Business of Apps Podcast

App retention has been one of the most heated app marketing topics.  Let's put it this way. What would you say if people buy your masterpiece but only to get through a few pages or the first chapter and never open it again? It not only happens with books, but mobile apps. Ask any app marketer with a decent experience and she or he would sigh and nod.  Today’s guest is Anja Obermüller, Head of Product Marketing at Runtastic, where adidas’s running and training apps help runners live a happy and healthy life. Anja shares best practices for app retention.  Today’s Topics Include: ✔️  Lifestyle Routine: Different apps serve different purposes ✔️  Sneak Peak: What level of retention should be expected from your app? ✔️  Sneaker Hack: Anja’s better with numbers than words ✔️  Name Change: Runtastic Running and Results to adidas Running and Training ✔️  Runtastic is Fantastic: More than 300 million downloads and 270 employees worldwide   ✔️  Incline, Don’t Decline: Identify natural product usage interval (daily, weekly, etc.) ✔️  Dig into Data: Realize retention problem, not optimize what you want ✔️  Biggest Mistakes: Don’t put monetization over retention or rely on benchmarks ✔️  Push Notification vs. Proxy Metric: Create a behavior of wanting to return to app ✔️  Preventive Measures: Continue to grow and change through retention optimization    Links and Resources: Anja Obermüller on LinkedIn adidas Running and Training Apps by Runtastic Quotes by Anja Obermüller:  “I’m way better with numbers than with text. I’m a total fan of impact estimations, forecasts—everything that’s related to numbers.” “Before even getting started with retention rate optimization is identifying your product usage interval.” “It’s really important to figure out where your retention problem really is and not just optimizing for what you have.” “One of the biggest mistakes is to put monetization over retention...engagement builds the foundation of monetization.” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

Conversations between app marketers often focus on user acquisition (UA) and if you happen to be listening to savvy app marketers, you may listen them discussing a conundrum - when it comes to a particular app marketing, turns out there’s either not enough or too many choices to acquire mobile app users. To resolve this puzzle, app marketers need to know what app user acquisition channels do work right now. So you need the expertise of somebody who's been keeping his or her hand on the pulse of various app user acquisition channels that have been pop up over the years. Today’s guest is Christian Eckhardt, CEO and co-founder of Customlytics. Christian shares practical advice on how to choose user acquisition channels, UA campaign optimization, how to add a new channel right and more. Today’s Topics Include: ✔️  Mobile App Marketing: Track, measure, and optimize data efficiently to acquire users ✔️  CRM: Once users are acquired, retain them ✔️  Customlytics: Stays true to its core of making mobile marketing successful ✔️  Bottom Line: Pay attention to where users are spending their time ✔️  UA Channels: Social, search, and programmatic advertising space ✔️  App’s Lifecycle: Start with mainstream channels, then narrow down to niche ones ✔️  Essentials to Execute: UA campaign app store optimization (ASO), KPIs, and mistakes ✔️  Touch Points: How and when it is appropriate to add channels and creatives ✔️  TikTok Thoughts: Brands should use platform to launch app campaigns and ads Links and Resources: Christian Eckhardt on LinkedIn Customlytics App Clips Quotes by Christian Eckhardt:  “I went through the good school of touching every aspect of mobile marketing.” “You have to be where the attention of the user is.” Once users are acquired, retain them. “What is actually influencing all those different metrics or KPIs?” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

