What are the best ways to promote an app in the local area? You can do targeted ads in a geographic area. How much does it cost to promote an app? App promotion can go from zero to a few hundred thousand dollars per month. As a rule of thumb, a cost per install in the US is around $2. How can we help? For more questions, or to speak to award-winning mobile marketers here at Moburst, get in touch. Contact us! Conclusion There are many ways to target an audience and get more potential customers. We hope that we've managed to provide at least one relevant insight for you and your business. Have you managed to do any interesting marketing campaigns for your app?
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How to Write Ad Copy Like A Pro

February 10, 2021

With the average consumer being served up thousands of branded messages each day, the competition for their attention couldn’t be higher. Therefore, for your advertising copy to have any chance of sticking in their mind, it must be as easy as possible for them to imagine. Keep reading to find out our killer ad copy tips to help you write them like a pro. How to Write Ad Copy 1. Draw From Experience Every product or brand has its own unique story. As an ad copywriter it’s your job not just to tell it, but do it in a way that’s original, fresh, and extremely digestible. One effective way of making your writing easier for the audience to grasp is by leveraging concrete language in the making of your ads. By doing so, you assist your audience in connecting to the idea by giving them a precise point of reference to envision. Let’s take coffee, for example, far and away the most popular morning beverage in the history of the world (possibly). Americans consume an estimated 400 million cups of it every day, and according to the Huffington Post nearly half of all coffee consumers would rather skip a shower in the morning than forgo their first cup. Now imagine you’re tasked with creating an ad for your company’s brand of everyone’s favorite day-starter. Where do you begin? What is it about your coffee that makes it different and why should customers care? After all, there’s no shortage of alternatives. Maybe it’s bolder than the others and with twice the amount of caffeine? That’s a good start, however, does “an extra bold coffee with twice the amount of caffeine” really make any kind of a lasting impression? Seriously, close your eyes and repeat that line again, “an extra bold coffee with twice the amount of caffeine.” What do you see? Probably a stock image of coffee that you might find in one of those off-white ceramic cups at a diner. In other words, coffee that’s generic, unmemorable, and with absolutely no personality. Don’t be surprised when your art director comes back to you with some boring picture like the one we just described to go along with your less-than-inspiring words. As the writer, you’ve given nothing concrete for anyone to work with, be it a consumer hearing your line on the radio, or the person responsible for designing the accompanying visuals. 2. Analogies Are Your Ad Copywriting Friends If you think about it, surely there are some concrete things you can come up with that sets your coffee apart, and this is where the magic of analogies shines bright. Because an analogy is a way of saying something is like something else to illustrate a point, the use of similes makes them easy to come up with. A great way to get started is to turn what you want to say about your product into a game of mad libs, and then channel your inner “grandmother on Facebook for the first time” and (figuratively speaking) start “liking” everything. For example: Like the ______ of _____. Like if your ____ had a _____. Like a _____ for your _____. Now let’s apply that to your coffee and see what happens. As we mentioned before, it’s extra bold and with twice the caffeine, meaning it’s super-strong like it’s on...steroids. Like your morning coffee on steroids! Yes it’s a little bit more than cliché, but at the very least it conjures up a pair of flexing muscles slapped onto that mug, and now provides your audience with a visual point of reference. 3. Keep Grinding As we’ve just seen, making similes out of your messaging is a quick and easy way to create analogies, and sometimes it’s enough. However, in other cases there may still be work needed if you want your ad copy to really stand out. One helpful way to do this is to delve into the mind of your audience. Ask yourself some questions. Why do people drink coffee? When and where do they drink it? What does it do for them? Think about the answers. Presumably most people drink coffee in the morning for an energy boost to get them moving and ready to take on the day ahead. That seems pretty clear, but it’s more wordy than concrete. We need to dig a little deeper. “A burst of energy to get you moving.” That sounds a lot like “fuel” which also serves to get you moving. So let’s take it and the rest of our idea and make it into a new analogy: Like fuel that gets you out the door in the morning and off to work. Ok, still wordy, but “fuel” is a little more concrete than “burst of energy,” meaning it can be interpreted visually a lot easier. Next, let’s take a look at the second half of your answer: “out the door in the morning and off to