In today's digital landscape, the mobile app market is more competitive than ever. With almost 9 million apps available worldwide, standing out from the crowd is a bigger challenge than ever. However, with the right growth strategies, you can grow your app more effectively and differentiate yourself from all the other apps.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore various ways you can effectively grow your mobile app, covering everything from user acquisition to retention and monetization. Whether you're a seasoned app developer or just starting out, these insights will help you navigate the complex world of mobile app growth and marketing.

Understanding Mobile App Growth

Before we dive into specific strategies, it's crucial to understand the different phases of mobile app growth and the metrics that matter most.

Growth Phases

1. Acquisition

This is the process of attracting new users to your app, getting them to download and try your app. It's the first step in the growth funnel and often the most challenging.

2. Activation

Once users download your app, the next crucial step is ensuring they have a great first experience. This phase focuses on getting users to engage with your app's core features.

3. Retention

Keeping users engaged and active over time is vital for long-term sustainable growth. High retention rates indicate that your app is providing value to users.

4. Revenue

Implementing effective monetization strategies will contribute to further growth by funding future user acquisition and development efforts. The more money you earn from your existing users, the more you can invest in acquiring new users and developing new features.

5. Referral

Encouraging satisfied users to share your app with others creates a cycle of organic growth, often resulting in high-quality, low-cost user acquisition. This is often the best way to grow your app, once you get a certain amount of users. This works because people are far more likely to download and use an app, if someone they trust recommended it. Trust and credibility are the foundation of word-of-mouth marketing.

Advato offers the easiest way to get started with referrals in your app. Their plug-and-play SDK is ready to use in minutes, and the built-in growth features will work 24/7 on growing your app automatically. Try it out here.

Key Metrics to Track

To measure and optimize your app's growth, keep a close eye on these important metrics:

Daily Active Users (DAU), Weekly Active Users (WAU) and Monthly Active Users (MAU)

Which one is the best for you to track depends on the type of your app. For example, some travel apps are used every once in a while, so tracking daily active users wouldn’t be the best choice. On the other side, some productivity apps are being used every day, so tracking DAU makes sense. 

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

This number represents the total revenue a single user generates for your app, during the time they are an active user.

Churn rate

This is the percentage of people who were a user but they stopped using an app within a given timeframe. This could be because they aren’t satisfied with the app of the value they were receiving, or they switched to your competitors app, or they don’t have the need for your app anymore.

User acquisition cost (UAC)

This represents the investment you need to make to acquire one new user, or the amount of money that one new user costs you.

Retention rate

This indicates the percentage of users who keep using an app after installing it within a defined timeframe. This metric also helps app marketers gain insights into when, why, and how users stop using the app, enabling them to evaluate the app's long-term performance.

By understanding these phases and metrics, you'll be better equipped to implement various growth strategies and analyze their effectiveness.

Optimizing App Store Presence (App Store Optimization)

Your app's presence in the app store is often the first point of contact with potential users. Making sure you’re putting your best foot forward and optimizing this presence, known as App Store Optimization (ASO), is crucial for improving visibility and increasing downloads.

Keyword Research and Optimization

App Title and Description

Include relevant keywords into your app's title and description. This helps your app appear in all relevant searches, and expands your reach. For example, if you have a fitness tracking app called FitTrack, make sure your title is something like "FitTrack: Exercise & Calorie Counter" instead of just “FitTrack”.

Localized Keywords

If you're targeting a global audience, optimize your keywords for different languages and regions. This can significantly expand your app's reach.

App Icon, Screenshots, and Preview Videos

Visual Appeal

Create an eye-catching app icon that stands out in search results and on users' home screens after installing the app. Design compelling screenshots that showcase your app's key features and benefits.

App Preview Videos

Show engaging preview videos that demonstrate how your app works. These can be powerful tools for convincing potential users to download your app. Make sure the preview video is the first thing people see in the app store listing, as that helps drive downloads.

User Reviews and Ratings

Encouraging Positive Reviews

Implement strategies to prompt happy users to leave reviews. This might include in-app prompts after positive interactions or significant milestones.

Responding to Feedback

Address negative feedback quickly and professionally. This shows potential users that you're actively engaged and committed to improving the user experience.

Leveraging Paid User Acquisition

While organic growth is ideal, paid user acquisition can be a powerful tool for accelerating your app's growth, especially in the early stages.

Targeted Advertising

Social Media Ads

Social media ads are a great way to let people know about your app. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and X offer great targeting options to reach your ideal users. Create engaging ad creatives that highlight your app's unique value proposition.

Search Ads

Google search ads and Apple Search Ads are a great way to capitalize on existing demand from your users. They offer a way for you to show your app when somebody searches for a relevant query for your app. For example, for your app "FitTrack: Exercise & Calorie Counter", you could run search ads for the words “calorie counter” and your app would show up when users search for that.

Influencer Partnerships

Partnering with influencers whose audience aligns with your target users. These valuable partnerships can drive downloads through authentic recommendations and walkthroughs of your app's features.

