Since the arrival of SKAdNetwork (SKAN) 4.0, Apple’s privacy-preserving attribution framework for iOS, the app performance ecosystem swiftly came together to test and deploy its new features with early results showing great promise.

In a recent webinar, Sara Camden of InMobi, Eran Friedman of Singular, and Adrienne Rice of M&C Saatchi Performance shared their learnings and experiences on developing a winning strategy for iOS app growth with SKAN, covering the following topics:

• How app growth marketers can get a fast start with SKAN 4.0
• How to develop a refreshed approach to conversion value mapping
• How to cut through the noise and understand how these changes impact your app’s growth in a meaningful way

Watch the full webinar here.

Check out these additional resources to take your SKAN strategy to the next level:

• SKAN Readiness Checklist by InMobi
• SKAN 4.0 Strategy by Singular
• Guide to Mobile Marketing Attribution by M&C Saatchi Performance

The post Webinar roundup: Creating a winning iOS app growth strategy with SKAN 4.0 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Audio advertising in-app is growing at a rapid pace, but concerns over potential ad fraud schemes continue to pose a threat to the industry. According to eMarketer, US podcast advertising spending is expected to surpass $2 billion by 2023, demonstrating the increasing demand for audio advertising. However, as the industry grows, so do the opportunities for fraudulent activity, which could undermine advertisers’ trust in the medium.

Demand creates opportunities for fraudsters

DoubleVerify‘s recent discovery of the BeatSting fraud scheme is one example of the potential risks. Roy Rosenfeld, head of the company’s Fraud Lab, warned that the scheme has cost “unprotected advertisers” up to $20 million over the last few years.

Rosenfeld explained that CTV and audio are channels with higher engagement which leaves them more vulnerable to fraudulent activity when demand is high.

Mechanism of audio ad fraud

Source: DoubleVerify

The issue is by no means new. A study by Integral Ad Science found that the majority of media experts were concerned about audio ad fraud while 34% said they had seen an increase in fraudulent activity. 

How bad actors use fake audio streams

In 2021, DoubleVerify uncovered BeatSting, which involved fraudulent activity across over 60 mobile apps. While the apps are authentic, the impressions never actually happened. Fraudsters can create fake traffic that simulates how users listen and this in turn triggers an ad exchange to insert an ad. 

Though fraud is a much bigger problem in programmatic, which currently makes up just 2% of podcast ad revenue, with the rise of audio advertising, it’s crucial to address potential risks and take steps to protect advertisers and maintain the industry’s integrity.

Podcast ad spend growth prediction

Source: eMarketer

In a sense, audio advertising benefits from the fact that the market is still relatively small. 

“Fraud always follows the money, and increasingly that money is flowing to digital audio, a rapidly emerging channel where digital advertising standards are still evolving,” added Mark Zagorski, Chief Executive Officer at DoubleVerify. 

Key takeaways

• Podcast fraud scheme cost advertisers up to $20 million over the last few years
• BeatSting uncovered fraudulent activity in over 60 mobile apps
• As demand for audio ads increases, so will ad fraud 

The post Listen up: in-app audio advertising faces rising fraud threat appeared first on Business of Apps.

When the first hypercasual game (Flappy Bird) was released in 2013, it wasn’t an immediate success. But by the following year interest in this type of lightweight, snackable gameplay had exploded and other developers were taking note. The genre became massive. Last year, Android’s share of the genre climbed to a record 57% as the pandemic boosted mobile games to new heights. But the release of Apple’s IDFA changes and the economic slowdown, have impacted mobile gaming severely. 

What goes up, must come down

According to the latest State of Mobile Gaming 2023 report from Sensor Tower, the hypercasual genre suffered a substantial decline in downloads following the pandemic. Downloads of hypercasual games dropped 24% year-on-year to 2.7 billion in Q4 2022. Total downloads were 12.3 billion, down 10% from 13.7 billion in 2021. 

Despite all of this, hypercasual is still the top gaming genre by downloads, followed by Arcade, Simulation, Puzzle and Lifestyle. 

And it’s not the only genre losing out on attracting new users. Both Shooter and RPG titles saw a massive drop in downloads. 

Mobile game genre downloads and revenues in 2021 and 2022

Source: Sensor Tower

Interestingly, Action game downloads jumped 13% to 1.9 billion on the back of successful titles like Shooter.io and School Party Craft. 

Users want exclusive content

But it’s not all doom and gloom. The so-called hybridcasual genre, combining hypercasual gameplay with midcore and casual game retention and monetisation tools, grew 13% in 2022. 

The genre saw a total of 5.1 billion downloads and revenues reached $1.4 billion. 

Hybridcasual is in

Source: Sensor Tower

But if Netflix’s expansion into games is anything to go by, it seems some users are increasingly enjoying more exclusive access games. Downloads from Netflix subscribers were up 54%, generating 24.6 million total installs. 

Source: Sensor Tower

It would suggest there’s still room to grow or perhaps refocus your traditional hypercasual games.

Key takeaways

• Downloads of hypercasual games dropped 24% year-on-year to 2.7 billion in Q4 2022
• Total downloads were down 10% from 13.7 billion in 2021
• Hybridcasual titles grew 13% 

The post All eyes on the hybrids as hypercasual mobile game downloads plummet 24% appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Discovery (OEM) is becoming increasingly significant in mobile marketing and publishing. Despite being essential for app owners, many people may not know the entire concept. What exactly is an OEM, and why is it relevant to mobile marketers? Let’s dive in!

What is App Discovery (OEM)?

The word OEM is an abbreviation and stands for “Original Equipment Manufacturer.” This refers to the process in which app advertisements are implemented into Android smartphones, and apps have the opportunity to catch the attention of new device owners. AppSamurai’s App Discovery has two methods:

• Pre-installed model
• On-device recommendation model

Both methods successfully generate high install rates, acquire engaged users, and increase brand awareness. App Discovery allows your app to be a part of the user journey during the device lifecycle.

Opportunities of OEMs for mobile marketers

There are many ways for publishers to reach mobile app users, including social media platforms, Google tools, and ad networks. What if you could try innovative models over traditional methods and reach your ultimate goal directly? AppSamurai works with mobile operators and device manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and many others in more than 130 countries and crafts the most effective OEM strategies.

Source: AppSamurai

More manufacturers choose Android which results in affordable devices with variety.  Android makes up 71.45% of the global mobile market, and this creates a great opportunity that every app owner should take. With the recent privacy regulations in iOS, it’s getting more expensive and less wide-reaching to advertise on it. Going for Android App Discovery campaigns will give you access to millions of active users and ready-to-install apps.

The pre-installed model

Going back to how App Discovery works, in the pre-install model, your mobile app is pre-installed on users’ newly purchased devices. This model allows your app to be seen by engaged new device owners and catches their attention from the very beginning. App Discovery eliminates the process of browsing app stores and trying to find the right app, creating a cost-effective campaign.

There are over 2.7 billion Android users worldwide, and millions of Android devices are shipped across the world every year. With App Discovery, your app can be pre-installed into these devices, and get in front of the users before any of your competitors.

The on-device recommendation model

With this campaign type, your app is placed in different ad units within the device, and your app becomes an essential part of the user journey. This model will not only improve brand awareness but also helps you reach real and engaging users.

App Discovery has many benefits:

• Fraud-free user acquisition
• Control over device interface
• Instant access to a vast number of users
• Demographic targeting that guarantees value to the user
• Be a native part of the user experience
• Builds brand recognition

Source: AppSamurai

AppSamurai works with leading brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and more. Learn more about App Discovery (OEM) here, and reach your KPIs!

The post AppSamurai’s App Discovery (OEM): Reaching millions in seconds appeared first on Business of Apps.

Despite the economic downturn, app and mobile publishers appear optimistic. Digital publishing revenues jumped 3% to £176.9 million in 2022 from the previous year, according to the latest data shared by the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) and Deloitte. So what’s driving growth? 

Consumers are subscribers

Subscriptions saw the strongest growth among publishers in the final quarter of 2022, rising almost 13% year-on-year. It shows that audiences are still keen to consume premium content despite the cost-of-living crisis. 

Display ad revenues stagnated at 0.1% while video revenues dropped slightly (-1.9%), according to the latest Digital Publishers’ Revenue Index (DPRI). Sponsorships dropped a whopping -24% in revenues. 

Total digital revenues were up 4.4% to £637.7 million.

“It is reassuring to see that there is optimism amongst publishers, with 75% confident in the outlook for advertising revenues compared to just half at the same time last year,” said Dan Ison, lead partner for telecommunications, media and entertainment at Deloitte.

“Many consumers remain committed to their subscriptions, despite tighter budgets as a result of higher cost of living. It is evident that the appetite for exclusive content remains intact, making it even more important for digital publishers to continue to prioritise consistent, high quality outputs to maintain consumer interest and drive growth.”

UK digital publisher revenues rise 3% in 2022

Source: AOP

Multi-platform revenues see sharpest growth

The data reveals a clear shift from desktop to mobile devices with mobile rising almost 17% and desktop revenues falling 9.5%. 

Multi-platform captures the largest share at £121.6 million (compared to £26.6 million for mobile alone), an increase of 3.7%. 

The growth is due to video (33.3%), subscriptions (12.9%), and display advertising (8.1%).

However, better performance was skewed toward the biggest players with 43% of respondents reporting growth. A whopping 75% said they were prioritising cost reductions, up 50% from 2021. That said, 75% said they were optimistic about ad revenues going forward as inflationary pressures could hit a peak and balance out the share of growth. 

Key takeaways

• Digital publishing revenues jumped 3% to £176.9 million in 2022 
• Subscriptions saw the strongest growth at 13% year-on-year
• Display ad revenues stagnated at 0.1% while video revenues dropped slightly (-1.9%)

The post Digital publishing revenues rise 3% on back of ongoing subscription success appeared first on Business of Apps.

You’ve probably heard a lot about Live Activities. With iOS 16.1, Apple released this powerful new functionality, which allows apps to extend their branded app experience to their users’ lock screens, broadcasting content live for up to eight hours.

Activating LIve Activities is a no-brainer for many apps, but there are some implementation considerations. Join OneSignal for a webinar discussing the basics of Live Activities and the pros and cons of building in-house vs. partnering with a messaging provider. The live webinar is on March 22nd at 10 am PT, or we’ll send the recording if you can’t make it!

Highlights include:

• An overview of the new Apple’s Live Activities functionality
• A look at the top industries and use cases for Live Activities
• An in-depth discussion of the considerations of building Live Activities in house vs. partnering with a turn-key providers
• A brief run-through of OneSignal’s Live Activities offering and how to get started

Register for the webinar here.

The post [WEBINAR] Apple’s new Live Activities: Build vs. buy appeared first on Business of Apps.

Pandemic lockdowns meant that many of us could only dream of travelling. But once lockdowns lifted, people were quick to return to the spots they’d dreamt up. Now data from app and mobile marketing experts Digital Turbine shows that travel booking app TripAdvisor stood out when it comes to consumer interest. 

Rewards fuel recommendations 

Rewards are everyone’s favourite. The Marriott Bonvoy rewards app topped the chart for positive consumer sentiment and brand opinion. It had some of the highest percentages of users willing to recommend the app, despite having the fourth-lowest awareness among the top 20 apps. 

Fly Delta, Hilton Honors, Expedia and TripAdvisor rounded out the top apps consumers are happy to recommend to others. 

In the line-up of travel aggregators, Expedia and TripAdvisor rank top of consumer ownership. Orbitz has some of the lowest ownership at just 3%, which is around 5x lower than Expedia. Given that it’s owned by the latter, Expedia could help Orbitz grow. 

Orbitz has some of the lowest ownership among travel apps

Source: Digital Turbine

Everyone Ubers

In the ride-sharing category, Uber’s customer awareness is now at 65% compared with Lyft’s at 58%. It shows that Lyft still has plenty of room to grow. But what’s Uber doing that Lyft is failing to do? 

According to Digital Turbine research, Uber developed a stronger attachment with its users. In other words, it’s quite a sticky app. 

Lyft has some catching up to do

Source: Digital Turbine

What makes an app sticky in the first place is a loyal audience, low churn and solid engagement. Sticky apps are those most revenant to a user’s life or need. Developers can boost their app stickiness by boosting the user experience and loyalty through personalisation and an analysis of one’s weak points. 

Key takeaways

• The Marriott Bonvoy rewards app has the highest positive consumer sentiment and brand opinion
• Orbitz has some of the lowest ownership at just 3% – 5x lower than Expedia
• Uber’s customer awareness is now at 65% compared with Lyft’s at 58%

The post Rewards boost recommendations of travel apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

The Oscar’s are just around the corner but it seems that interest in the annual Academy Awards event is already fuelling a higher interest in streaming apps and platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV+. According to an analysis from data.ai, the Paramount app saw a spike in downloads in the week following the announcement of Oscar nominations. Let’s take a look. 

Stream, stream, stream

Since the Oscar nominees were announced on January 24th, it seems app users have rushed to catch up on watching critically acclaimed movies. 

The streaming app from major movie studio Paramount, Paramount+, saw an 80% rise in downloads with the nominations. Users were watching Top Gun: Maverick and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Global streaming app downloads rise following Oscar nominations

Source: data.ai

Amazon Prime Video and Netflix downloads also jumped with nominations for The Fabelmans, Blonde and All Quiet on the Western Front.

It’s not just the Oscar’s

However, the rise in streaming app uptake is not just due to the Oscar’s. The pandemic had a major effect on the way we consume media and video in particular. Streaming services exploded during the lockdown periods as theatres were shut down. Video streaming apps have been on a roll ever since with global downloads up 23% year-on-year to 3 billion. 

Spending on video streaming apps topped $7.2 billion (up 12% year-on-year) with US consumers contributing 44% to all spending. 

Top streaming apps by consumer spending in the UK

Source: data.ai

Interestingly, the data shows that growth is not just restricted to developed markets. Apps like MX Player gained popularity in India becoming the third most downloaded video streaming app after YouTube and Netflix in 2022. In LATAM, the category grew with consumer spending at over $42 million. 

Key takeaways

• Paramount+ saw an 80% rise in downloads with the nominations
• Video streaming app global downloads were up 23% year-on-year to 3 billion in 2022 
• Spending on video streaming apps topped $7.2 billion (up 12% year-on-year) 

The post Oscar nominations: streaming app Paramount+ downloads jump 80% appeared first on Business of Apps.

As consumers increasingly prioritize values such as privacy, transparency, and sustainability when making purchase decisions, it’s more critical for brands to prioritize these concerns in their marketing strategies. Today 67% of digital advertisers agree that brand safety is a key priority in mobile and app marketing, according to the latest survey by IAB Europe. Let’s take a look.

An industry gets serious about brand safety

Based on the answers of over 150 industry professionals, the majority believe that more must be done to ensure brand safety. Roughly half (53%) said that the industry had done a good job at tackling safety issues over the last 12 months, up from 36% in 2019. 

What’s fuelling these changes is, in the first instance, technological innovation (71%). 

“The poll results highlight how seriously the digital advertising industry takes the safety of brand advertising investments and how improvements have been made in tackling this over the past couple of years,” said Helen Mussard, CMO, IAB Europe.

“Furthermore, it is encouraging to see stakeholders recognise the importance that technology plays in tackling brand safety and suitability. We will continue to work with our members to highlight advances and best practices in this area, to enable brand-safe experiences for both advertisers and consumers.”  

Brand safety is a key priority

Source: IAB Europe

From safety to suitability

However, the challenges in brand safety have, by and large, remained the same according to 50% of respondents. 

They include privacy, transparency and sustainability. 57% said that privacy posed a greater challenge in 2022 while 44% found transparency and sustainability to be tougher than previously (39%).

Brands use suitability alongside safety measures

Source: IAB Europe

What emerges is that brands are ramping up demand for brand suitability (78%) versus safety. Over 80% of respondents said brand safety required a bespoke approach to client needs. 

In the future, this may mean new rules for creators, and tighter safety guidelines for customer privacy and content control.

Key takeaways

• For 67% of digital advertisers brand safety is a key priority in mobile and app marketing
• Brand safety has by and large remained the same according to 50%
• 57% said that privacy posed a greater challenge in 2022

The post Brand safety is key for 67% of mobile brand advertisers appeared first on Business of Apps.

Influencer marketing may be here to stay after all. This year alone, 64% of brand marketers are looking to increase their budgets on influencer marketing and a vast majority prefer long-term relationships with creatives. But if you’re just getting started and have wondered what influencers actually charge, a new survey by Intellifluence sheds light on how creators are compensated.

Instagram influencers overestimate budgets

Although TikTok has seriously advanced on Instagram in terms of attracting both talent and marketers, the Meta-owned photo app continues to grow its loyal audience and is the 8th most visited app in the world. 

When asked about how much cash an influencer would expect per campaign, those with less than <1k followers said $89 while those with 100k to 1 million followers typically expect around $1k per campaign. Interestingly, influencers with fewer followers (<1k) significantly overestimated how much those with 1 million followers actually charge ($20k).

Instagram influencer compensation expectations

Source: Intellifluence

That means Instagram influencers with small followers would hypothetically charge much more per post if they had millions of followers. 

Twitter and Facebook for shallow pockets

Marketers with smaller budgets will find that influencers on both Facebook and Twitter tend to charge far less than their Instagram counterparts, at least at a higher number of followers. However, Twitter estimates of budgets have been increasing since 2021. 

As for TikTok, brands have noticed that the network demands a lot more in terms of creativity in order to be successful. However, videos also have a 6x higher engagement rate than Instagram Reels. 

TikTok influencer compensation expectations

Source: Intellifluence

Estimates for campaigns on TikTok increase exponentially once a user crosses the 100k user mark, starting at $95 for <1k followers. That’s similar to Instagram. However, rates jump to over $1k once a creator has over 100k followers and then grow exponentially. 

YouTube performed similarly here. Though given how much more challenging it is to get users to subscribe, those with <1k followers charge more than twice as TikTok influencers. 

Key takeaways

• Instagram influencers with small followers would charge much more per post if they had millions of followers
• Facebook and Twitter creators tend to charge far less than their Instagram counterparts
• Campaigns on TikTok increase exponentially once a user crosses the 100k user mark

The post How much do influencers think they would charge for mobile social campaigns? appeared first on Business of Apps.

While the economic effects of the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine are taking a toll on ad budgets worldwide, the gaming app economy has been remarkably resistant. Developers and game marketers invested nearly $27 billion in ad spending in 2022, according to the latest State of Gaming App Marketing for 2023 report from AppsFlyer. 

Android up, iOS down

During Covid, game developers and marketers were on a high. During the second half of 2022, interest in gaming waned somewhat as users returned to their normal lives. 

But despite economic slumps, Android game app installs rose 8% compared to 2021 while iOS declined 5% in 2022. 

The drop in iOS installs reflects the challenges associated with Apple’s privacy changes. 

Year-over-year % change in overall gaming app installs: 2019-2022

Source: AppsFlyer

The US is still the most important market for gaming app marketers and saw a 19% growth in Android app installs in 2022, compared to a 1% drop in iOS app installs.

Shani Rosenfelder, Director of Market Insights at AppsFlyer reveals that “Evolving marketing budgets coupled with drops in consumer spending across some genres mean game businesses are compelled to prioritize profits over growing the sheer size of their numbers of players.”

Consumers are spending less in-app

In light of the economic challenges, consumers are spending less and that has an effect on app spending. There was a 7% drop in overall in-app purchases during H2 2022 compared to H1. Spending on iOS was down 9% compared to 4% on Android. 

In-app purchases on Android were down 14% while iOS was down 1%. The decline was driven by Role Playing and Casino genres which tend to have higher rates of in-app purchases. 

Year-over-year % change in overall gaming app installs by genre

Source: AppsFlyer

Casino grew 48% on Android, which is 3x more than hyper-casual and 5x higher than puzzle and role-playing games. 

What game marketers can do

There was a notable 88% increase in CPI from iOS between 2021 to 2022, reaching $3.75 per install. Marketers are shifting to owned media channels such as push

notifications, in-app messages and cross-promotion to get more out of their budgets.

What’s interesting though is that despite these hurdles mobile gaming is a lucrative venture. 

Gaming in-app advertising revenue by platform

Source: AppsFlyer

“Marketers will continue to succeed by putting more focus on modern measurement capabilities, utilizing techniques that deliver an engaging experience while respecting user privacy, and leveraging remarketing and owned media channels further in order to offset increases in their cost-per-installs (CPI),” adds Rosenfelder. 

“Additionally, they will need to dive deep into the complex yet promising SKAN 4.0 from Apple, and invest more in campaigns outside of the United States, as gaming is truly a global phenomenon.”

Key takeaways

• Developers and game marketers invested nearly $27 billion in ad spending in 2022
• Android game apps installs rose 8% compared to 2021 while iOS declined 5% in 2022
• 7% drop in overall in-app purchases during H2 2022 compared to H1

The post Game app makers spent $27 billion on ads while in-app purchases slumped 7% appeared first on Business of Apps.

A UK mobile games maker topped the latest Financial Times / Statista FT 1000 of the seven fastest-growing European companies. But what’s all the more apparent from the survey is the impact of Covid-19 and Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

Mobile games are on a roll

It’s hardly a secret that the mobile gaming market saw a significant boost during the pandemic as users hunkered down at home and turned to game apps to entertain themselves. By the end of 2021, the mobile game market generated $7.5 billion in player spending from the two app stores. 

Gamers spent 7.3% more in games in 2021 compared to 2020 with emerging markets such as Argentina, Vietnam and Brazil contributing heavily to the growth. 

Tripledot Studios, a game maker based in the UK, just topped the list of the FT 1000 of Europe’s fastest-growing businesses at a CAGR of 795%. The seventh annual FT 1000 ranking lists the top European companies that achieved a top annual growth rate between 2018 and 2021. 

Top 10 companies in the FT 1000 2022

Source: FT

Launched as recently as 2017, the game maker focuses on single-player card games. 

It was followed by Marshmallow, a UK insure-tech business (CAGR of 660%) and lithium battery maker WeCo of Italy (CAGR of 433%). 

Digitalisation of our lives

Besides the ongoing pressures of the war and Covid-19, the list reveals the ongoing digitalisation of our lives. IT, fintech and mobile or digital entertainment services all ranked in the top 10 of the FT 1000. 

According to data from Liftoff, over half of users who downloaded fintech apps in 2022 activated an account. 

Major game companies are shifting their focus to mobile-first games. Mobile gaming generated some $80 billion in 2020 compared to $37 billion on PCs and $45 billion for consoles.

Downloads of mobile games rose dramatically during the pandemic years

Source: data.ai

Three-quarters of Tencent’s $33 billion in 2021 revenues came from mobile alone. And though it’s true that multi-platform releases are becoming popular, mobile penetration of games far outstrips that of PC and console and there seems to be no stopping it. 

Key takeaways

• Tripledot Studios topped the list of the FT 1000 of Europe’s fastest-growing businesses at a CAGR of 795%
• Mobile gaming generated $80 billion in 2020 compared to $37 billion on PCs and $45 billion for consoles
• Gamers spent 7.3% more in games in 2021 compared to 2020

The post UK mobile game maker Tripledot Studios tops FT 1000 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Text and WhatsApp messaging may seem like an outdated mode of marketing. However, almost a fifth of respondents list SMS as their preferred brand communication channel and 16% would ideally like to receive these messages from brands up to three times a week. Why is that? Data quality expert Validity sought to find out.

Texts influences purchases

SMS marketing has become a widely adopted practice. But how successful is it really in driving sales and purchase intent? Based on a survey of over 1,200 customers late last year, promo messages reminding customers of abandoned carts and SMS marketing drove 38% of customers to make a purchase and 50% were influenced to purchase a product. 

However, the line between a positive and negative brand experience is thin. 

Lack of purchase history and a disregard for customer preferences means that marketers risk losing customers and revenues. 

Preferred channels for receiving marketing messages

Source: Validity

A whopping 96% of customers find themselves occasionally annoyed with SMS marketing, particularly when messages aren’t relevant to their needs or the products they purchased.

What brands can do

Brands risk losing customers who feel irritated by brand communication. In fact, 28% who felt annoyed stopped doing business with a company and another 28% stopped purchasing from a brand they received annoying messages from. 

Another 14% also left a negative review of a company due to irritation. 

Reasons why shoppers get annoyed with brands

Source: Validity

“With bleak economic conditions projected for the coming months, it is increasingly critical to reach customers where they’re at – which in today’s world is via SMS,” said Kate Adams, SVP of Marketing at Validity.

“Marketers who’ve mastered the art of SMS are able to create campaigns that increase customer engagement and satisfaction, and ultimately drive revenue for their business. But the findings of this report are also a cautionary tale because the opposite is equally true. When SMS is done poorly, businesses risk alienating large swaths of customers. Unfortunately, many marketers don’t know how to incorporate SMS effectively, and often attempt to apply age-old email marketing tactics – which aren’t effective in this medium. It’s crucial that businesses invest in training for their marketing teams so they are able to effectively adjust how, where, and with what frequency to employ SMS messaging tactics.”

To overcome these challenges, brands can consider giving customers the ability to adjust the frequency of their messages. 97% of customers said they would prefer such a feature and 81% feel it would make them purchase more. 

Customers prefer to receive these types of notifications

Source: Validity

Data privacy worries a whopping 70% of respondents with 66% worried brands are selling their data. So it’s important for companies to reassure customers. 

Key takeaways

• 38% of customers make a purchase and 50% were influenced to purchase a product after receiving a text message
• 96% get annoyed with SMS marketing 
• 28% who felt annoyed stopped doing business with a company and another 28% stopped purchasing from a brand they received annoying messages from

The post 38% of customers made purchase after receiving WhatsApp or text message appeared first on Business of Apps.

Many social apps start out by offering their services for free. They begin to monetise by offering ads and building their own advertising platforms. But with Apple’s app tracking transparency, marketers have turned to alternatives to grow profits. Social media apps compensated by building their own products and services available as in-app purchases (IAP).

But how are their IAP efforts performing now? App experts Apptopia sought to find out. 

IAP revenues jump

Combined, the top social apps including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter saw their quarter IAP revenues rise 91% since Apple rolled out ATT.

Snapchat+ stands out with an average 20% more daily IAP revenue than Facebook. 

The company’s subscription service costs $3.99 per month and has now brought in around $25 million since it launched. 

Snapchat+ revenue grows again

Source: Apptopia

Even though Facebook’s revenue is more consistent in terms of daily fluctuations, Snapchat’s daily revenue has trended higher than Facebook’s as of February. 

Twitter Blue grows slowly

Twitter rolled out Blue back in November 2022 for an average $8 per month. The feature lets users edit tweets and prioritize conversations. The company has now generated $25 million via the feature which is still low.

There’s also a massive disparity between iOS and Android revenues at an average monthly gap is 2,859%. 

Twitter Blue revenues on iOS and Android

Source: Apptopia

Compare that to Snapchat’s 902%, Instagram’s 293%, and Facebook’s at just 52%.

Twitter has some work to do to get Android users on board.

It’s all about fans on Meta and TikTok

Meta app IAPs and those on TikTok are largely focused on driving revenues through fans of creators. 

No slowing down for TikTok

Source: Apptopia

Facebook generated $56 million in IPAs while Instagram took home just $3.6 million. TikTok revenues came in at a whopping $1.5 billion last year. The company has long focused on fan-driven IAPs and continues to growth app revenues quarter by quarter (up 13.6% in Q4 2022). 

Key takeaways

• Top social apps quarter IAP revenues rise 91% since Apple rolled out ATT
• Snapchat+ attracts 20% more daily IAP revenue than Facebook
• Massive disparity between iOS and Android revenues at an average monthly gap of 2,859% on Twitter and 902% on Snapchat

The post Social apps turn to in-app purchases to make up for lost ad revenues appeared first on Business of Apps.

Just because a user downloads a fintech app, doesn’t mean they’ll be using it. In fact, only one in five users who install fintech apps, end up signing up within the first week. That’s according to the latest Industry Benchmark Report for Fintech Apps 2022 from CleverTap.

Why are install-to-sign-up rates so poor?

Something’s amiss if just 21% of those downloading a fintech app actually sign up during the first week. While speed, ease and convenience are all motivators for downloading fintech apps, it seems the onboarding process needs to be just as contextually relevant for consumers to actually sign up. Most users are looking for that easy button to help them solve their problems and are less keen on painful registration processes.

70% of users sign up within just 75 seconds

Source: CleverTap

Here’s some good news though. Of those users who do sign up, 70% do so within 75 seconds after launching the app. It shows that many users are eager to get going with their fintech experience.

