Mobile app promotion

Four key areas of action

An effective mobile app promotion campaign consists of four essential elements, each playing a crucial role in increasing app visibility and efficiency. These are:

• Audit/ASO (App Store Optimisation)
• App coding and attribution analytics
• User communication strategy
• Advertising support for promotion

1. Audit/ASO

App Store Optimisation (ASO) involves a range of activities aimed at improving an app’s ranking in a given app store’s algorithm. It is a long-term process that gradually builds the app’s position while keeping costs manageable. The goal of ASO is to ensure that an app ranks as high as possible in the store’s listings or search results, increasing the number of organic downloads. ASO can also help reduce user acquisition costs and increase app revenue.

Users who install an app on their own initiative are far more likely to engage with it than those who are persuaded through advertising campaigns.

Studies show that marketers have only a few seconds to convince a user to install an app. What should they focus on? The key ASO elements include:

• App icon
• App name
• App description
• Screenshots/video
• User ratings and reviews

App icon

The app icon is a small 50x50 pixel graphic. Designing it can be a challenge – it needs to be eye-catching while clearly representing the product. As the saying goes, Don’t judge a book by its cover, but in mobile app promotion, visual appeal and first impressions are everything. The app icon is often the first thing users see in app store search results, making its design as important as a company logo.

App name

The title should make the app stand out while also reflecting its functionality. The app name is also the most important metadata element, as the words in the title are treated as keywords and, in some cases, carry more weight than other elements of the description. Tests show that apps with keywords in their titles rank an average of 10% higher than those without.

App description

This section provides a detailed introduction to the app. The description should not only encourage downloads but also help indexing bots understand the content. The first paragraph, or short description, is particularly important, as only 3% of users read the full version. On both smartphones and desktops, content is often skimmed rather than read in detail, so the short description should summarise the app’s purpose in one sentence and include the most relevant keywords.

Screenshots/video

Experience shows that optimised screenshots can increase conversion rates by up to 25% compared to the original version. Since very few users read the full app description, screenshots are crucial for showcasing the app’s most attractive features. Best practices for choosing screenshots include:

• Ensuring visual consistency with captions
• Maintaining narrative coherence
• Localising text for different markets
• Keeping images authentic and representative of the user experience

To illustrate key app functions, static graphics can be replaced with a demo video, which provides the most accurate representation of the app’s functionality. Video content has been proven to be highly effective in boosting conversion rates. In Google Play, up to eight screenshots can be added, while the App Store allows five – but the first two are the most important, as they appear in search results.

User ratings and reviews

App store algorithms favour highly-rated apps, leading to better organic install rates. On the other hand, dissatisfied users are far more inclined to leave reviews than satisfied ones. To counterbalance this, it is worth integrating the app with tools that encourage engaged users to leave ratings. One such tool is Alchemer (formerly Apptentive). User feedback, comments, and ratings provide valuable insights for developers. These insights help refine and improve the app in line with the target audience’s needs.

2. App coding and attribution analytics

This is one of the most critical yet complex aspects of app promotion. Without proper tracking implementation, no campaign can be fully effective. Coding allows marketers to answer key questions such as:

• How do promotional activities translate into app downloads?
• What types of actions do users take within the app?
• How often do users install the app?
• When and how frequently do users log in?
• Do users register – and more importantly, do they make purchases?

These questions can be addressed using leading analytical tools such as Kochava and Appsflyer. These platforms simplify complex data from multiple sources and campaigns, helping marketers make faster and more informed decisions about app promotion and development.

Attribution analytics goes beyond campaign performance measurement – it provides valuable insights into user engagement and behaviour that can inform future product development.

3. User communication strategy

Another key element is user communication – not only with new users acquired through advertising but also with those who have already installed the app. Unfortunately, many developers focus more on growing their user base than on retaining existing users.

Organic users are extremely valuable, as they have already shown an active interest in the app’s purpose.

By leveraging analytics, brands can develop personalised communication strategies. For example:

• If many users install the app but don’t register, simplify the sign-up form.
• If engagement is low, offer incentives such as coupons or push notifications.
• If a user makes frequent purchases, reward them with exclusive discounts.

There are numerous ways to improve engagement, from banner ads and push notifications to email marketing campaigns. As I often highlight in presentations – brands should make the most of the tools they already have. Many engagement strategies require minimal investment but can deliver fantastic results.

4. Advertising support for promotion

The final step is launching CPD (cost per download) or CPI (cost per install) campaigns. Studies show that each paid installation generates several organic downloads, which improves the app’s ranking. If budgets are limited, focusing exclusively on app store optimisation (ASO) may be more effective.

To achieve a high ranking, an app needs a high daily install volume, strong retention, and frequent user engagement. A top 25 ranking is considered a strong position, leading to increased organic growth.

For this reason, the main objective of CPD/CPI campaigns should be to boost the app’s ranking position, leading to a higher number of organic installs. This, in turn, reduces the overall cost of user acquisition and improves the quality of installs.

Case study: How we helped Jak Wydaję

To put theory into practice, let’s look at how we promoted the Jak Wydaję app. Many clients want to jump straight into CPD campaigns, focusing solely on paid installs. However, they often overlook a crucial step – optimising their app store presence.

For Jak Wydaję, we started with an app audit, following these steps:

• Identifying competitor apps for benchmarking.
• Analysing the app’s metadata, visuals, and ranking performance.
• Developing a strategy to improve positioning.
• Implementing recommended changes and reviewing progress after 3-4 weeks.

As a result, within two months, the app moved up over 1,500 places for its top 15 keywords. This significantly increased organic downloads, which are of the highest quality. The next step will involve developing a user communication strategy and launching an ad campaign.

Conclusion

Mobile app promotion is not just about driving downloads. As I have outlined above, the opportunities available are vast. We should take full advantage of them, as it is only a matter of time before all performance marketing activities shift towards mobile apps.