A/B Testing and Optimization

Creative and Copy Testing

Continuously test different ad creatives and copy to find the most effective combinations for increasing downloads. Testing app store images, headlines, titles, as well as ad creatives, will help you understand what resonates most with your audience, driving more downloads for your app.

Channel Performance

Test, track and compare the performance of different advertising channels to optimize your ad spend and focus on the most effective platforms for your app. Overall volume of new installs and cost per install are the main metrics you should analyze.

Utilizing Referral Marketing

Referral marketing can be a powerful growth driver, turning your existing users into advocates for your app.

Incentivize User Referrals

Referral Programs

Create a program that rewards existing users for bringing in new users. Rewards could be in the form of in-app currency, monthly subscriptions, premium features, or other valuable incentives.

Double-Sided Rewards

You should offer incentives to both the referrer and the new user. This increases the likelihood of participation and can lead to higher conversion rates.

Easy Sharing Mechanisms

Make it as easy as possible for users to share referral links via social media, messaging apps, or email. The easier it is to share, the more likely users are to do so.

The simplest way to implement this into your app is to use a plug-and-play solution like Advato. Advato’s SDK is the simplest way to implement and grow a referral program in your app. With built-in growth features, it will help you increase your user count and entice your existing users to invite new users.

Implementing Content Marketing

Content marketing can be an effective way to attract and engage potential users while establishing your app as an authority in its niche.

Create Valuable Content

Blogging and SEO

Develop a content strategy that includes blog posts, articles, and other content that educates or entertains your target audience. This will drive organic traffic to your website and ultimately to your app.

Video Content

Create engaging video content such as tutorials, feature showcases, app walkthroughs, or user testimonials. These can be shared on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc.

Leverage Social Media

Build a Community

Use social media to engage with your users, share updates, and build a community around your app. This can lead to increased loyalty and word-of-mouth growth. Depending on your app’s target audience, consider using your own personal account to talk about your app, instead of the app’s official account. In some cases, people are more likely to connect with you as the app developer or marketer talking about the app, than they would to posts coming from the app’s official channels.

User-Generated Content

Encourage users to share their experiences with your app on social media. This can generate authentic social proof and attract new users. Consider offering some rewards for users who create and share those posts.

Enhancing User Experience and Retention

Acquiring users and getting them to install your app is only half the battle; keeping them engaged and using the app is what’s crucial for long-term success.

Onboarding Process

Streamlined Onboarding

Design a simple, smooth, intuitive onboarding process that helps your users quickly understand and start benefiting from your app's core features.

Interactive Tutorials

You could also implement interactive tutorials that guide new users through key features, making sure they’re familiar with them, increasing the likelihood they'll become active, engaged users.

Push Notifications and Engagement

Personalized Notifications

Use insights from your users usage data and send personalized push notifications that will keep them engaged without being intrusive.

In-App Messaging

Utilize in-app messages to communicate updates, offers, or support, keeping users informed and engaged within the app environment.

Regular Updates and Improvements

Feature Updates

Regularly add new features or improve existing ones to keep your app fresh and exciting for users.

Bug Fixes

Quickly address any bugs or performance issues to prevent user frustration and potential churn.

Exploring Partnerships and Collaborations

Strategic partnerships can help you reach new audiences and grow your user base more efficiently.

Strategic Partnerships

Cross-Promotions

Partner with other apps or brands that have a similar target audience but aren't direct competitors. This can help you reach new potential users at a lower cost, and is mutually beneficial.

Affiliate Marketing

Consider implementing an affiliate program where partners earn commissions for driving new users to your app. This can be a cost-effective way to scale user acquisition.

Monetization and Revenue Growth

While growing your user base is important, it's equally crucial to focus on monetization to sustain and fund further growth.

In-App Purchases and Subscriptions

Pricing Strategies

Experiment with different pricing strategies for in-app purchases and subscriptions to find the sweet spot that maximizes revenue while providing value to users.

Ad Monetization

Non-Intrusive Ads

If you choose to monetize through ads, implement them in a way that doesn't disrupt the user experience. This could include rewarded ads or native ad formats.

Upselling and Cross-Selling

Premium Features

Offer premium features or services as an upsell to increase revenue from existing users. Ensure these premium offerings provide clear additional value.

Tracking and Analyzing Growth Performance

To ensure your growth strategies are effective, it's crucial to consistently track and analyze your app's performance.

Tracking and analyzing key metrics we mentioned earlier will help you understand your app’s performance and progress. 

Making Data-Driven Decisions

User Behavior Analytics

Use analytics tools to track user behavior within your app. This will help you identify drop-off points and optimize the user experience accordingly.

Continuous Improvement

Regularly review your performance data and try out new growth ideas, features, or A/B tests.

Conclusion

Growing a mobile app in today's competitive market requires a combination of strategic user acquisition, excellent user experience, smart monetization approaches, and data-driven decision-making. By implementing the strategies and advice outlined in this guide and by continuously optimizing your approach, you can increase the number of your users and keep your app on a sustainable path of growth.

Remember, growth is an ongoing process. Stay adaptable, keep learning from your users and data, and don't be afraid to experiment with new strategies.

And make sure to check out Advato.