work.” Again, is there any other way to say that more succinctly? Perhaps “fuel” can provide a visual queue. For example, what comes to mind when you hear the word “fuel?” Chances are you’re thinking of a car, which is how many people get to work on their...morning commute. Like fuel for your morning commute! Ok, now we’re really getting somewhere (pun intended). We’ve crafted a nice, tight line of advertising copy that gets the message across, and best of all paints a mental image. However, we’re not quite done yet, as it’s still a bit too generic. After all, the idea that coffee is fuel for your morning commute can be true about pretty much any brand. Is there anything about yours that you can call attention to that will help set it apart from the competition? Better yet, is there a way you can do it that conjures a mental image? 4. Call It As You See It Let’s look back at your original coffee description to see if we can find some inspiration for a way to set it apart: “extra bold with twice the caffeine.” In other words, this “fuel” is really strong. You might say it’s “high octane,” like the type of fuel used to power a racecar. If that’s not strong enough, how about “jet fuel?” Still not strong enough, how about “rocket fuel?” Like rocket fuel for your morning commute! or even more to the point: Rocket fuel for your morning commute! Sounds like a pretty good line, and it wasn’t really that difficult to come up with either. Now, will it win you a Cannes Lions Award for creative excellence? Most likely not, however, it does check all the boxes for effective ad copy examples that put a visual image in its reader’s mind. Plus, it gives your art director more to work with when deciding on the ad’s creative direction. Key Takeaways In the words of advertising innovator Howard Gossage, “People don’t read ads. They read what interests them, and sometimes that’s an ad.” Follow our steps for how to write ad copy above and you’ll be on your way to making your ads precisely what people are interested in. One effective way of making your advertising copy easier for your audience to grasp is using concrete language in the making of your ads. Concrete language provides your audience with a mental image by giving them a familiar point of reference. Analogies are great at accomplishing this, and can even do much of the heavy lifting for you. Using poetic devices such similes is an easy and effective way to create analogies, just be careful not to wade into the cliché. Get into the mind of your audience and then paint them a picture showing how you help solve their problem. If you can’t “see it” when you close your eyes, you’re not done yet. Use specific details and other identifying information in your wording to provide your audience a more sensory experience. Extra Ad Copy Tips for Converting Users Solve their problems: as soon as you identify what they’re looking for, you can provide a solution to their issue. After all, a user is only going to be motivated to click your ad if there’s something in it for them. As an ad copywriter, ask yourself what your user wants to achieve and how you can meet their request. Be timely/ topical: to increase the conversion value of your ad, it can be created around a current event, trendy topic or particular season. Whether that’s Black Friday, Thanksgiving, the SuperBowl or a presidential inauguration, if it’s what everyone’s talking about...why not join in on the action? Relevance and “freshness” of ads is way more appealing to users than ones that feel outdated. Appeal to users’ emotions: when a user is simply scrolling down their Facebook, they’re not looking for your app. That’s why you’ve got your work cut out trying to grab them, and triggering their emotions through Facebook ad copy is a great way to go. The same goes with any other social media platform. You can play on their FOMO, trigger excitement and joy, or bring up feelings of nostalgia. Whichever route, it’ll make your users far more likely to convert. Instead of just describing your app, think about what emotions it can instill, too. To do this, you’ve got to first define who your target users are and establish your messaging. FOMO (fear of missing out) is a particularly good emotion to trigger because it has strong persuasive value. Nobody wants to feel like they’re missing out, right? If you give your users’ a reason to believe this might happen to them if they don’t download your app, then they’re probably going to download it. Data is your friend: before you begin, you must identify certain crucial factors. Without research and data to back up your ad copywriting, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Just because you believe your ad copy works well, doesn’t mean it will actually perform well. Who are you writing for? How does that person think/ behave? What does that person need? What ads does that person usually respond well to? Use tools to aid the above: there are many tools that exist to help you here. You can A/B test creatives with SplitMetrics, find the questions everyone’s asking at Answer The Public, look at your analytics on the social media platform you’re advertising on, etc.
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Pinterest’s Automated Ads, Google Play Store’s Ranking Indicators & More