Keep engaging to boost conversion rates

A whopping 95% of new fintech app users make at least one financial transaction during the first month. Over the course of a week, 76% of users go from onboarding to deeper-in-the-funnel engagement and the average user launches their app around 11x a month.

However, just 15% of new users complete more than one transaction during week one. This means it’s all the more important marketers continue to customise user engagement strategies to boost retention after download. 

“The fintech industry has seen exponential growth in the last few years. Given the relentless competition within the space, fintech platforms need to step up their Omnichannel engagement efforts to better retain customers”, said Jacob Joseph, VP-Data Science, CleverTap.

Fintech apps are sticky

The good news is that fintech apps may be a little more sticky than others at a stickiness quotient of 22% which shows that almost a quarter of users frequently return to their apps. 

Clickthrough rates for in-app notifications were 24% which is 3x more than other push notifications and email open rates are a whopping 34%. At 9%, the average CTR for Android is quite a bit higher than that of iOS (6%).

On average, fintech app users launch these apps about 11 times per month

Source: CleverTap

These figures show that users are interested in educating themselves about fintech topics and their apps.

Key takeaways

• 21% of users downloading a fintech app sign up during the first week
• 70% sign up within 75 seconds after launching the app
• 95% of new fintech app users make at least one financial transaction during the first month

The post Only 1 in 5 who download fintech app will sign up during first week appeared first on Business of Apps.

Apple Search Ads is now the second-largest network for user acquisition on iOS, according to the Singular ROI Index 2023 released today. That’s by comparison with platforms using analytics from SKAdNetwork. But smaller networks tied to Google and Meta are growing too. Let’s take a closer look. 

Ad spending on iOS continues to grow

When considering dollar volume and the number of conversions, Apple Search Ads is now the second-biggest ad network for iOS for app marketing. Brands which may have previously struggled with new attribution methods learned to use Apple’s privacy-focused SKAN and boosted spending on iOS. Following a drop in 2021, Apple ad spending jumped from 36% in January to 47% in December. 

Among the reasons for the growth in iOS ad spending are key markets such as North America and Western Europe, but also Apple’s growing global market share which is now at 22%. iPhone users also tend to spend more than Android users which makes them more attractive acquisition targets. 

iOS versus Android ad spend

Source: Singular

Brands using Appel benefit from managing a high-intent search marketing platform in Apple Search Ads and operating app advertising as a first-party data operation, enabling better targeting while ensuring privacy.

“2022 saw Apple Search Ads spending reaching record-high for apps across different categories,” said Emre Kavaloglu, Head of Marketing at MobileAction & SearchAds.com. 

“This year will be no different as advertisers can now create more relevant ad experiences with custom product pages and tap into new ad placements introduced by Apple in late 2022.”

Smaller ad networks may disrupt Meta – Google duopoly

While Meta and Google are still massive given their installed base and global scale of audiences and advertisers, smaller ad networks are challenging the duopoly in the era of privacy. The top ad networks by percentage growth in ad spending on Singular were:

1. Moloco
2. TikTok for Business
3. Twitter
4. Google Ads
5. Unity Ads
6. AppLovin
7. Snapchat
8. ironSource
9. Apple Search Ads
10. Liftoff

Another interesting point from the report is that we seem to have entered a time of persistent, lasting, and widespread loss of deterministic marketing signal. iOS was first; the web and Android are up next. This means a shift to hybrid measurement which includes a unified data infrastructure, multiple measurement methods and reporting and insights that serve various purposes drawing on first-party data, GAID and Privacy Sandboxes as well as media mix modelling. 

Measurement is turning hybrid

Source: Singular

Key takeaways

• Apple Search Ads becomes the second largest network for user acquisition on iOS
• Apple ad spending jumped from 36% in January to 47% in December
• Smaller ad networks begin to challenge Meta and Google duopoly

The post Apple Search Ads is now second-largest network for user acquisition on iOS appeared first on Business of Apps.

TikTok has the highest engagement rate among social media apps according to new benchmark report from RivalIQ. The analysis is based on 5 million posts and 9 billion comments and favourites on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok from top global brands. Let’s take a closer look.

Short video has highest engagement rate

TikTok engagement rates topped almost 6% per post even thought the app had the lowest activity rate at 1.75. Meanwhile, Instagram engagement dropped by 30% to 0.5% year on year while Twitter’s fell just slightly to 0.04% and Facebook remained stable at 0.06%.

Engagement rates over time

Source: RivalIQ

Overall, brands saw less organic engagement in 2022 compared to the previous years.

Higher education was the engagement winner on Instagram despite below-median posting frequency. On TikTok, higher education saw some epic engagement rates.

Brands are posting less frequently

Interestingly, the report found that posting frequency was on decline. Instagram posting frequency was flat while Facebook and Twitter saw a 20% dive.

However, during the holiday season engagement rates were higher across most hashtagged posts while contests and giveaways were less popular.

TikTok video vs engagement

Source: RivalIQ

Reels are the most popular format on Instagram now and saw top performance for food and beverage brands. The format is also working well for beauty brands but possibly underused for home brands.

Key takeaways

• TikTok engagement rates topped almost 6% per post even thought the app had the lowest activity rate at 1.75
• Instagram engagement dropped by 30% to 0.5% year on year
• Instagram posting frequency was flat while Facebook and Twitter saw a 20% dive

The post Brands posting short video content see higher engagement appeared first on Business of Apps.

The health industry has seen a significant change since the Covid-19 pandemic with ever more healthcare services available via mobile apps and on people’s wearable devices. Health tracking is now popular to manage existing conditions and keep fit. Business intelligence firm Morning Consult took a closer look at the health app trends of 2023.

Growing number of Americans are using health apps

Two in five US adults are now using health apps. That’s a rise of 6 percentage points since 2018. The share of Americans who said they use wearables is up to 35%, an 8-point rise over the same period.

“The last five years have been very exciting. I think the next five years is going to be potentially even more exciting and transformative as innovation continues to evolve in almost every area of health care,” said Scott Whitaker, chief executive of the medical device industry group AdvaMed.

“The combination of consumers’ fascination with the technology and users’ recognition of the added value is “driving up the usage tremendously.”

Wearables are trailing the app trend somewhat. Nearly one in four non-users said that cost of devices was the main reason for them not buying one.

At least half of US adults with health apps use them daily

Source: Morning Consult

However, 86% of wearable users believe the technology is very or somewhat effective at helping them reach their goals.

Monitoring exercise, sleep and weight are core motivations

Around a third of health app owners say they’re using the technology more than they have before. Ismene Grohmann, head of product for Abbott Laboratories’ new bio-wearables line Lingo, believes that’s a direct consequence of the heightened focus on our health during the pandemic.

Motivations differ but 75% of users said they use apps for fitness and exercise monitoring, while 48% keep track of their sleep and 46% monitor weight using apps.

Top motivations to use health apps

Source: Morning Consult

Interestingly, a separate survey found that US adults were becoming less concerned about privacy issues of health apps while Gen Z users were growing slightly more concerned.

Key takeaways

• Use of health apps grows 6 percentage points over 2018 while 35% more people use wearables
• 75% of adults said they use apps for fitness and exercise monitoring, while 48% keep track of their sleep and 46% monitor weight using apps
• US adults are becoming less concerned about privacy issues of health apps

The post Two in five US adults now use health apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile has changed the way shoppers interact with brands and online retailers. But what’s really important when trying to engage shoppers and what has the biggest impact on their purchasing decisions? Customer engagement platform Emplifi just released a new report based on the answers of 2,000 shoppers in the US and UK to find out.

User-generated content is trusted

Not all reviews are equal. According to the survey, 87% of customers said that real-life customer reviews and ratings had a much higher impact on their purchasing decision compared to influencer or celebrity reviews at 50%.

When researching products online, reviews are the most influential factor that drives purchases, ahead of price, return policies or delivery costs.

Reviews, rating and interactions impact on purchasing decisions

Source: Emplify

According to Chief of Strategy Kyle Wong at Emplify:

“There’s no better way to demonstrate brand authenticity than by putting organic customer experiences front and center. Brands that are already leveraging UGC are seeing measurable results. The key is to make this content easily accessible on your product pages so customers can conduct their research right on your website without having to visit other sites to find authentic customer reviews.

Celebrity testimonials are costly and, ironically, don’t have the same impact as content from a real-life customer which is great news for brands. Marketers are able to maximize their budget by doubling down on content customers are creating free of charge that significantly impacts purchasing decisions.”

Shoppers visit multiple websites before making purchasing decision

The vast majority (95%) of mobile shoppers research low-cost products of up to $20 on various sites. Marketplaces are a popular source of information. However, search engines are preferred for more expensive products priced at over $100.

The trend is in part driven by budget-conscious shopping due to the recession and inflation. Brands can leverage product reviews and pictures to ensure shoppers have all the information they need to make a purchase.

Search behaviours of online shoppers

Source: Emplify

Interestingly, things aren’t vastly different across the various generations with Gen X, millennials and Gen Z customers all researching products online in a similar manner. They spend up to 15 minutes looking at different product websites for cheaper items.

As the cost of the item increases, the number of websites visited goes up.

Key takeaways

• 87% of customers say real-life customer reviews have a much higher impact on their purchasing decision compared to influencer or celebrity reviews
• 95% of shoppers research low-cost products of up to $20 on various sites
• Research trends are similar across generations

The post 80% of mobile shoppers say reviews have biggest impact appeared first on Business of Apps.

With the rise of TikTok, video has been all about the short format. But now new research from growth acceleration platform Liftoff finds that longer video ads are more effective than their shorter counterparts. Mobile user acquisition managers seem to be focusing on videos between 30 to 60 seconds in length for better performance gains.

Longer is better for video ads

Although attention spans may be short, slightly longer mobile video ads are proving effective in capturing user attention. Brands saw 50% higher conversions with longer videos than shorter ones. In part that’s due to longer video being able to more successfully tell stories.

Liftoff recommends mixing and matching existing ad materials to create longer video ads.

CPI by ad formats of all verticals

Source: Liftoff

At an average CPI of $3.60, videos aren’t the most cost-effective option to drive game app installs – that accolade goes to native and playable ads at $1.01 and $1.66 respectively – but they’re also not the worst. Interstitials cost 4x more per install than native ads.

Native ads are best for entertainment

The report also found that native ads are the best option for entertainment apps at an average CPI of $3.05.

Banner and video ads cost the same per install on iOS at $10.31, but banner ads offer a better deal on Android at $2.04.

Video ads cost twice as much per install as native ads.

CPI for entertainment format by platform and vertical

Source: Liftoff

Marketers are advised to consider the motivations and ad preferences that can drive user engagement. These can be divided into escapism, social, mastery, management, expression, and exploration. Those who match player motivations and ad creatives are able to drive more growth. Motivations also enable marketers to pinpoint their audiences more successfully and capture attention more fully.

Key takeaways

• 50% higher conversions with longer videos than shorter ones
• Videos aren’t the most cost-effective option, native and playable ads are at $1.01 and $1.66 respectively
• Native ads are the best option for entertainment apps at an average CPI of $3.05

The post Longer video ads boost conversions by 50% over shorter ones appeared first on Business of Apps.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, a growing number of customers began utilising banking apps. Downloads of banking apps in Europe and the UK rose 5% last year compared to the previous year, according to research from app analytics and marketing company App Radar. Here are the findings. 

Neobanks make the biggest splash

Out of all the Google Play Store banking app downloads analysed, neobanks made the biggest gains. Downloads of neobanking apps in Europe were up 11% last year compared to the previous year. 

UK neobanks also performed slightly better than their European counterparts with Android downloads rising 15% versus 10%. 

Legacy banks on the other hand haven’t gained as many Android downloads as neobanks. European and UK downloads dropped 1.5% on the Google Play Store last year. But it appears UK legacy banks have fared slightly better adding 10% more users on Android than banks in Europe (decreased 8%). 

Top banking apps by Google Play Store downloads

Source: App Radar

Atom Bank sees the highest gains

On Android, the neobanks with the highest growth was Atom Bank with downloads rising 101%, followed by Viva Wallet by 54%, Tandem Bank by 53%, Monzo by 49%, Revolut by 31% and Metro Bank by 28%.

UBS was the legacy bank with the most noticeable lead of 79% of downloads, followed by Lloyds (16%), Halifax (12%) and HSBC (12%).

“[The findings] show that even though legacy banks may still have a larger general market share than neobanks, the gap is decreasing and competition is increasing,” said Silvio Peruci, Managing Director, App Radar.

“UK legacy banks’ gains are smaller when looking at percentage growth. However, none of those legacy banks analysed experienced a decrease, which points to the fact that they are steadily adding new younger customers or converting existing customers to mobile banking.”

Revolut is one of the most popular apps in terms of lifetime downloads at 26 million, followed by Credit Agricole at 13 million. 

“We’ll have to see how these apps fare in 2023, but with the ongoing cost of living crisis, both sides of the market will have to zero in on their user acquisition strategy. With more choices available than ever for consumers, companies will have to fight for new users with innovative functionality and smart marketing techniques to attract and retain users.”

Key takeaways

• Downloads of neobanking apps in Europe were up 11% last year compared to the previous year
• Neobanks with the highest growth was Atom Bank with downloads rising 101%
• UBS was the legacy bank with the most noticeable downloads at 79% 

The post Neobanking app downloads jump 11% appeared first on Business of Apps.

Every update of SKAdNetwork from Apple Inc. raises the app performance ecosystem expectations for the privacy-preserving attribution framework for iOS to be improved.

SKAdNetwork 4.0 was released by Apple inc. on October 24th, 2022. What has brought this update and how to take advantage of it?

On March 9th, join Sara Camden of InMobi, Eran Friedman of Singular, and Adrienne Rice of M&C Saatchi Performance to talk about putting SKAN 4.0 into practice. All panelists have been keeping laser-focused on understanding and unlocking the value of SKAN since its inception.

In this live event, the panelists will help you to develop a winning strategy for your iOS app growth with SKAN, discussing: 

How app growth marketers can get a fast start with SKAN 4.0

How to develop a refreshed approach to conversion value mapping

How to cut through the noise and understand how these changes impact your app’s growth in a meaningful way

Register “Putting SKAN 4.0 into practice” Business of Apps Live event.

The post Join the conversation: Putting SKAN 4.0 into practice [live event] appeared first on Business of Apps.

With 4 weeks to go until App Promotion Summit London, now is the time to take advantage of our Early Bird offer that ends this Friday (24th February).

The packed agenda features 4 rooms of app growth talks, panels, workshops and interactive sessions.

In-person ticket holders can enjoy our networking coffee breaks, lunch, cocktail roundtables, evening drinks reception and the legendary late night after party.

We only have capacity for 450 people at the venue. App Promotion Summit London will sell out. If you want to come – now is the time to get a ticket.

Last chance to save over £500 for in-person tickets.

The post APS London Early Bird Tickets End Friday appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile marketers are increasingly discovering the power of mobile game advertising with the number of advertisers rising by almost 18% in 2022 over the previous year. That’s according to new research from SocialPeta which took a closer look into global mobile game marketing. Let’s dive in. 

All eyes on casual

Despite the increase in mobile gaming advertisers, they created 16% fewer creatives at 12 million. However, creatives grew 7% quarter-on-quarter throughout 2022. 

Active game advertisers and creatives in 2021 and 2022

Source: Social Peta

The casual genre attracted the majority of advertisers with 28%, which is a rise of 3%, followed by puzzle (12%) and simulation (9%). 

Adventure titles attracted just 4% of advertisers, being the genre with the least interest, while arcade games saw the steepest decline falling almost 2% to 6%. 

The casual genre also dominated the number of creatives which grew 5% to 23%. Puzzle titles also noticed a growth in advertisers at 0.3% to 13%. RPG noted the steepest decline at 2%. 

Percentage of advertisers by game genre

Source: Social Peta

Regional and platform differences 

North America attracted the highest monthly average number of advertisers, 25% higher than Europe. Southeast Asia, Macao and Taiwan scored highest for number of creatives at an average of 300 pieces of advertising materials per month. 

iOS recorded a steady rise in advertising. Nearly 40% of all gaming advertisers in Q4 2022 were on iOS. However, Android wins for creatives where the average amount of materials was 33% higher than that on iOS. 

A closer look at casual game marketing

Downloads of casual games grew almost 9% year-on-year while revenues dropped 11%. The drop in revenue is not surprising given the economic squeeze. There were over 22,000 casual game advertisers last year – a rise of 31%. 

Casual game downloads and revenues

Source: Social Peta

In South America, casual game advertisers accounted for 31% and their creatives for 26%.

The report provides deep dives into each game genre so if you’re interested, you can check it out here. 

Key takeaways

• The number of mobile gaming advertisers rises almost 18% in 2022 but created 16% fewer creatives 
• The casual genre attracted the majority of advertisers with 28%, a rise of 3%
• North America attracted the highest monthly average number of advertisers, 25% higher than Europe

The post Casual mobile games dominates number of advertisers at 28% appeared first on Business of Apps.

Following the success of APS NYC last year, we are looking forward to returning to NYC on Thursday 22nd June.

Last year, 200+ app marketers joined us for an epic event featuring 4 rooms of app growth content and 30+ speakers. Here are some highlights:

We are excited to be back this year, it is going to be bigger and better than ever…

Super Early Bird tickets are on sale until 14th April and we would love for you to join us.

Let us know if you’d like to participate as a speaker or join a panel.

If you would like to support the event as one of our partners, the team would love to hear from you.

The post Join us at APS NYC? appeared first on Business of Apps.

The MENA (Middle East North Africa) region is quickly gaining a reputation for being a fast-growing market in mobile gaming with revenues expected to exceed $5 billion by 2025. Now, gaming market intelligence provider Niko Partners has zoomed in on the big three – Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE – to find out more about what’s driving mobile gaming apps in the region. 

A growing market

According to the MENA-3 Games Market Report, the three countries now have 67 million gamers and revenues of $1.79 billion in revenues. By 2026, revenues are expected to rise a whopping 56% to $2.79 billion thanks to a rising number of gamers to 87 million. 

Growth is expected to be driven by mobile gaming but also public and private sector investments, pushing the region closer to “esports giants such as Singapore and China”.

Infographic of the gaming market in MENA-3 region

Source: Niko Partners

The whole MENA region has seen steady growth in mobile gaming with downloads reaching 4.9 billion in 2021. That’s nine times the global rate. Consumer spending grew to $1.6 billion which is three times faster than in the rest of the world.

eSports among top genres

As per the report, 73% of MENA-3 region gamers now engage with esports by watching content, playing games or taking part in competitions. The majority of gamers (76%) are under the age of 35, with Egypt having a higher percentage of gamers under 25 years who are considered digital natives.

Egypt has the highest number of players and is the fastest growing market while Saudi Arabia has the highest games revenue and UAE saw higher user revenues. 

Mobile gamers in Saudi Arabia, for example, now spend one to three hours online on their smartphones and 48% spend up to two hours playing mobile games during the holy month.

MENA region mobile behaviours

Source: Adcolony

Unsurprisingly, this makes Ramadan an important month for reaching potential gamers and customers when user numbers peak. The majority of gamers are Gen Z with 44% of women playing games in the MENA region. 

Key takeaways

• MENA-3 gaming revenues to grow 56% to $2.79 billion and 87 million gamers
• 73% of MENA-3 region gamers now engage with esports by watching content, playing games or taking part in competitions
• The majority of gamers are Gen Z with 44% of women playing games in the MENA region

The post MENA-3 game revenues to grow 56% by 2026 appeared first on Business of Apps.

While creating an app is no easy feat, keeping it alive and going is even harder. When apps on the App Store and Google Play Store go without updates for at least 2 years, they’re referred to as “abandoned” apps and the latest Abandoned Mobile Apps Report from Pixalate shows: abandoned apps are on the rise. 

Outdated apps on the rise

The number of abandoned apps on app stores rose 6% from 1.76 million to 1.86 million in Q3 2022 according to the report. The number of super abandoned apps – those that haven’t received an update in over 5 years – climbed to 348,000. That’s a considerable number of wasted apps. 

The Play Store has around 1.3 million abandoned apps, up 9% in Q4 2022, while the App Store accounts for the other 496,000, down 2%. 

Google may have some cleaning up to do

Source: Pixalate

Interestingly, 15,000 apps with programmatic ads were abandoned in Q4. 

However, around a third of apps on both stores can still be downloaded. The problem with outdated apps is that they pose a major security threat because they’re no longer being updated in line with new fraud protection measures. 

And the highest percentage of abandoned apps is registered in…

Of all the apps registered in Russia, 45% are abandoned (22,000), followed by China at 40% (35,000). The US has the highest number of registered abandoned apps at 128,000 (38%). 

The report also noted that apps with over 100 million downloads are more likely to be updated than those with less than 10,000 installs. The app business is tough and in the midst of trying to gain users, many developers give up and abandon their apps. Keeping an app updated that doesn’t seem to deliver any real returns can be a real drag. Another reason for app abandonment was a lack of privacy policy.

Ad spend on abandoned apps

Source: Pixalate

Indeed, 97% of App Store apps and 61% of Play Store apps that didn’t have a privacy policy were abandoned.

The Huawei Mobile Services app is a bit of a standout here. It has 500 million downloads but hasn’t been updated in at least 2 years. 

Key takeaways

• Number of abandoned apps on app stores rose 6% in Q3 2022 
• Play Store has around 1.3 million abandoned apps, while the App Store accounts for the other 496,000
• 97% of App Store apps and 61% of Play Store apps that didn’t have a privacy policy were abandoned

The post Number of abandoned apps in app stores climbs another 6% appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile is now the dominant platform for media consumption with users spending over 4 hours a day on their mobile devices compared with 3 hours on PCs and TVs. That’s according to the latest ’A New Era of Engagement in Media & Entertainment report from mobile experts Newzoo which surveyed over 2,500 consumers in the US to find out how the different generations engage with media and entertainment. 

In engagement, social reigns supreme

We are social beings and the report backs this up. A whopping 96% of respondents said they spent 13 hours a week engaging with social media and video-sharing apps such as Instagram and TikTok. 

Social and broadcasting apps highest for engagement time

Source: Newzoo

But entertainment is just as important with 94% saying they spent almost 14 hours in broadcast TV and subscription services while 87% use podcasts and music apps for 11 hours per week. Video gaming apps attract 84% of users at almost 12 hours a week. The findings point to a growing trend of our active engagement with entertainment as we’re reading, playing and creating more digital content than ever before. 

It’s all about mobile

Most engagement (60%) takes place on mobile devices. Social is a category driver with 73% of engagement time happening on mobile apps versus other devices. Only for broadcast TV, respondents tend to favour TV over mobile (46%). 

Mobile for social and audio entertainment

Source: Newzoo

The study also noted that video gaming apps command some of the most active engagement hours (72%) followed by books and comics (62%) and sports and fitness apps (60%).

But consuming content is just one side of the content. Users are becoming more involved with their apps and want to share their own content with others. That’s particularly true for younger generations. Here, 69% of Gen Z spend almost 7 hours a week creating digital content versus 46% of Gen X who spend 6 hours per week uploading photos or creating videos.

Younger users share more of their own content

Source: Newzoo

Taken together the report shows that apps aren’t just about media consumption but increasingly are vying for user engagement. 

Key takeaways

• 96% of respondents said they spent 13 hours a week engaging with social media and video sharing apps
• Most engagement (60%) takes place on mobile devices
• 69% of Gen Z spend almost 7 hours a week creating digital content

The post 96% spend 13 hours using social and video-sharing apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

In 2022, the Utilities vertical showed significant growth during sports events, specifically – the World Cup. PropellerAds noticed that conversion rates around certain GEOs, ad formats, and OS spiked by 20%.

As stated in Forbes research, 65% of sports fans prefer smartphones to watch games. Considering these numbers, it’s easy to suggest that a lot of sports fans naturally become active users of mobile applications, especially those that make their game-watching experience more convenient, like:

• VPNs
• Ad blockers
• Anti-viruses

PropellerAds constantly monitors and analyzes tendencies of the digital advertising market. The most important part of this research usually involves interpretations of the platform’s statistics, where thousands of marketers launch their ads.

The theory about sports and Utilities was proven by PropellerAds’ internal tests, as well as advertisers, brands, and media buyers that work with the ad platform. Competitions – global and local – prove to be the best time to launch ad campaigns, especially those that meet the sports fans’ interests. Utilities are in this category.

Why does the Utilities vertical perform well during sports events?

31% of Internet users worldwide use a VPN service, according to DataProt statistics. The same research shows that 43% of people globally feel that they lack control over their personal information, which is also a reason to use VPNs for them. DataProt shows the survey results where the objectives of VPN usage are listed:

• Protect privacy on public Wi-Fi – 51%
• Anonymous browsing – 44%
• Access restricted sites – 23%
• Access better entertainment – 22%

In the case of sports fans, users stick to VPN mostly to access online content that might be blocked in their country.

As for the ad blockers, check worldwide statistics from Statista. As we can see from their findings, in some Asian countries, half the Internet users stick to ad blockers, while in other countries about 30% of users browse the Internet with this kind of app turned on.

Sports fans usually use ad blockers to avoid any interruptions in their watching experience. Sports competitions are the field for marketing of all kinds, but not all users agree to stumble not only at some interesting offers but also at ads that are not always relevant. Ironically, the ad for ad blockers may interest them.

Last but not least, anti-viruses. Security.org claims to provide stats on the global anti-viruses market, which is expected to grow from $3.92 billion in 2021 to $4.06 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6%.

Sports fans are used to watching matches online, so antivirus software, whether mobile or desktop, helps them to prevent risks of malware, which can steal their data, encrypt it, or even erase it entirely.

PropellerAds ad performance insights

How does this popularity of utilities among sports fans look in practice? How does user acquisition change during the matches and should you, as an advertiser or digital product owner, include these events in your marketing strategy?

To show you the traffic spike, we present some of our statistics that cover the World Cup (Nov 20, 2022 – Dec 18, 2022) performance. The first line in every cell represents performance for a previous period – 30 days – and the second line shows growth.

GEOs

Let’s start with GEOs, where Utilities vertical showed the best results:

As you can see from the table, the largest growth was noticed around the US, BR, JP, BF (Burkina Faso), NP, SA, CA, ES, and KZ. The USA, Brazil, Japan, Canada, and Spain were the participating countries, while some top GEOs, like Burkina Faso, Nepal, or Kazakhstan, didn’t take part in the game, staying on top.

Interesting interpretation by PropellerAds’ sales team

“iGaming offers become more and more popular around African and Asian countries, including Burkina Faso and Nepal. The same happens in other countries known as developed and emerging markets, as we can conclude from our inner tests. 

To make a deposit, which is an extremely popular activity during the World Cup, users need utilities – namely, VPNs. Even though these countries cannot boast of large traffic volumes, it doesn’t mean that you cannot earn money there. Considering the trend described above, these GEOs are worth an experiment.”

– Anastasia Khegay, PropellerAds Senior Account Strategist

The USA, as a leader, had a conversion growth of 20% during the period of the World Cup, which is a significant result.

As such, marketers need to mind not only the GEOs of playing teams but research and take a chance targeting those regions that are constantly interested in large football matches.

OS

Now let’s take a look at the OS targeting:

iOS was the most widely-used OS during the World Cup. This is easy to explain through the best-performing GEOs since we have the US and Japan as leaders. In these two GEOs, about 50% of users prefer iOS, according to Statista.

Android showed lower performance during the World Cup. The reason is simple – VPNs, as the most popular category of Utilities, come mostly for iOS. Android is associated with other types of apps, namely – cleaners.

Ad formats

Now let’s see the ad format statistics:

Regarding the ad formats, we can see significant growth of Interstitials – this format shows to be the most efficient for sports events, and the conversion growth makes 17.51%. Push notifications also performed well – 15.19%, while Onclick dropped a bit.

Interstitials and push notifications work efficiently with Utilities. Interstitial’s size allows advertisers to locate large pictures or info about the product right on the ad, while Push is subtle and doesn’t interrupt the watching experience of sports fans. Take a look at the examples:

Ad spend

We also asked Anastasia Khegay, PropellerAds Senior Account Strategist, about the advertisers’ spending trends during such events as the World Cup. Here is what she said:

“During the World Cup and other significant events that are associated with traffic spikes, advertisers usually increase their spend by two or even three times. By doing so, they increase their chances of getting more highly-converting traffic, expanding reach, and finding new audiences. In other words, they are making the most of the event in the sense of marketing.”

Takeaways

So, we have investigated an unobvious connection between the sports and Utilities verticals. As we can see from the stats and tendencies, not only iGaming and sports-related products are in high demand during large sports games like the World Cup. Along with the global digitalization growth, various verticals and audiences intersect more intensively. Therefore, more products and offers can count on the heightened interest of the audience.

