Scale Your Mobile App: 2021 User Acquisition Strategies to Update Your Playbook

2021 User Acquisition Strategies for Apps

Getting more downloads for your app, commonly known as user acquisition, is always a priority for mobile apps. Campaigns to drive new users (and retain them) are at the forefront of many in the mobile app market. The landscape is ever-changing and competitive. So, it might be a good time to rethink your acquisition playbook and focus specifically on how to use campaigns to scale your app quickly and cost-effectively.

Flexibility and Agility Are a Must

Before we get into the strategies, it’s important to note that the last few years have taught us the importance of flexibility and agility. The pandemic, changes to IDFA, and the nearing elimination of third-party cookies have all impacted app marketing. In re-engineering your user acquisition playbook, always keep this in mind. It will allow you to be more fluid in your pursuit to scale your app.

Focus on Incrementality Channels

It’s time to look at the channels you’re using for app install campaigns. How are they serving you regarding scale and incrementality?

Incrementality means that a channel can continue to provide you a vast network, which is even more critical if you’re seeking to grow your base in other geos. The channels you leverage should provide you with a high volume without diminishing quality. After all, a user acquired then lost doesn’t equate to revenue.

While some channels in which you advertise, you have little control over the platform. You can target specific audiences, but you are still reliant on the platform to serve your ad correctly.

When choosing a Reward Platform, you have more control and options. It’s more advantageous for you to select a platform that has a media mix.

If you want to scale and hit unique user bases, you’ll need a Reward Platform that can:

  • Offer a variety of payout models (CPC, CPI, CPE, CPA, etc.).
  • Provide offerwall options.
  • Include massive scale (look for a minimum of 20,000 installs a day).
  • Enable keyword campaigns.
  • Supply premium placements.
  • Deliver exclusive traffic.
  • Work in Android and iOS
  • Sustain a burst campaign with volume.
  • Live under one partner.

Experiment with Your Ads to Diversify

diversity ads

App marketers are very KPI-driven, and for a good reason. You want every dollar of your ad budget to give you a strong return. However, that mindset may be keeping you from experimenting with something new—something that could deliver new users.

Staying the course with your user acquisition strategy might bring you new users, but the velocity isn’t sustainable. You could also be missing big opportunities.

You likely had to pivot in 2020, so maybe it’s a good idea to continue to do so. Testing a few new campaigns won’t sink your budget.

Here are some considerations for experimenting.

iOS 15 splits the App Store into organic and paid.

You can have up to 35 custom product pages (CPPs) optimized for audience segments for paid traffic with iOS 15. Use this change to your advantage with targeted Reward Platform inventory that leads to different CPPs to see if it impacts your acquisition rate.

Burst campaigns are excellent for hyper-growth.

If your objective is large scale because you’re raising funds, preparing for an IPO, or are launching a new app, burst campaigns are worth trying. It is a substantial investment for a short period of time, but the power of bursting delivers more than just paid installs.

Organic lift is often a consequence of bursting, which can generate more organic downloads. It’s also a way to outrank your competition on the app stores.

Expanding to new geos on your Reward Platform.

If you’re looking to scale outside your current country, you can easily test out new geos on your Reward Platform. You may have been averse to this in the path because of concern over running early funnel events.

This scenario is one we know. We worked with an international gaming app that had the same hesitancies. So, we rolled out a few tests, which resulted in an uptick in traffic. Then we tested a few more geos, hitting scale like never before. In three months, the company experienced 1,657% growth!

Redefine Your User Acquisition Playbook with AdAction

User acquisition is critical to your app’s growth. Keeping up with a changing market and audience is essential. With these strategies, you can remake your playbook for now and into the future.

We can help. Our Reward Platform delivers volume, scale, and quality, and our team of experts is ready to help you meet your goals. Connect with us today to learn more.

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