With so many games available in app stores, people can play them anytime and anywhere. Both Apple's iOS App Store and Google Play store from Google don't provide mobile games classification granule enough for developers to monetize their games efficiently. How can game developers better navigate the mobile game market to make more money? Today’s guest is Amir Ghodrati, Director - Market Insights at App Annie, a mobile market data and analytics platform. Amir talks about game taxonomy analytics, problems game developers are facing with it today and what solution App Annie offers developers and brands. Today’s Topics Include: ✔️ Data and People: Amir’s interest in analysis and communication of successful solutions ✔️ What is taxonomy? A branch of science that studies classifications.  ✔️ Mobile Game Landscape: Game categories and popularity challenging to navigate ✔️ $100 Billion: Mobile gaming is largest platform based on spend; 3X bigger than PC/Mac ✔️ Game Lifecycle: Shift habits and conditioning of casino, casual, and core game structure ✔️ Monetization Forms: Advertising, in-app purchases, and subscription models for games ✔️ Apples to Apples? Problems/solutions of multiple app stores, inconsistent classification  ✔️ Game IQ: Bring order, hierarchy, and insights to granularly segment gaming industry ✔️ Mobile Game Misconceptions: Changes over time and making money  ✔️ COVID-19 Impact: Share experiences and connect with friends and family through games. Links and Resources: Amir Ghodrati on LinkedIn App Annie Game IQ App Annie on Twitter Tweets/Quotes by Amir Ghodrati:  “The mobile gaming industry has never been more lucrative, but also it’s never been so competitive.” “It’s really a platform that has democratized gaming because the mobile phone is the one device that people have with them.” “People are increasingly spending their time on mobile.” “Information is only going to be useful if it’s accessible enough that people are willing to make decisions based off of it.” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

Retain or not retain? That’s the question when it comes to app retention -the most important metric that app marketers and publishers  focus on today. Generally speaking, on average it costs up to 7x to find a new custom than to retain an existing one. So for app marketers it means if they succeed in retaining their app users, they are better off to spend their marketing budget more efficiently and increase their app business ROI. Today’s guest is Darren Last, Digital Transformation, Marketing, and Delivery Consultant at Shell Global. Shell’s mobile apps drive loyalty rewards and utility convenience. Fill up on coffee or fuel, and get going! Today’s Topics Include: ✔️ Banks to Websites: Darren wanted to be a day trader but shifted to digital transformation ✔️ Shell Global App: Available in 30+ countries, but not the same in every market ✔️ Useful Feature: Shell Global App is primarily a loyalty app for utility and fuel convenience ✔️ Biggest Challenge: Promotional campaigns for new features/toolkits in local markets ✔️ Strategy: Optimize features to fit with customers’ experience for value and retention ✔️ Back to Basics: Core proposition, data, features, and reasons to return to use app ✔️ Key App Elements: KPIs, ratings, reviews, retention rates, and active usage ✔️ Improve app retention via product, experience, marketing campaigns, testing, analytics Links and Resources: Darren Last on LinkedIn Last Consulting Shell App Tweets/Quotes by Darren Last: “All the features and functionalities are then localized by local marketing teams.” “It’s quite a complex app, if you want, but it isn’t the same in every market. It has different features and different variations in these markets.” Don’t go by your gut feel. Rely on hard data and listen to your customers to give them what they want. Not what you think they want. Nothing’s ever perfect. Continue optimization lifecycle." Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

Millions of developers have put their time, money, and sweat into creating apps to make a profit via paid ads, a subscription model, and in-app bidding. In-app bidding is an in-app advertising technology that slowly but surely replaces waterfall tech that has been the standard for mobile publishers for a number of years. It allows publishers to increase efficiency of their monetization efforts, decrease ad display latency and consequently increase earnings. Today’s guest is Daniel Tchernahovsky, Managing Director - EMEA at AppLovin. Daniel describes how in-app bidding is a central component to generate revenue. Today’s Topics Include: ✔️ AppLovin: Goal is to entertain the world with games ✔️ App Advertising: Buying and selling formats are banner, interstitial, and rewarded ✔️ Partners: Work with everyone to monetize apps ✔️ New vs. Old: Pros and cons of programmatic advertising models, such as waterfall ✔️ Inefficiency and Inventory Issues: Time gaps and missed or random price points ✔️ In-app Bidding: Real-time auction runs parallel, not consecutively for highest price point ✔️ COVID-19 Pandemic: Stable progression of people spending time on mobile devices Links and Resources: AppLovin Applovin MAX Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Tweets/Quotes by Daniel Tchernahovsky: “Our goal is to entertain the world with games.” “The way that the industry works is that you’ll work with a variety of partners. You’ll want to work with everyone if you want to monetize.” “The idea of in-app bidding: Five people are competing for my impression, what is the highest price point that each and every one of you are willing to pay?” “People have been spending their time being glued more to their devices, playing more, being entertained more.” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