So, considering the statistics, we can conclude that the potentially profitable campaign settings for a Utilities campaign may be the following:

• GEOs: target the playing teams GEOs + countries where there is a high percentage of football fans, like Brazil and South Africa. Before launching a campaign for playing GEO, do your small research and see if locals prefer watching matches online or on a TV;
• OS: iOS and Windows were the best performers, but every marketer should consider other targeting settings of his campaign and perceive GEO and OS in the tightest bundle.
• Ad format: Interstitials and push notifications prove to be efficient for the Utilities vertical.
• Spend: x2 or x3 will increase the chances of getting more relevant and converting traffic.
• Analytics: during such global events as the World Cup, you should be ready for a more competitive auction. Therefore, make sure to use the analytical instruments within the ad platform you use to see which traffic share you can count on. Otherwise, you can try promoting niche products and offers. As a rule, the audiences of niche products are associated with lower competition.

As the experience of PropellerAds partners shows, targeting sports events is a good and potentially-profitable idea. All the advice and conclusions we present in this article are based on practice, so keep them in mind to make your campaigns even more efficient.

The post World Cup traffic spike: Utilities ad performance grows by 20% appeared first on Business of Apps.

With Valentine’s Day just behind us, let’s take a look at the top dating apps. Bumble, Match and Meet led the dating app charts in 2022, according to SensorTower’s latest report. 

Top dating apps stable across last two years

Tinder, Bumble and Hinge were the top three dating apps in 2021 and 2022. The top two have been fairly stable with Tinder and Bumble already leading in 2020. However, in 2021 social discovery app Wizz by VLB joined the top 10 of the most installed dating and social discovery apps. Wizz has seen a jump in users since then and in 2022 scored fourth in the app charts.

Dating app downloads between 2020 and 2022

Source: SensorTower

The finding shows that social discovery apps are proving to be an area with potential.

Dating app downloads decline

Overall, the report finds that downloads of dating apps dropped since 2021 with the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. 2022 marked the year with the lowest number of installs over the past four years. App installs were down 11% in Q4 2022 at 18.9 million. Year-on-year install rates were down 7%. 

However, dating app downloads grew 8% on Google Play while App Store downloads dropped 17%. 

On the other hand, revenues jumped to $374 million in Q1 2022, a rise of 5% year-on-year. 

App Store installs were down in 2022

Source: SensorTower

The latter is a testament to the fact that 42% of adults think apps make finding a partner easier according to Pew Research. Roughly half of men are using apps for casual dating versus long-term relationships while more women are looking for long-term partnerships on apps.

Key takeaway

• Tinder, Bumble and Hinge were the top three dating apps in 2021 and 2022
• Dating app downloads grew 8% on Google Play while App Store downloads dropped 17%
• Revenues jumped to $374 million in Q1 2022

The post Dating app installs fall while revenues grow appeared first on Business of Apps.

Social media app BeReal has seen its daily active user figures decline by 48 percent from its October high, according to data provided to Business of Apps by Apptopia.

The app, which has marketed itself as an “authentic” social media experience with friends, reached 20 million DAUs on October 2022, but has since seen its daily actives decline to 10.4 million users.

Monthly downloads of BeReal have also seen a noticeable decline in recent months, from 12 million in September 2022 to 3.3 million in January, according to data from AppMagic.

BeReal daily active users 2021 to 2023 (mm)

Most of the big names in social media copied BeReal’s photo-taking feature in 2022. TikTok launched Now, Instagram added Candid Stories, and Snapchat added a Dual Camera option. It’s not clear how popular any of these clones are, in comparison to BeReal.

For its part, BeReal has not changed the user experience of its app since it gained popularity. It still sends out a notification each day at a random time to get users to take a photo, and displays it alongside all of your friends photos in a non-algorithmic feed.

That clearly worked for the millions disillusioned by Instagram, which inadvertently provided BeReal with the perfect villain for its campaign of social authenticity, but whether it keeps those users long-term is up for debate.

Having to check the feed only once or twice a day, in comparison to TikTok’s never-ending short videos and Instagram’s many ways to browse, inevitably reduces the amount of leverage the app has on its audience to return each day.

At the same time, BeReal may be okay with this. The app and its founders do not seem to have the same culture and focus as Instagram and TikTok, and may be happy that it is only used a few minutes each day.

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When it comes to app growth, it can be difficult to measure success beyond installs. Now mobile app experts DigitalTurbine and Apptopia released a new report that aims to understand how brand awareness and install intent deliver app growth and strengthen app brands. Their BRAG (Brand Relative App Growth) Index shows which apps are users’ favourites across five main categories. 

Netflix and Prime are much-loved video apps

Netflix and Prime apps had the highest brand love, a factor that’s measured on strength of favourable opinion, willingness to recommend, and trust among those aware of each app. Brand love translates into time spent, that is users are also spending more time on their favourite apps.

Top video streaming apps for brand love

Source: DigitalTurbine

Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max were other top streaming apps. Amazon Prime’s brand power, i.e. consumer interest in installing its app, was highest at almost 17%, followed by Netflix at 15% and Disney+ at 13%. Paramount+ and Hulu also ranked in the top five. 

For apps with low brand power, the focus should be on discovery strategies to drive awareness. Creative formats that tell interesting stories are great tools to draw attention. 

Interestingly, the report also measured the improvement in user opinion which is usually an indication of where an app is headed. Paramount+ scored highest on the brand compass for video apps at 20%, followed by Peacock TV (18%). 

Amazon also leads in music and shopping

A look at the top music streaming and shopping apps shows that Amazon dominates here too, both for brand love and power. 

However, in music apps TouchTunes, BrandLab and Bose Music all managed to improve user opinion of their apps. 

Music apps on the rise

Source: DigitalTurbine

Fetch, Target, Walmart and Shop round out the top five shopping apps for brand trust and user willingness to recommend the apps. 

The BRAG Index also measured social apps. Interestingly, here Life 360, Messenger and Facebook ranked top for brand love. Messenger (14%) and Facebook (13%) dominate for brand power, followed by Instagram and Twitter, but it seems user opinions of Facebook are dropping fast (around -4%). 

Facebook and TikTok have trust issues

Source: DigitalTurbine

Interestingly, TikTok was the social app with the highest deterioration in user opinion at -25%. This may be due to ongoing security and privacy issues the app is facing. 

Key takeaways

• Netflix and Prime apps had the highest brand love for video apps
• Amazon Prime’s brand power, i.e. consumer interest in installing its app, was highest in entertainment and shopping apps
• Facebook and TikTok are dropping in user trust

The post App love – Amazon takes top spot for brand power in entertainment apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

Although users still spend the most time on their smartphones using social media apps, it seems tablet devices are more popular for video apps. According to new findings from UKOM, the online measurement company, YouTube, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, TikTok and Prime were among the top 10 apps for total time spent in December 2022. 

Larger apps continue to attract users

The latest data finds that apps with more than 10 million users added another 3 million over the December holiday period. The top six apps are dominated by Google and Facebook titles such as WhatsApp and YouTube. 

But when it comes to time spent TikTok and Snapchat rose to the top five, led by Facebook and YouTube. 

TikTok scored the highest user growth between September and December 2022, followed by M&S.

Social apps have highest reach

Source: UKOM

Retail apps performed particularly well during the Christmas period, especially when they focused on driving rewards and promotions. The Asda grocery app is an example of this, adding 3.6 million new users since September. 

Social apps tend to be more predominantly used on smartphones while users prefer to view videos on tablet devices likely due to the larger screen providing a better viewing experience. 

Apps by device type

Source: UKOM

Interestingly, social networking apps proved both a high engagement and high rich, while gaming apps tend to have a lower reach but high user engagement. 

Content type influences device choice

More than twice as many people use smartphones now compared to computers with the average time on mobile devices being 2.5 hours a day. That means smartphones account for 74% of time spent online. Tablets come in at 12% of time spent online and tend to be more heavily used among those aged 55 years and over. 

Reach and time spent by app category

Source: UKOM

But whether users turn to their smartphones, tablets or computers depends heavily on content type. For games, social apps, health and online media, smartphones are preferred. Tablets are used less frequently but are frequently used for both games and entertainment apps. Users turn to their computers for energy and utility-related issues and telecoms. 

Key takeaways

• Top six apps are dominated by Google and Facebook titles such as WhatsApp and YouTube
• Social apps are predominantly used on smartphones while users prefer to view video on tablet devices 
• Smartphones account for 74% of time spent online

The post Reach is higher on social apps but users prefer tablets for video appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile gaming is an unstoppable force in both the gaming and mobile app worlds.   Approximately 45% of video game revenue worldwide came from mobile games in 2022, and it’ll only increase as mobile game downloads are on the rise. Last year, Nearly 90 billion downloads were recorded! Isn’t mobile gaming fascinating?

To succeed in the world of mobile games, especially for hyper-casual, casual, and hybrid-casual mobile games,  you need to look for innovative and solid ways to go ROAS-positive, increase retention, and maximize LTV. Here’re two campaign models to try and see amazing results: Rewarded Playtime and Rewarded Engagement.

Rewarded Playtime (play-to-earn) campaigns

It’s possible that you might have heard about the ‘’play-to-earn’’ model, but have you experienced its impact on users’ sessions & playtime, LTV, and ad revenue? With Rewarded Playtime campaigns, players are always winners- the more they play, the more they earn! 

Rewarded Playtime campaigns are especially effective at increasing LTV & retention and generating more in-app purchases, which result in higher revenue. Motivated players spend more time in your app and are more likely to make in-app purchases. 

How does Rewarded Playtime work?

• Start your gender and age-targeted campaigns that generate the highest LTV
• Your game is recommended to suitable players
• Players are rewarded for their playtime, which can be redeemed for various rewards

Rewarded Engagement (offerwall) campaigns

Rewarded Engagement campaign is an effective and engaging way to reach qualified players. In this model, players complete certain tasks that are given to them on offerwalls to receive in-app currency or in-game assets.

Offerwall is a conversion-based campaign, meaning you only pay for players who complete the full task. Even if the user doesn’t complete the task, you get an install and session time guaranteeing a positive ROAS. With Rewarded Engagement, you can:

Boost ad revenue: The more time players spend on your app to complete the task, the more ads they’ll be watching.

Be a part of the user experience: Rewarded engagements are fully player-initiated, so instead of disturbance, it creates motivation for the user.

This is it! Both rewarded models are designed for your mobile game’s accelerated growth in the competitive industry. Discover more about these on AppSamurai’s website, and start taking action for your mobile game!

The post Mobile game boosters: Rewarded Engagement and Rewarded Playtime appeared first on Business of Apps.

Downloads of Microsoft’s Bing search app have skyrocketed, after it announced the integration of ChatGPT functionality. 

According to data from AppMagic, the Bing app saw over 1800 percent growth in downloads in the two days after the announcement, in comparison to downloads the previous week. 

In the previous month, Bing did not crack the top 3,000 most downloaded apps on the iOS App Store, with approximately 400,000 downloads in January. Downloads in the two days following the announcement surpassed the January total. 

Microsoft Bing App Downloads February 1 to February 9 2023

The app is currently fourth on the US iOS free app charts, and third among free iOS apps in the UK. This has pushed it past Google’s own search app, currently in seventh place on the US iOS store. 

For those rushing to download the new app, there is a waitlist to access ChatGPT functions. Microsoft confirmed that over one million people have signed up for the waitlist in 48 hours, so it might take some time to gain access.

ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm over the past two months, breaking the record for the fastest application to reach 100 million users. The hype surrounding it has led some to question whether this will be the future of search. 

Google has responded to the threat, reportedly issuing a management “code red”, which has led to the company debuting its own ChatGPT rival, Bard, earlier than anticipated. More AI-related announcements are expected in the coming months. 

Even with all of the hype, there is a worry that ChatGPT is not built to be accurate, with users easily managing to get the chatbot to spew out misinformation. Google, for all of its flaws and lackadaisical attitude towards improving search, has built an engine that is at least accurate and reliable. 

OpenAI, the startup behind ChatGPT, has even issued warnings saying that the tool is “incredibly limited” and that is a “mistake to rely on it for anything important”. That has not stopped university students from utilising it to write essays, or technology blogs from using it to write inaccurate content for them. 

Microsoft seems content with the inaccuracies, which some suggest will be ironed out in the first few years of public usage. It recently invested $10 billion in OpenAI, and has strategically aligned itself with one of the leading edge developers in artificial intelligence. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has took a few shots at Google, with a keen aim to at least take some market share from the search giant. 

The post Bing app downloads spike as Microsoft unveils ChatGPT functions appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile fitness and health apps have seen a surge in use and with that increased marketing spending ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. And though downloads slowed in 2022, 81% of consumers plan on using apps on their smartphones and wearables in 2023 to boost their health. 

How people are using apps to improve their health

New research from mobile app experience experts Airship has found that more people in the US, UK and France are turning to mobile apps to support their health. 

One of the top ways in which consumers are using their fitness apps this year is by connecting with friends and family (27%), working out (26%) and improving their sleep (17%) and diet (16%). 

People use fitness apps to connect with others

Source: Airship

US users are also more likely to visit a virtual doctor this year (15%) compared to the French users (10%) and those living in the UK (7%). It seems that virtual healthcare can alleviate some of the pressure of a healthcare system strained by the pandemic. 

More Americans tend to use apps for nutrition and diet purposes compared to sleep. The opposite is true in France and the UK. Ten percent of US users will also be monitoring their heart and biometrics using apps. 

Gen Z are all about the apps

The findings reveal a distinct generational divide with Gen Z showing the highest intent for using apps to improve their health. A whopping 94% of Gen Z users want to improve their health through apps, followed by millennials at 90% and Gen X at 82%. Boomers are less inclined to do so at 65%.

How the generations use fitness apps

Source: Airship

Household income does affect how apps are used. Almost a quarter of people in low-income households won’t be using fitness apps compared with higher-income households. And yet, adoption rates of health and fitness apps are fairly similar across all income levels. 

Use of fitness apps by household income

Source: Airship

The research highlights that there’s plenty of opportunity for fitness and health app developers to win new users. However, user churn is always an issue. To keep users returning, app developers should focus on boosting engagement by offering the best user experience. Some apps also lack incentives or content which can stop users from returning to them. 

Key takeaways

• 81% of consumers plan on using fitness apps on their smartphones and wearables in 2023 
• Consumers are using their fitness apps to connect with friends and family (27%), work out (26%) and improve their sleep (17%)
• Gen Z have highest intent for using apps to improve their health (94%) 

The post 8 in 10 mobile users are getting fit with health apps in 2023 appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit is back in London on March 23rd and OMG our attendee list is the best it’s ever been (in 10 years of running the event!) 

We’ve never had so many great brands sign on so early with registrations up 70% on last year. From American Express to Next, EVERYONE wants to join us at APS London.

• App marketers from companies like Farfetch, ITV, ClearScore, Decathlon, YNAP, Nextdoor, ECCO Shoes, Screwfix, Xero, OVO Energy, Zoopla, Nutracheck, Nordcurrent, Driving Test Success, PokerStars, Which?, BodyFast and adidas Runtastic have registered to attend.
• We’ve confirmed speakers from major brands and the hottest app startups and scale-ups including what3words, Monzo, Domino’s, Dorothy Perkins, Paired, Deliciously Ella, Howbout, Smule, Product Madness and Peanut.
• The exhibition area is filling up with the industry’s leading app marketing & engagement platforms and agencies including AppsFlyer, Iterable, Moloco, OneSignal, Amplitude, MobileAction, Qonversion, Batch, TrafficGuard, Purchasely, Storyly and SplitMetrics.

As always, capacity is limited. Tickets are going faster than ever before so if you want to attend, now is the time to get your ticket.

The post Who’s coming to APS London 2023? appeared first on Business of Apps.

Improving our health and fitness is a top new year’s resolution for many and app downloads verify this trend. From Q1 2019 to 2022, downloads of health and fitness apps in Europe increased. This was followed by a slump in installs during the second quarter. But according to new data from Sensor Tower, there’s one category that bucks the trend – Women’s Health and Fitness apps. Let’s dive in. 

Europeans spent almost $300 million on health apps in 2022

Spending on health and fitness apps among users in Europe rose 5% in 2022 compared with the previous year to an average of $570 per minute. There’s no denying that the category benefitted hugely from the COVID-19 pandemic.

During 2020 and 2021, fitness app adoption shot up as people had more time to exercise and couldn’t visit their fitness studios. This was followed by a cooling period in 2022. Yet, apps in the category reached 232 million installs in 2022, which is 16% higher than in 2019. However, some markets have been hit harder by the economic slump that followed which translates to lower spending in-app. 

Europeans spent more in fitness apps during Q1

Source: Sensor Tower

Strava, MyFitnessPal and FitBit were the top-grossing health and fitness apps in Europe, controlling over a third of app revenue and in-app purchases. 

Strava alone accounted for 19% of the total. 

You need $4.2 million in revenues to rise to the top

The success of health and fitness apps means that competition is fierce. To rank among the top apps in the category, developers need around $4.2 million in gross revenues a month on the leading app stores. That’s 23% more revenue required than in 2021 and a whopping 161% over 2019. 

Getting to the top is costly

Source: Sensor Tower

All subcategories saw a rise in median monthly revenue required to reach the top spot between 2019 and 2022. But Fitness, Women’s Health and Diet & Nutrition apps are the only categories that also saw a rise in 2022 while meditation apps declined year-on-year.

And the most engaged users are…

Interestingly, Fitbit had the most engaged user base in the Fitness apps category. Smartwatches are easy to monitor and can be worn all day. This ease of use may explain why the app saw more engagement than traditional smartphone fitness apps. 

Around 36% of Fitbit Google Play installs opened the app more than ten days per month. Garmin Connect ranked second for app opens at 31%, followed by Strava (27%) and Sweatcoin (8%). 

Leading smartwatch apps for engagement

Source: Sensor Tower

Key takeaways

• Europeans spent around $300 million on health apps in 2022, up 5% from 2021
• Fitness apps now need 161% more in revenue to rank at the top in app stores ($4.2 million)
• Smartwatch app Fitbit has the most engaged users

The post Fitness apps now need $4 million in revenues to rank top in app stores appeared first on Business of Apps.

Social media is an important channel for brands and developers to reach and acquire customers and users. Yet social commerce revenue tends to be underreported by 245%. That’s according to the latest State of Social Commerce report from mCommerce shopping experts SimplicityDX.

Why social commerce reporting falls through the cracks

Social media has been touted as one of the top advertising trends for 2023. That’s because 64% of consumers learn about new products and services on apps such as Instagram and TikTok. Another 58% consider social influencers best for product discovery and recommendations. However, just 16% think it’s a great place for shopping.

Shoppers use social media apps to…

Source: SimplicityDX

Instead, consumers tend to head directly to a brand’s app or website to make a purchase rather than clicking through and purchasing on social media. 71% of shoppers who used social media for a recent purchase went straight to the brand app or website rather than clicking through. 

Shoppers discover products on social apps and…

Source: SimplicityDX

The result is that brand site revenues from social are underreported by approximately 2.45x or 245%. 

What’s the issue with social commerce? 

A whopping 77% of consumers prefer to shop on a brand website or app. Livestream fares a little better with 36% of consumers saying they would buy from an influencer on a livestream. However, that leaves almost two-thirds who would prefer not to shop from influencers. So what exactly is holding them back from checking out their products on social apps? 

Livestream purchases grew in Q4

Source: SimplicityDX

The vast majority (86%) complain of bad experiences on social sites and 77% aren’t sure how they would return a product. Trust in dealing with personal data is another major factor that keeps shoppers from using social checkouts and inventory issues can leave shoppers disappointed. 

Issues with social commerce by quarter

Source: SimplicityDX

How do you succeed on social commerce?

The report highlights that brands should focus on driving discovery on socials and redirecting shoppers to their mCommerce stores or apps. Building and maintaining trust should be at the forefront of the customer journey given that 67% of respondents don’t trust social platforms with their personal data.

Consumers are worried about privacy on social apps

Source: SimplicityDX

To avoid disappointment, businesses must ensure their product inventories are synced between their social and online platforms. It’s best to upload the entire product catalogue to socials to enable easy checkouts on social apps. 

Brands can also benefit from asking shoppers to subscribe and then retargeting them later.

Key takeaways

• Social commerce revenue is underreported by 245%
• 64% of consumers learn about new products and services on socials but 71% of shoppers go to the brand website to make purchase
• 86% complain of bad experiences on social sites and 77% aren’t sure how they would return a product

The post Social app and influencer commerce revenues are underreported by 245% appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile growth agency and consultancy Phiture has released its new Advanced App Store Optimization course via its online learning platform, Phiture Academy.

The course is specifically written for individuals to deepen their knowledge of ASO topics, or companies seeking to build ASO capacity within existing teams. By the end of the course, individuals should have the knowledge and ASO skills required to create, implement, and continuously improve an advanced strategy on the app stores.

The new course brings together Phiture’s substantial body of ASO knowledge, outlining best practice advice, and explaining conceptual frameworks through video lessons, how-to videos, and downloadable articles.

Phiture is well-placed to educate: the algorithms of the app stores are ‘black boxes’ but by working with some of the biggest names in the app space, and years of experimentation, Phiture can give advice on the most effective strategies. This is an addition to their growing ASO Stack Slack Community, and their ASO Stack blog, where they frequently share their findings.

The launch follows on from last year’s launch of the learning platform and of the inaugural course, ASO for Beginners.

Andy Carvell, founder of Phiture, and presenter of the ASO for Beginners course, explains, “The new Advanced ASO Course is really part of our drive to open up our knowledge to others and lend credibility to this critical area of mobile growth, and it follows on seamlessly from the beginners’ course. We want to give fellow professionals the tools they need to secure success in this field, and this insight comes from our team’s culture of experimentation to ensure continuous improvement.”

The new Advanced ASO course is presented by Anton Tatarynovich and Joy Staples, ASO professionals within the Phiture Team, while the whole curriculum is the distilled and synthesized knowledge of Phiture’s award-winning ASO Team.

Anton Tatarynovich is Phiture’s Senior Acquisition Strategist and has worked with companies ranging from startups finding their feet in the app stores to Future 500 enterprises keen to safeguard commanding positions. Joy Staples is a Senior ASO Consultant for Phiture, and her expertise rests primarily in mobile app localization, however, she is also responsible for driving forwards Phiture’s ASO user research efforts.

Andy said, “Anton and Joy have done a brilliant job, though behind the scenes it really was a team effort. Our ASO Team were able to channel their experience of the ASO app stores into the scripts for the videos, and over many iterations, we were able to nail down exactly what we wanted to say. I hope learners agree that the result is really a curriculum that is accessible, illustrative, and practical.”

The Advanced ASO course is available in two packages, with an expansion pack offering benefits, such as 30% off access to the 2023 ASO Conference held in Berlin, and a free copy of the Advanced ASO eBook.

The post Phiture launches new advanced ASO course appeared first on Business of Apps.

Video has been one of the breakout trends in app and mobile marketing over the last few years. But how has the economic downturn affected marketers’ priorities and which types of video do marketers prefer? A survey of over 500 professionals and consumers conducted by video production experts Wyzowl finds out. 

Everyone’s using video for marketing 

A whopping 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool in 2023, up from 61% in 2016. The app and mobile ad format is now one of the most popular formats with 96% of businesses considering it an important feature of their marketing strategy. 

With the pandemic fuelling a rise in users watching video on their mobile devices and computers, almost a fifth (17%) of marketers started using video ads in 2022. But users aren’t the only reason driving up spending on video. 

41% of advertisers who used video for marketing for the first time last year said they did so because it had become easier to create video in-house and 39% did so because they found it easier to convince others in the business on the value of video content. Video has also become quicker and less time-consuming to create (34%) and it’s now more affordable (30%). 

Reasons for starting use of video ads

Source: Wyzowl

The time it takes to create video is actually of the biggest hurdles among businesses who aren’t yet producing video content (30%). This may represent a unique opportunity for ad tech providers to target marketers. Other hurdles include not knowing where to start (18%) or justifying the expense of video (10%). Nevertheless, 70% of non-video marketers plan on starting online video marketing this year.

Live action videos on social media 

Advertisers are using a range of video styles to engage audiences including live action (66%), recorded (57%) and animated (55%) videos. The vast majority of videos are either social media videos (71%) or explainer videos (70%). But the study shows that businesses are creating a vast range of video styles. 

Types of videos business prefer to create

Source: Wyzowl

Marketers have embraced the accessibility of inexpensive or even free video marketing. And cost is a big factor as videos can be pricy. 42% of experts spend between $0-500 on an average video while 18% spend up to $1,000. Just 4% of marketers spend $20,000 or more on an average video. 

Two-fifths of marketers think video is becoming more expensive compared to 26% saying it’s becoming less expensive. 

Success are views and engagement

So how exactly do business judge the success of their video campaign? The majority (63%) of respondents said that video views and audience engagement (61%) were their top ROIs on video. Leads and clicks (56%) are also important metrics as are awareness metrics (43%).

Views and engagement are the measure of success

Source: Wyzowl

Splitting open engagement, 96% of marketers said that video increased user understanding of their product or service. And a whopping 95% consider video to help with raising brand awareness while 91% saw increased traffic. 

Leads (90%) and sales (87%) were also boosted thanks to video. 

Wyzowl also surveyed consumers. 89% of users said a video had convinced them to buy a product or service. A majority of 91% would like to see more online videos from brands. In fact video is a preferred shareable content for 51% of people followed by social media (26%). 

Users share videos the most

Source: Wyzowl

Key takeaways

• 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool in 2023, up from 61% in 2016
• 41% of advertisers who used video for marketing for the first time last year said they did so because it had become easier to create video in-house
• Live action (66%) and social media videos (71%) or explainer videos (70%) are the top styles and formats
• 42% of experts spend between $0-500 on an average video 
• 63% measure success in video views and audience engagement (61%)

The post Why 96% of marketers use video for app and mobile marketing appeared first on Business of Apps.

App fatigue is real. With an app available for everything, and in many cases multiple apps for the same thing, it’s unsurprising that many users uninstall apps or don’t download new ones. But it seems there’s one category that has resisted the trend – streaming apps. New research from ironSource Aura shows that the vast majority of users would download another streaming app.

Streaming apps are important

According to a survey of over 6,000 people, 68% of respondents ranked streaming apps among the top 10 on their smartphones and 65% keep them on their home screens for faster access. 

Our love for streaming apps is so deep that over half of respondents said that were they to find their phone without apps, their favourite streaming app would be among the first five apps to restore. 

68% consider streaming apps among their top 10 and 59% would restore them instantly

Source: ironSource

But what about streaming fatigue? Just 7% of users said they wouldn’t want to download another streaming app versus a whopping 93% saying they’d consider another app. Users tend to download streaming apps to watch specific shows or movies which means that content is king. Women are more likely to download apps for specific shows (60%) compared with men (48%).

Less than half remove ads

Interestingly, fewer than half of respondents (44%) would pay to remove ads from at least one streaming app and 37% don’t use free, ad-supported streaming apps on their phones. 

Gender and generation differences for streaming app downloads

Source: ironSource

Gen X are the most likely to pay to remove ads at 60% compared to other generations. 

Around 40% have cancelled a streaming service due to cost and 49% would download a new streaming app if it was free or discounted. 

Women tend to be more price-sensitive with 45% of them cancelling due to price compared with 36% of men. 

Key takeaways

• 68% of respondents rank streaming apps among the top 10 on their smartphones
• 93% would consider downloading another streaming app
• 44% would pay to remove ads from at least one streaming app

The post Are we tired of streaming apps yet? Far from it appeared first on Business of Apps.

Consumers are increasingly using their banking apps to make financial transactions according to a new survey from financial services group Chase. The rising interest in financial apps has been driven by the pandemic which restricted access to physical banking and the speed of technological innovation. But convenience has a significant role to play here. 

Not without my banking app

The survey found that two out of three respondents would not want to live without their banking apps. 

From monitoring account balances and credit cards to depositing checks on their phones and taking advantage of rewards and discounts – 90% of consumers said they prefer managing their finances in a single place. 

“People are using mobile banking apps more than ever and rely on them to manage their finances, including sending money to family and friends and managing everyday transactions,” said Sonali Divilek, Head of Digital Products and Channels at Chase.

Active banking app users globally

Source: Statista / Enterpriseappstoday

87% of consumers use their banking app at least once a month or more.

The demographic with the highest preference for mobile banking is millennials with 93% saying they use their banking app at least once a month or more, followed by Gen X (90%), Gen Z (89%) and Boomers (84%). 

In fact, managing credit is a top priority for millennials. 

