Mobile App Marketing Campaigns

What is Mobile App Marketing?

Content marketing, social media marketing, digital marketing, mobile marketing… It seems like everyday there is a new channel of marketing that we are supposed to know and be an expert on. This is because technology is constantly evolving which leads to ever-changing consumer behavior. So it’s no surprise that here we have another new marketing practice: mobile app marketing. So, what is mobile app marketing? It is the practices and strategy that goes into promoting your brand’s mobile app. AKA how to market one of your marketing tools. When thinking about how to market an app successfully, there are many approaches that could be taken. The approaches will greatly depend on the type of app. Some types of apps you might consider are native mobile apps, web apps, or Progressive Web Apps

• Native Mobile Apps: These are the apps most people are familiar with. They take advantage of your phone’s hardware, and therefore can access features like push notifications, geolocation, and a smartphone’s camera. Consumers can download these apps from the app store, and they have to be developed separately for different operating systems.
• Web Apps: Web apps are basically like a higher functioning website. They are hosted through the web, but designed for a mobile experience. 
• Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): PWAs are the perfect combination between native mobile apps and web apps. PWAs are hosted through the web, but can be saved to a smartphone’s home screen where they will function just like a native mobile app. They also don’t require data, and have service workers that cache the apps data so the PWA can work offline. 

With a PWA there are many mobile marketing strategies that can be used to promote the app suchs as QR codes in OOH advertisements, NFC tags, or SMS campaigns that include the PWA URL. On the other hand, marketing for a native mobile app will use app download marketing and marketing that drives consumers to the app store to make a download. Therefore, it is critical to fully understand the type of app you are marketing, and how different marketing tactics will drive success for different types of app. Regardless of the type of app, it is important to have a communication plan for mobile app marketing and an app marketing template. This will help the marketing team stay consistent in messaging and will keep you on track with your marketing strategy. 

Mobile App Marketing Campaigns

When thinking about a mobile app marketing campaign, it is important to combine both data-driven marketing techniques and creativity. Using data in marketing campaigns will help you make educated decisions as to what kind of campaign has the highest conversion rates with your target audience (ex: SMS, email campaign, OOH ads, etc.). Data can also help identify what keywords to be using in campaigns, what channels to run the campaign through, and what time of day sees the highest conversion rates. However, it is also important to add creativity into a marketing campaign for mobile app. Some creative app marketing ideas include:

•  Starbucks: We all know and love the Starbucks app. Starbucks did a great job releasing their app in conjunction with an enhanced loyalty program. Starbucks already had the base of a loyalty program in place, but their mobile app really took it to the next level with mobile coupons, Starbucks Star rewards, and an easier way to order ahead and pay for drinks. This loyalty program gave consumers a strong incentive to use the app. Oh.. and it’s a PWA! 
• IKEA Catalogue app: IKEA’s mobile app caught consumers attention because it incorporates augmented reality (AR) into its mobile experience. Consumers could now use the AR feature to see how furniture will look in their house. The inclusion of this feature greatly increased the value that consumers were getting from this app. 
• Burger King.  Burger King is known for now shying away from advertisements that poke at their competitors. This rival ad campaign allowed consumers to open up Burger Kings app and use it to burn competitors ads and receive a free whopper.

In addition to mobile app marketing campaigns, it is also important to have a strong mobile app launch strategy when it comes to app marketing. The launch strategy will be the consumer's first impression of your app so it is important to come out with a bold strategy that reaches your target audience. When thinking about your app launch strategy there are a couple important things to remember. First, the app should be easily accessible. This is easy to do with a PWA because it can be activated in multiple ways including a QR code marketing, URL, or NFC tag. Also, the initial app launch strategy should include a variety of marketing channels. By using a cross-channel strategy, your mobile app will reach a larger audience. 

Mobile App Marketing Strategy 

As with any form of marketing, it is important to have a well-defined mobile app marketing strategy. Your app marketing strategy will greatly depend on your brand voice, and what the purpose of your app is. For example, if you are promoting an eCommerce app your marketing strategy won’t be comparable to a brand awareness app of an event app. Therefore, when constructing a mobile app marketing strategy it is important to have the purpose and goal of your app clearly defined. It may be helpful to look at examples of other marketing strategies, for example using a mobile app marketing strategy pdf or mobile app marketing strategy template as a point of reference. Another good resource is learning from successful app marketing strategy 2021 and 2020 examples, as this will identify current app marketing trends. However, it is important to adapt these strategies to fit your brand and your app’s goals. 

Android vs. iPhone App Marketing Strategy 

Android app marketing and iPhone app marketing will also have different strategies. While they are both smartphones, they have different operating systems, different app stores, different audiences, and overall different best practices. Therefore, if you are marketing a native mobile app for an Android or a native mobile app for an iPhone, you should look at examples and best practices for the specific device. For example, an android app marketing strategy PDF or an iPhone app marketing strategy document. However, if you are marketing a web app or PWA, then these apps can work across both operating systems and can be marketed across both devices. 

Mobile App Marketing Plan Example

Creating a mobile app marketing plan is just as important as a mobile app marketing strategy. The main difference here is a marketing plan should be a written document that outlines all of your marketing strategies. So when it comes to your mobile app, the marketing plan should include your app launch strategy, all the mobile app marketing campaigns you plan to run, the mobile channels that will be utilized, etc. This plan will ensure that you are staying aligned with your marketing goals and consistent with your brand voice. Without a marketing plan it is easy for marketing efforts to take off in many different directions which can confuse consumers. If you have never written a mobile app marketing plan before, or even a marketing plan- that’s okay! There are countless resources out there to help. Some examples include: 

• Mobile app marketing plan example
• Mobile app marketing plan pdf
• Mobile app marketing plan ppt
• Mobile app marketing plan template

All of these resources are a great place to get started, and you can even get more specific with these resources. For example, instead of using a general mobile app marketing plan PDF, you could look at a mobile app startup business plan pdf if you are working for a startup. 

Mobile App Marketing Agency 

When it comes to marketing mobile apps you don’t have to go it alone. Using the services of a mobile marketing app marketing agency is a great option, especially if you have a small marketing team. Using a mobile app marketing service will ensure that you have a strong app marketing strategy, quality marketing campaigns, and that you aren’t stretching your marketing team too thin. 

Mobile App Marketing Agency Services

A mobile marketing agency can have a huge range of services from a mobile game marketing agency to mobile website marketing, there is the perfect agency for each brand. Some app marketing agencies include Mobrust and Preapps. 

• Mobrust: Mobrust works to help brand’s achieve mobile growth. This can be done through app marketing and mobile marketing. The agency offers a variety of services including app store optimization, mobile strategy, product consulting, media buying, and creative services. 
• Preapps: Preapps focuses specifically on app marketing. The agency offers services including increasing app downloads, managing app marketing campaigns, and app growth consulting services. Preapps also offers a variety of resources including an app marketing guide and podcast. 

Both of these agencies are full of mobile app marketing specialists that can help grow your mobile presence and promote your app. More app marketing agencies can be found on the top 10 mobile marketing companies list. 

Mobile App Marketing Course

 Keeping up with the latest marketing trends can be challenging, especially when marketing seems to be changing every day. So don’t be too hard on yourself if you have read all of this and still aren’t exactly sure what mobile app marketing is. A great way to learn more is through a mobile app marketing course. Taking time to learn and stay up to date with the latest marketing practices is the best way to continuously be moving your brand forward. Taking online courses is a great place to find mobile marketing examples or a mobile marketing guide. It will also help you master new skills like how to promote an app on social media on how to promote an app offline.