When developing an app, the work of many is put together. It’s a combination of art, math, and marketing expertise that equates with users to uncover uncertainty through A/B testing.  A/B testing for mobile apps is one of the key techniques to make sure the app meets its users expectations and keep them engaged. Today’s guest is Karan Tibdewal of Phiture, a mobile growth consulting company that assists clients with ASO, Apple search ads, mining user retention, growth consulting and A/B testing. Today’s Topics Include:  ✔️  A/B Testing: Important and essential to start with fundamentals ✔️  Reason for Testing: Optimizing metrics that you care about by experimenting ✔️  Common Problems: Control, don’t mix variables to measure  ✔️  Problems Solved: A/B testing solves user lifecycle issues from acquisition to reactivation ✔️  Customers: What resonates and what they actually need through A/B testing   ✔️  A/B Testing Strategy: Experimentation mindset and understanding basics  ✔️  A/B Testing Framework: Ideation, prioritize, test, analyze, revise, and consolidate/share  ✔️  Brainstorm Ideas: Everybody has opinions, but unable to prioritize them ✔️  Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Validate ideas about users through data science support  ✔️  How/where to learn A/B testing? Theory and statistics courses to app industry blogs  Links and Resources: Karan Tibdewal on LinkedIn Phiture How to level up your A/B testing game: Maximize impact and learnings (video) Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Tweets/Quotes by Karan Tibdewal: “It’s essential to start with fundamentals. A/B testing is not something completely new.” “You care about a certain metric, and you want to optimize for its performance.” “When you think you know your customers really well...A/B testing can prove you wrong.” “Experimenting is usually the solution.” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

Classic sci-fi books and movies often portray a pandemic as out of this world. Now, it’s reality. Many businesses were hit and crushed, while others experienced an increase in demand. Why? Today’s guest is Tina Zhang, digital acquisition manager at Memrise. She describes how the language learning company, well-known for utilizing flash cards as a study aid in their legendary mobile app, navigates this new uncharted territory and meets an increasing demand.  Today’s Topics Include: ✔️ Custom Language Courses: Learn how to speak useful, relevant, and everyday phrases ✔️ COVID-19 Impact: Lockdown spiked demand for online education and language learning ✔️ Popular Languages: Spend time productively during pandemic learning Spanish/English with a mobile app ✔️ Messaging: Memrise app helps people learn fast and have fun ✔️ Key Differentiators: Memrise is about learning a language in the real world, not school ✔️ Positive Feedback: Memrise’s engaging videos increased time in the app by 30 percent Links and Resources: Tina Zhang on LinkedIn Memrise Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Tweets/Quotes by Tina Zhang: “There was a surge in demand for online education and language learning.” “How do we meet the demands and how do we capitalize on the extra volume that we’re getting?” Messaging: Memrise helps you learn fast and have fun. “The type of language learning that we are offering is less about the same stuff that we would learn from school. It’s more about being able to learn a language and connect with the world.” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