Some of the main tasks consumers use their apps for are card replacements (54%) and paying other people (50%).

What banking customers use their apps for

Source: Statista / Truelist

Digital payments are up

A whopping 82% use digital payments once a month or more and 47% say they pay digitally once a week or more often. 

Four in five payments to other people involve sending money to family and friends (54%). 

The digital payment methods that are most often used include tap and pay (60%), peer payments (59%), payments through apps (58%) and in-store mobile wallets (41%). 

Consumers prefer digital banking

Source: Forbes

Chase also found that in 2022 consumers spent more on travel and entertainment compared to 2021 with Gen Z and millennials more likely to increase their spending in that area. However, consumers are looking for ways to save with two in three researching deals and discounts and over half using reward points.  

Key takeaways

• 90% of consumers said they prefer managing their finances in a single place
• 87% of consumers use their banking app at least once a month or more
• 82% use digital payments once a month or more and 47% say they pay digitally once a week or more often

The post 90% of users prefer their banking apps and here’s why appeared first on Business of Apps.

CryptoRom scams are the latest when it comes to financial fraud schemes tricking app users into handing over their cash. Now a new report from cybersecurity solutions provider Sophos finds that fake CryptoRom apps managed to bypass Apple’s security protocols on the App Store. 

Fraudulent apps defeating Apple’s and Google’s app-store security process

Sophos recently unearthed two CryptoRom apps, so-called because they prey on and trick dating app users into making fake cryptocurrency investments. The apps bypassed strict security protocols on app stores. Previously cybercriminals used workaround techniques to convince victims to download illegitimate apps that weren’t sanctioned by Google or Apple. 

The Ace Pro and MBM_BitScan apps, however, approached victims through dating applications. Then they asked them to move their conversations to WhatsApp where users were lured into downloading the apps. 

Ace Pro app on the App Store

Source: Sophos

Apple and Google have been notified about these apps and promptly removed them from their app stores. 

Fake apps on the App Store

“In general, it’s hard to get malware past the security review process in the Apple App Store. That’s why, when we originally began investigating CryptoRom scams targeting iOS users, the scammers would have to persuade users to first install a configuration profile before they could install the fake trading app,” explains Jagadeesh Chandraiah, senior threat researcher, Sophos. 

Because users tend to trust Apple, scammers who get onto the App Store manage to vastly increase their pool of potential victims.

Ace Pro, for example, is described as a QR code scanner on the App Store. But it’s actually a fraudulent crypto trading platform. Once opened, users see a trading interface to deposit and withdraw currency, but the cash goes directly to the scammers. 

How CryptoRom apps are getting past Apple’s store review

Source: Sophos

Sophos believes that apps such as Ace Pro have managed to get around App Store security by connecting the app to a remote website with benign functionality when it was submitted for review. Once approved, the app was redirected to an Asian-registered domain that sends a request to respond with content and delivers the fake trading interface. 

It’s an elaborate scheme that highlights just how inventive scammers are becoming to evade App Store security features.

Key takeaways

• CryptoRom apps bypass the security of Apple and Google app stores
• Ace Pro and MBM_BitScan apps approached victims through dating applications and asked them to move their conversations to WhatsApp
• Apple and Google have removed these apps

The post Fraudulent CryptoRom apps bypass Apple and Google app store security appeared first on Business of Apps.

We are excited to announce that the first look agenda for App Promotion Summit London 2023 is now LIVE.

Our in-person conference at Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square in Mayfair on Thursday 23rd March will feature a main stage focusing on app growth across the funnel plus 3 workshop rooms covering everything you need to know to become a smarter app marketer in 2023.

We have confirmed speakers from what3words, Domino’s, ITV, Deliciously Ella, Howbout, Peanut, Dorothy Perkins, Paired, Uptime and more.

Sessions include:

• 5 Lessons Learned Growing Nude from 0 to 300,000 Users in 2022 – Yoann Pavy, Chief Marketing Officer, Nude
• Structuring a Paid Social Team and Gearing them up for Success for an App-first Company – Vittorio Boccanera, Performance Marketing Lead, Monzo
• Let Users Do the Work for You – Lessons Learned on Scaling a Global Community – Antoaneta Hristova, Vice President Partnerships and Customer Marketing, Smule
• Developing a Successful Creative Strategy for Social Channels – Stefana Pesko, UA Team Lead, Product Madness
• Achieving Product Market Fit Whilst Growing 20% MoM – Nathan Hudson, Head of Growth, SPOKE

Grab your tickets here if you haven’t already. We can’t wait to welcome you to the event.

The post The APS London agenda is now live appeared first on Business of Apps.

From characters to voiceovers, adding the right creative concepts to your game app and ads can produce impressive results. But what exactly makes a successful creative strategy in 2023? 

Customisation for more engagement

Growth platform AppLovin analyzed data from 52.3 billion impressions, 22.4 billion clicks, and 267 million installs, as well as tens of thousands of creatives in 2022 to shed light on the creative variables that produce the most impact and ROI. They found that customisation of characters or environments alongside urging prompts for the user drove higher engagement. 

Renovation and makeover concepts drove the highest success in customisation accounting for 75% of creative wins, i.e. creatives capturing the majority of spending in campaigns.

The top creative wins

Source: AppLovin

It’s all about the drama and interaction

Storylines with dramatic and eye-catching openings are more effective in immersing users. That’s particularly true for characters who are victims in perilous situations. Narrative motives users to get engaged with the game story. The likelihood of narratives being incorporated in creative wins for Cards/Casino games was 65% higher than average and 155% higher than average for Strategy wins.

AppLovin’s analysis found that VoiceOver messaging can add dimensionality. This works best for genres that rely heavily on showing gameplay footage in ad creatives, like Simulation creatives. Here voiceover was applied to 59% of the top Simulation creatives. It also worked well in Word genres (35%), Cards/Casino games (47%) and Strategy (30%).

Voiceover doesn’t even need to be human with computer-generated voices taking over 29% of top creatives in 2022.

Computer-generated voiceover was being used more successfully in 2022

Source: AppLovin

Adding a human character to give feedback to gamers during the game was another successful strategy. This doesn’t just apply to character-based games. Even a puzzle game could add a generic character to enhance the connection. Around half (49%) of the creative wins analysed incorporated features that give real-time feedback to the users.

Breakdown of real-time feedback mechanics

Source: AppLovin

Key takeaways

• Engage users by making creatives relatable and approachable using characters and voiceovers
• Dramatic storylines engage users more effectively 
• Feedback during the game helps users to connect

The post Customised creative concepts can boost your app engagement appeared first on Business of Apps.

Apple announced further changes to its App Store pricing on Friday. The changes will affect app and in-app purchases in the UK and other countries and are scheduled to be rolled out in February. So what exactly is happening?

Here’s where apps are getting more expensive 

In a note shared with developers, Apple announced that prices of apps and in-app purchases on the App Store will increase in Colombia, Egypt, Hungary, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, and the UK. This excludes subscription renewals. 

By the end of January, proceeds are set to rise for developers selling in Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan.

The price hikes are a reflection of changes in taxes and foreign exchange rates. The App Store allows developers to sell their apps across 44 currencies. Periodically prices need to be adapted to ensure they stay equalised across the App Store’s 175 storefronts.

Average prices for apps in the Apple App Store as of September 2022

Source: Statista

The way Apple plans to implement these changes is by estimating and removing taxes based on the information developers provided. Changes will be visible in the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps and developers can adjust the prices of their apps and in-app purchases from here. 

Some app prices are coming down

App Store pricing has been subject to fluctuation. In 2022, the average price of in-app purchases jumped 40% over 2021 while Google Play saw a 9% rise. 

iOS in-app purchase prices increased in 2022

Source: Apptopia, Adjust

But prices for developers aren’t all going up. App pricing in Uzbekistan will decrease as a consequence of the lowered value-added tax rate from 15% to 21%. Apple said developers’ proceeds would be adjusted accordingly and based on tax-exclusive pricing. 

While prices in Ireland, Luxembourg, Singapore, and Zimbabwe won’t change, proceeds are being adjusted due to tax changes.  For example, Ireland reduced its value-added taxes on electronic newspapers and periodicals from 9% to zero while Luxembourg lowered its value-added tax rate from 17% to 16%.

Key takeaways

• Apple announced prices of apps and in-app purchases on the App Store will increase in Colombia, Egypt, Hungary, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, and the UK
• Apple plans to implement these changes is by estimating and removing taxes based on the information developers provided
• App pricing in Uzbekistan will decrease as a consequence of the lowered value-added tax rate from 15% to 21%

The post Will Apple’s changes to App Store pricing affect your apps? appeared first on Business of Apps.

Did you know that 80% of customers are more likely to go with a brand that personalises experiences and offers? Or that 92% of customers expect their online shopping experience to be personalised to their needs? Customers today want to feel like they are getting a personalised experience, and brands that don’t do this risk losing and not getting these customers.

Experiences enable marketers to tap into the power of data and personalise web experience for each customer according to their behaviour, preferences and affinities – even for anonymous users. This enables brands to provide customers with highly relevant experiences at every stage of their journey.

MoEngage Web Personalize is a no-code web personalisation product, which means it is easy for marketers and product owners to build and implement. It boosts team productivity while increasing conversion. You can personalise and publish multiple website components such as text, images, banners, sections, CTAs, and buttons in minutes.

Why Web Personalize?

• Boost Opportunities to Engage, Convert, and Retain: Display relevant website content to visitors based on their cart activity on the homepage, category pages, or product pages.
• Shorter Sales Cycles: Personalise every aspect of your website in minutes without relying on your design or development teams.
• Create Relevant Experiences for Customers and Unknown Visitors: Create dynamic experiences based on entry points. These entry points can be based on traffic sources such as email, SMS, or ad campaigns.
• Run Campaign Experiments to Improve Conversions: A/B test campaign content, graphics, product recommendations, banners, cart activity, and geolocation to maximise revenue.

Want to find out more about MoEngage and Web Personalize? Request a demo form here and we will get back to you.

The post Generate up to 15% more revenue with MoEngage’s Web Personalize appeared first on Business of Apps.

The number of app publishers utilising ads in the App Store and Google Play increased by 2x in 2022, up from 60,000 in 2019. A report from in-app advertising company Apptica also sheds light on the top creative formats and app categories across both stores. 

Publishers on Android outrun those on iOS

Out of the 120,000 publishers advertising in 2022, 29% covered iOS and 71% used Android. The maximum number of creatives for one publisher were around 1.8 million on Android versus just 56,000 for iOS. 

Number of advertisers and publishers on iOS versus Android in 2022

Source: Apptica

Perhaps unsurprising, games led with over 69% of advertising traffic on the App Store and 56% on Google Play. Within games, casual titles saw the biggest traffic share on iOS while puzzle games attracted higher traffic on Android. 

Casual =is a dominant category for traffic on both iOS and Android

Source: Apptica

The apps with the biggest buying traffic focused on three categories. They were games, shopping and social. 

Although the majority of advertisers have a bigger share on Android, some apps such as Royal Match give clear preference to iOS. BigoLife is a title that divides its presence more equally. 

Android publishers test more creatives

Interestingly, publishers tend to test more creatives on Android with the gap between creatives ranging from 2 to 124 times among the top 20 publishers. 

Apptica says it caught more than 14.6 million creatives of which 80% were running on Android.

The distribution of formats of creatives differed between the platforms. Video leads on iOS at 60% while image is being utilised preferably on Android (59%). 

Android advertisers prefer image over video formats

Source: Apptica

Interactive creatives attract similar shares on both at 2.8% and 2.5% on iOS and Android, respectively. 

Key takeaways

• Number of app publishers advertising on the App Store and Google Play increased by 2x in 2022
• Games led with over 69% of advertising traffic on the App Store and 56% on Google Play
• Publishers test more creatives on Android than iOS

The post Android publishers prefer image ads and test more creatives appeared first on Business of Apps.

It seems that 2023 is going to be a much bigger year for influencer marketing with 64% of brand marketers expecting to grow their budgets on the format. That’s according to a new survey of 150 brand marketing leaders by creator marketing company Open Influence.

Brand marketers see the value in influencer marketing

A growing number of brands have opened up their budgets to influencer marketing with 13% of them dedicating at least $1 million to it. However almost a third (29%) admit that selling the idea of creator marketing to upper marketing is still challenging. 

Brands up their influencer marketing budgets

Source: Open Influence

A whopping 81% of brand managers outsource their influencer marketing fully or partially in order to minimise common hurdles in-house including negotiations and contracting (20%) and developing an effective strategy (17%).

The study also found that 77% of brands prefer long-term relationships with creators. That’s good news for influencers, brands and consumers alike as it allows them to develop stronger connections over time while keeping campaigns cost-efficient. 

Measurement is the big issue

Less than half of brand marketers (40%) find it easy to obtain accurate influencer marketing metrics. Tracking analytics is challenging and first-party isn’t always reliable or accessible. The issue with attribution may be one of the reasons why 77% also run paid social campaigns alongside their creator marketing campaigns. This allows brands to maximise efficiency and ROI. 

Top platforms and influencer choice

Instagram is still the number one influencer marketing platform, followed by TikTok. Short-form video is rapidly attracting ever more marketing dollars as audiences prefer to view content. Much of the growth in short-form video is being led by the TikTok app. 

Instagram is a top platform for influencer marketing

Source: Open Influence

Short-form video leads in format

Source: Open Influence

When it comes to influencer selection, brands consider follower count 3x more than the expertise of the creator. Some 17% would like to partner with macro creators with over 5 million followers. It goes to show that numbers still matter. 

However, brands also want creators who are relatable (35%) and aspirational (36%).

For 2023 and beyond it’s reassuring to see that 91% of brand marketers are open to exploring new trends in influencer marketing and continue to experiment. 

Key takeaways

• 64% of brand marketers expect to increase their influencer marketing budgets in 2023
• 81% outsource their influencer marketing fully or partially
• 77% run paid social campaigns alongside their creator marketing campaigns

The post 64% up budgets for influencer marketing appeared first on Business of Apps.

We couldn’t be more excited to announce App Promotion Summit is returning to NYC in-person on Thursday 22nd June 2023.

300 app marketers will gather in Midtown Manhattan to meet, learn and discuss across four rooms of app growth content.

We’ll be providing the finest 5* food and drink in our legendary friendly atmosphere.

Join us as we bring together the US app community to share how apps are adapting, growing and succeeding in 2023.

We would love for you to join us.

Reserve your ticket here or let us know if you’d like to participate as a speaker or partner.

The post App Promotion Summit is returning to New York City appeared first on Business of Apps.

There’s much to be excited about when it comes to mobile video ads. The format boosts ROI for small and large advertisers alike and viewability rates are significantly higher than those of other formats. Unsurprisingly, 63% of mobile advertisers consider short-form video a top marketing trend for 2023. But new research shows that video ad placement may require some refinement as most consumers will hold brands accountable for the content their ads appear next to. Let’s dive in. 

Content association matters

According to a survey of consumers in the UK, US and Australia by Magna Media Trials, almost half of UK consumers (49%) agree that a brand supports the content they appear adjacent to. In the US and Australia, slightly fewer consumers would agree at 41% and 36%, respectively. 

Adjacent here refers to ads shown before a video, ads appearing before creator content, ads played during videos, or those supporting influencers. 

Ad placement also aids in message recall. When messages were associated with standard content, message recall was higher (+14 points) compared to when it was placed next to questionable or grey content (+4 points).

Markets aren’t immune to grey content (brown; green = standard content) 

Source: Magna Media Trials

Purchase intent was also higher with standard content (+10%) versus grey content (+4%) as was search intent. 

Standard content (green) improves purchase and search intent versus grey content (brown)

Source: Magna Media Trials

Brands stand more to lose with Gen Z and millennials where purchase intent decreased 7% and 5%, respectively. 

What’s considered appropriate varies by sector

Interestingly, what consumers consider appropriate varies by brand sector. Not surprisingly, questionable content is considered most inappropriate for toy brands as these tend to cater to children. But financial service brand ads that are placed next to grey content are also a big no-no. Beverage and quick-service food brands are less likely to be judged harshly for grey content. 

Grey content is unacceptable in some sectors

Source: Magna Media Trials

Brands which regularly target B2B audiences should be even wearier in placing their ads next to questionable content as consumers will judge them even more harshly for it. 

Key takeaways

• 49% of UK customers agree a brand supports the content their mobile video ads appear adjacent to
• Messages associated with standard content improve recall (+14 points) 
• Brands stand more to lose with Gen Z and millennials where purchase intent decreased 7% and 5%, respectively, when ads appeared next to grey content

The post Brands held accountable for content next to their mobile video ads appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile app adoption on the App Store and Google Play remained stagnant in the final quarter of 2022 according to the latest data from Sensor Tower. That’s on the back of an overall 9% rise in app installs to 151 billion in 2022. But some app categories performed better than others. 

There’s no stopping social apps

Global app downloads dropped 0.1% year-on-year to 35.5 billion in Q4 2022. However, social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok continued to attract a high number of downloads. Instagram was the number one app worldwide in Q4 2022, followed by TikTok and Facebook in third and fourth place. 

While this may be good news for marketers looking to up their budgets on social campaigns, choosing the right format will be all the more important this year. On Instagram, for example, the average reach for Stories has dropped 7% and for feed posts that drop is even sharper at 22%. Meanwhile, Reels get between 2-12x more reach compared to feed posts.

Games dominate but downloads are slowing

Overall, mobile game downloads declined between Q3 and Q4 2022. In November, game downloads were 4.4 billion on both app stores which was level with 2020. However, the World Cup helped spike football game apps. FIFA Mobile and Soccer Super Star grew 137% and 112% quarter-on-quarter, respectively.

Stumble Guys game dominates downloads

Source: Sensor Tower

Stumble Guys by Kitka Games dominated download growth in 2022 and was the fastest-growing app. It ranked top in Latin America and Europe with more than 50 million downloads and 36 million, respectively.

Key takeaways

• Global app downloads dropped 0.1% year-on-year to 35.5 billion in Q4 2022
• Social media apps continue to attract high downloads
• Mobile game downloads declined between Q3 and Q4 2022

The post Global app downloads remain stagnant in Q4 2022 appeared first on Business of Apps.

In light of continued privacy scandals in recent years, consumer trust in technology companies has declined. Based on a survey of 2,000 adults, research by Forbes Advisor sheds light on the app developers British mobile users trust the least. 

Meta has a major trust issue

Almost half of respondents (48%) said they don’t trust Meta-owned apps including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The social media company has repeatedly come under fire for continued data breaches and privacy scandals. 

Its competitors such as TikTok and Twitter aren’t faring much better and score among the least trusted apps at 42% and 41%, respectively. 

The least trusted apps and technology brands

Source: Forbes Advisor

PayPal is the platform Brits trust the most (47%), followed by Amazon (41%) and Microsoft (39%). 

Notably, nine of the ten most trusted brands were created before the 2000s whereas the least trusted brands have been operating for less than 20 years. 

Younger people are more comfortable sharing their data

An overwhelming majority (90%) of British app users are worried about their data being hacked. Around two-thirds aren’t happy offering their data to the government and some 43% feel uncomfortable sharing data with the NHS. 

Start-ups, gambling and social media companies are the ones users are most weary of sharing their details with. 

However, younger users aged 18 to 34 years aren’t as worried when sharing their data with Instagram or TikTok (17%). In the 35-54-year-old bracket this trust drops to just 7% and it’s even lower among the 55-year-olds (3%). The reverse is true for sharing data with the NHS which older users feel more comfortable with compared with younger ones. 

“Like or not, we all exist in an era where it’s nigh-on impossible to live without sharing your personal data – even if you don’t consider yourself to be particularly ‘digital’,” said Laura Howard, at Forbes Advisor. 

“Making an online doctor’s appointment, paying a bill via your banking app, getting a discount on your shopping with a supermarket loyalty card, or checking the traffic before setting off on a journey – it all adds to the vast and continuous stream of data related to you and your behaviour as a consumer. But our knowledge and awareness around how to protect this data has perhaps not kept pace with the technology.”

But there are things users can do. The survey found that one-quarter of social media users weren’t taking steps to protect their accounts. Over a third (36%) use different passwords and have adjusted their privacy settings for their account and one in five change their passwords regularly. 

How Brits are protecting their social accounts

Source: Forbes Advisor

Key takeaways

• 48% of Brits don’t trust Meta-owned apps
• PayPal is the most trusted brand among Brits (47%)
• 90% of Brits are worried about falling victim to data hacking

The post 48% of Brits do not trust Meta-owned apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

Welcome to 2023! Last year was quite the roller coaster for many, which saw us rolling out massive FREE plan changes to try and help those brands financially impacted by all the turmoil. Now that 2022 is behind us and given it’s been several months since I’ve provided a seasonal wrap-up, let’s dig in.

This post was first published on intellifluence.com.

27,000+ active brands

We keep on growing. Most of you lovely brands joining us are coming in on the FREE influencer marketing plan. Thank you for choosing us to test the waters and especially those of you that realize we’re a good fit and upgrade to Starter through Advanced.

216,000+ influencers

Back in August, we were almost to 200,000 so casually increasing the base of creators by 8% over a few months after 6.5 years in operations is nothing we take for granted.

Throughout this period we’ve been quietly rolling out the logic to remove spam signups, so the raw numbers are even higher. That’s not what you’re here for, so let’s look at the fun stuff. Per usual, I can’t disclose various security and fraud updates and will skip the numerous bug fixes as well as admin-only changes, so here are the Fall pull requests of note from the ~200 to choose from.

Audience demographics and plan expansion for free brand users

Audience demographics

We have been asked for demographics repeatedly over the years. My biggest reason for not doing so is a good amount of the data encountered in our testing appeared to be unreliable. We now have a mix of processes to capture and determine audience demographics for Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok (which are of course the most popular social networks by usage). Currently, we are updating demographics on verified users of these social platforms when their overall audience size justifies a deeper dive for brands.

Free brand improvements

I won’t say a whole lot since we actually had an announcement specifically for it, but FREE brands can run a campaign to get a better sense of the full capabilities stack at Intellifluence.

Worked with expansion

Brands can now determine who they’ve worked with across an entire account, an individual campaign, or a singular brand alias associated with an account.

Marketplace visibility filters

Some brands have so many campaigns that they needed a way to filter deeper to find active and visible campaigns faster.

More talent manager overhauls

In our system, talent managers have a special role which requires them to be able to oversee and interact on the behalf of multiple influencers simultaneously. At times our development will focus on drastically improving one user type, so we used some of the past few months to catch up on the functionality for talent managers to put it on par with the rest of the user types.

Re-hire

I love this one, which came from one of our most active Advanced brands. Sometimes a brand might have a great experience with an influencer and wishes to immediately re-hire them without having to jump through another campaign setup. We made it a lot easier to keep working with the creators you like working with.

Private public marketplace offers

A request from another of our Advanced brands was the desire to set up a Marketplace Offer that could be applied to, in order to skip having to perform outbound pitches in the system, but also a way to set it as private so a brand could provide the offer when encountering the right influencers potentially outside of the Intellifluence ecosystem. This has worked great as the brand is able to DM commenters on their Instagram channel with the offer with ease.

Cleaning up influencer offers

Some of the improvements here have to do with being able to toggle what’s available by hiding temporarily inactive influencers’ offers as well as those that are associated with social accounts that are de-verified. The goal here is to only show the highest quality offers to brands as we can.

Product campaign logic

Some campaigns are more complex than others and occasionally influencers would get confused about what they’re allowed to do when it comes to product purchases, refunds, and reviews. The improvements here focus on ensuring Sallybot knows when to warn the brand or influencer if a campaign’s parameters are being potentially violated and provide appropriate warnings to prevent such issues. It’ll also now prevent pitch acceptance if a brand has been locked or deactivated, protecting our influencers.

Mobile dynamic linking

It’s somewhat simple conceptually but has had a nice impact. Influencers have access to iOS and Android apps to manage their workflow, but when getting emails from the system would have to separately go to the app to interact; we simply tightened the experience so the app is utilized if it exists on an influencer’s phone.

Sallybot messaging

We’re always looking at support feedback, so whenever we’re getting the same type of request, question, or complaint, we try to solve it programmatically. In these cases, the answer was to inject transaction thread messaging to pre-answer questions related primarily to money. Happy users = happy support team = happy Joe.

Gracefully recognize links

Sometimes influencers will post review links in a message rather than the available process, so we made the system smarter to recognize the URL as a potentially finished product and allow brands to treat it as such if they choose.

Flags in more places

If you’re working on a lot of campaigns that span geographies, it can be helpful to know where an influencer is from. The simple way to provide this information at a glance is to display the flag that corresponds to their current mailing address in more areas where you might be making decisions that require geographical nuance.

What’s next?

A lot of workflow improvements are currently in the pipeline, designed to make interaction with the platform smoother and faster. As we continue to scale users, this is one of the best uses of our time: increasing everyone’s happiness. We’re also hard at work with our partnership initiatives and deeper integration of support into the everyday use cases that drive our continued growth.

The post Intellifluence announces audience demographics and workflow logic flexibility appeared first on Business of Apps.

User churn is a major issue for app developers. Around half of Android apps were uninstalled within 30 days of download in 2022 and half of those were removed within just 24 hours finds a new report from AppsFlyer. Let’s take a closer look.

Some app categories fare better than others

The App Uninstall Report found that 49% of Android apps were uninstalled within a month after download and of those, 49% were uninstalled within just one day. Whilst that number seems staggering, it’s still 8% lower compared to 2021. 

Android app uninstalls year-on-year

Source: AppsFlyer

Gaming apps saw some of the highest uninstall rates (66%) within 30 days after download, followed by social (60%), education (53%), utilities (53%) and finance apps (45%). Travel apps, on the other hand, saw some of the highest brand loyalty at 31%.

AppsFlyer says that hyper-casual and casual gaming titles suffer because of their reduced shelf life of these titles. 

Uninstall rates by app category

Source: AppsFlyer

Unsurprisingly, uninstall rates of organic users were lower at an average of 28% among all categories. Organic users typically show higher intent than non-organic ones. The difference between organic and non-organic users in gaming was just 13% compared to 30% for non-gaming apps. 

The where and the when

Uninstall rates were higher in developing markets with Nepal, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan showing the highest rates of user churn. The average uninstall rate in developing countries was between 26-43% compared to 36% in developed nations. This may be due to the more dominant use of iOS devices and their higher storage which results in users having to delete fewer apps to free up space.

Day 1 is typically the highest for uninstalls across all categories. Day 1 rates were particularly high in finance apps at 27% compared to the average of other verticals. 

Overall Day 1 uninstalls

Source: AppsFlyer

How to optimise your app marketing for fewer uninstalls

The key takeaway for app marketers is optimisation. With uninstalls being a major issue, it’s important to keep measuring them using attribution options. First interactions with users should be designed to encourage lasting connections. Apps must deliver on their promise in order to be successful and be updated in good time. User feedback proves valuable in doing the latter. It’s worth bearing in mind user privacy and security. 

Key takeaways

• 49% of Android apps were uninstalled within a month after download 
• 49% of Android apps were uninstalled within just one day
• Gaming apps had the highest uninstall rates (66%) within 30 days after download

The post Half of Android apps are uninstalled within 30 days after download appeared first on Business of Apps.

Installs of finance apps have grown 25% across Africa, according to the latest report from AppsFlyer and Google. Based on an analysis of 140 million installs across 3,000 finance apps, the report sheds light on the rising interest in managing finances using apps to navigate economic uncertainty. 

Finance app installs spike in Africa

The African countries leading the rise in finance app installs are Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. Ghana saw installs of finance apps spike by 200%, followed by Nigeria at 33%. Kenya recorded a 5% growth while South Africa declined by 11%. 

Ghana finance app installs 

Source: AppsFlyer

Among the top Google search trends between May 2021 and 2022 were lending and currency conversions, hinting at the uncertainty of the economic situation. 

South Africa recorded a 700% rise in search intent for “grant status” and “payment date”, and a 51% increase in intent for “loan application searches”. Similarly, “currency conversion” searches rose 74% in intent. 

Nigeria recorded a 68% search intent for “loan app” while in Kenya people searched for “currency conversion” (52%).

Overall finance app install trend by platform

Source: AppsFlyer

App marketers are taking note

The rise in app installs correlates to an increase in app install ad spending across Africa. App install ad spending for finance rose a total of 3% and represented around 87% of total spending across the continent in 2022, compared with the previous year. 

Marketers up remarketing efforts

Source: AppsFlyer

There was a 45% rise in finance app install ad spending on Android devices as marketers ramp up budgets to acquire new users and reengage existing ones. Installs from remarking campaigns surged by 55%. 