January 26, 2021

Pinterest implemented a new customizable advertising format that allows marketers to automate the process of building personalized creative ads to target specific audiences. Nike revealed in January that its apps helped it achieve a huge digital sales growth in 2020.With the death of third-party cookies and changes to key identifiers such as Apple’s IDFA, many businesses have been redirecting their sights on first and second-party data. Mobile spending rose significantly during 2020 amid the global pandemic that saw everybody with more time to dedicate to their devices. Google Play Store has introduced new icons that indicate whether an app has risen or fallen in the charts, which will allow app marketers to analyze download trends. Pinterest’s New Ad Format It seems that every platform is moving towards automating their ad campaigns these days, and Pinterest is no exception. Following competitors Facebook and Snapchat, Pinterest has recently introduced a way to automate the process of building personalized creatives for ads. The new customizable ads will allow marketers to target specific audiences with a lot less hassle than the manual approach previously required. Now, advertisers can use digital assets to make numerous Pins. Various platforms have been revealed as partners in the process, including RevJet, StitcherAds and Smartly.io. They’ll all be providing software templates and tools for dynamic ad designs. If you’re an advertiser, you can now say good riddance to the time spent on creating customized ads in the hundreds. What’s really changed? Advertisers will now be able to combine product images, feed data and bespoke design elements automatically to create personalized ads based on real-time audience data. Included in this will be branding, custom backgrounds, star ratings, etc. Dynamic Image Templates can be used to automatically adjust image sizes or overlay specific branding, among other features. This will allow advertisers to keep their ads consistent with their website banners. Tests can also be run on the creative assets to see which perform the best. So, not only will advertisers save on time and effort, they’ll also improve their sales performance at the same time. Nike’s Apps Crucial Role in 2020 Growth It’s no secret that many brands achieved sales growth in 2020, especially those that could tap into the COVID climate. With exercise just about the only freedom available to many people around the globe, Nike was bound to be up there. What we found interesting was Nike’s attribution of this growth to its apps in particular. We know how important apps are to brand growth, but it’s great to see their value recognized by a global powerhouse. Throughout a tumultuous year, Nike’s apps made its brand more accessible to shoppers when in-store visits were less viable. As for Nike itself, the apps allowed the brand to gather more data on its customers, including their spending habits, exercise routines, etc. All of this data can provide better insights for future marketing campaigns. How have Nike made its apps crucial to its brand success? A gamification strategy has been put to play to encourage customers to take part in various activities in the hope of increased loyalty, strong brand messaging and amped up sales. For example, SNKRS, a Nike app designed for dedicated “sneakerheads”, allows users to be part of a Nike community where they can offer forth their own designs for limited-edition sneaker drops. It’s purposefully interactive to maintain customer loyalty. The Rise of First-Party and Second-Party Data The death or third-party cookies and changes to key identifiers such as Apple’s IDFA are upon us, posing a difficult year ahead for app marketers. That means first-party and second-party data are of increased importance. Although hard to define exactly, “second-party data” generally pertains to the acquisition of another company’s first-party data through partnership. For its success, brands must collaborate, and potentially use green rooms to analyze data in a protected way. First-party data, sometimes also referred to as zero-party data, is data which is actively shared with a company by consumers, such as preference data and transaction intentions. According to a recent report by Merkle, 52% of respondents said that their organizations have prioritized digital experiences and/or strategies to collection more first-party data. In fact, 88% said that collecting and storing first-party data is a high or the highest priority for marketers over the next 6-12 months. Mobile Spending 2020 Increase Mobile engagement rose significantly in 2020 amid the pandemic, App Annie’s most recent State of Mobile report finds. This is hardly surprising given the “stay at home” nature of the year, and the fact that we saw the same pattern in each quarter. All in all, consumers spent $143 billion on mobile apps, presenting a 20% year-on-year increase. App Annie doesn’t think the rise will end as we continue into the new year, however, with their prediction for mobile spending in 2021 to nearly double and top a whopping $290 billion. What’s clear is that in this mobile-first world we live in, brands’ presence in the mobile app sphere is just as important as their web presence, or will soon takeover. Google Play Store’s New Icons New chart position icons have been added to Google Play Store to highlight rising and falling apps within category leaderboards. The new icons will show a trending up or trending down arrow beneath the app’s number ranking, showcasing whether the app’s downloads have caused it to rise or fall in rank. While there are no more details given, such as how far up or down the app has travelled, or when the change began, these icons provide app marketers with insights into download trends. Photo Credit: Android Police How to make sure you don’t see that downwards arrow beneath your app’s ranking? Invest in your ASO. Over 64% of users find your app organically by browsing through the app store, and ASO is your first chance to wow them. By offering users the best screenshots, video, description, title, icon, reviews, etc., you’re giving them few reasons not to convert. The more you keep them converting, the easier it will be to keep your app clear of any falling downloads icon!
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Everything You Need To Know About App Store Preview Videos

