News & Events

Engaging Customers

To continue with the Jumptap series on attracting brand dollars to your app, the second key area for app developers to understand is how engaging customers with your app will create the notoriety that attracts brand dollars.

There are many types of apps in the marketplace and there is a lot of data in the industry suggesting that many apps do not have a real utility for mobile consumers.  This is represented by the number of apps available in relation to the number of apps downloaded and then finally the number of apps used by consumers on a regular basis.  I have heard numbers such as 5 to 10 apps is the maximum number of apps people will use on a regular basis.  Regardless of the number, the best way to engage customers is to build an app that:

• Delivers a value to the consumer that would not be as easily achieved by any other method
• Creates excitement that provokes users to share and speak about the app
• Provides content (as well as advertising) that is relevant to the user

All 3 of these elements need to work together.  I think about some of the gaming apps that really only let me engage in one action.  The concept might have been “cool”, “new”, or “hip” at one point which led someone to refer me to this app but if there is not much more that I can do, I won’t re-use the app  - and neither will anyone else.

Content and utility in conjunction with a “hip” factor provoke referrals.  This is what brands are looking for.  It allows the app to tap into user audiences that result in targets for brand dollars… a topic for the next posting.

Have questions or need help in understanding how to improve your app’s engagement?  Post a comment!

Give ‘Em Reach

 
 
Jumptap recently spoke to app developers at the LA APP Show and the MobileBeat Conference in San Francisco. We heard from a number of developers that understanding how to successfully monetize their app continues to be a challenge. So “What do brands ultimately want from mobile? “

In our perspective, there are 4 key wants of brands:

1. Reach
2. Engaging Consumers
3. Targeting
4. Rich Media

Understanding these elements will drive decisions to make apps more attractive to brand dollars and to develop revenue streams for developers.

For today, let’s keep it simple with reach.

Reach

 
 
Brands are interested in building awareness with as many people as possible. This translates to number of unique users and page views. Specifically, brands want to know what percentage of their consumer base will be reached from an advertising campaign on mobile.

The first important metric is your user base in terms of volume. How many unique users open up the app on a monthly basis? Also, knowing how many page views your apps are driving on a monthly basis provide brands with the insight needed on how to spend their dollars.

Understanding metrics is one component but it is also critical for apps to know how to acquire users to bring the reach required by brands. One easy way to recruit users is to have apps operate across multiple platforms including iOS, Android, RIM, Windows, Palm, Symbian, etc. Multiple platforms allow you to reach more of a brand’s consumer base and make you more attractive for sponsorships.

A second tactic is promotion. Buying advertising on mobile to drive downloads is not necessarily and 1 to 1 relationship. Advertising increases your ability to rank in the app store which in-turn will drive organic downloads. Many apps find that for one paid download they acquire on average an additional 2.3 downloads. Driving more users to your apps will increase the metrics brand advertisers are looking for.

There are many programs that networks run to help apps increase awareness, downloads, and usage. Here is a link to Jumptap’s latest Passport to Freedom program.