“When we look at Google’s search trends, it’s clear that financial uncertainty is weighing heavily on many people across the continent,” said Lizzie Kondowe, Africa Apps Lead, Google. “We’re seeing more and more apps come to market that aim to solve these problems, and so it’s no surprise to see installs rising. We’re proud to be working alongside AppsFlyer, to bring marketers the insights and tools they need to grow their apps.”

Key takeaways

• Installs of finance apps rise 25% across Africa,
• Ghana saw installs of finance apps spike 200%
• Marketers ramp up app install ad spending of finance apps by 45% 

The post Finance app installs in Africa jump 25% attracting 3% higher ad spending appeared first on Business of Apps.

Nearly two-thirds of consumers will abandon an app or mobile shopping transaction if they encounter problems during the process. Delivering seamless digital experiences is now more important than ever for mCommerce brands. And according to a new survey from digital experience intelligence firm Fullstory, consumers are willing to reward those who deliver it. 

Customers care about the app experience more than the brand

Based on the answers from 7,000 customers, the findings reveal that 44% don’t care where they shop as long as it works. With 42% of marketers believing customer loyalty will decline this year due to spending habits, it’s now more important than ever that a brand’s app experience is seamless in order to entice customers to return. 

Customers care about functionality not the brand name

Source: Fullstory

But what exactly frustrates mobile shoppers?

A majority (72%) of respondents cited slow loading times of apps and websites as a major frustration when making an online purchase. 63% get annoyed with loading errors. Other issues leading to cart abandonment included dead links or buttons (46%), forms that don’t accept inputs (39%) and page glitches (38%).

The major frustrations among app and mobile shoppers

Source: Fullstory

The top priority for 76% of shoppers is to finish their transactions quickly. 

One in three consumers said that mobile app and online experiences left them feeling stressed with 71% of Americans rage-clicking on a site or app. 

However, some app categories fare betters than others. In retail apps, around half of consumers described the digital experience as simple compared to just 26% using travel apps. Healthcare (31%) and grocery (33%) apps may need to rethink simplifying their functionalities as well. 

How can app experiences be improved?

With 65% of consumers likely to abandon a transaction over frustrations and 55% saying they would be unlikely to return to a business with a poor digital experience, something has to change. 

“Providing an exceptional digital experience is one of the best ways to win customers, who are clearly open to switching brands and won’t tolerate digital friction,” said Scott Voigt, CEO of FullStory. 

“Digital experience data and insights equip brands to create perfect digital experiences, making it easier for consumers to get things done online and helping businesses increase revenue and retention.”

Key takeaways

• 44% of customers don’t care where they shop as long as it works
• 72% of respondents say slow loading times are a major frustration
• The top priority for 76% of shoppers is to finish their transaction quickly

The post 55% of customers will not return to app or mobile site delivering a poor experience appeared first on Business of Apps.

Super Early Bird tickets are selling fast for App Promotion Summit London 2023 in March. We don’t want you to miss out on saving £500+ and we have limited tickets remaining.

In-person ticket holders can enjoy our networking coffee breaks, lunch, cocktail roundtables, evening drinks reception and the legendary late night after party.

We hope you can join us in person on Thursday March 23rd, along with hundreds of other app marketers, as we teach you how to become a smarter app marketer to grow and scale your app.

Book your ticket now to learn from the likes of what3words, Domino’s, Monzo, Howbout, Nude, Paired and Product Madness and network with the biggest names in app marketing.

Brands booked on so far include Decathlon, Xero, FARFETCH, Kiwi.com, Smarkets and Fiverr.

Reserve your ticket by this Friday (20th January).

The post APS London Super Early Bird Tickets End Friday appeared first on Business of Apps.

Google and Apple have failed yet again to stop dubious apps from entering their app stores, highlighting the failures in the stores’ moderation processes. This time it involves ChatGPT which is a natural language processing tool created by OpenAI, the same company that developed DALL-E. So what’s the problem?

ChatGPT apps flood the stores

ChatGPT is an important tool that elevates conversational AI, enhancing it for search and everyday work tasks. It’s currently available to use for free via the website. No official app has been launched.

But that hasn’t stopped a whole slew of Google Play and App Store developers from posting apps with ChatGPT in their names. These apps include other chatbots that show ads or offer subscriptions. They are either fraudulent or violate OpenAI’s trademark. 

Daily installs of ChatGPT apps

Source: Appstorespy

The findings have been posted by app market intelligence firm Appstorespy.  

Do Apple and Google care?

Appstorespy then reached out to Google and Apple to find out if the companies had done anything about these fraudulent apps. Google removed two dozen of such apps including an unofficial ChatGPT app that had already gotten 138,000 installs. Some developers have been quick to rename their apps such as Open Chat which has 170,000 installs. 

However, others can still be found. ChatGPT AI Writing Assistant has already generated some $10,000 in revenue by selling supposed credits for ChatGPT.

By mid-January, fake ChatGPT apps attracted a total 67,000 installs per day on Google Play.

Daily installs of ChatGPT apps picked up again in January

Source: Appstorespy

Meanwhile, Apple has blocked just 4 of the 49 apps with ChatGPT in the title. 

Key takeaways

• ChatGPT apps are available on the App Store and Google Play even though OpenAI has launched no such app
• Google has taken action to remove some of these apps, Apple removed 4 out of 49 by mid-January
• Fake ChatGPT apps attracted a total 67,000 installs per day on Google Play in January

The post Google and Apple fail to remove fraudulent ChatGPT apps from their app stores appeared first on Business of Apps.

After the success of MoEngage’s #GROWTH Summit in London on 2nd November, they are now hosting their #GROWTH Summit Berlin event on 26 January at ALICE Rooftop and Garden in Berlin.

So far, MoEngage has executed over 50 #Growth Summits globally. The format of the event is invite-only and curated for B2C leaders from marketing, product owners, entrepreneurs, CRM, and analytics professionals.

The objective is to give brands the chance to network and learn from elite speakers, as they discuss growth, customer engagement, acquisition, and retention.

Join MoEngage in Berlin as they invite leaders to share stories, discuss digital-first strategies, and teach frameworks on customer engagement and growth. Register here to declare your interest, and MoEngage will come back to you to confirm your attendance.

Why attend?

5 Reasons you should attend this event

• Exclusive insights from global brand leaders: Hear first-hand accounts and insider information from experts who helped Deutsche Telekom, KptnCook, Douglas, Freeletics, Idealo, Sweatcoin, and other companies succeed.
• Strategic discussion on engagement & retention: Join conversations on how to drive customer engagement and retention to grow your business after the holiday season and throughout 2023
• 1:1 networking with high-calibre people: Meet and converse with leaders from digital-first brands, share ideas, and gain valuable insights for your own business.
• Explore MoEngage: Use the dedicated demo area to learn more about the MoEngage platform and how we can help your business grow faster.
• Some of the best views and food Berlin has to offer: We promise the most interesting conversations over the best views in Berlin, as well as delicious food and drinks.

About #GROWTH

#GROWTH is a community for B2C CRM, product, and growth marketing professionals focused on customer engagement and growth.  The #GROWTH program provides the individual with access to a large, global community, courses, and learning resources. #GROWTH members also get priority invites to other conferences and peer learning events.

The post Join MoEngage’s #GROWTH Summit Berlin 2023 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen social media emerge as one of the hottest media targets for app and mobile advertisers in 2023. More than half of marketers are looking to boost their ad spending on social channels and 49% are excited about the possibilities of social video in 2023. Now a new report from SaaS tracking and analysis firm Meltwater finds that more organisations are embracing social media in 2023 due to global economic uncertainty.

The importance of a social media strategy in 2023

Over half (52%) of organisations said that economic uncertainty led them to consider social media as an important channel for their company. As consumers are feeling the squeeze, it appears that brands are looking for ways to keep them more engaged. 

Social app marketing has different objectives. Raising brand awareness (81%) and engagement (60%) are the most important goals among advertisers. Roughly half of marketers (49%) also use social to acquire new customers. 

Social media marketing goals

Source: Meltwater

“While brand perception and brand awareness has always been integral, this trend seems to be increasing in 2023. We still believe that marketing professionals will face similar challenges such as lack of time or resources; however, social media is an exceptional tool for combating these challenges, which shows in the report. Investing in social media channels, particularly Tik Tok, is an effective method of creating a strong brand,” said Jess Smith, Marketing Manager of Meltwater UKI.

With brand awareness as their top goal, the majority of respondents (71%) consider organic social posts as more important in driving their marketing strategy compared with paid social (66%). 

Facebook and LinkedIn dominate the social landscape

Facebook (89%) and LinkedIn (87%) were the most-used social channels among marketers, followed by Instagram (84%), YouTube (67%) and Twitter (66%) rounding out the top. The use of TikTok is also rapidly expanding (up 30% in 2022 compared to 16% in 2021). Some 47% of respondents said they planned to use TikTok for their marketing efforts in 2023.

Top social media channels among organisations 

Source: Meltwater

This year, 71% of B2C organisations also plan to use influencer marketing, an increase of 7% from the previous year. 

While there are plenty of channels for marketers to dip into, measuring the success of their campaigns can be difficult.

The survey found that engagement (80%), followers (65%) and website traffic (59%) are the top three media metrics for social advertisers. Just 17% of respondents track ROI from social channels. 

How to measure the success of social media campaigns in 2023?

Source: Meltwater

Resource management and impact measurement are top challenges

When asked about social media campaign challenges, 49% of respondents stated finding the time and resources followed by measuring the impact of their campaign (46%). 

Given that brand awareness and engagement are top goals of social campaigns, it comes as no surprise that marketers are worried about growing their social following (40%). Many businesses are also struggling to prove the impact of social campaigns (33%) which hampers further investment (27%).

It seems social media has proven to be an important component of a company’s communication stack. 

Key takeaways

• 52% say economic uncertainty led them to consider social media as an important channel for their organisation
• Raising brand awareness (81%) and engagement (60%) are the top goals
• Facebook (89%), LinkedIn (87%), Instagram (84%), YouTube (67%) and Twitter (66%) are considered the top social channels

The post For 52% of marketers, economic uncertainty is key driver for increase in social media app ad budgets appeared first on Business of Apps.

Remerge has launched Agency Activators – a partnership program empowering media and brand agencies to become qualified leaders in the programmatic in-app advertising market.

Remerge, which ranks as the top global player for mobile re-engagement campaigns after Meta and Google, will share the inner workings of its technology and offer workshops to equip members with expertise to grow their clients’ app revenues.

The first agencies to join the program are M&C Saatchi Performance, Headlight, Phiture, Lemmonet, WITHIN, Publicis’ Spark Foundry, alongside growth transformation partner Winclap.

This post was first published on remerge.io.

Steve Massaro, Director of Channel Alliances, Remerge:

“I’ve been in agency-centric roles for most of my career and can say that the relevance and influence of these companies in the mobile industry have never been greater. In the app ecosystem, where new creative formats, economic pressures, and privacy changes are constantly changing the landscape, the value our agency partners bring to our shared clients is continuously becoming more apparent.

“Remerge’s Agency Activators program will increase that strategic value through tailored educational sessions that build on our members’ programmatic knowledge and guide them through newer innovations. We’re offering masterclasses on fundamental areas of mobile marketing, ranging from incrementality to creative strategy, and more.

“Coupling this training with access to logistical and commercial benefits unique to this program has already proved to be successful for our members, who are helping teams tap into Remerge’s solutions to drive growth for their clients’ apps.”

As programmatic ad spending soars and brands make bigger investments in mobile, marketers are looking for partners who can help them navigate the industry.

Pan Katsukis, Co-founder and CEO, Remerge:

“We’re seeing more brands enter the mobile space and get serious about programmatic advertising. Performance marketing and developing deeper levels of in-app engagement are often new territories for these organizations. We’re creating an environment where leading agencies can enhance their understanding of the market and learn how to scale their clients’ business.”

Agency Activators is active in the Americas and will expand to Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and Middle East markets.

Adrienne Rice, Director of Media Investment, M&C Saatchi Performance:

“Recent market developments have made it harder for mobile businesses to find their way in the programmatic advertising industry and make informed decisions about where to allocate budget to grow revenues. App marketing is a rapidly evolving concept, and our clients need partners who know how to unlock its potential. The expert support, resources, and benefits we get from Remerge’s agency partnership program ensure we can deliver results for our clients.”

Pedro de Arteaga, COO and VP USA, at Winclap:

“Remerge is one of our most strategic partners. To grow efficiently with programmatic ads it is crucial to work with media channels with leading technology and transparent practices. Remerge has both. This partnership program’s masterclass sessions give us a fresh perspective on what’s happening in programmatic while providing insights and benefits for our media business. As we are a Growth Transformation company, it is important for us to collaborate with partners that help us disrupt how our clients grow. This program helps us do that with programmatic media.”

Learn more about Remerge’s Agency Activators program.

The post Remerge unveils partnership program to help agencies master mobile marketing for their app-based clients appeared first on Business of Apps.

New year, new us!

As you may have seen, App Growth Network is making some BIG changes. We’ve slowly been rebranding our app marketing services under App Guardians, but rest assured, App Growth Network is alive and well. In fact, we’re greatly expanding our portfolio of services!

AGN is now App Growth Network Ltd, a parent company made up of a network of mobile industry professionals, that will soon offer multiple branches to accelerate mobile growth. These divisions will service apps at various stages of maturity — from the earliest startups to more mature app products — that will help apps thrive no matter where they are in their app growth journey.

Here we’d like to give you a sneak peek at each division and what each one is all about:

AGN Brainery

E-learning and Training Division

AGN Brainery is all about educating and training those who are ready to level up their mobile marketing know-how.

Whether you’re an app novice looking to get started with mobile growth basics or an industry veteran that’s ready to catapult their career forward, we will soon be offering online courses that will help you learn the latest in mobile marketing trends and best practices. There will be a range of beginner and advanced courses in core mobile marketing areas like ASO, Apple Search Ads, and Paid UA, led by experts in the mobile marketing field.

Launching Q2 2023

AGN App Coaches

Product-Market Fit Assessment Division

For app developers and app-preneurs just starting out, one of the biggest challenges is getting ready to enter the game and start competing to win. For those who are unsure if their consumer app is ready to scale and what they need to do to get it there, we will have the AGN App Coaches division open to help!

As a client, you will receive a customized product-market fitness score based on a comprehensive product-market fit assessment survey. Once a score is determined, our mobile app growth coaches are here to guide you through the required path to success — from the earliest stages to your end goal. We’ll help you figure out where your mobile app is in its journey and give your pro recommendations and action items on how to improve your app product and get it ready to reach the next level.

Launching Q1 2023

App Guardians

Mobile Marketing Agency Division

Formerly known as App Growth Network, App Guardians is the dedicated Mobile Marketing Agency that exists under the App Growth Network Ltd umbrella. We are an app marketing agency made up of experienced marketers that offer award-winning services including ASO, paid UA, data/analytics, and creative planning/development.

Visit the App Guardians site here.

AGN Think Tank

App Data and Insights Division

Our dedicated Think Tank is all about mobile analytics and data.  For all mobile apps that want to scale and benefit from sustainable growth, the only way forward is with data-driven decisions made with expert mobile data analysts at the wheel.

With AGN Think Tank’s services and offerings, clients will get a detailed view of their app metrics and customized data on app-specific requirements that they can turn into actionable insights to develop next-level app growth strategies.

Launching Q2 2023

AGN Labs

Internal App Investment Division

We like to think of AGN labs as our internal app incubator. We invest in mobile apps that we believe align with our vision of improving people’s daily lives and help nurture them into mature, successful, full-scale mobile apps. Our current AGN Labs portfolio has young and mid-market apps in the health & fitness, lifestyle, and finance categories with much more room to grow!

AGN AppVentures

External App Investors Division

Is the next unicorn app out there, just waiting to be discovered? Founded for passionate investors and venture capitalists looking for exciting new investment opportunities, AGN AppVentures pairs investors with mobile apps that are ready to reach the next level of greatness. These are vetted apps that have achieved the right product-market fit and need the financial backing to take it all the way!

Launching Q2 2023

For inquiries about any of our existing and/or upcoming divisions, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Also, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn where we will be making all announcements of launches, services and more.

The post App Growth Network announces expansion of mobile app services appeared first on Business of Apps.

Over the last few years, short-form video has become an important marketing tool for retailers and mCommerce businesses. And no app does it better than TikTok with 78% of small retailers saying they achieved positive ROI using TikTok ads. That’s according to research from Capterra which took a closer look at the social app for small business owners. 

Short-form video boosts ROI

Around a third of marketers achieving a positive ROI with TikTok ads saw returns within six months after their campaigns. Short-form video has the highest ROI among social media formats and 50% of social marketers plan to use it for the first time in 2023 while 95% said they would increase their investment in the format. 63% of mobile advertisers consider short-form video a top trend this year.

Percentage of SMBs planning to increase their TikTok marketing spend this year

Source: Capterra

Among those using TikTok, 52% said they would boost spending on the platform while 21% will maintain spending. 

Why short-form wins

TikTok video ads that perform best are those that are authentic and seamless, made by real people for real people.

Video ads attract younger audiences, like millennials and Gen Z. Videos that fare best are those that are funny, trendy and true to a brand’s values.

Capterra found that 60% of SMBs prefer in-feed ads which resembled organic content for conversions. Over three-quarters of those using TikTok also post organic content while two-thirds also run ads. 72% said that organic was very valuable to their overall marketing performance compared to 55% who said the same for TikTok ads. When using organic content, 88% of SMBs show off their products or services while 63% tap into relevant SEO keyword techniques. 

Some content performs better than others

Source: Capterra

Cross-posting content to other social channels is a popular strategy for most marketers (82%). 

Because quality content counts when it comes to social video, most SMBs use video and content creation tools (67%), while 55% use social media performance analytics. 

SMBs leverage creation tools for short-form video campaigns

Source: Capterra

Key takeaways

• 78% of SMBs achieved positive ROI using TikTok ads
• 52% will increase spending on the platform while 21% will maintain spending
• 60% of SMBs use in-feed ads which resemble organic content to increase conversions

The post 78% of SMBs boost ROI with short-form video ads appeared first on Business of Apps.

Have you got an app growth game plan for 2023?

Join us this March at App Promotion Summit in London and discover how to level up your app marketing.

APS London will host challenging conversations covering key app industry issues including iOS16+, evolving user behaviour, rapid growth and more.

In our interactive sessions, we will be covering app growth topics across the funnel:

• Evolving user behaviour
• User journey optimization
• SKAN 4.0 – IDFA & Privacy Sandbox
• Custom Product Pages and In-app events
• Influencer marketing
• Process automation
• App subscriptions
• Product marketing

Are you ready to become a smarter app marketer?

Super Early Bird tickets are on sale until Friday 20th January – don’t miss out before it’s too late.

The post What’s your app growth strategy for 2023? appeared first on Business of Apps.

During December installs of music streaming apps increased 9% compared to the year’s average. Installs 42% higher than the average on Christmas Day, according to new data from app and mobile advertising expert Adjust. Let’s take a closer look at the mobile app trends over the holidays 2022. 

Music streaming and recipes for the holidays

Sessions in music streaming apps were up 8% on Christmas Eve and 9% on Christmas Day compared to the previous year, highlighting the growing demand for entertainment apps. The category benefitted from increased consumer spending and time-spent-in-app as users seek convenient options and subscription models to listen to their favourite tracks.

Music streaming app installs Q4 2022

Source: Adjust

Installs of recipe apps were 8% higher on Christmas Eve compared to the year’s average. But by December 31st, installs had surged to a whopping 24% above the average and sessions were up 7%. 

Food delivery apps saw a bigger boost at the end of the year with installs up 11%. 

Gaming installs skyrocket during Christmas

App installs of games were up 7% and 18% on December 24th and 25th, respectively, while sessions grew 4%. That’s a significant boon for game developers and highlights continuing demand for games. However, other research cautions that spending in-game could slow down this year due to macroeconomic woes. 

Game app installs Q4 2022

Source: Adjust

All eyes on health and travel

Just ahead of the new year, and in line with resolutions, installs of health and fitness apps jumped 25% year-on-year. However, they were down during most of December. On January 1st, installs were 42% more than the average during December. However, session growth lagged behind. 

Travel apps performed well during the holiday season as users went to see family and relatives. Installs between December 25th and 31st were 9% higher than the yearly average. 

Key takeaways

• Installs of music streaming apps were 42% higher than the average on Christmas Day
• Installs of recipe apps were 8% higher on Christmas Eve compared to the year’s average
• Installs of gaming apps were up 7% and 18% on December 24th and 25th, respectively

The post Installs of music streaming apps rose 9% in December but games are the big winner appeared first on Business of Apps.

In 2022 mobile ad spending jumped 14% to $336 billion globally despite the worsening macroeconomic situation. That’s according to the latest data from mobile and app expert data.ai, formerly App Annie. So what’s the outlook for 2023?

Mobile ad spend growth hampered by economy

As users are spending more time in apps than ever before with total hours surpassing 4 trillion in 2022 on Android alone, mobile ad spend will continue to grow to $362 billion. That’s a 7.5% year-on-year rise from 2022, half of the previous year’s growth. Spending is expected to be stifled by the economic situation. 

Global mobile ad spend prediction

Source: data.ai

This also affects consumer spending as gamers have less disposable income to put toward their favourite games. However, non-gaming apps are predicted to continue to attract serious cash. Among the top categories for spending and hours spent are entertainment and social media apps. 

App downloads and time spent are hotting up in newer markets

While consumer spend on apps dropped 2% in 2022 globally, Taiwan, Brazil, Hong Kong, and Mexico bucked the trend at 15%, 22%, 34% and 17%, respectively. Downloads jumped 11% last year with Pakistan seeing the highest jump at 35%. Standout app categories were utility, entertainment and finance apps. It’s evident that a growing number of people are gravitating toward using their mobile devices to manage their everyday lives. 

Top app subgenres for spend

Source: data.ai

Users are also spending considerably more time in apps. However, there are three distinct categories that make up 50% of time spent. They are communication (social media), short videos (entertainment) and video sharing (entertainment) apps. In gaming, top categories were sandbox games like Roblox and Minecraft. Consumers spent 27% more time playing them.

Time spent versus consumer spending by app category

Source: data.ai

Key takeaways

• In 2023 mobile ad spending will continue to grow to $362 billion, a 7.5% year-on-year rise 
• Consumer spending on apps dropped 2% in 2022
• Downloads jumped 11% in 2022

The post App ad spend growth will slow but downloads to remain strong appeared first on Business of Apps.

Apple announced the company has now paid out a record $320 billion to app developers since 2008. The company now has 900 million paid subscriptions across various services with App Store subscriptions responsible for a major chunk of it. 

The App Store’s continued success

Back in 2021, Apple said that App Store developers earned a total of $260 billion to date, which means that the company forked out a whopping $60 billion to developers last year, representing just a fraction of the company’s overall commerce. The sum is a testament to the success of the global App Store which continues to provide an easy way for users to discover and download apps and games. 

Apple payout to developers 2022

Source: Apple

Apple said the App Store now has a whopping 650 million visitors from across 175 regions each week and continues to deliver new experiences. Some of the top apps last year included the social app BeReal and the mobile game Apex Legends.

Many challenges ahead

However, 2022 hasn’t been an easy year for the App Store as it faced further antitrust lawsuits, one of which is now being prepared by the US Department of Justice. The UK is also looking into the group’s browsers and cloud gaming services in connection to the Android-Apple duopoly. 

Apple has been working at making concessions. It changed its pricing on the App Store late last year to address common complaints from developers who want to run their businesses according to their preferred rules. 

Apple subscription businesses flourish

Despite these hurdles, the group announced its subscription businesses were doing particularly well. Apple Arcade, the group’s game subscription business, added another 50 titles in 2022 and now hosts over 200 games. Apple Music now has over 100 million songs available in its catalogue. Meanwhile, Apple Fitness+ has grown to over 3,500 workouts. 

Other Apple services pick up

Source: Apple

Key takeaways

• Apple paid out $320 billion to app developers since 2008
• The company now has 900 million paid subscriptions across various services 
• The App Store has 650 million visitors from across 175 regions each week

The post Apple subscriptions drive $320 billion pay-out to app developers appeared first on Business of Apps.

In light of the growing importance of user privacy and following the launch of Apple’s Ad Tracking Transparency framework in 2021, more app and mobile advertisers moved their budgets to focus on Android. That’s according to a report from mobile performance agency AdQuantum and intelligence platform SocialPeta. 

Mobile advertisers reconsider their investments

During the first half of 2022, the number of mobile and app advertisers dropped 6% year-on-year while total creatives dropped 27% month-on-month. Europe and America saw the most significant decline at 30% and 21% year-on-year, respectively. 

However, advertisers increased by 10% in the Middle East, South America, South Asia and other emerging markets. APAC has some of the most engaged mobile gamers with 70% pre-registering for games and the average session length surpassing the global average of 30 minutes by 4 minutes. 

Marketers move to focus on quality and UGC

The drop in creatives can be attributed to a growing number of marketers focusing on quality over quantity. The total number of mobile game creatives declined 28% during H1 2022. Casual and puzzle games attracted higher percentages of creatives while in non-gaming reading and tool apps saw creatives jump. Shopping app creatives declined 2% year-on-year.

Non-gaming app categories attracting highest percentage of app creatives

Source: AdQuantum

Meta continues to be the main mobile paid traffic source, particularly for non-gaming apps. When it comes to gaming apps, the social platform is more closely followed by Instagram and Messenger.

Android attracts more creatives than iOS

The average app creative on Android was 171 more than on iOS. Android had about 70% of mobile game advertisers and creatives and 60% of total advertisers. The average percentage of creatives per advertiser on Android was 14% more than that on iOS.

Percentages of creatives for iOS (blue) versus Android (green) 

Source: AdQuantum

“Operating in a post-ATT environment, gaming apps (particularly hyper casuals) have led the way in getting users to opt-in when asked if an app can track their activity. According to Adjust data, gaming apps currently boast a 34% opt-in rate, followed by social  at 22%, and e-commerce apps at 21%. Hyper casual reaches as high as 51% in some regions,” says Elena Ivanova, Senior Account Executive, Adjust.

CPM is a top user acquisition strategy

When it comes to user acquisition, US marketers still prefer CPM. The average CPM was over $20 but the US had the highest advertising cost at an average CPM of $28, CPC of $4 and CTR of 1.2%. 

Advertising costs for mobile non-gaming apps continue to rise

Source: AdQuantum

In the second half of the year, advertising costs for non-gaming apps rose to $9, up 64% from H1 2021, and $19 for game apps (up 18%).

Key takeaways

• Number of mobile and app advertisers dropped 6% year-on-year while total creatives dropped 27% month-on-month in H1 2022 
• Advertisers increased 10% in the Middle East, South America, South Asia and other emerging markets
• Android had about 70% of mobile game advertisers and creatives and 60% of total advertisers

The post Android accounted for 70% of app ad creatives in second half of 2022 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Marketers anticipate spending significantly more of their budgets on digital audio in 2023, followed by digital video, according to the latest industry report from Integral Ad Science. Social media and mobile remain key priorities for marketers this year, but experts acknowledge that there are many challenges ahead. Let’s dive in. 

Marketing concerns in 2023

To understand spending for app and mobile campaigns a little better, it’s worth taking a look at the main concerns marketers continue to face this year. 51% consider decreasing access to consumer data and cookies a challenge while 33% cite ad placement alongside risky content as a problem.

Which of the following will be major digital media challenges for your organization?

Source: IAS

Experts believe social media will face some serious challenges this year in light of increasing privacy issues. The Metaverse is also considered a more challenging media type as it’s relatively new and therefore its limitations and possibilities aren’t well understood.

Social media remains an essential ad strategy

A whopping 91% of media experts plan to advertise on at least one social media platform this year. However, economic headwinds are dampening social media ad spend growth. It’s expected to grow 8% this year in the US, down from 37% in 2021. 

Overall, it seems marketers are keen to distribute their ad spend more evenly across different platforms including Facebook and YouTube, but also Twitter and instargarm. WhatsApp is the only platform that shows an intent for increasing usage this year. 

On which platforms will your organization buy advertising or monetize content?

Source: IAS

For 86% of marketers view ability is an important metric when assessing campaigns and 67% are satisfied that social media platforms deliver the necessary transparency on viewability metrics. However, a third are concerned about social media being more vulnerable to fraud and brand risk this year. 

Eroding consumer trust is another major issue in social advertising according to 77% of experts. As a consequence, Facebook will see the highest adjustment in spending as trust appears to be declining more sharply here. 