January 18, 2021

With their ability to bring your app to life, demonstrate its flow, and get users excited, app store preview videos are one of the wisest investments you can make in your ASO. Video is one of the most potent weapons you have – to appeal to and engage potential users, increasing the chances they’ll download your app, and to ensure they stay engaged after download. An often overlooked benefit of a great app store preview video is that it can inform the user of what to expect after downloading, which makes for much better retention rates post-download. There are many ways to go about creating one, from doing it in-house with free online tools to using a professional, full-service video production team like we have at Moburst, so there really is no excuse not to have one. Regardless of which direction you choose to go, we’ll cover app store preview video best practices, the key factors to consider when choosing who should create your app store preview video, and some inspiration. After all, there are few things that capture a user’s attention better than an awesome video. Why is an App Store Preview Video So Important? The statistics around video performance are impressive: 55% of people pay close attention when consuming video – more than all other types of content. Video is proven to have higher engagement and conversion rates than images. Including video on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80%. Consumers who view demo videos are 1.81x more likely to make a purchase than non-viewers. Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it compared to 10% when reading it. More than these stats, though, is the fact that videos provide an excellent way to grab your potential user’s attention in an app listing. They’re given primary real estate in the app stores (although the formats differ slightly for both Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store). A video gives an incredible platform to show off your app dynamically. This includes the in-app experience (show them how easy it is to use) and unique features. Let them know what they have in store if they just go ahead and try your app. Once you’ve overcome this hurdle, you’re well on your way to achieving success. App Store Preview Videos: App Store vs Google Play The differences in preview videos for Apple and Google are subtle yet important. What follows are some key differences to be aware of: Apple App Store: For iOS, the app preview video is expected to demonstrate the app’s top features and UI, while taking a basic, straightforward approach. Like with most things Apple, the editorial guidelines are relatively rigid, and strictly enforced when submitting your app. For example, preview videos can only use captured footage from within the app. People interacting with the app, including fingers tapping the screen and over-the-shoulder angles, are a no-no, as is behind-the-scenes footage of the app’s development. How can we help? For more questions, or to speak to award-winning mobile marketers here at Moburst, get in touch. Contact us! One of the biggest differences to the Google Play Store is that for the App Store, video auto-plays. This makes it even more critical to grab the user from the first second. Another key point to take into account is the “poster frame”. This appears whenever app previews do not autoplay, so it’s really important to select a frame for your preview video footage that can “do the job” when video isn’t an option. Google Play: In general, Google Play is a lot more flexible in terms of content and editing guidelines than the Apple App Store. The Play Store also allows app owners to utilize the best space in the app page – the top of the page. Use this area to actively promote your app via a Youtube link (this is why the Play Store refers to it as a “Promo video”, as opposed to an “App Preview”). The “Promo Video” does not autoplay, and in most views has a “Play” button as an overlay on the video. Remember, your Youtube link shouldn’t be a shortened link, and should be linked directly to the video itself (not, for example, to a channel). Dos and Don’ts of an App Store Preview/ Promo Video Here are some “Dos and Don’ts” for app store preview/ promo videos: 1. Do lead with your main message Most users won’t watch your video until the end, and will decide in seconds whether your app is worth exploring further or downloading. Your promo video has to pack a powerful initial punch to pique their interest. Then, make sure you get to the main message (which should be the top unique aspects of your app) as quickly as possible. Absolutely don’t leave your “knockout punch” for the end of the video. 2. Don’t repeat the message Repeating your message sounds like a good idea, but when it comes to preview videos, it’s not. When a user experiences a key message twice, they’ll likely conclude that this is all the app has to offer – and simply move on. 3. Do make sure the video can stand alone – without sound Most videos will be played without sound. So make sure that your muted video makes sense, and make use of titles and text. Sound should be seen as an added bonus, and not an integral part of your video. Mute volume image 4. Don’t use restricted video Make sure your video is not age-restricted and does not contain any copyrighted or unlicensed content. This sounds simple, but has implications across sound, graphics, and the video itself. 