Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps
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Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps INTERVIEWS WITH 10 LEADING MOBILE MARKETERS Summer 2016 Edition Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 1 Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps Summer 2016 Edition Growing a mobile business is no small feat, but for marketers of non-gaming apps, it’s an even more difficult task. From acquiring mobile dating subscribers, generating mobile purchases, engaging users with entertainment apps, to driving finance app subscriptions, non-gaming app marketers each face a unique set of challenges in successfully growing their mobile business. This guide, comprised of interviews with ten expert mobile marketers representing a wide range of app categories - dating, shopping, finance, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle - shares best practices and tips for successfully growing a non-gaming mobile app. Read on to find out how marketers approach user acquisition and retention, as well as how they diversify their channels to grow their mobile business. Visit heroes.liftoff.io Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 2 Vivian Chang Senior Manager, Acquisition Marketing Q&A with Vivian RetailMeNot · Shopping Vivian Chang is the Senior Manager of RetailMeNot is the world’s leading Acquisition Marketing at RetailMeNot in marketplace for online coupons and Austin, TX. Her extensive background deals. Their mobile app enables con- in paid search marketing led Vivian to sumers across the globe save money dive into the rapidly evolving world of with hundreds of thousands of offers mobile marketing where she’s proven from leading retailers like Amazon, herself to be an expert in growing Macy’s, and Target. mobile businesses. · Founded in 2007 How did you get into mobile marketing? · Headquartered in Austin, TX I have a search marketing background, so I enjoy having hands-on optimization and access to data to quickly evaluate perfor- mance and run tests. Since the launch of RetailMeNot’s iOS and Android apps in late 2012, I have been fortunate to have the op- portunity to learn the industry while helping to shape our mobile acquisition strategy. Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 3 What do you like most about mobile marketing? What does a quality mobile user look like to I love that at its core, mobile marketing is fast-pa- you? ced and presents the challenge of how to drive Qualitatively for RetailMeNot, the user is a response and awareness on a small screen size. savvy shopper using our full suite of savings The industry has gotten much more complex tools and checks the app every time that over the years, but also really interesting as the user is shopping. We look at signals like consumer behaviors shift and new marketing frequency of app launches and engagement channels develop. Increasingly, what used to be with multiple app events to help inform quality siloed as mobile marketing is becoming synon- through the metrics. ymous with marketing. Who would’ve thought we’d find it normal to see celebrities in TV com- What strategies work best to convert ins- mercials endorsing mobile games? talls into engaged users? We see success leveraging push notifications and email to deliver personalized content and “Be creative, but make reinforcing the relevant deals content a user data-driven decisions.” can find in the app through social channels, Vivian Chang, RetailMeNot especially on Facebook. Of course, the other key component is delivering a great user experience in the app product itself. Ultimately What is the biggest mistake you made as a the best predictor of someone becoming an mobile marketer? engaged user is successfully saving money The mobile space can still be the Wild West and experiencing the ease and convenience when it comes to prevalence of mobile fraud. of the app first-hand. One of my biggest frustrations is the lack of tools and how manual it is for marketers trying What is the biggest challenge in marketing to stay on top of it. RetailMeNot? Because RetailMeNot is a marketplace for What does it take to succeed in mobile digital savings, the goal is for users to engage marketing? with the breadth of content we offer across Be data-oriented and have a clear view of many retailers and brands. There isn’t one all your KPIs to measure success. user funnel; instead there are multiple app Get creative in the ad messaging/design, actions and paths a user can take for their and even the channels utilized. shopping needs. This is a challenge when Always be testing. marketing the app since the metrics are not as Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 4 clear cut as something like “X cost per enga- How important are the holidays to your gement” for networks to optimize towards. It’s business and what season is the biggest an ongoing dialogue with the networks on the time for you? quality of installs each is driving. RetailMeNot facilitated $4.8 billion in global sales in 2015, and is one of top 5 places users How do you stay ahead of changes in start their shopping journeys so as you can technology? imagine, the holiday shopping season is our I regularly read newsletters like MobileDevMo, biggest time of year. What’s interesting is that PocketGamer, and GamingInsiders as well as every year the holiday shopping season beg- keeping up with the Liftoff, adjust, and Apsalar ins earlier and earlier, and traditional in-store blogs. On top of that, I ask lots of questions shopping days like Black Friday drive tons of with my reps at the ad networks and tool pro- mobile shoppers as well. viders I work with. They see across a broad swatch of clients and industries, so talking with them keeps me up on the latest trends and helps me find technology to test. Finally, I make an effort to build relationships with other mobile marketers by attending conferences and events. This is a constantly evolving in- dustry and I find everyone more than happy to share his or her experiences. How important is diversifying user acquisi- tion outside of Facebook? It’s critical for RetailMeNot. As competition on Facebook increases – especially with the influx of brand dollars – costs continue rising while volume declines. When RetailMeNot is pushing for increased volume or lower acqui- sition costs, having an established, strong base of installs from various non-Facebook sources allows me to maintain a balanced portfolio. Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 5 James Peng Head of Mobile App Acquisition Q&A with James Match · Dating James Peng is the Head of Mobile App The Match Group is the world’s lea- Acquisition at the Match Group in San ding provider of dating products, rede- Francisco, CA. His analytical and crea- fining the way millions of people meet, tive talents have helped James grow date and start relationships every day. the Match Group’s 45+ brands – inclu- They offer products under nearly 50 ding Match.com, Tinder, and OKCupid brands, including Match.com, Tinder, – but his willingness to take risks and OKCupid, Meetic, and OurTime. be an early adopter of new techno- · Founded in 1995 logies has made him a true leader in · Headquartered in New York mobile marketing. How did you get into mobile marketing? After 4 years of investment banking and private equity investing, I decided that I wan- ted to get off of the beaten path of finance and apply my skills in a completely different way to a different industry. After a year of networking, interviews, and soul searching, I discovered that mobile marketing was the Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 6 ideal mix of analysis, business development, Good karma. Be generous and don’t be a and creative thinking for me. jerk. The industry is small and the people you meet will be your de facto coworkers for What do you like most about mobile marketing? quite some time, whether you like it or not. I love that mobile marketing is in its infancy and evolving more rapidly than almost any other in- What do you think is the biggest miscon- dustry in the world. Because of these dynamics, ception about your profession? relationships are critical and it is imperative to That mobile marketing is made up of people adapt quickly or be rendered irrelevant. with marketing experience and degrees. I more often see people with technical expe- What is the biggest mistake you made as a rience and business majors in our industry. mobile marketer? With the number of moving elements around My biggest mistake was early on when I spent campaign ROI and the breakneck pace of my time testing as many channels as possible. change in the industry, there are definitely I could have used my funds and time more advantages to having skills such as financial wisely by conducting more diligence on top modeling and database querying. channels and exchanging notes with other industry professionals. Before you try the next new solution or ad network because it sounds “Installs are easy. The interesting, I’d recommend polling peers and real challenge is driving understanding the investment thesis tho- engagement and roughly prior to testing. retention.” James Peng, Match What does it take to succeed in mobile marketing? The analytical horsepower to assess each What does a quality mobile user look like to you? user as an ROI opportunity and to dynami- A quality mobile user is one that that not only cally optimize toward your goals. drives economic value, but also community The ability to think creatively about marke- value through deep interactions within the vir- ting. CPIs are always increasing and that tual ecosystem.