Key takeaways

• 51% of marketers find decreasing access to consumer data and cookies a challenge
• 91% of media experts plan to advertise on at least one social media platform this year
• 77% consider eroding consumer trust a major issue in social advertising

The post Trust in social media among the top app and mobile marketing concerns in 2023 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Empathy is the single most important human skill for the future of business.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the impact of empathy on business success and the wider world. Featuring empathy in action from leaders, change-makers and doers. Register here.

What you will learn

Empathy creates life-changing experiences

A positive customer or app experience is driven by empathy. By understanding their needs, you can make them happy and feel great, which boosts business growth.

Empathy drives successful product innovation

Empathy is more than a feel-good technique; it is necessary for innovation. You must listen to customers to create products and apps that make their lives easier.

Empathy safeguards our planet’s future

Every successful business practices sustainability. Whether you’re in retail or not, a small or large business, you can help make the planet safer.

Live webinar on January 19, 3:30PM GMT, 10:30AM EST

Save your spot here and enter the draw to win brand-new Airpods.

The post Customer empathy and sustainability – The new growth hack for businesses and apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

One-fifth of mobile gamers focus on the game when playing and nothing else making them a highly alert audience for in-app marketing. That’s according to the latest research from brand advertising tech provider LoopMe, which examined the consumer preferences of in-app mobile gaming in the US, UK and Singapore. But what exactly are the opportunities for in-game marketers in 2023?

Majority of gamers play on mobile devices

According to the study, 62% of consumers play games on their mobile devices, with 76% playing almost an hour each day and 15% playing more than five hours per day. While gamers spend 50% more time playing than using their social apps, marketers are predicted to spend 7x more of their revenues on social ads. 

“As mobile gaming continues to grow in popularity and deliver the reach, engagement, and results that marketers are seeking in a brand-safe environment, we see in-app mobile gaming becoming an intentional and increasingly important part of mix in 2023, right alongside CTV and social,” said Rachel Conforti, SVP Marketing at LoopMe. “LoopMe is proud to be a category leader in in-app mobile gaming, helping connect brands and apps so that advertisers can lean into this massive market opportunity, address a highly engaged market segment and bring to light new opportunities that exist within this ecosystem.”

Do you play games on a mobile phone or tablet?

Source: LoopMe

The study also shows that 57% of consumers playing games on their mobile devices do so in their spare time while 43% watch TV on the side. This may open a complementary opportunity to reach audiences. 

The opportunities for in-app marketers

Creative formats in-app such as non-skippable ads and full-screen and sound-on video ad formats capture consumer attention. LoopMe also expects higher demand for gamification or rewarded video ads to boost intent and favourability. Its research found that in-app mobile game optimisation performance against brand lift is 2-4x higher than other industry norms. 

“Leveraging newer ad formats – for instance, playable and interactive ads – can translate into more momentum for brands’ ad content because users don’t have to be passive, which is, of course, how games work. The in-app mobile gaming creative market will get more interesting in 2023 as more big brands experiment with these more engaging ad types,” said Lewis Ward, Research Director, Gaming and VR/AR at IDC.

Key takeaways

• 62% of consumers play games on their mobiles 
• 76% play for almost an hour each day 
• 57% of consumers playing games on their mobile devices in their spare time 

The post A fifth of mobile gamers are deeply engaged when playing in-app appeared first on Business of Apps.

Last year, 450 app marketers joined us for an epic event featuring 4 rooms of app growth content and 50 speakers. Here are some highlights:

We are excited to be back this year, it is going to be better than ever…

Super Early Bird tickets are on sale until 20th January and we would love for you to join us.

Let us know if you’d like to participate as a speaker or join a panel.

If you would like to support the event as one of our partners, the team would love to hear from you.

The post Become a smarter app marketer – join us at APS London appeared first on Business of Apps.

In 2023 mobile marketers continue to face tracking issues in light of Apple’s privacy update and brand safety concerns have not been sufficiently addressed either. And yet, more advertisers plan to increase their ad spending on social channels (25%+) than other channels. Only video ads and eCommerce investments came close, according to Mediaocean’s 2022 Market Report and 2023 outlook. So what’s fuelling rising investment in social?

Social video may be where it’s at

Among the top consumer trends advertisers are watching this year is social video (63%). That’s hardly surprising given the phenomenal success of TikTok. But short-form video doesn’t come in a vacuum and is also a strong driver of eCommerce spending. Advertisers see social as a major opportunity with 49% saying they were excited about its potential for better creative and production tools while 40% cited better ad performance.

Social video is a top trend in 2023

Source: Mediaocean

Over half of them cited performance-driven paid media as a critical media investment, followed by measurement and attribution (41%). 

Measurement and privacy are key concerns

Technical hurdles have been a persistent issue for marketers to evaluate the true impact of their campaigns over the last few years and continue to be a challenge in 2023. When asked about the most impactful tech innovation for advertising, measurement improvement came out on top (27%) followed by improvements in the planning and execution of campaigns (21%). 

Which marketing technology innovation do you believe will be most impactful for your advertising in 2023?

Source: Mediaocean

However, marketers continue to feel unprepared for the upcoming privacy challenges in app and mobile marketing (37%) and are worried about the loss of third-party data (32%) and their inability to accurately measure campaigns (32%).

It seems marketers have become a bit passive when it comes to finding or helping to build measurement alternatives which preserve privacy making it a potentially major focus point for ad tech firms in 2023.

Key takeaways

• Advertisers are watching social video (63%) as a top consumer trend in 2023
• Measurement improvement is a top impactful tech innovation for advertising
• But marketers continue to feel unprepared for the upcoming privacy challenges in app and mobile marketing (37%) 

The post Mobile advertisers are eyeing social video despite persistent hurdles in ad measurement appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mastodon, the German microblogging service that rivals Twitter, used to be relatively unknown. But ever since Elon Musk acquired Twitter and plunged the company into chaos, more people have been installing Mastodon on their mobile devices. So what’s happening? 

Interest in Mastodon spikes as Musk takes over

Back in November 2022, Mastodon had some 35,000 users. The app, created by Rodti MacLeary in 2019 as a decentralised, open-source social media platform, reached momentum when Elon Musk took over Twitter which sparked criticism and led to Musk even banning private user accounts. 

By December 2022, Mastodon had gone from 300,000 monthly active users to 2.5 million as users abandoned Twitter in favour of a more democratised platform. But can Mastodon sustain growth?

Mastodon growth slows

AppstoreSpy, the app market intelligence toolset for Android and iOS, recently shared data that concludes the hype surrounding Mastodon may be over. While daily Play Store installs of the app peaked at 185,000 during November, they had dropped at the end of the month and fluctuated at around 3,000 ever since. 

Mastodon downloads and revenues

Source: AppstoreSpy

Peaks of Mastodon downloads were linked to Musk’s tweets and statements. The majority of downloads came from Germany (20.5% for Apple devices and 31.8% for Android devices). A third of the app’s new Android users came from Germany, while 25% came from the US, Spain, France and Brazil. On the App Store, half of the downloads came from Germany, the US and China. 

Mastodon downloads by countries

Source: AppstoreSpy

Key takeaways

• Mastodon installs reached momentum when Elon Musk took over Twitter but are linked to Musk’s statements and tweets.
• Daily Play Store installs of the app peaked at 185,000 during November, but dropped at the end of the month and have fluctuated at around 3,000 ever since.
• Majority of downloads came from Germany (20.5% of Apple devices and 31.8% for Android devices).

The post Mastodon growth slows after gaining millions of new users appeared first on Business of Apps.

During the fourth quarter of 2022, 58% of marketers boosted their spending on social media campaigns, despite concerns over brand safety and ad transparency. The findings from Advertiser Perceptions (via Marketing Dive) suggest that the outlook for social media marketing in 2023 could be much better than previously expected.

Social media budgets are on the rise

The latest data reveals that over half of advertisers have increased their social media spending compared to 15% who decided to pause spending on the channel during Q4 2022. That’s quite a leap from the 29% of advertisers who paused or reduced spending in the previous quarter. 

The reallocation of budgets also benefitted other channels including search (38%), connected TV (30%), mobile in-app (28%), and digital/streaming audio ads (24%).

Some of the top trends marketers are watching in 2023, included TikTok and social video (63%) according to data from Mediaocean.

Social leads for top consumer trends in 2023

Source: Mediaocean

Marketers expand their reach to new platforms

Advertisers aren’t just bolstering their budgets, they’re also diversifying the range of platforms they use. Among the 300 marketers surveyed, 49% said they were working with more platforms such as TikTok and Twitch. While Facebook and YouTube will remain the top platforms for monetising content in 2023, WhatsApp was the only platform with an increased usage intent for 2023 according to Integral Ad Science.

On which platforms will your organization buy advertising or monetize content?

Source: Integral Ad Science

BeReal is a strong contender for 2023 as Gen Z and Alpha are moving over to the platform which is known to encourage authenticity. However, establishing brand safety guidelines will be key in 2023, as 77% of media experts say consumer trust in social media platforms is declining which could negatively affect media spending. 

Key takeaways

• 58% of marketers boosted their spending on social media campaigns in Q4 2022
• Top trends marketers are watching in 2023, included TikTok and social video (63%)
• 49% are working with more platforms such as TikTok and Twitch

The post Over half of marketers increase spending on social media appeared first on Business of Apps.

This year we’ve all been eyeing the effects of the end of COVID lockdowns and Apple’s privacy changes on app development and marketing efforts. While in-app spending took a bit of a hit, users were spending more time in their top apps and downloads remained flat or increased slightly. So what’s in store for 2023? Here are some predictions from industry experts.

Zarnaz Arlia, CMO at Emplifi

Brands will tap into emerging social media platforms like BeReal

Remember the Clubhouse craze? Part of social media marketing is all about experimentation. If you don’t try new formats, new platforms, or new trends, you’re already out of the loop. Not every test will work, but that’s exactly why it’s a test. With the success of TikTok and overall Gen-Z online behaviours brands will become more confident in dipping their toe into emerging platforms. 

BeReal is a great example of an up-and-coming platform with a lot of promise. Similar to TikTok, when the app debuted brands were sceptical. But those that got onboard, and especially early saw the effort paid off. We’re already seeing creative strategies with brands like Chipotle who are using BeReal as a way to offer exclusive promos and discounts. This is just the start. More brands will look to apps like BeReal to grow their Gen-Z community with an authentic approach to marketing.

Video will (still) dominate 

Marketers have been hearing it for years, “video will become the number one content format brands need to leverage.” In 2023 this will still be the case – but luckily for brands, it will be the scrappy, unpolished clips that will be what audiences want more of. Ditch the high-budget campaigns featuring celebrities and pick up a cell phone to start recording and editing in-app. Not only are brands publishing more Reels, but it’s paying off. According to a recent study, the interaction count for Reels was almost 40% higher than for traditional videos. 

But the burden of video content creation doesn’t need to fall on brands. More and more content creators are turning to platforms like TikTok to showcase products. With hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt growing to nearly 27 billion views, it’s clear this format has become a perfect fit for influencers and users to share their experiences in an engaging way. Brands will take this a step further in 2023 and get savvier about partnering with video-first influencers who can help amplify messages relevant to audiences while helping scale production.

Megan Gall, VP, Strategy, Social GTM at Mediaocean

BeReal and Tik Tok your way into 2023:

The usage of social channels and platforms is an essential and permanent component of any business’ marketing strategy. However, it’s important to remember that consumer activity on these platforms is extremely fluid. Marketers need to be aware of this and manage their activity accordingly. For example, many of the popular social media platforms from the early noughties, such as Friendster and Bebo, now cease to exist. Despite reaching a significant user base at the time, users moved towards newer platforms, including the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat in the 2010s. This churn certainly hasn’t slowed in recent years, with the rapid rise in popularity of platforms such as Tik Tok and BeReal.

These platforms are indicative of a new generation and a new way of thinking. Brands are having to work harder to retain their customers, who are increasingly demanding more from the businesses they engage with. Consumers increasingly want to see brands with purpose. Those who care about more than just their bottom line and which demonstrate a level of authenticity in their approach. In 2023 and beyond, we can expect to see marketers continue to utilise the established social platforms in their campaigns but also increase focus on TikTok and BeReal driving creative flex and the attention of the hard-to-reach Gen Z. One thing to watch out for will be BeReal’s next step to maturity and what monetization model it lands on.

Kevin McGuire, Chief Product Officer, Digital Turbine

Mobile app economy

The post What does 2023 hold for mobile and app marketing? appeared first on Business of Apps.

During the final of the FIFA World Cup app sessions spiked in Argentina and France, according to new data shared by app experts AppsFlyer. An analysis of mobile app usage in the countries identified some interesting trends. Mobile usage was highest during half-time and toward the end of the month. 

Sports betting and live scoring apps peaked

Each time there was a goal, the usage of sports betting and live sport scoring apps jumped, as viewers checked stats and monitored their sports bets. The data also shows that social and gaming apps peaked during half-time with many users making the most of their break to share their thoughts with friends and family and play games online. 

The findings are based on 40 million sessions from 16,000 mobile apps in Argentina and 90 million sessions and 28,000 apps in France. 

Effect of goals and half-time on app sessions in France and Argentina

Source: AppsFlyer

Mobile app sessions: France vs Argentina 

In France, app sessions at half-time rose to 132% (125% in gaming, 150% in social) while Argentina saw sessions jump a whopping 210% during half-time (120% in gaming, 282% in social).

There was also a 140% rise in session at the end of regulation in France versus 120% in Argentina. 

French app users got very excited about each goal and mobile sessions in the ‘Casino Real Money & Sports Betting’ category spiked 200% during the first two goals of Argentina and 300% during the first two goals of France. 

Key takeaways

• App sessions spiked with each goal in France and Argentina
• Social and gaming apps peaked during half time
• App sessions in France rose 132% and 210% in Argentina during half-time

The post App sessions rose during World Cup half-time in France and Argentina appeared first on Business of Apps.

Spending on apps is estimated to hit $129 billion in 2022 a slight drop of 2% from $131 billion in 2021. That’s according to the latest roundup by data intelligence company data.ai. Despite economic headwinds, app installs rose in 2022. Let’s dive into the data.

The competition among apps is ramping up

Gross revenues for the App Store and Google Play were down by 2% compared to 2021. Around $83 billion of total revenues were attributed to iOS while the remainder was generated by Android apps ($46 billion).

While Apple retained its lead over Android, it didn’t expand its position any further. Around 65% of dollars spent in-app during 2022 will come from iOS users. Spending on mobile games was very similar to last year’s despite the economic slump.

App adoption on the rise

App installs jumped 9% to around 151 billion in 2022, up from 140 billion in 2021. Google Play was a major driver of app downloads accounting for 73% while spending amounted to just 28% of the global total.

Global app downloads are growing

Source: data.ai

New downloads on Google Play were up 12% over the previous year reaching 117 billion. Apple installs grew a meagre 1% to 34 billion. 

Among the top apps for downloads in 2022 were social apps Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. Shopping apps such as Shopsy and Meesho also ranked in the top 5. 

For consumer spending and monthly active users, TikTok ranked top. Video and dating apps saw some of the highest consumer spending. Monthly active usage was more broadly spread across utility, social and shopping apps.

Social apps scored top for downloads while video apps ranked highest for consumer spending

Source: data.ai

Interestingly, users are spending most of their time in the Global Search app. 

Gaming titles that performed exceptionally well include Stumble Guys (downloads), Honor of Kings (consumer spend) and ROBLOX (MAUs). 

Key takeaways

• Spending on apps to reach $129 billion in 2022
• Gross revenues for the App Store and Google Play were down by 2% compared to 2021
• App installs jumped 9% to around 151 billion in 2022

The post App adoption rose 9% in 2022 appeared first on Business of Apps.

App marketers are turning to short-form content more than before in an effort to gain users and boost downloads. That’s according to a new study from Gamesight based on an analysis of data from the company’s ad platform examining the frequency of individual ad platforms for engagement and player conversion. 

Short-form content is on the rise but conversions need to catch up

TikTok usage among app marketers was up 115% from 2021, which demonstrates the ability of short video to raise brand awareness. However, TikTok conversion rates dropped from 2.65% to 0.96% as a consequence of the fast-paced nature of the short-form video app.

TikTok app ad conversion and retention rates

Source: Gamesight

TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat retention rates were 40% higher than non-social platforms. While there are many factors driving retention, these ad platforms are aligning games with their target audiences.

Conversion on YouTube is higher

YouTube had a lower volume but higher conversions compared to TikTok. The two shared similar retention and audience reach but have different audience relationships. While TikTok introduces ads to a broader audience, people also swipe past posts more quickly. YouTube had fewer impressions overall but converted users at a higher rate.

Interestingly, conversions of gaming ads were 43% higher on desktop than on mobile. The exception here is TikTok where ads performed 9x better on mobile than on desktop. Adwords was the only balanced platform in the top 5 where PC conversion rates were just 13% higher than on mobile. 

Key takeaways

• TikTok usage among app marketers was up 115% from 2021
• TikTok conversion rates dropped from 2.65% to 0.96% 
• TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat retention rates were 40% higher than non-social platforms
• YouTube had a lower volume but higher conversions compared to TikTok

The post App marketers are eyeing short-form content opportunities appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile game installs grew a whopping 52% in Japan between 2020 and 2021, much higher than other verticals, e-commerce (13%), fintech (11%) or dating (4%) apps. That’s according to new research from Liftoff and Adjust, tracking Japan’s mobile app market. 

Session length jumps

The new Japan mobile trends report also found that sessions for all apps grew 23% with total sessions peaking at 33% above 2020 in August 2021.

App install growth by vertical 

Source: Adjust/Liftoff

During the first half of 2022, Japanese users spent an average of 26.5 minutes playing games on their mobile devices, exceeding the average 15-minute session length. Users embraced gaming during the pandemic which may not be all that surprising given that Japan is the third-biggest games market globally. Users spent 14.4 minutes in dating apps and over 10 minutes with eCommerce.

Hyper-casuals get more installs

In terms of gaming genre, hyper-casual titles saw 15% of total installs, while role-playing games ranked second at 13%. However, when it comes to sessions, role-playing and action games are still leading. iOS attacks around two-thirds of gaming apps, while Android accounted for just 33%. Retention rates for Japan games were slightly lower than global figures at 22% for day 1 and 3% for day 30 retention rates.

Game genres in installs and session

Source: Adjust/Liftoff

In terms of cost-per-install, the average was $5.46 for casual gaming apps in 2021.

eCommerce and fintech apps chart session growth

Over the past two years, eCommerce apps have grown significantly in Japan with sessions surging 20% in 2021 compared to 2020. In 2022, sessions in shopping apps rose another 8% compared to 2021.

Digital and cashless payments skyrocketed by 21% during the pandemic and mobile wastes accounted for 49% of eCommerce transactions globally. Sessions in fintech apps increased 47% from 2020 to 2021. During the first half of 2022, they were up 13% compared to 2021. 

Rise of eCommerce app sessions

Source: Adjust/Liftoff

While sessions for dating apps have grown steadily over the last two years, the cost of acquiring new users has gone up too. CPI for dating apps rose during the winter and hit a high of $6.60 per install in February 2022.

Key takeaways

• Mobile game installs rose 52% in Japan between 2020 and 2021
• Sessions for all apps grew 23%
• Installs of hyper casual games grew 15%

The post Game app installs jump 52% in Japan, sessions in eCommerce and fintech apps are up appeared first on Business of Apps.

After an extensive audit of the best app data providers in the market, Phiture is choosing to collaborate with AppTweak to unlock and support growth for the world’s biggest apps. AppTweak’s powerful data-driven solutions provide a high level of accuracy to analyze the mobile marketing industry.

Phiture and AppTweak strengthen their business relationship

The industry-leading mobile marketing consultancy, Phiture, is today strengthening its business relationship with AppTweak, the leading app store optimization (ASO) tool and app data provider. By combining AppTweak’s best-in-class data with Phiture’s industry-acclaimed thought leadership, the mobile growth consultancy will be able to provide more innovative growth solutions to its clients.

In a fast-paced industry facing ever-changing markets, AppTweak and Phiture continue to strengthen their partnership to deliver the most dynamic and innovative solutions to mobile leaders’ growth challenges. Accuracy and innovation are at the forefront of AppTweak’s data-driven approach, complementing Phiture’s own mission to deliver thought leadership and innovative solutions to its clients.

Improved collaboration and faster innovation

Phiture’s increased use of AppTweak’s app market intelligence data and API will therefore nurture:

• Improved collaboration: By automating reporting tasks and facilitating the creation of dashboards through AppTweak’s API, Phiture will be able to deliver outstanding productivity and performance to its clients.
• Faster innovation: Through increased data extraction flexibilities and thanks to AppTweak’s rapid release of cutting-edge features, Phiture strengthens innovation and creativity within its own solutions.
• Focus on systematic approach: Scalability, quality, and flexibility of data-driven solutions are values shared between both companies, ensuring solutions are tailored to every mobile leader’s needs.

“Phiture’s unique value proposition is to offer innovative solutions to our clients. By choosing AppTweak as our preferred data provider, we look to strengthen our position as the leading mobile growth consultancy in the market,” claims Moritz Daan, Partner & Co-Founder at Phiture. “Through this enhanced business relationship, we aim to further empower our clients with the right data tool to ensure their long-term success.”

“Our ASO and Market Intelligence solutions provide mobile leaders with powerful data and insights into their app’s performance and competitors’ marketing strategies,” explains Olivier Verdin, CEO at AppTweak. “Strengthening our business relationship with Phiture will help app marketers benefit from AppTweak’s innovative data-driven solutions and Phiture’s excellent mobile growth consultancy services.

The post Phiture chooses AppTweak as preferred app data provider appeared first on Business of Apps.

Social apps now need 30% fewer downloads to rank in the top app charts in Europe compared to 2019. That’s according to new data revealed by Sensor Tower. However, while adoption of social apps may be slowing, other trends have emerged that are boosting app engagement. 

If you want to be on top…

According to the data, social apps need 260,000 installs within a single day to chart at the top of the App Store or Google Play. That’s quite a drop from 366,000 in Q3 2019 and it’s even steeper when considering that social apps needed an average of 552,000 installs per day during the pandemic, a decline of 53%. Market concentration has also lowered with the top three apps accounting for 34% of the market in 2022 and 39% in 2019.

Installs needed to rank top in app stores

Source: Sensor Tower

Europeans are spending more on social apps

While downloads may be down, European app users spent $830 million on social apps during the first three quarters of 2022, a 86% rise from the previous year. TikTok, LinkedIn and Twitch were the top-grossing social apps in the region, accounting for 77% of all social in-app revenues. 

TikTok revenues however grew just 3% during Q3 2022 compared to Q2. But as the app continues to diversify its income streams, German users in particular are happy to keep spending. 

Gross social app revenues by month

Source: Sensor Tower

Key takeaways

• Social apps need 260,000 installs within a single day to chart at the top of the App Store of Google Play
• That’s a drop of 53% from 2020 
• European app users spent 86% more in-app

The post Social apps need 30% fewer downloads to rank top appeared first on Business of Apps.

Apple has changed the way developers are pricing their apps on the App Store. The company recently announced it would be expanding its App Store pricing system to enable developers access to more than 700 additional price points bringing them up to a total 900. So what will that mean for publishers?

Apple changes pricing on App Store

The changes mean that US developers can set their prices for apps, subscriptions and in-app pricing to as low as $0.29 or up to $10,000. Previously, the company has been much more restrictive when it comes to pricing. However, when Apple shifted to subscriptions, a growing number of app developers demanded more flexibility when it comes to pricing as it stifled special offers and deals. The changes may also be a result of Criticism from regulators over potentially anti-competitive pricing.

The changes to pricing became effective on December 6th for subscriptions and will be rolled out to paid apps and in-app content early next year. 

App Store pricing differences

Source: Apple

What the changes could mean for developers

The changes will provide more options for developers globally to set prices for apps and app content. Previously, Apple offered some 200 price points for subscriptions. These have now increased to 900 price points. 

App developers looking to add higher price points above $1,000 will need to write to Apple to justify their high pricing. In the lower tier, price points can increase in $0.10 increments. Setting prices as low as $0.29 may also lower the barrier among predominantly freemium app developers to start charging for their apps. 

Apple also announced new tools for developers to manage their currency and taxes more effectively. 

Key takeaways

• Developers can access over 700 additional price points bringing them up to a total 900.
• Prices for apps, subscriptions and in-app pricing set as low as $0.29 or up to $10,000
• Pricing in $0.10 increments

The post Apple makes app pricing more flexible on App Store appeared first on Business of Apps.

Around 75% of people aged 10 to 65 years in Germany and in the UK are mobile gaming enthusiasts, making these countries major hubs for game developers. That’s according to new data from Newzoo.

Top European hubs for game developers 

Germany and the UK will be the fifth and sixth top gaming markets globally when it comes to user revenues, generating $6.6 billion and $5.5 billion, respectively. Almost 50 million people in Germany are now plaything games compared to 39 million in the UK. And a third of users are also watching game-related content. 

Gamers are also happy to spend money on video games with 64% purchasing games, in-app features and other items. Top motivators for spending in-game included special offers or unlocking exclusive playable content. 

Game engagement in the UK versus Germany

Source: Newzoo

Gamer genders still skew a little male with 54% of players being male and 45% being female. 

Mobile is where it’s at

Mobile is the top platform for playing games in both countries, with 46% of UK gamers and 43% of German gamers playing on their mobile phones. A third of users said they preferred gaming on mobile devices over consoles while 43% of Brits prefer consoles. Adventure titles ranked top in the UK, while German gamers prefer shooter games.

Game platform preferences

Source: Newzoo

The data sheds light on local gaming preferences and the differences between the countries. 

Key takeaways

• 75% of people  in Germany and in the UK are mobile gaming enthusiasts
• Gamers are also happy to spend money on video games with 64% purchasing games, in-app features and other items
• Mobile is the top platform for playing games in both countries, with 46% of UK gamers and 43% of German gamers playing on their mobile phones

The post 64% of UK and German gamers happy to spend money in-app and mobile is top gaming platform appeared first on Business of Apps.

2020 was the year for food delivery apps as more people under lockdown restrictions turned to their mobile devices to order food online. However, as lockdowns lifted consumers have returned to in-person dining at restaurants and economic headwinds might mean customers are spending less. Despite this, global installs of food delivery apps in 2022 were higher than in 2020, according to new data from Adjust. 

Food delivery installs higher than expected

Installs of food delivery apps were 5% higher in 2022 compared to 2020 and up 34% over 2019. In the EMEA, food delivery app installs jumped 45% between 2020 and 2021 and dropped slightly in 2022. However, they’ve remained 26% above 2019 levels which shows that consumers have jumped on the food delivery trend. Installs in North America rose 29% over 2021 and have been 52% higher this year than in 2019.

Food delivery app installs 2020-2022

Source: Adjust

Users are spending more time in food delivery apps

Impressively, sessions in food delivery apps rose 58% year-on-year in 2021 and jumped another 3% in 2022. This means food apps have been largely able to retain their pandemic users. Global sessions grew a whopping 212% between 2019 to 2022. 

Regionally, North America saw the most impressive growth in food apps (77%) in 2021 and another 20% in 2022. In EMEA, food delivery app sessions jumped 48% from 2020 to 2021 and 3% in 2022, signalling that ordering meals in-app has become a major fixture in people’s lives. 

Food delivery app session growth by region

Source: Adjust

Session lengths were also up, jumping to 16.07 minutes in 2022, up from 12.7 minutes in 2020.

However, grocery delivery apps aren’t enjoying the same fate as consumers appear to be cutting costs due to skyrocketing inflation, delivery fees and service charges. Americans spent 26% less on grocery delivery in 2022 compared to 2020.

Key takeaways

• Installs of food delivery apps were 5% higher in 2022 compared to 2020 and up 34% over 2019
• Sessions in food delivery apps rose 58% year-on-year in 2021 and jumped another 3% in 2022
• Session lengths jumped to 16.07 minutes in 2022, up from 12.7 minutes in 2020

The post Food delivery app installs rose 34% compared to 2019 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Tis the season for next year predictions and the latest are just in, courtesy of data.ai. The mobile app and ad experts predict that mobile ad spend will reach $362 billion in 2023 driven by The World Cup and The Winter Olympics, down 7.5% from the previous year. So what’s happening to mobile ad spend and consumer spending in 2023?

Growth of mobile ad spend slows due to economy

Given economic headwinds, the mobile ad industry is predicted to grow more slowly next year. There’s some hope that the Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup can sustain higher spending. 

Short video apps are expected to be a major driver of ad spending in 2022. 

“We are starting to see a levelling off in mobile spend following the surge seen during the pandemic, although still significantly higher than where we started off in 2019. Mobile will remain at the heart of consumers’ lives as demand for digital connection, self-expression, and deepening personalization of apps will fuel sustained growth in time spent,” says Lexi Sydow, Head of Insights at data.ai.