5. Do test, and test again! This is probably the most important part of an effective app store preview/ promo video (everyone’s doing it). Your video should be based on a number of parameters, including how users got to your app, what aspects of your app users will connect with most, and what features it’s important for you to highlight. 6. Do include a Call To Action Each promo video should include an action for the user to take after watching. Usually this will be to download the app, but it can be phrased in a number of ways that are contextual to your app. How can we help? For more questions, or to speak to award-winning mobile marketers here at Moburst, get in touch. Contact us! Who Should Be Producing Your App Store Video? With all of the above best practices and many more, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out the best app store video alone. Or even with an agency that doesn’t have the necessary app-specific experience. Which is why working with a professional video production team with relevant experience can give you a wealth of benefits. Keep reading to find out in what ways. Writing For The Small Screen You may be working with a video production company, but well before you get to the visuals it’s all about the writing. With only half a minute to work with maximum, and the average attention span less than that, your video must be written in a way that tells a compelling story in virtually five seconds or less. In other words, it needs to be as light on fluff as possible. “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery It’s also important that the writer of your App Store Preview Video is experienced in writing for that particular medium. Just like writing for blogs vs. banner advertisements differs, the same can be said for App Store Preview Videos. This is because of the various nuances in the rules and guidelines for each app store. For example, Apple is extremely strict about the content of app store preview videos and requires it only contains footage found in the app. If the video your production company delivers is of a promotional nature it will not be approved. Thus, all that time and money you’ve invested in your production company will be for naught should that be the asset you receive from them in the end. On the other hand, Google is much less restrictive when it comes to their preview videos, especially when it comes to giving them a more “salesy” flair. Consequently, in order to capitalize on this opportunity, it’s important that your production company’s writer has either advertising or marketing writing experience, especially when Google is giving you the chance to make it exactly that! Lastly, it’s important that the production company’s writing talent is a wellspring of creativity and not just a one-trick pony. You may have a good idea of what type of video will resonate with your audience, but until it’s put into action you won’t know for sure. For that reason, it’s important to A/B test with several video variations, and in order to do that, you’ll need more than one video concept to compare it against. The Ability To Meet Your Video Needs Any video production company can create a 30-second “teaser,” but preview videos are specialized and require an “app expert” touch. This involves being able to show the benefits of the app in an eye-catching way. Therefore, your video’s producers must have a strong understanding of what makes for a good UI, and what parts of it should be placed front and center when presenting it. It’s one thing to tell your audience what your app can do, but it’s no comparison to the impact of actually showing them. Additionally, not all preview videos are created equal, and that is certainly the case when it comes to apps in the Google Play Store. Its less restrictive guidelines regarding frame size and orientation provide app publishers with the opportunity to mix and match in their gallery. This is particularly helpful for gaming apps who want to display their still-image screenshots in portrait view in order to encourage scrolling, while displaying their video in landscape – the way in which gameplay is most commonly presented. That said, what works for one type of app doesn’t always hold true for another, which is yet another one of the values of working with an experienced app preview video production company. Video in Landscape Orientation “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” – Jan van de Snepscheut It’s one thing for a video production company to know how to tell a story visually, but being able to deliver on that promise is quite another. Moreover, it’s incredibly hard to make a splash with a cutting-edge preview without a mastery of the technology utilized in today’s video making. From two dimensional animation to 3D effects, the video production medium is an ever-changing one, meaning more than just a familiarity with the latest style and trends is an absolute necessity. Track Record Beyond the creative and technical skills required to produce an amazing app store video there’s another factor that must be taken into consideration, your production company’s track record and their ability to execute. Before passing on the keys to your vision for it to be brought to life, you must be sure they’re up for the task. How do you go about this? Ask for references from past clients, as past performance is usually indicative of future results. These should be easy to procure and the company should be happy to provide them (assuming they don’t have something to hide). If the production company is new, think long and hard about whether you want to be their maiden voyage. Ask for past work samples. Seeing really is believing when it comes to the quality