App developers are on a continuous quest to find new ways to drive downloads. And we know that it’s about both quantity and quality, meaning that the goal is to attract users who will consistently invest time – and maybe even money – in an app.
What’s interesting is that two decidedly “old school” methods are gaining ground as user acquisition and retention tactics for app developers: Out-of-home ads and simple retargeting.
Retargeting for Re-Engagement
Retargeting has been around since the Web 1.0 days, with a plethora of ad networks and targeting companies emerging around 2007. For a variety of reasons – including the challenges that stem from tracking mobile users without cookies – the retargeting boom didn’t quite hit mobile the same way. But there are signs that these technologies are beginning to take off for mobile.
The idea is simple: Instead of just focusing on attaining new customers, app developers are sharpening their focus on existing customers. By retargeting users who have already downloaded the app, they theoretically hit the right kind of customer – a pool of people who are more likely to make consistent, in-app purchases.
So who’s retargeting on mobile? Not surprisingly, gaming companies are spearheading the movement. Users are targeted with ads that highlight in-game activities and items to purchase, shortly after they’ve downloaded an app.
Out-of-Home, In Your Pocket
Still, there are some advertisers who are taking it even further back … Off the mobile screen and into the train, subway or bus station. Billboard and transit advertisements may have been more popular before the digital age, but they’re still proving themselves to be useful, according to Adweek.
GrubHub, for example, has been using OOH ads in all their major markets for over 10 years, enticing users to order from their aggregated list of restaurants online. More recently, they’ve been running ads in transit systems so that hungry commuters feel compelled to download the GrubHub app.
Large financial brands like Chase, Prudential, JP Morgan and Citi have also invested in OOH ads to drive downloads of their apps for years, but now some of the hottest tech apps like Boxed, PayPay and even Facebook are jumping on the bandwagon.
Photo credit: Global Rich Media
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