Mobile ad spend growth slows

Source: data.ai

In-game spending to drop

Consumer spending in mobile games faces a similar fate and is predicted to decline 5% in 2022 to $110 billion following the economic squeeze. For a long time, game spending used to be resilient to wider economic implications, but privacy changes by Apple and Google have made quite an impact on in-app purchases. 

Eleven out of 14 titles surpassing $2 billion in App Store consumer spending will be games. Apps like HBO Max and iQIYI will join Disney+, Netflix, Youtube and TikTok in the $3 billion consumer spend club for video streaming and short video apps. 

Mobile shopping hits a high

Mobile shopping hit an all-time high on Black Friday 2022 accounting for almost 50% of all sales among the top 100 internet retailers in the US. Shopify said mobile accounted for 73% of global sales for smaller merchants and direct-to-consumer brands. Travel, live events and sports are all capturing consumer attention and more screen time next year.

App categories predicted to grow consumer spending

Source: data.ai

Key takeaways

• Mobile ad spend will reach $362 billion in 2023 
• Consumer spending in mobile games to decline 5% in 2022 to $110 billion 
• Eleven out of 14 titles surpassing $2 billion in App Store consumer spending will be games

The post Mobile ad spend growth to slow to $362 billion in 2023 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Messaging app Telegram this week reported that it now has over one million paying subscribers for its Premium service. The user privacy-focused app only started monetising its service over a year ago which makes the results all the more impressive. 

Telegram Premium hits one million subscribers

Telegram launched Premium only five months ago, a time frame in which it quickly attracted a milestone subscriber base of one million. While subscribers represent just a small part of the app’s oral revenue, it’s an exciting milestone for Telegram. 

One reason for its phenomenal growth is the app’s strong user privacy focus. 

Following a change to its data sharing policy in 2021, many WhatsApp users sought alternative messenger apps. Telegram and Signal were quick to snap up some of these users. Telegram reached 63.5 million downloads in January 2021, up 283% from the previous year. Now, the company has over 700 million users globally. 

Global downloads of Telegram spike

Source: Sensor Tower

What’s Telegram Premium?

Telegram Premium is the app’s monthly subscription service that includes better features and chat download speeds. While many of the app’s previously free features continue to be available at no charge, the Premium option gives users more folders (20), 1,000 channels and four connected accounts. They can also send and download files up to 4GB in size faster. Premium cost between $4 to $6 depending on the country. 

Telegram plans to use revenues from its subscription feature to pay for its servers, traffic and staff wages as it continues to improve its app features. 

Key takeaways

• Telegram messenger app records one million paying subscribers for its Premium service
• Telegram downloads jumped 283% in 2021
• It now has over 700 million users worldwide

The post Telegram Premium hits one million subscribers appeared first on Business of Apps.

Social advertising and short-form video in particular are likely to capture more advertising spending in 2023 than any other channel. That’s according to the latest 2022 Market Report and 2023 Outlook from Mediaocean, the omnichannel advertising platform. Based on the answers of over 600 media agencies and experts, the report reveals some of the biggest opportunities in mobile and app advertising for 2023. Let’s dive in. 

Social platforms are attracting major ad spending

Among the top three media trends, advertisers said they were watching for 2023, 63% mentioned TikTok and social video. 54% cited CTV and streaming while 47% mentioned eCommerce. Interestingly, these trends tend to be connected with social video making more of an appearance in mCommerce.

Most important consumer trends being monitored

Source: MediaOcean

Social is attracting some of the biggest boosts to ad spending in 2023.

For each media channel below, do you expect to increase, decrease, or maintain your spend in 2023?

Source: MediaOcean

Better creative and production tools are widely considered one of the biggest opportunities to improve social channel execution (49%).

But advertisers are also increasingly aware that performance-driven paid media (52%), measurement and attribution (41%) and brand advertising (36%) are critical components of their strategies.

The challenges ahead

Though it looks like advertisers are enthusiastic about the future of mobile advertising in 2023, some major concerns remain. 37% cited the lack of preparedness for a cookieless future and other data deprecation relation to consumer privacy while 32% mentioned the decline in the ability to measure campaign effectiveness as a major worry. The loss of access to third-party data was also of growing concern (32%).

The largest areas of concern

Source: MediaOcean

Advertisers are torn when it comes to brand safety with 54% expecting their concerns on the matter of suitability ad placements to stay the same, while 40% expect concerns to increase. 

Key takeaways

• 63% said TikTok and social video were the top trends in advertising in 2023
• Creative and production tools are considered one of the biggest opportunities to improve social channel execution (49%)
• 37% said lack of preparedness for a cookieless future is a main challenge ahead

The post 63% of mobile advertisers consider social and short-form video a top trend for 2023 appeared first on Business of Apps.

The macroeconomic situation is having an effect on the app business as millions of consumers have less disposable income. App downloads fell 1% in Q2 2022 while consumer spending dropped 3% in H1 2022 compared to the previous year. However, downloads overall grew 13% during H1 2022, according to new data from data.ai.

Certain countries are defying global trends

Despite the economic situation, there were certain countries that defied expectations. App downloads jumped 35% in Uzbekistan and 30% in Venezuela while spending was up 23% in Kuwait and 19% in the UAE in H1 2022.

The app categories that were most resilient included travel apps which boomed due to seasonal travel trends. Mobile cleaner and anti-virus apps grew by 215 million during the period. Downloader and personalisation apps also saw higher downloads. Meanwhile, meeting and business app downloads fell as workers returned to the office.

The countries defying market expectations

Source: data.ai

In gaming, hypercasual titles remained in high demand. 

Video leads for app and time spent

In terms of consumer spending, short video, OTT and dating apps continued to attract user dollars. Nine of the top 10 apps for consumer spending were video streaming apps.

Users are spending more time and cash in short-video apps

Source: data.ai

Entertainment apps also scored highest for user time spent, followed by social apps and browser/search engines. 

Meanwhile, meeting and cryptocurrency apps were among the most adversely affected by users spending their time elsewhere. 

To motivate users to spend more time in apps, developers can focus on certain in-app features to unlock spending. The most prominent in-app features in food and drink apps for example include curated images, online order and delivery/pick up options and rewards and deals.

Key takeaways

• App downloads fell 1% in Q2 2022 while consumer spending dropped 3% in H1 2022 compared to the previous year
• App downloads jumped 35% in Uzbekistan and 30% in Venezuela while spending was up 23% in Kuwait and 19% in the UAE in H1 2022
• Short video, OTT and dating apps continued to attract user dollars

The post Short-video apps still going strong despite consumer spending falling 3% in H1 2022 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Back in December 2017 we at App Promotion Summit decided to launch the App Growth Awards to recognize companies and individuals that move the app industry forward and fuel app marketing, advertising and monetization with innovation and smart, bold ideas to solve the industry problems.

Last week, on December 1st we had the honor of hosting the fifth App Growth Awards ceremony to award teams and app industry professionals in multiple categories.

The panel of 15 independent judges decided to award the following companies.

App Advertising Platform
AppLovin

App Analytics Platform
Swaarm

App Data Platform
AppTweak

App Engagement Platform
OneSignal

App Revenue Platform
Qonversion

MMP of the Year
AppsFlyer

ASO Tool
SplitMetrics

ASO Agency 
Phiture

User Acquisition Company
AppAgent

App Marketing Agency of the Year
Geeklab

App Growth Innovation
SplashLearn

App Marketer of the Year
Alice Muir, Phiture

App Video
PhotoSì – App Video

Fastest Growing App
Sweatcoin

Growth Team of the Year
Yodel Mobile

Subscription App Campaign
Quit Social Media by Hannah Parvaz

Finance App Campaign
ConsultMyApp – Snoop

Shopping App Campaign
The Hut Group – Shopping Apps

Entertainment App Campaign
Smule – adidas Runtastic Challenge

Mobile Games Campaign
G5 Entertainment – Sherlock

App Store Marketing Campaign
Admiral Media – ImmoScout24

Retention Campaign
Shopmium – Cashback Boost Campaign

Influencer App Campaign
Tatam Digital – Blinkist Curious Minds

Paid Social App Campaign
Adquantum – Fitness App

Outstanding Contribution to the App Industry
Thomas Petit

Our sincere congratulations to all participants and especially the winners. Well done, guys! Keep. It. Up.

The post The 2022 App Growth Awards winners announced appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile gaming is very popular in Saudi Arabia and yet there are just a handful of game studios in the region (24) compared to Europe (5,000) and the US (3,084). That’s according to research from Nine66, a games ecosystem based in Saudi Arabi, which took a closer look at the state of mobile gaming in the region. 

Number of game development studios in Saudi Arabia on the rise

Saudi Arabia has been lagging behind major markets when it comes to mobile game development. That’s despite 83% of local studios finding the process of creating a startup straightforward. 

However, the latest report from Nine66 finds that the number of game development studios in the region almost doubled from 13 to 24 within the last year thanks to incubator programs such as GameChangers. The MENA region’s domestic market is one of the fastest growing ones globally with over 377 million estimated players. That’s similar to Europe (386 million). The increase in local studios highlights the region’s readiness to take the next step in the growth journey. 

Local developers are creating games spanning many different genres, but there is a noticeable preference towards action/adventure games, narrative-driven games and casual/hypercasual games.

Top game genres in development

Source: Nine66

Collaboration at the forefront

The study also found that 84% of interviewees had collaborated with other local developers before, either after meeting them at events or connecting on social media. 

The majority of respondents consider free-to-play the business model of the future despite the majority of developers building premium games right now. 

When asked which platforms developers are focusing on at the moment, two-thirds of said they were targeting PC (66%), twice as much as mobile at 32%. Developers in there region also believe they’re more likely to succeed on PC (51%) than mobile (33%).

Top platforms to succeed on

Source: Nine66

Funding has been a challenge for developers as investors do not yet fully understand the sector. Financial help and a drive to recruit more talent from outside the region are pressing needs for the sector.

Key takeaways

• 83% of local studios find the process of creating a startup straightforward
• Number of game development studios in Saudi Arabia almost doubled from 13 to 24 within the last year 
• 84% of interviewees collaborated with other local developers before

The post Number of mobile gaming development studios in Saudi Arabia almost doubles appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile game development isn’t all about a great idea, good characters or exciting worlds. The most successful mobile gaming apps feature several elements that elevate the gaming experience and keep users returning for more. But what exactly are they? 

The most popular in-game elements

Social clans and levels are among the most popular mobile game features, according to an analysis by Sensor Tower of the top 10 mobile games in September. The company recently launched a new meta feature filter within game taxonomy that lets users add context to their top performing games. 

Social clans are a meta feature where players can create or join a group of players to cooperate such as in games like Clash of Clans. Levels on the other hand present players with a longer path toward game completion. Levels are known from games such as Candy Crush or Knighthood. 

Mobile game revenues are down but usage is up

Mobile game revenues in September were $286.7 million among the top 10 mobile games Sensor Tower analysed, that’s 4% down from the previous month. The change is likely driven by weaker player spending due to economic uncertainty. 

Top 10 mobile games by revenue

Source: Sensor Tower

However, active users remained consistent with monthly active users rising 5% during September compared to January 2022. It shows that users are still hungry to play mobile games and might open opportunities for free game developers to boost their installs as users are reigning in spending.

Mobile gamers still keen to play

Source: Sensor Tower

Key takeaways

• Social clans and levels are among the most popular mobile game features
• Mobile game revenues in September were $286.7 million among the top 10 mobile games, 4% down from the previous month
• Monthly active users rose 5% during September compared to January 2022

The post Mobile game features can boost player retention appeared first on Business of Apps.

iOS 14 has changed the way app marketers and advertisers piece together data to measure their marketing efforts. Instead of a single source of truth, they now rely on SKAdNetwork and aggregated data streams to piece things together. But when looking at the results of these efforts, it’s becoming clear that non-SRN campaigns have significantly more SKAN installs that are duplicates. 

Why establishing a single source of truth is important

According to new insights from app marketing expert AppsFlyer, non-SRN campaigns saw around 62% of their SKAN installs were duplicates compared to 18% for primarily SRN campaigns. 

With duplicates removed, advertisers can more easily measure all incoming iOS data from various sources with every user represented only once. In other words, they can boost their attribution lift and lower costs. 

To solve this problem, AppsFlyer introduced The Single Source of Truth (SSOT) solution last year. SSOT solves the SKAN reporting issue by flagging existing non-organic install records attributed through SKAN. 

SSOT boosts non-organic installs and lowers eCPI

By enabling SSOT the average app gets a 29% non-organic install attribution lift, a 49% drop in eCPI and a 62% increase in revenue attributed to marketing. 

Lift in NOI attribution when using SSOT (average per app, by category)

Source: AppsFlyer

Marketers are able to recover the actual number of unattributed installs and can attribute more installs to ad networks. 

The average non-organic install attribution lift per app was 29% for SSOT. This varies by app category, but on average apps saw an extra third added to their number of installs from non-organic sources. 

Health and Fitness apps had some of the largest drop in eCPI at -61% while shopping and finance apps dropped over a third in eCPI. For advertisers, this means they can make better decisions when it comes to campaign spending. 

Drop in eCPI when using SSOT (average per app, by category)

Source: AppsFlyer

In-app purchase revenues rose 70% on shopping apps, while gaming apps grew their revenues from in-app purchases by around 45% with hardcore games seeing a 69% lift. 

Lift in in-app purchases revenue attributed to NOIs when using SSOT (average per app, by category)

Source: AppsFlyer

Adoption rates jumped from 5-10% to 16-56% between April 2022 and October 2022. Gaming and social casino led the chart with 41% adoption in October which is double the rate in May 2022. Higher adoption rates point to a unique value proposition for iOS apps using SSOT. 

Key takeaways

• Non-SRN campaigns see around 62% of their SKAN installs as duplicates compared to 18% for primarily SRN campaigns
• SSOT boosts non-organic install attributions by 29%
• SSOT results in 49% drop in eCPI 
• SSOT leads to 62% increase in revenue attributed to marketing

The post Single source of truth solution lift non-organic install attributions by 29% appeared first on Business of Apps.

A large number of shoppers will be using mobile apps to make purchases this holiday season. An analysis of 640 of the top shopping apps on the Google Play Store by data privacy company Incogni finds that two-thirds of them share permissions with an average 1.8 ad libraries. It means that any app requiring permission for recording audio, taking pictures or reading texts would automatically share the permissions with any ad network it is connected to. 

Majority of apps share permissions

Around 65% of the analysed shopping apps used ad libraries with the average app using 1.8 libraries. This means users are granting permission to around three companies instead of just one, i.e. the app they gave permission to in the first place. 

One of the problems here is that Android systems don’t distinguish between the host app and ad library permission use so that permissions aren’t intercepted from being shared. While the app may be harmless, an ad library could contain harmful code. 

The most popular ad networks which apps share permissions with include AdMob and AppsFlyer.

Popular ad networks apps share permissions with

Source: Incogni

In fact, research by Trend Micro in 2017 found that over 800 Google Play apps contained a Trojan that stole user data and shared malicious code with infected devices. 

Why do apps request permissions?

A whopping 83% of apps request permissions. Some of the more worrying reasons for permissions include:

• 22.3% request permission to record audio
• 48.3% request permission to access precise (GPS) location
• 15.8% request permission to read your contacts
• 6.1% request permission to read calendar events plus confidential information AND add or modify calendar events and send emails to guests without owners’ knowledge
• 1.6% request permission to read your text messages (SMS or MMS)
• 8.0% request permission to directly call phone numbers

Reasons for requesting permissions

Source: Incogni

The report also found that four out of five of the most popular apps use ad libraries compared to roughly half of the least popular ones. 

To stay safe this holiday season, consumers can deny permissions or alternately shop with local retailers. 

Key takeaways

• 65% of popular Android shopping apps use ad libraries with the average app using 1.8 libraries
• 83% of apps request permissions
• Four out of five of the most popular apps use ad library compared to roughly half of the least popular ones

The post Two-thirds of popular Android shopping apps share user permissions appeared first on Business of Apps.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — GRIN, the world’s leading Creator Management platform, introduced the industry’s first discovery-as-a-service tool, GRINup. GRIN customers can register for the free service, input information about their ideal creator partners, and receive a list of up to 50 vetted Instagram-based creators with verified email addresses per request. 

Want to get the inside scoop on how GRINup works? Click here to book a demo.

While on the surface, this may appear to be similar to the services offered by opt-in influencer marketplaces, in reality, it’s quite different. 

This innovative tool uses a unique approach to identify potential partners and allows influencer marketing managers to decide who to reach out to and how rather than facilitating the relationship on their behalf. While this may mean more effort on the end of the influencer marketer in regard to running outreach and managing partnerships, it allows for closer, more authentic relationships, and better content.

Why? Opt-in influencer marketplaces serve as middlemen and have creators sign up to be in their databases. From there, these marketplaces connect brands with creators in a way that is purely transactional and not built on genuine brand love and alignment. Brands that take this route are limited to the pool of creators who have actively signed up within these databases, which means other brands (maybe even direct competitors) are likely already partnering with them. 

When a creator partners with a large number of brands, their followers can get ad fatigue. And when a creator is promoting different products in quick succession, viewers are left to question whether they actually like the brand or are just in it for the paycheck. This downside is especially apparent among opt-in marketplaces that only allow brands to partner with creators who pitch to them first.

When customers participate in GRINup, they receive a list of up to 50 leads that the team discovers just for them. From there, customers can do a deep dive into their social media profiles, online presence, and more. As the influencer marketing managers get more info on each creator, they can decide whether that person is a good fit for their brand and send an outreach message to kick off the partnership. 

And unlike some opt-in marketplaces, GRINup leverages expert human touch rather than relying on AI or an algorithm to discover these creators, leading to more trustworthy results.

What about open-network creator search databases?

An open influencer network is one where brands can interact with creators directly without having creators opt-in first. An open network database would have to aggregate all existing creator profiles, but this is only possible with actionable third-party data. 

“Third-party data is any data that’s collected by a business or other entity that doesn’t have any direct link to the visitor or customer,” according to HubSpot.

And social networks, like Facebook and Instagram, are cracking down on the use of third-party data in favor of first-party data. With growing privacy concerns, Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) requires database platforms to receive individual creator consent to share their account information and metrics. So even if a platform has the ability to pull in data via Meta’s API, every creator still must grant permission before anyone can access their account in the database.

To summarize, there is no way for any platform to access first-party creator discovery data programmatically and at scale across all networks. However, it turns out filterable open-network databases aren’t as helpful as they seem.

Research suggests that a database-sourcing strategy does not deliver high-quality creator partnerships, no matter how large the database. In fact, GRIN’s data revealed that only 13% of successful brand/creator activations resulted from this method. 

“I don’t need an internal database to find creators. I know specifically what is best for my brand, and I have found 100% of my creators through Instagram, recommendations from creators I trust, and other social media channels,” said Jess Doherty, social media and influencer marketing manager at Osmo Salt. “The power of scrolling is real, and the relationships you create with your influencers matter.”

GRINup is changing the game

While still in its infancy, GRINup has already begun to earn rave reviews from influencer marketers in a variety of industries. 

“I just used [GRINup] last week, where they find influencers for you based on your demographic, niche, age, ER%, etc., etc.,” said Lauren Maxwell, influencer marketing manager at Dreamland Baby. “They ask you a series of questions to find potential influencers. I just got my list back and will have to say I was pretty happy with it. Just did an outreach, and more than half already responded. PLUS, they provide you with their email addresses as well! WOOP WOOP!”

Discovering great creators requires a multichannel approach

As beneficial as GRINup is for influencer marketers, the team at GRIN recommends using it in addition to other creator discovery methods rather than as the sole tactic. 

Other recruitment tactics include: 

• Analyzing inbound requests. It’s likely you have people sending you DMs or emails and asking to work with your brand. And since these people are genuinely interested in your business, you can be sure that the brand love is there. GRIN allows users to create Landing Pages, which are unique URLs that house creator applications, so you can gather inbound requests and all the data you need to make a decision in seconds. 

• Asking for referrals. If you already have some star influencers on your roster, ask them if they know of other creators who could be a good fit for your program. They often follow other influencers in their niche, so some quality candidates will likely come to mind. 

• Utilize your employees. No one knows your brand better than the people who help run it every day. Create fun incentives to encourage them to hype up your business and promote your products or services through their favorite channels. 

• Looking through existing fans. Scroll through your brand’s social media followers, and search for untagged mentions of your brand on various platforms. You’re sure to find some influential people who are already repping your brand organically. From a creator’s native account, you can then use GRIN’s free Web Extension to import them into your CRM.

• Check out social media marketplaces. Meta recently launched their Creator Marketplace, which is currently on an invite-only basis for brands in the U.S., while TikTok’s Creator Marketplace is open to all brands. You’ll find a valuable amount of first-party data from the social platforms for each creator, but the downside is that these marketplaces often require a minimum follower count and thus exclude smaller (and more affordable) creators from search. 

Free download: Click here to get GRIN’s How to Find Influencers Guidebook.

Win in the creator economy

Beyond helping you discover the highest-performing creators for your brand, GRIN helps streamline the entire creator management process, from scalable outreach to campaign analytics to payment processing. 

Visit grin.co to discover how GRIN can help you scale your creator program and drive massive brand love.

The post GRIN launches first-ever creator discovery-as-a-service tool for influencer marketers appeared first on Business of Apps.

Berlin-based mobile growth agency and consultancy Phiture has acquired ASO Giraffe, now re-launched as Replika.

Replika allows ASO professionals to test app or game concepts before investing in development, fulfilling a crucial market need. The tool is available in a self-service plan or as an integrated part of the managed ASO service for clients of Phiture. ASO professionals new to Phiture’s services can sign up and try out this testing environment for their own app. 

The launch of Replika comes as Phiture continues to develop its software toolkit. Phiture is using its unique position as a leading mobile growth agency and diverse portfolio of clients to improve the tools available to the wider mobile growth community. Under the Phiture umbrella, Replika joins in-app messaging creator tool B.Layerand the in-house developed  keyword optimization tool, Toaster.  

Phiture’s founder and partner Moritz Daan said, “Fede and the team have built a great product over the last years. The acquisition of ASO Giraffe, now Replika, is an exciting step for us, it complements our existing keyword tool Toaster and in-app messaging tool B.Layer. It connects well with our approach to ASO, enabling us to support companies to optimize their apps and games early on and relying on anonymized and aggregated user behavior data for optimization of app store assets and concept testing. ” 

Phiture’s Director of Acquisition, Wolfgang Peters said, “Replika is an incredibly useful ASO tool, and we’ve already received a large amount of interest in this product. It offers the functionalities we have been looking for, it caters to the needs of our clients with apps and games in development for concept or art-style testing. I’m looking forward to concepting tests, supporting our clients setting the right focus on the store assets that make a difference for the users, and developing the tool further with our teams.”

Fede Behrens, founder of ASO Giraffe said, “This acquisition is a testament to the amazing work the ASO Giraffe team has done building both a recognizable brand in the ASO space and a software tool that’s used by major app developers worldwide. After launching at the Phiture’s 2019 ASO conference, I’m happy to see things come full circle, and I’m excited to see the Phiture team take the tool to the next level.” 

How Replika works

Replika offers a powerful ASO testing environment for mobile growth experts to experiment within detailed reconstructions of the app stores. Phiture’s dedicated Design, ASO, and Localization Teams are on hand to help every step of the way. 

Step 1: Traffic source

A user clicks on an ad banner in their traffic source of choice. The most common traffic sources are Facebook, TikTok or Snap. However, other options are available across Replika including web and cross-promotion.

Ad campaigns can be managed by Phiture’s Performance Marketing Team, while Phiture’s Design Team deliver ad creatives to ensure eye-catching visuals optimized to encourage an increase in web traffic. 

Step 2:  Replika app page

Test users will land on a web-based ‘Replika’ of the app store product page. If required, Phiture’s ASO and Design teams can create product page variations based on years of experience and ASO best practices, from developing creative wins. The test user’s interactions with the product page are then measured, and behavioral data is shared with the app publisher.

Step 3: Surveys

For apps and games in the pre-launch phase, test users will be redirected to a survey or email form. This allows publishers to both capture interest and collect more information about the preferences of their users. Additionally, Phiture’s User Research Team can create and measure the results of the user survey to extract crucial additional insights.

Step 4: Reporting and iteration

Behavioral analytics, conversion rate data, and winning variants can also be seen in this powerful new testing platform. The data is then passed to the relevant Performance Marketing, ASO, and Product Teams for consideration. Phiture’s ASO Team will report on the test result and assist with creating the testing roadmap. This allows publishers to make the best use of the platform and ensure constant iteration.

How to use Replika effectively? 

Replika’s creative optimization capabilities fulfill a number of key needs for ASO Teams. Using Bayesian experimentation and super-fast page loading times ASO practitioners can generate real insights for a constantly improving ASO strategy. 

Pre-launch testing

One of the most powerful features of Replika, especially for game publishers, is the option to let users test different game concepts, styles, new characters, and features before devoting resources to development. 

By analyzing Click Rate and behavioral metrics, publishers using Replika will be able to:

• Eliminate guesswork.
• Test new game concepts, characters, and features on test users.
• Save development resources, while learning about game/app users before going live.

Live app testing

One of the most exciting features for app publishers is Live App Testing. Replika provides an additional layer of behavioral data that can be used for continued ASO or ongoing product development purposes.

ASO: Drive relevant traffic to the replica product page and measure the Conversion Rate impact of new creative assets. Every part of the replica product page is customizable.

Product: Test new features, major User Interface changes, and re-brandings before committing time and resources to further development.

User research: Find new audiences by analyzing how different test user segments engage with your product pages.

Research & Development: Run in-depth research on how creative assets, star ratings, and user reviews impact your conversion rate.

Find out more

• To find out more about Replika, do take a look at our website. You can also request a live demo from the contact form here. 
• If you have any specific questions about Replika, or the acquisition, you can reach us via replika@phiture.com.
• Replika is available as part of a self-service plan but also as an integrated part of the managed ASO service for clients of Phiture. If you have any further questions about the ASO, Design, or Performance Marketing services Phiture offices, you can contact us here.

The post Phiture acquires ASO Giraffe & relaunches the ASO tool as Replika appeared first on Business of Apps.

The majority of Southeast Asian users of the Grab app now consider food deliveries an integral feature of their lives. Users in Southeast Asia ordered around 1.48x more on GrabFood between 2019 and 2022, and 1.53x more on GrabMart between 2020 and 2022. It seems that on-demand food delivery and shopping are here to stay.

Consumers are ordering more often

The report based on over 60,000 food and grocery delivery users in SEA, found that GrabFood basket sizes grew by 18% while GrabMart baskets increased by 28%. Young families were the most avid delivery users ordering food more than 6x a month on average. They also put through grocery orders of more than 10x per month.

Customers are spending more in delivery and food apps

Source: Grab

Some of the main reasons for customers to order meals online include time savings, and specific food and treats. The main reasons for ordering groceries include promotions and ease of delivery as well as ordering for special occasions. 

Delivery apps are a great opportunity for brands

Grab also found that 88% of users across SEA said they got to know a new store because of delivery ads, while 90% tried at least one new store from a delivery app that they hadn’t tried in person. 

The average time users spent searching and browsing before they made an order on GrabFood was just 17 seconds.

Convenience is a major reason for using food/grocery apps

Source: Grab

Around 7 in 10 also browse delivery apps without a specific restaurant or store in mind which means there’s a real opportunity for marketers and brands to aid in discovery. 

Key takeaways

• Southeast Asian users of the Grab app ordered 1.53x more on GrabMart between 2020 and 2022
• GrabFood basket sizes grew by 18% while GrabMart baskets increased by 28%
• 88% of users across SEA said they got to know a new store because of delivery ads, while 90% tried at least one new store from a delivery app that they hadn’t tried in person

The post Southeast Asians are ordering more food and spending more on delivery apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

Global Android day 30 retention rates have fallen a whopping 10% while iOS rates remained unchanged in Q3 2022, according to a report from AppsFlyer. Retention rates are an important measurement for app loyalty and usage and help developers to optimise and monetise their apps. 

Android retention sees continued decline

Android day 1-30 retention rates continue to decline for the third year in a row, according to the report. The average day 14 rate was just 4.3% in Q3, down 6.5% from last year. 

The sharp rise to 10% for day 30 retention rates could be a result of the growing competition in the Android ecosystem which drives users to download and try new apps. 

Meanwhile, iOS retention rates have been more stable since 2020 with the average day 14 rate being 6.7% in Q3 2022, down just 1.5% from the previous year. 