you can expect to receive. The company’s “showreel” is a great place to start. And if the company doesn’t have one, well...that’s a red flag. Assuming they do, besides all the fancy effects, pay close attention to what’s actually on it. Do they have experience producing app store videos? If so, what do they look like? Find out which of the samples are from paying clients. Videos made on spec are a great way for a company to show off its talent, but won’t give you any sense of their actual experience. App Store Preview Video Agency: The Way Forward With only a limited amount of time and strict guidelines to follow, creating an app store video is its own distinct creature. Having a writer who can generate multiple concepts to A/B test is the key to success, and one with marketing or advertising experience can give you a significant advantage. Constantly evolving technology and styles requires a company with its finger on the pulse of trends if you want to make a splash. Plus, with app store video guidelines constantly changing, not being up-to-date on their parameters can be a real-time and budget waster. It may seem trivial to put a price on years of app store video production experience, but a lack of it will more than likely result in a costly expense. While not many one-stop shops can bring all that to the table, at Moburst’s full-service video production and design studio, we’re always up for the challenge. Awesome App Store Preview Videos We looked at the top three apps in Apple’s App Store charts, across both the Top Paid and Top Free categories. If an app didn’t make use of a video in their listing, we chose the next app that does. Without access to the metrics and testing behind each of these videos, we can’t know if these app videos are effective; for example, if they are good for conversation rates, or not. The aim is to provide you with different video ideas that are worth testing. Top Free App Videos 1. TikTok Preplay image: TikTok style opening screen with rich color contrast, clear and concise showcasing of key features using bold text and titles - the sound is just a bonus. What the video does: Video of in-app experience and example TikToks. What user action the video encourages: “Tap To Play” What it offers: An engaging insight into what it’s like to use the app, create content within it and watch other people’s content. Full of quick-moving flashing colors, fun trends and people who reflect the target users. 2. Discord - Talk, Chat, Hang Out Preplay image: Shows app name clearly and leads with an intriguing headline: “Your place to talk with friends and communities”. What the video does: Slow-moving demonstration of the user interface, highlighting key features along the way. What user action the video encourages: “Stay connected with voice, video and text”. What it offers: Detailed showcase of the app’s key features that differentiate it from other messaging apps out there. 3. PayPal Preplay image: PayPal logo. What the video does: Highlights new features of the app with text explanations and UI demonstrations. What user action the video encourages: “Download the secure, easy way to send money to PayPal users almost anywhere”. What it offers: Reflects the more serious nature of the app, but also its features that foster connection. Focuses on the convenience of using PayPal in everyday life. Top Paid App Video 1. Forest - Stay focused Preplay image: In-app scene. What the video does: Shows how the app works and how it rewards you, along with various features. What user action the video encourages: “Start planting today” and “The tree will wither if you leave the app”. What it offers: An insight into the app’s methods for improving your productivity, including the timer, plant growth and rewards system. 2. Da Vinci Eye: AR Art Projector Preplay image: An in-app instruction. What the video does: Takes you on a walk through of how the app works with a fast motion demonstration. What user action the video encourages: “Pick any photo”. What it offers: A simplified overview of how the app works to make the whole process look easy for anyone from beginner to advanced artist. It makes it appear as though anyone can achieve a perfect drawing in only a few simple steps. 3. TouchRetouch Preplay image: Logo and call-to-action. What the video does: Showcases numerous examples of how the app removes unwanted features from images, e.g. wires, pimples, or anything obstructing a view. What user action the video encourages: “Remove unwanted content from photos instantly”. What it offers: A diverse range of images from portraits to scenic shots, from neutral colors to bright colors, that can all benefit from the removal of ‘distracting’ objects that the photographer/ subject may dislike. It highlights the app’s main feature at play in a way that proves flexibility and high quality. Make the Most of Your Video: Final Thoughts Hopefully, these app videos taken from some of the App Store’s most successful apps will give you ideas and inspiration for your own app store video, after taking on board our dos and don’ts and considering recruiting an agency for the task, of course. Whether it’s showing off your app’s functionality, showcasing awesome gameplay or tempting the user to find out more, a video is one of the most important tools in driving your key metrics – so it’s really important to get it right! An agency is best equipped to lead your way to app store preview video success.
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How to Write an App Description That Will Get Users to Download