Every app needs a user. Fortunately, dozens of channels exist for app marketers to find users, including social, search, and third-party ad networks. Today’s guest is Solange Baki, Growth Marketing Manager at Badoo. Currently she leads Badoo and Bumble user acquisition expansion through video and display performance campaigns, programmatically and with ad networks. Today’s Topics Include:  ✔️ App Acquisition Tools: Paid social, paid search, and third-party networks  ✔️ Pros and Cons: Limitations exist with third-party networks and operating systems  ✔️ App World: Games vs. non-games involve developers, players, programmatic promotion  ✔️ Diversification Strategy: Don’t put all media/paid acquisition spend into 1 or 2 channels  ✔️ Next Steps: Explore and select new sources for app downloads, results, ROI, budgets  ✔️ Common Challenges: Fraud, vendor loyalty, constant monitoring, conversion rates Links and Resources: Solange Baki on LinkedIn Bumble Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Tweets/Quotes by Solange Baki: “We are a global team of brilliant product managers, designers, engineers, data scientists, and many more with the mission to create life-changing moments by building relationships.” “You can’t allocate all your media or paid acquisition spend into one or two channels. It doesn’t give you all the flexibility that you need to reallocate budgets, in case something goes wrong.” “Adding third-party networks onto your paid acquisition portfolio gives you a lot of flexibility.” “Fraud is one of the main challenges that we experience. It’s important to have an anti-fraud solution.” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

Who are app growth hackers? Well, have you ever experienced worse-than-expected app engagement results? What’s the problem? Something’s spoiling user experience because your app isn’t being used as expected. There are app marketing experts whom's job is to come up with app growth hacks. Today’s guest is Daniel Ushida, Growth Hacker and Growth Hacking Trainer at Growth Tribe Academy. Daniel helps entrepreneurs and companies grow and upscale their app businesses.  Today’s Topics Include: ✔️ Evolution of app user experience ✔️ App onboarding ✔️ Actions not assumptions ✔️ Common mistakes with an app user interface Links and Resources: Daniel Ushida on LinkedIn Growth Tribe Academy Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes by Daniel Ushida: “At the beginning, when apps were launched, they had this thing that they wanted to replicate or mimic...Websites on desktop.” “If you think about tactics that were used for a user interface, there was a lot of Skeuomorphism.” “Onboarding your user, in order to show the value and make clear what is behind the app, became a very important feature. Key to Success: Simple and intuitive user interface." Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024  

What A/B testing on Google Play store has to do with your daily routine? Well, every morning, most of us hit the snooze button on our alarm app. Then, we make other small decisions throughout the day without even knowing it. How can we make the right decisions?  Do you run tests? Well, in a way you do, every day you take notice on outcomes of your decisions and correct your future decisions accordingly. Now,  to make the right decisions about an Android app marketing and development is to conduct an A/B testing. Today’s guest is Susan Azari, Mobile App Commercial Lead at The Very Group. She shares best practices and practical advice for A/B testing, specifically for Google Plays store. Today’s Topics Include: ✔️A/B Testing: Different hypotheses and scenarios impact user behavior ✔️ A/B Testing Process: Create and document ideas, plans, KPIs, timeline, and sample size ✔️ Failed Tests: Learn from past mistakes to develop integrations, outcomes, and elements ✔️ Avoid Common Mistakes: Proofread, conduct check, control variables, skewed results ✔️ Google Play vs. Apple App Store: A/B testing easier and more efficient in Google Play ✔️ Useful A/B Testing Tools: Optimizely, Splitly, and Phiture Links and Resources: Susan Azari on LinkedIn The Very Group Optimizely Splitly Phiture App Store A/B Testing Strategy Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Tweets/Quotes by Susan Azari: “It’s very easy for people to have subjective opinions about what they think might work best.” “Realistically, data tells the true story. That’s the main reason why I’m a big fan of A/B testing.” “The reason why A/B testing is important can fall under a few different streams of activity.” “There’s no such thing as a failed test. You can always learn from it.” Brought to you by Business Of Apps App industry marketplace Insights App Growth videos App Data App Events A message from App Promotion Summit Discounted ticket prices are currently available on all of our 2024 summits https://apppromotionsummit.com/   London - 25 Apr 2024 NYC - 27 Jun 2024 San Francisco - 26 Sep 2024 Berlin - 5 Dec 2024