Apps have been an unsung hero in this time of crisis, as people look to connect with friends and loved ones; stay active and healthy; manage their finances; shop and keep themselves entertained. In fact, the average weekly time spent in apps worldwide was 20% more in Q1 2020 compared to last year. It was also the largest quarter ever in terms of consumer spend, with $23 billion spent through app stores.
This article was first published on the Outbrain blog.
Advertisers need to leverage the right tactics to engage their audience no matter where they are in the buyer journey. From gaming and finance, to health, fitness and retail apps, Outbrain’s Smartads enable marketers to fuel memorable interaction at every stage, powered by unique interest data to deliver performance that brands look for from advertising platforms.
Brand success doesn’t start or end with a download. For apps, the key to success is generating true customer loyalty by driving in app purchases and/or encouraging frequent use, in order to drive high lifetime value.
Drive consideration with Click-to-Watch
In a world of more than two million apps, it can be easy to get lost in the crowd. Marketers must find ways to stand out and convey why their app is useful and intuitive to download. When people understand what they are getting into, they’re more likely to use it frequently as a loyal customer.
Video is one of the most efficient formats to deliver that understanding of what your app has to offer, making the chances of acquiring a low lifetime value customer less likely. The problem for marketers is that they often struggle to get attention with video ads on traditional platforms, whether the video is seen as intrusive or not to a consumer’s viewing experience.
Native advertising placements for video and its distribution across the open web provides an ideal environment for consumers to discover something new. Rather than interrupt for attention, Outbrain’s Click-to-Watch video Smartad is built for engagement where video content isn’t forced on the viewer, but chosen by them. It provides an interactive, long-form solution for marketers to explain the value of an app to the right audiences, while creating engagement through native storytelling. Unlike traditional video formats, this 100% opt-in experience drives longer watch durations and higher completion rates for consumers to get the full picture of what your app is all about.
Moreover, when targeting new audiences to acquire, you’ll want to find those that read, watch, and behave like your ideal customers. Outbrain’s Lookalike Audiences technology uses first-party data across our premium publisher network to reach consumers who share similar interests to your existing customers, allowing marketers to optimize by driving up to 45% higher conversion rates at 30% lower CPA.
Showcase with Carousel
Now that consumers better understand your app, move them on a journey from consideration to action with one cohesive format that brings premium social experiences to the open web. Carousel Smartads enable marketers to showcase the varying elements of an app and build sequential messaging to amplify a strategy outside the walled gardens. This mobile-first, multi-image format features CTA buttons, brand logo, and more in an engaging experience for consumers to swipe and scroll up to 10 pieces of organic content. For app marketers, it’s an effective mid-funnel tactic to demonstrate your appeal to consumers and drive clicks that are then opportunities for your app to be downloaded.
To optimize towards your desired outcomes, you’ll also need to deliver highly relevant messaging. Outbrain’s Interest Targeting technology enables marketers to target audiences based on their true interests, because our profiles are built on actual content consumption and not search or social sharing. As a result of finding what your audience cares about most, you’ll drive higher engagement and more opportunities where people don’t just download and forget.
Drive downloads with App Install
When it comes to your lower funnel, the goal is no longer to generate awareness or consideration, but drive conversions. Now that people understand your app, it’s that last point of engagement to move high paying customers on the path to loyalty, beginning with an install. This is the bulk of where you drive user acquisitions, but it’s also the essential first step to doing so for retention.
Outbrain’s App Install Smartad zeroes in on your highest-value target customers with conversion-based optimizations and razor-sharp targeting. Moreover, this app-focused ad format includes engagement-oriented elements built to drive action. With App Install, you can showcase more elements of your product with interactive GIF elements, promote your brand and app store rating, and provide a clear path to download with a CTA button to reel in your high lifetime-value customers. In fact, based on initial testing, App Install drives up to 2X conversions compared to standard ad formats, an average 1.14% conversion rate, and up to 50% lower CPAs.
Now is a great time to retarget those audiences who had previously expressed interest in your app, but for one reason or another, didn’t go all the way through the funnel. Our Custom Audiences feature makes it easy for you to segment your customers based on their past actions and retarget them with new or existing campaigns. In turn, this helps you reach an audience that is already engaged and likely to convert towards your brand’s goals. For example, if you’re looking to reach past visitors who meet a certain pattern of behavior, you’ll be able to retarget them with a specific tactic that entices them back and reel in your missed qualified leads through these aforementioned formats.
Outbrain’s Full-Funnel solutions made easy
Providing content in the right way, at the right time unlocks your most valuable audiences and is the cornerstone to any digital advertising campaign. Our formats help strengthen that experience. Learn more about Outbrain’s native advertising solutions, and see your campaign succeed the way they are meant to on the open web.