So, why is writing an app store description so hard?

App Store Description Guidelines

Start with the main app keyword in mind

If you’ve already done your research for your main keywords, don’t forget about ASO!

What are the app store description best practices?

Use an Emoji in your app store description

Test, test and re-test your app store description preview!

Use Social Proof in your app description.

Create a description for your images

Add some text inside your mobile app preview videos!

Don’t forget about app localization and app internationalization

Use Call to Actions in your app description!

Integrate promotional text in your app description

Update your app often.

Don’t forget about app rating and reviews

Final Thoughts

Comments

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Recent Posts

App Marketing in 2021: A Guide for Startups & Corporations.🙭

How to Write Ad Copy Like A Pro

Pinterest’s Automated Ads, Google Play Store’s Ranking Indicators & More

Everything You Need To Know About App Store Preview Videos

So, why is writing an app store description so hard?

App Store Description Guidelines

Start with the main app keyword in mind

If you’ve already done your research for your main keywords, don’t forget about ASO!

What are the app store description best practices?

Use an Emoji in your app store description

Test, test and re-test your app store description preview!

Use Social Proof in your app description.

Create a description for your images

Add some text inside your mobile app preview videos!

Don’t forget about app localization and app internationalization

Use Call to Actions in your app description!

Integrate promotional text in your app description

Update your app often.

Don’t forget about app rating and reviews

Final Thoughts

Contact Us

Thanks!

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Leave A Reply

Leave A Reply

Thanks!

Recent Posts

App Marketing in 2021: A Guide for Startups & Corporations.🙭

How to Write Ad Copy Like A Pro

Pinterest’s Automated Ads, Google Play Store’s Ranking Indicators & More

Everything You Need To Know About App Store Preview Videos

Contact Us

Contact Us

Thanks!