Say you release a mobile application that is highly adaptable, has a spectacular interface, and is fast. Usually, at this point, you should be excited and instantly review stats on its well-received launch.

However, that is not always the case.

The figures may state that a large number of users have downloaded your app, and that is amazing. In a perfect world, the acquisition is enough to power your business through a good life cycle. However, there is a huge chance that you will encounter some difficulties in trying to keep users active within your app. Experts state that 75% of users stop coming back to an app after just one peek at it.

To counteract this challenge, this article will help retain your active users with simple campaigns you can apply to your operations. So, let us get right into it.

What is Retention?

Retention is a highly valuable Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that helps you understand what is working and what you can do to improve your strategy further. You can use this metric to see trends in growth and sales. It is one of the most informational KPIs for mobile apps, but it’s best to pair it with other metrics as well.

On average, mobile apps have a long-term retention rate of 20-25% over a 90-day period. This may seem low to many, but achieving this rate requires navigating a challenging landscape. It’s important to note that retention rates vary by industry. For instance, entertainment apps typically see a retention rate of around 24% in a 90-day period, while gaming apps tend to have a much lower rate of about 10%. For a more in-depth analysis of these differences, you can explore the statistics available at GamingScan.

Adjust your marketing strategy to improve long-term retention and keep your hard-earned users engaged. When executed effectively, the marketing campaigns we’ve compiled can serve as valuable tools to improve engagement, foster loyalty, and boost sales.

6 Key Points for Mobile App Marketing

In this section, we will cover the basic points of creating a strong mobile app marketing strategy for retention.

Knowing When to Start

Timing is important in retention marketing. It’s critical to initiate retention marketing efforts at the right moment, but it’s equally important to integrate these efforts with acquisition marketing. After all, you can’t retain users if you don’t have any to begin with. Think of retention and acquisition marketing as complementary forces, like yin and yang, guiding you along a successful path to growth.

This approach can be particularly effective if your user base is composed of at least 70% new users. You may be surprised by how significantly this can influence your sales. To illustrate, a Harvard study has shown that a mere 5% increase in online retention efforts can lead to a profit spike of up to 95%. Therefore, it’s crucial to stop focusing solely on acquiring leads and instead give retention the attention it deserves. One effective strategy for improving retention is to establish a structure of incentives or rewards for referrals.

Customer Loyalty

Who doesn’t love being recognized?

These little treats—such as discounts, coupons, and more—delight your users and encourage them to return for more of your goods and services while feeling economical. A great example of this is The Body Shop’s animal welfare campaign, which takes a refreshing approach to customer loyalty. Instead of offering points, they allow customers to donate their earned rewards to organizations that support animal rights. This strategy aligns well with The Body Shop’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, particularly in championing environmental protection.

By implementing such initiatives, you not only reduce the cost of encouraging first-time buyers to make repeat purchases but also increase the likelihood of them recommending your app to their social circles. With consistent efforts to enhance the value you provide to your user base, you can achieve greater loyalty, referrals, and engagement.

Committed content

User-oriented content is increasingly popular, and for good reason. Providing users with specific and relevant information that benefits them is a great way to improve their experience with your app. This approach simplifies their journey and, most importantly, makes it more engaging.

Many major brands, such as Starbucks, Facebook, and Spotify, embrace personalized content. Users receive tailored content through search recommendations and advertisements that cater to their interests. For instance, Spotify uses an algorithm to curate playlists that align with each user’s taste. These initiatives are impressive and have encouraged more internet users to anticipate personalized content in the future.

Furthermore, content with a personal touch can boost purchase intent, which can be advantageous for your app if it aligns with your business model. It also plays a significant role in shaping your brand image. Overall, it’s fair to say that this strategy creates a win-win-win situation for everyone involved.

The Power of Push Notifs

Push notifications are an effective way to personalize user experiences, but their benefits extend beyond that. Marketers utilize push notifications to re-engage users, provide information, and gather statistics. Most importantly, they help prevent your app from becoming inactive and reduce the likelihood of uninstallation.

However, it’s essential to use push notifications correctly. As a user, you may have encountered notifications that are more annoying than helpful. It’s crucial to create notifications with a clear purpose; otherwise, you risk driving users away instead of bringing them back. Approach this campaign strategy with caution.

Waze provides an excellent example of effective push notifications by updating users about traffic congestion, roadblocks, and the optimal times to leave for their destinations. This strategy influences user location to deliver valuable information about their journey.

Listen to Them

Continuously improving your app is important, and identifying pain points is an important part of that process. A great starting point is to gather feedback from your users through simple methods such as in-app messaging, push notifications, and online communities.

More than half of your user base expects to be asked for direct feedback. Customers want you to reach out and build a meaningful relationship with them. This insight can help you understand their preferred communication methods. However, it’s important to remember that merely sending a message is not enough; your users also need to see tangible results. In fact, 55% of those who provide feedback are more likely to become repeat customers if they notice that you are implementing solutions to the issues they’ve experienced in your app.

Paying attention to user comments, experiences, and suggestions will provide you with numerous opportunities for improvement. It is especially helpful to seek feedback after you have launched an update or introduced new features, as well as on other growth-related topics.

Omnichannel marketing

Focus on users to make your marketing campaigns seamless. While this may seem challenging, it’s entirely achievable. Fortunately, mobile apps are perfectly suited for omnichannel marketing campaigns, as they integrate effortlessly across various channels.

Marketers strive to provide a seamless experience that fosters complete audience engagement. This approach also creates an opportunity to gather valuable insights about your users’ preferences, which is particularly important for eCommerce apps. When executed effectively, you can optimize your strategy and develop a strong marketing campaign.

Boost Your Apps Worth with AppsVent

Here, we have discussed six of the best quick and effective marketing ideas for your mobile app that can help prolong its life cycle successfully. Churn rates happen, and you should not be discouraged by them. You can always re-engage inactive users by reminding them why they downloaded the app in the first place.

Users can be won back with the right strategies. Professional mobile app design agencies, such as AppsVent, can help you with your retention efforts and significantly deliver cost-effective solutions for acquiring new users. It is important to include your users’ needs and preferences rather than blindly following trends. With the right A/B testing combined with the good execution of these strategies, you can improve your app’s funnel. Get started with your mobile app design and get it made successfully the first time with our professionals.