Moburst’s Monthly Mobile Marketing Roundup #7
Welcome back to our monthly mobile marketing news roundup, where we give you insights into the latest ASO (App Store Optimization), developers, and MMPs (Mobile Measurement Partners) news & updates for the current month.
In this edition, we’ll cover Reddit’s new AI-powered ad keywords suggestion tool, Apple’s iOS 17 user privacy updates, and much more.
Mobile News & Updates
Google Bard Now Integrates with Gmail, YouTube, Docs, and Other Apps
Google recently unveiled exciting new updates for its experimental chatbot, Google Bard, along with advancements in its AI-powered search capabilities. Building on this, the company announced that Bard will now be integrated with a range of Google apps and services, such as Gmail and Docs.
The update opens up a world of possibilities for enhancing productivity and efficiency by seamlessly integrating Google Bard into existing workflows, which can save valuable time.
This integration also represents another stride the company is making in its pursuit to outperform leading generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Bing.
Reddit Improves Ad Targeting with AI-Powered Keyword Suggestions
Back in June, Reddit announced a new ad targeting solution, Contextual Keyword Targeting, which allows brands to place ads alongside specified keywords within Reddit community discussions, enhancing the relevance of their ads.
Since its launch, this feature has proven to be remarkably successful, with advertisers reporting to experience a 29% increase in click-through rate (CTR) compared to their Community targeting campaigns, resulting in a notable rise in click cost per action (CPA).
Building on this success, Reddit has now introduced Keyword Suggestions, a new feature that uses machine learning to recommend relevant and targetable keywords to advertisers while filtering out unsuitable ones. This solution takes the guesswork out of targeting and increases the reach and efficiency of campaigns by expanding the list of relevant targeting possibilities.
Using advanced machine learning and natural language processing to provide the most relevant suggestions, the Keyword Suggestions tool considers the original context of each keyword to ensure it exists in a brand-safe environment. This feature enables advertisers to display the most relevant ads to Reddit users who are most likely to be interested in them.
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App Store Updates & Features
Apple Introduces App Pre-Orders by Region
Apple recently announced that app pre-orders will be available by region in the App Store. This new feature enables marketers and developers to build anticipation and generate brand awareness before launching their apps.
- You can choose to release your app at different times in selected regions, allowing for a more personalized release strategy.
- On the day of release, users who have pre-ordered the app will have it automatically downloaded to their devices, accompanied by a notification.
Additionally, marketers can utilize app analytics in App Store Connect to gain insights into pre-order performance through various reports.
For existing apps, custom product pages (CPP) and product page optimization (PPO) tests can be employed to refine the pre-order product page and showcase the best-performing version and app creatives on the App Store. App pricing can also be managed based on availability, allowing further flexibility.
Google Play Store Updates & Features
Google Launches The Play Report to Increase App Discovery
Google is adding a new feature to its Play Store, aimed at promoting apps and games through YouTube Shorts. Named “The Play Report,” this original series will spotlight the latest and greatest apps and games on Google Play. The shorts will be hosted by a rotating cast of experts, including Google employees and YouTube creators.
The Play Report will appear prominently at the top of the Play Store as a carousel, with each app highlighted at the bottom of each vertical thumbnail. This feature seems to replace other high-profile promotional carousels, and the player will feature an install button at the bottom, allowing for higher visibility and the potential for increased app downloads.
This move is part of Google’s pilot project to surface hidden gems and trending apps/games in the US (and expanding to other regions soon). For those not seeing “The Play Report” yet, the shorts will also be uploaded to Google Play’s existing YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
This update offers a new way to promote apps lucky enough to get featured in The Play Report series. With the integration of YouTube Shorts into the Play Store, apps and games can be promoted in a more engaging and dynamic way, potentially increasing visibility and downloads.
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App Developer Updates
App Store Submissions Update for the Latest OS Releases
With the releases of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, tvOS 17, and watchOS 10, Apple has set a new requirement for all App Store submissions. Starting in April 2024, all apps submitted to the App Store must be built using Xcode 15 and the iOS 17 SDK, tvOS 17 SDK, or watchOS 10 SDK (or newer).
- To prepare for this change, developers should begin working with the Xcode 15 Release Candidate and the latest SDKs.
Xcode 15 brings improvements such as enhanced code completion, interactive previews, and live animations, empowering developers with better tools. Apple has also made the Swift programming language more expressive and intuitive, enhancing APIs for developers.
The app store has also received upgrades, making it easier for developers to test their product offerings using Xcode and TestFlight.
These upcoming updates in Apple’s operating systems offer app developers and marketers numerous opportunities to ensure that their apps are compatible, optimized, and set up for success.
iOS 17 Link Tracking Protection Changes
Prior to Apple’s iOS 17 release, there has been speculation among marketers and developers about potential user privacy changes being rolled out. Historically, Apple has kept details about key privacy features under wraps, leading to confusion in the industry.
We can now confirm that with its latest iOS update, Apple aims to further improve user privacy by limiting the amount of information that third-party entities can track and gather through URL query parameters. Consequently, certain tracking mechanisms that marketers have long relied upon will no longer be effective on iOS 17 devices. Here is a breakdown of the tracking parameters that have been removed and those that remain with Link Tracking Protection:
Keep in mind that these changes only apply to users who use Private Browsing for Safari, as Apple explains that this mode will now detect tracking parameters and strip away identifying components from URLs while preserving non-identifiable parts. Moreover, links with tracking parameters will be sanitized when copied by users in Private Browsing mode.
Other browsers without similar tracking limitations will remain unaffected by iOS 17. However, the full implications for iOS users who primarily use non-Safari browsers and do not utilize Private Browsing Mode have yet to be clarified.
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