Day to Day 30 retention rates on Android

Source: AppsFlyer

News and Business app retention rises

The app category with the highest growth in day 30 retention was News with 11.3% as users continue to return to these apps to follow global developments. Business retention jumped 10.9% while Health and Fitness rose 15.6%, Music grew 8.6%, and Education climbed 15.6% between Q3 2020 and 2022.

The categories with the most rapid declines included Photography (-31.8%), Finance (-23.3%), Gaming (-20%), Productivity (-20%), Entertainment (-16.7%), Social (-15.2%), Shopping (-12.3%) and Travel (-11.8%).

Changes in retention rates by app category

Source: AppsFlyer

The country with the highest day 30 retention rate was Japan at 5.1% while China lagged behind at 1.3%.

Key takeaways

• Android Day 30 retention rates fell 10% while iOS rates remained unchanged in Q3 2022
• The average day 14 rate was just 4.3% in Q3, down 6.5% from last year
• iOS retention rates were stable with the average day 14 rate being 6.7% in Q3 2022

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Bigger does attract more attention. At least that’s true for mobile adverts. Data from Amplified Intelligence shows that mobile ads that cover almost all the screen received more attention from smartphone users. 

Size and format matter

Mobile adverts covering 80% of the screen received 6.6 seconds of attention, which was twice as much attention as ads covering 50% of the screen and eight times more attention than ads covering 10% of the screen. 

Larger ads deliver on attention

Source: eMarketer

Based on an analysis of 128,000 mobile ad responses, the study also found that video-based mobile formats captured more attention at 2.73 seconds. The target threshold is 2.5 seconds. When it comes to non-video formats, interscroller ads were the most effective regardless of the product or service advertised. The format delivered 3.3 seconds of active attention, which is 30% higher than the average 2.5-second minimum for active attention.

When it comes to the optimal video length, shorter video ads of 15 seconds resulted in longer active attention of 3.3 seconds compared to 30-second videos with 1.2 seconds.

Mobile ad formats and attention by seconds

Source: eMarketer

Attention increases with age

The study also noted that attention levels rose with age. Gen Z had significantly lower levels of active and passive attention compared to Boomers. Format preferences varied with Boomers responding better to interscroller ads while Gen Xers prefer video. 

Interestingly, there wasn’t a specific time of day when active attention was highest.

However, when examining surrounding content, Yahoo sports and finance content delivered the highest level of attention. 

Some categories boost active attention

Source: Amplified Intelligence

Key takeaways

• Mobile adverts covering 80% of the screen received 6.6 seconds of attention
• Video-based mobile formats captured more attention
• Interscroller ads were the most effective non-video format 
• Shorter video ads of 15 seconds resulted in longer active attention of 3.3 seconds 

The post Larger mobile ads, video and interscroller formats capture more viewer attention appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular among investors. Installs of wealth management apps are particularly popular among younger investors who cite higher overall satisfaction and strong brand advocacy. Now research by J.D. Power has identified some of the key trends in wealth management apps for 2022. 

Apps outperform websites

When it comes to user satisfaction US wealth management apps outperformed websites by 50 points. The gap was largely driven by a preference for apps among younger investors. 

Satisfaction was highest among Gen Y at an average score of 760 of 1,000, followed by Gen Z at a score of 720. 

“Wealth management firms that want to attract and retain younger investors need to focus on continuing to improve their apps,” said Michael Foy, senior director of wealth intelligence at J.D. Power. “The mobile app really is becoming the center of the modern wealth management client user experience, and that’s true not just for do-it-yourself investors but also for those who work with a financial advisor. App users are engaging much more frequently with their brand and, when they have a positive experience, are also much more likely to recommend that brand.”

Top-rated US wealth management apps 2022

Source: J.D. Power

Design and service are crucial

However, smooth functionality and good in-app service matter. Top-performing apps that saw some of the highest levels of customer satisfaction also had stronger brand advocacy. 

Meanwhile, customer satisfaction was higher among investors who were advised compared to those using DIY financial tools. It shows that personal service still matters when it comes to money. 

“Digital has become a key component of the overall wealth management customer experience,” said Amit Aggarwal, senior director of digital solutions at J.D. Power. “Firms that are delivering the best overall digital experience are recognizing that their apps and websites are an extension of the client relationship and can be leveraged to improve relationships with advisors, drive brand loyalty and differentiate from the competition.”

Key takeaways

• User satisfaction of US wealth management apps outperformed websites by 50 points
• Satisfaction was highest among Gen Y followed by Gen Z
• Top-performing apps that saw some of the highest levels of customer satisfaction also had stronger brand advocacy. 

The post Wealth management apps score highest satisfaction among younger users appeared first on Business of Apps.

A whopping 60% of financial services apps on the Google Play Store may be easy targets of application repackaging or cloning attacks. That’s according to new research from app security engine Promon. Given the rising consumer interest in using banking apps, the results may be a reason to worry. Let’s delve in.

What’s application repackaging? 

Application repackaging enables criminals to use existing software like mobile apps and add their own code to the source code. This lets them modify the app’s functions and effectively repackage it. They can then perform additional functions and potentially steal user login information. 

How is Google Play Store being affected?

Based on an examination of 384 financial services apps including banking, cryptocurrency and trading apps, Promon found that 236 were vulnerable to app repackaging. Some 154 of the vulnerable apps were banking apps. Of the 92 most downloaded financial services apps, 50% could be modified and repackaged. 

Interestingly, vulnerabilities were fairly similar across different regions. E.g. among the most popular apps in the US, 37 out of 54 could be repacked. In the UK, some 45 out of 74 were vulnerable and in India 47 out of 69 could be manipulated. 

So what did all the vulnerable apps have in common?

According to Promon, they all lacked features that could detect repackaging attacks. 

“The susceptibility of APK files to tampering should be of great concern to the billions of users within the Android ecosystem who simply want to manage their finances from their mobile,” said Benjamin Adolphi, a software engineer at Promon who led the study.

Key takeaways

• 60% of financial services apps on the Google Play Store may be easy targets of application repackaging or cloning attacks
• 236 of 384 tested apps were vulnerable to app repackaging
• Vulnerabilities were fairly similar across measurement regions

The post 60% of financial apps on Google Play Store can be targeted by repackaging attacks appeared first on Business of Apps.

The overwhelming majority (97%) of in-app revenue for hardcore and mid-core gaming apps comes from repeat purchases. That’s according to a new study released by media company Adikteev. App gaming audiences are undoubtedly some of the most engaged. So what’s driving app revenues and how can developers motivate players to make a repeat purchase?

From one purchase to another

Users who have already made a purchase are more likely to make a second one, according to the study. 64% of gamers are likely to make repeat purchases compared to 36% making a one-off purchase in-app. Developers can motivate players to make conversions through push notifications, email and retargeting. A strategy that combines multiple approaches was seen as the most effective one. 

Repeat purchases drive majority of in-app revenues

Source: Adikteev

But developers should also encourage first-time installers to make a purchase as user churn tends to be particularly high during day 1 and otherwise budgets will have been wasted. 

Target players early

Targeting gamers between days 1 and 14 results in a higher chance to repeat purchases. In fact, 51% of repeat purchases were made the same day and 25% within 7 days after app installation. Users who made a second purchase within 14 days were more likely to convert a third time. After 22 days, the likelihood of making a second purchase drops to 54% compared to 77% on days 1-7. 

Majority of repeat purchases are made within the first few days after app installation

Source: Adikteev

Adikteev also found lapsed players to be the most likely to produce a high return on ad spend (ROAS). Targeting these users through in-game events boosted revenues by 648% year-on-year while in-app purchases rose 465% and ROAS jumped 300%.

Key takeaways

• 97% of in-app revenue for hardcore and mid-core gaming apps comes from repeat purchases
• 64% of gamers are likely to make repeat purchases 
• 51% of repeat purchases are made the same day and 25% within 7 days after app installation

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Despite economic headwinds, mobile and digital ad spending rose 5% to $23 billion during Q3 2022, according to data from Pathmatics. Streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ boosted their ad budgets. But which channels were driving the unprecedented rise in mobile advertising spending in Q3?

Social apps are taking the top spots

Social channels saw some of the highest mobile advertising spending in the last quarter. Particularly, TikTok recorded its ad spending rise by a whopping 29% quarter-on-quarter. Amazon is a top advertiser on the app, followed by Google, Disney and Hulu. The latter increased its ad budget by 667% over the past two quarters as the streaming wars intensified.

Top advertisers on TikTok in Q3 2022

Source: Sensor Tower

Streaming apps are targeting social platforms for advertising

Streaming brands are engaging more with social apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat these days. HBO Max increased its spending share on Facebook, while Disney+ and Netflix bolstered their TikTok ad strategies by eight and six percentage points, respectively. Disney+ ad spending on TikTok surpassed its investment in Instagram. 

Streaming apps are focusing on social apps

Source: Sensor Tower

Netflix is clearly targeting younger audiences by investing 16% of its ad budget on TikTok and doubling its share of Snapchat spending. 

Key takeaways

• Mobile and digital ad spending rose 5% to $23 billion during Q3 2022
• TikTok ad spending climbed 29% 
• Netflix targets younger audiences by investing 16% of its ad budget in TikTok

The post Streaming apps boost advertising spend to target younger users on social platforms appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile banking apps revolutionised how we bank today. Some 62% of consumers now conduct most of their regular banking activities on apps. But though users admit there are plenty of benefits to using banking apps, the majority remain concerned about security issues with mobile banking.

Banking app users rely on their apps daily

According to a survey of 2,000 US adults by NerdWallet, the personal finance company, 33% of respondents said they used their mobile banking apps now more than before the pandemic, highlighting the effect of lockdowns on our shifting consumer behaviours.

A majority of 73% of mobile banking app users said their bank’s app was user-friendly and around 62% conduct their regular banking activities via a mobile app. Almost half of users (41%) don’t even feel the need to seek out their physical bank branches. In the long run, mobile app banking apps could render physical bank branches obsolete. 

The shift toward mobile banking is being driven by several advantages such s 24/7 access to their accounts, no wait times, and easy movement of money between accounts. Other advantages include mobile banking apps offering higher interest rates due to their significantly lower overheads.

Security concerns prevail 

However, security issues are one of the main reasons for not using banking apps (42%) while 47% just don’t feel the need to use a banking app. 

Source: NerdWallet

And they’re not the only ones, even existing users are concerned about the security of their banking details (74%). The most troublesome issues include worries about an account being hacked (46%), someone accessing a user account if a phone is stolen (38%) and getting locked out from an account (33%). 

Source: NerdWallet

Key takeaways

• 62% of users say they now conduct most of their regular banking activities on apps
• 33% use their mobile banking apps now more than before the pandemic
• 74% are concerned about security issues with banking apps 

The post 62% of consumers now use banking apps regularly but security concerns prevail appeared first on Business of Apps.

More than half of app marketers have a generally optimistic outlook for the industry, despite turbulent times under COVID-19 and the macroeconomic climate making things harder for marketers. However, 42% of respondents to Liftoff’s 2022 App Marketer Survey are feeling pessimistic about the future. But what are the ongoing changes in the app marketing industry and how are advertisers planning to spend their budget next year?

Things to look forward to

While app marketers were somewhat down about the immediate outlook, 63% of respondents believe 2023 to be the same or better than 2022 while 88% expect to exceed their current mobile ad spend next year. Interestingly, non-gaming marketers are overall more upbeat (65%) about the future than gaming marketers. Roughly a third said they had increased their budgets over 2021 and reached their KPIs this year, while 56% said they had more aggressive KPI targets.

Half of app marketers feel upbeat or neutral about the current state of the industry

Source: Liftoff

The troubles ahead

One of the main issues cited is greater privacy protections for users with 43% of app marketers saying the shift toward privacy-first approaches would continue to be a big obstacle in 2023. Although over half (59%) admitted that App Tracking Transparency and related changes had been a boost for consumers, 64% said this had a negative impact on user acquisition campaigns. The lack of data and a rise in user acquisition costs were the biggest challenges here. 

ATT and co are major challenges ahead

Source: Liftoff

Which channels are app marketers turning to in 2023?

Roughly half (52%) of marketers said they plan to increase their overall budgets in 2023 and only 12% are looking to reduce it. To augment their mobile ad campaigns, respondents are turning to less trackable channels. This includes influencer marketing (53%), social media content (52%) and higher investment in building fan communities (30%). 

Key takeaways

• 63% of app marketers believe 2023 to be the same or better than 2022  
• 88% expect to exceed their current mobile ad spend in 2023 
• 64% say ATT and privacy changes had a negative impact on UA

The post 64% of app marketers say ATT and co had a negative impact on their UA campaigns appeared first on Business of Apps.

Livestream shopping kicked off during the pandemic as a way to make it easier to use mobile phones and apps to purchase goods online. By 2022, installs of the top 10 livestream shopping apps in the US had reached 2.3 million. YouTube, Instagram and co were quick to add features for creators and retailers to produce livestreams while TikTok produced results that said half of its users were interested in mCommerce livestreams. However, just 36% of US and 25% of UK mobile users have ever actually made a purchase during a livestream, according to a new study from The Influencer Marketing Factory.

Livestream shopping has a long way to go in the West

Based on a survey of 2,000 respondents, the report found that the majority of mobile app users had not made a purchase from a livestream. Livestream shopping was also not considered any more fun or entertaining than regular online shopping. Some 27% of US respondents spent between $20 and $50 on their Livestream purchases while UK respondents (31%) spent only up to $20. The main reasons for shoppers to take it to the livestream were product quality, free delivery and discounts. 

Have you ever purchased something during a livestream by age

Source: Influencer Marketing Factory

The top platform for US shoppers was Facebook (26%) while UK respondents prefer TikTok (30%). 

The preferred livestream platforms in the US and UK

Source: Influencer Marketing Factory

Livestream is a revolution in the Chinese market

The picture is vastly different in China where 700 million Chinese users watch livestreams and 460 million have purchased goods from them. Sales in China are expected to grow to $423 billion this year. By comparison, revenues from livestream shopping are expected to hit $20 billion in the US this year. 

Douyin livestream tools are popular, especially among younger consumers. Some 88% of its users said they had livestreamed in February 2022.

Among the top features used in livestreams were free gifts and events. For example, a Walmart TikTok event generated 7x more views and grew its TikTok following by 25%.

The majority of products users purchased during livestreams were clothing and beauty products.

Preferred products for livestreams

Source: Influencer Marketing Factory

Key takeaways

• 36% of US and 25% of UK mobile users made a purchase during a livestream
• US users spent between $20 and $50 on their Livestream purchases while UK respondents spent up to $20
• Livestream sales in China are expected to hit $423 billion in 2022

The post Underwhelmed – only a quarter of UK app users have previously purchased during a livestream appeared first on Business of Apps.

During the pandemic, education apps experienced a revival as a growing number of young and old users adopted mobile apps for school or learning purposes. As normality got restored, a notable dip in installs followed. But despite a slowdown in installs during the first half of 2022, education app downloads jumped 4% during Q3 2022 and monthly consumer spending exceeded previous years, according to the latest data from Sensor Tower.

European app users spent over $550 per minute in 2022

Education app revenues grew to $220 million in Europe, up 14% year-on-year, with users spending over $550 per minute on in-app purchases and subscriptions. Duolingo was the most downloaded app and accounted for one-third of spending. 

European app users spent $550 per minute on education apps

Source: Sensor Tower

Duolingo leads in session duration

The popular language app scored the highest session duration at 132% in part due to its efforts to boost gamification. Duolingo regularly sends encouraging notifications and lets users earn rewards for finished lessons. It was followed by Busuu which was up 11%. Time spent in Babbel and Rosetta Stone was down. 

Duolingo leads for time spent with gamification features

Source: Sensor Tower

Opportunity for Google Classroom

The report also revealed that European markets including France, Turkey and Germany opened up opportunities for Google Classroom to grow. The countries were top marketers for downloads for Google Meet and top markets for Google Drive installs. On Android, users of Google apps are more likely to use Classroom. Google Meet and Drive had a 23.5% and 4.2% chance of being used. 

Key takeaways

• Education app downloads jumped 4% during Q3 2022
• Education app revenues grew to $220 million in Europe, up 14% year-on-year,
• Users spent over $550 per minute on in-app purchases and subscriptions
• Duolingo had highest session duration at 132%

The post App users spent $550 per minute on language apps in 2022 appeared first on Business of Apps.

We are delighted to reveal the 2022 shortlisted finalists for the App Growth Awards, now in its sixth year of celebrating success in the global app industry.

Our expert panel of 15 independent judges whittled down over 340 submissions – more than we’ve ever before. The vast array of entries from a myriad of companies highlights the growing size of an increasingly sophisticated app growth ecosystem.

All of the shortlisted finalists will be celebrated and the winners announced at our ceremony on December 1st at Hotel Adlon in Berlin.

The shortlisted finalists, by category, are as follows:

App Advertising Platform

• AppLovin
• HUAWEI Ads
• Liftoff
• Skai

App Analytics Platform

• Adjust Datascape
• devtodev
• Adapty
• Swaarm

App Data Platform

• AppTweak
• App Radar
• Adapty
• Qonversion

App Engagement Platform

• CleverTap
• Iterable
• MoEngage
• OneSignal

App Revenue Platform

• Purchasely
• Qonversion
• wappier

MMP of the Year

• Airbridge
• AppsFlyer
• Adjust
• Branch

ASO Tool

• AppTweak
• Asodesk
• App Radar
• SplitMetrics

ASO Agency

• ConsultMyApp
• Gummicube
• Phiture
• RadASO

User Acquisition Company

• AppAgent
• Bango
• HUAWEI Ads
• Persona.ly

App Marketing Agency

• Apptamin
• Geeklab
• Phiture
• SplitMetrics

App Growth Innovation

• Phiture – Lifesum
• Purchasely
• Smadex
• SplashLearn

App Marketer of the Year

• Alice Muir, Phiture
• Hannah Parvaz
• Jess Hill, Apadmi
• Soner Sensoy, Storyly
• Yanina Velikova, Admiral Media

App Video

• Customlytics – Storytelling Birthday Campaign
• Photomyne – Video Loop for FilmBox App
• PhotoSì – App Video
• Phiture – The Trail to Success: Komoot

Fastest Growing App

• PickleJar Live
• Playsee
• SplashLearn
• Sweatcoin

Growth Team of the Year

• Yodel Mobile
• Entravision + tyba
• G5 Games Marketing Team
• Plarium Product Marketing Team

Subscription App Campaign

• PPC – Minimalist Phone Campaign
• Adapty – In-app Paywalls
• Quit Social Media
• Saga Sleep – Stella

Finance App Campaign

• Thing or Two – Banco Azteca
• Storyly – Kapital Bank
• Chip – ‘Save Smart, Not Hard’
• ConsultMyApp – Snoop

Shopping App Campaign

• Customlytics – Shop Apotheke
• Yodel Mobile – Quidco
• Storyly – Dolap
• The Hut Group – Shopping Apps

Entertainment App Campaign

• Smule – adidas Runtastic Challenge
• App Growth Network – Coin Splash
• Affle – Dil Filmy Toh Suno Filmy
• InMobi – Streaming Campaign

Mobile Games Campaign

• Smadex Creative Studio
• AppAgent – Game of Words
• Goodgame Studios – BitLife
• G5 Entertainment – Sherlock

App Store Marketing Campaign

• REPLUG – Fitness AI
• Admiral Media – ImmoScout24
• SplashLearn – Kids Learning App
• Wave – Wave The Rainbow

Retention Campaign

• Nasty Gal – Love Island
• PhotoSì – Retention Campaign
• REPLUG – SEEN
• Shopmium – Cashback Boost Campaign

Influencer App Campaign

• Sweatcoin – Promote Sweatcoin
• Tatam Digital – Blinkist Curious Minds
• Admiral Media – TikTok Campaign
• Customlytics – Micro Influencers

Paid Social App Campaign

• Customlytics – WeShare Campaign
• REPLUG – ODXClub
• Admiral Media – TikTok Campaign
• Adquantum – Fitness app

Outstanding Contribution to the App Industry

The winner will be announced on the night!

Congratulations to them all, and commiserations to the entries that didn’t make it through.

The post App Growth Awards 2022 – Finalists Announced appeared first on Business of Apps.

Social media platforms have proven themselves as useful tools for brand engagement. From Instagram to TikTok to Snapchat, these apps offer a wide range of suitable tools and features for marketers to reach a diverse audience. But when it comes to ad formats the choice can seem a little daunting. New research from customer experience platform Emplifi finds that engagement rates for Instagram Reels saw an uplift during Q3 2022 while median rates for other brands remained the same. 

Instagram Reels outperforming other post types

Reels engagement rates were 35% higher than other content types, followed by carousels, video and images. Some 80% of brands published at least one Reel on the popular app during the third quarter. That’s an increase of 41%. Reels were the most popular type of format within sports with 92% of sports organisations and event providers and 88% of sporting goods brands boosting engagement with Reels.

Instagram outperforms TikTok

Reels outperformed TikTok for median reach by a reasonably broad margin (63% to 37%). Brands said they also saw more interactions and views on Instagram while TikTok scored higher reach engagement, with a 57% to 43% advantage.

Median reach of Instagram Reels vs TikTok

Source: Emplifi

Follower growth for brands on TikTok continued to climb, up 200%.

“The biggest takeaway is that short-form video is a vital part of a brand’s marketing mix and is here to stay. This has only been reinforced throughout 2022, and social platforms have continued to increase their video capabilities this year,” said Zarnaz Arlia, CMO, Emplifi.

“Brands have increasingly added Instagram Reels to their content strategies, and just a few years ago, not many had heard of TikTok – now, it’s easily the fastest-growing channel out there. To maximize reach and engagement, brands need to invest their resources in the content formats and on the platforms which resonate with their audience.”

Key takeaway

• Instagram Reels engagement rates were 35% higher than other content types
• Reels outperformed TikTok for median reach (63% to 37%)

The post Instagram Reels dominates engagement with 35% increase in Q3 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Twitter spending climbed 66% following the company’s takeover by Elon Musk. And though some users decided to abandon the platform and join rivals like Mastodon, installs of Twitter jumped 21% to 6.3 million. 

Twitter installs on the rise

According to new data from Sensor Tower, Twitter adoption in the US grew 31% to 1.2 million, up from 916k. Meanwhile, consumer spending in the US jumped 65% to $442k. Daily usage was also up 2% during the 12 days since the acquisition. 

Twitter installs jumped following Musk’s takeover

Source: Sensor Tower

Alternatives are emerging

As some users decided to abandon the platform over controversy with its new owner, the two apps that stood out were Mastodon and Tumblr. They rose to the top US social networking charts in the week of October 31 with Mastodon taking the first spot and Tumblr in fourth position. 

Mastodon had some 322k installs from US app stores while globally the app grew 657% to one million. 

Tumblr climbed 96% to 92k from 47k.

Twitter alternatives have seen a massive hike in installs

Source: Sensor Tower

Other apps such as Metatext and Tootle also noticed a bump in installs. Smaller apps such as CounterSocial saw a massive bump of 2,300% to 24k installs across both app stores. 

It’s likely that controversy and shifts in users joining and abandoning Twitter are going to continue over the next few months. 

Key takeaways

• Twitter adoption in the US grew 31% to 1.2 million
• Mastodon installs jumped 657% to one million
• Tumblr climbed 96% to 92k

The post Twitter spending increases 66% following takeover appeared first on Business of Apps.

Most mobile users are well aware that app developers and companies collect their data. But given the greater focus on enhanced app privacy and security, how much data is being shared exactly? Data removal company Incogni took a closer look at Google Play Store’s data section and the results are shocking. More than half of apps openly share user data.

The Google apps sharing the most data

Incogni examined 500 free and 500 paid apps and found that 55.2% of apps admitted to sharing user data. After all, user data is gold and trading it has been common practice for many years. However, certain types of apps share data more freely than others. These include shopping, business and food and drinks apps. Social media and business apps shared the most data. 

Google Play apps collecting the most data points

Source: Incogni

Interestingly, free apps shared 7x more data than paid ones which means users are “paying” for their downloads after all. And apps with over 500k downloads shared data an average 6.15x more often than less popular apps. 

Some apps share sensitive information

While it’s common practice for app developers to share data such as crash logs and app interactions or even shopping histories to improve marketing, Incogni found that a small percentage apps shared far more sensitive user information including location history (13.4%), email address (6.7%), names (4.7%), addresses and precise locations (3.8%), photos (3.2%) and even in-app messages (1.8%). 

Most shared data points across all apps

Source: Incogni

But who is the data shared with? Typically, the anonymised data is shared with third parties such as marketers or data brokers, but in theory such data could be shared with anyone. What’s more worrying is that there are ways to re-identify even anonymised data.

Key takeaways

• 55.2% of apps admit to sharing user data.
• Free apps shared 7x more data than paid ones 
• Sensitive data isn’t safe from sharing: 13.4% of apps shared location history while 6.7% shared email addresses

The post 55% of apps admit to sharing user data appeared first on Business of Apps.

Downloads of Mastodon skyrocketed by over 6,000% globally after Elon Musk took over Twitter. In light of controversy, it seems users are turning away from Twitter and looking for alternative platforms. 

What’s happening on Mastodon?

Mastodon is a free, open-source app and online platform that touts itself as a Twitter alternative. It shares some features with Twitter, but there are many differences.s For example, on Mastodon, users can create their own networks and set and enforce their own regulations. Mastodon does also not serve content to users based on interest but chronologically. And the app doesn’t host ads. 

Downloads of Twitter alternative Mastodon skyrocket

Source: eMarketer

The app had one million monthly users as of November 6th, with 489k of them joining in October. Searches for it increased 283% during October and November. 

What’s driving the flux away from Twitter appears to be a user revolt over Musk’s plans to make verification a paid feature and other controversies.

Mastodon searches are up in November

Source: Financial World

Twitter is still going strong

However, Twitter is still the seventh most-downloaded app on app stores in the US with downloads at around 526k to 636k during early November. 

Compared to Mastodon’s one million monthly active users, Twitter boasts 368.1 million globally in 2022. eMarketer predicts Twitter’s user base to drop 0.5% to 57.5 million this year. 

Other alternatives

Mastodon faces several hurdles in becoming a viable competitor to Twitter. The platform is fairly unfamiliar in its user interface. And marketers are unlikely to support it since there’s no existing advertising infrastructure. 

But Mastodon isn’t the only viable alternative to Twitter. Social apps such as Substack, Discord, Gas and Geneva are all seeing user growth. Bluesky, an app to be launched by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, saw searches increased by 207% and already has some 30k users on waitlists. 

Key takeaways

• Mastodon downloads increased over 6,000% globally after Elon Musk took over Twitter
• Monthly users rose by almost 500k in October/November 2022
• Searches of Mastodon up 283% 

The post Mastodon app downloads jump more than 6,000% after Musk takes over Twitter appeared first on Business of Apps.

Inflation and economic instability had a widespread effect on businesses including the mobile app market. Publishers of apps large and small have been affected by weaker consumer spending and higher ad prices, among others. But a new report from mobile experts data.ai reveals that some app categories have withstood the storm.

Not ready to let go of entertainment and dating

The report reveals that consumer spending in dating apps reached $17.8 million during H1 2022 compared to the same period the previous year. That’s a 16% increase in spending. Tinder, the biggest dating app in terms of market share, recently reported a 7% increase in subscription revenues, It shows that when it comes to dating, people aren’t ready to stop spending. A crisis is best managed together after all. 

Social app Be Real hit 2.8 million UK downloads during H1 2022 making it one of the breakout apps of the year. 

Who Are The Leaders by Spend on In-App Purchases and Subscriptions?

Source: data.ai

Short video apps such as TikTok performed the best in terms of consumer spending overall with users spending close to $606 million on these apps. OTT apps, utility and audio books also performed strongly. 

Top apps by consumer spending include TikTok, Audible, HBO Max, Google and LinkedIn

Source: data.ai

Shopping returns to the high street while gaming remains strong

On the other hand, UK eCommerce and food delivery app downloads were down 16% and 33% respectively. This is driven by a greater number of consumers returning to eating out and doing their shopping in-store. 

First-time downloads of game apps were led by hypercasual and puzzle titles. The largest growth was seen among Action and strategy games. Users are also spending more time in simulation games led by Roblox, but are spending less time in shooting games. 

Top-performing game genres

Source: data.ai

Signs for cautious optimism

While consumers may be squeezed for cash, it seems they’re still happy to spend time on their phones. Time spent in apps worldwide was up 11% year-on-year to an all-time high of over 2 trillion hours on Android phones.

Global downloads also reached an all-time high of 74.4 billion on iOS and Android