SOCIAL MEDIA
The apps don’t lie: Watch these global usage trends
Sensor Tower released a Q2 global app report, and the insights are gold.
Take a look:
TikTok is beating out Instagram, followed closely by Facebook and WhatsApp.
TikTok is also leading the pack in overall revenue and App Store revenue.
Plus, medical, navigation, and travel apps are trending. As more parts of the world get the pandemic under control and travel restrictions lift, consumers are planning—and taking—those long-awaited trips and vacations.
Why we care: Remember when Facebook was all the rage? Users are shifting to a new generation of social media platforms. So if you’ve been ignoring TikTok, now’s a good time to consider adding it to your marketing strategy.
If you need help with diving into TikTok our latest Deep Dive could help, see the free preview here.
It’s also worth noting the shift in consumer trends and behaviors. Both reveal where your customers are looking… and spending.
And speaking of insightful reports…
SNAPCHAT
Brands: it’s time to become more personal with users
Snapchat’s 2022 “Generation Report” is out.
The platform surveyed 19,000 people across different markets and demographics, gathering valuable insights into what drives user engagement.
What they found: Snapchatters use the platform primarily to keep up with close friends and share important and intimate moments with loved ones.
Such behavior differs from platforms like TikTok or Instagram, which emphasize posting and virality.
What does this mean for brands? According to the report, “brands have to accept Snapchatters for who they are.” Meaning you’ll have to adjust your tone to fit in naturally with their day-to-day conversations.
Values will also play a huge role, because most Snap users prefer brands that benefit and build communities.
Finally, brands should leverage augmented reality and interactive shopping, as the world is “not only becoming more digital, but more interactive and personal.”
There’s lots more to Snapchat’s report. It’s worth reading in full if you have the time.
SPONSORED BY A4D
If you want to win the affiliate marketing game, be careful who you work with
Why do they consider themselves partners rather than just a network?
They help you with cash flow. They create white label offers for you. Dedicated campaign strategists (not just affiliate managers). Offers that work on TikTok. And if you have high-quality traffic, you can access their exclusive offers with high EPCs and conversion rates.
With over 15 years experience, A4D has helped over 20,000 affiliates scale their business.
Partner up with them and scale yours.
APP MARKETING
5 ways to promote your apps in the App Store
Unfortunately, having an awesome, unique app is just not enough to stand out in Apple’s crowded App Store.
But this short promotion guide may help.
Apple recently shared 5 ways to make sure your app gains more visibility and gets more downloads.
Let’s go through ‘em:
1. Take advantage of custom product pages. The App Store allows you to publish up to 35 custom product pages per app. They can include screenshots, app previews, and promo text. Plus, users can discover them through unique URLs you share.
These pages are a huge opportunity to highlight unique features of your app, as well as create custom product pages for specific segments of your audience.
2. Create custom links and assets. Use the App Store Marketing Tools to generate a content link, short link, or QR code. You can also create “Download on the App Store” badges and embed them in your emails and other marketing channels.
3. Use Smart Apps Banners to promote your app on your website. Smart Apps Banners let you create banners that link to your app on the App Store and embed them on your website.
4. Leverage promo codes. You can give early access to your app and its in-app purchases to users, influencers, or the press. This page shows you how to request promo codes.
5. Get featured on the App Store. The App Store editorial team is always looking to highlight new apps, games, significant updates, in-app events, and great stories.
So if your app helps people in some way, submit it to the App Store editorial team. Apple recommends submitting your app six to eight weeks before you launch or update it.
There you go: Five tips to help you promote your app.
Not a bad checklist to start with!
SPONSORED BY DASH.FI
How to boost ROAS without touching your campaigns
Chances are you’re already testing advertising creatives, tweaking placements, and trying new Lookalike Audiences. But how you pay for those campaigns can impact your ROAS as well.
dash.fi is the credit card for advertisers that helps you control and stabilize your ad spend.
How? With high daily limits. Up to 3% cashback. Unlimited virtual cards. Zero annual fees.
“Tell me more about how to boost my ROAS with dash.fi”
THE CREW’S INSIGHTS
How to market your startup
Most startups make the same mistakes.
They check out what their competitors are doing, and try to model that. Or they try to execute corporate-sized ambitions with a team of 20.
But these aren’t sustainable marketing strategies. They lead to overstuffed websites, marketing initiatives that exist to check boxes, and workflows that aren’t built for rapidly-growing startups.
Here’s what to do instead:
First, attract customers who find your mission interesting. Most of the time, people buy on emotion. Not logic. They buy to get rid of pain or to increase pleasure.
Which means, then, that people should connect with your startup on a personal, emotional level. So figure out the dominant emotion you’re trying to evoke, and make sure it’s present in every piece of marketing.
Second, show people they can trust you. Once potential customers think, “Hey, this is cool,” you need to show them that you are who you say you are.
You should create content and intentionally gather testimonials with the sole purpose of doing this.
Once you’ve accomplished the two things above, you’re poised to make sales.
So as you market your startup, forget industry standards and competitors’ sites and focus on nailing the two steps outlined above.
And let your competitors repeat the same marketing tactics everyone is using… you know, the ones that customers are probably ignoring anyway.
ROUNDING UP THE STACK
GROWTH: Growing into a marketing leader can be lonely. By joining a community of marketers from Reddit, Apple, Voiceflow, and more, you don’t just fast-track your skills, you build the relationships that will fulfill your leadership. Apply today, only 60 seats left!*
TWITTER: Great news for grammar perfectionists. Twitter announced they’re finally working on an edit button. Remember how sad it felt to lose retweets and likes because you had to delete a typo? Those days may soon be over…
META: Apple users who opt out of personalized ads are actually hurting small business owners more than Meta. That’s according to… Meta, which amplified this issue with a new ad campaign. Hmm…
GOOGLE: South Korean app developers have been linking to third-party payment processors to avoid Google’s high fees. Google has lashed back with threats and update freezes. We’re still waiting to see if the government will step in.
BROWSERS: Microsoft Edge edged past Safari, landing behind Chrome as the second most-used web browser. But second place isn’t what it sounds like. Edge’s market share is below 7%, while Chrome has 67%.
PRODUCTIVITY: Friendly reminder. If you’re using a free version of Google Workspace, you have until June 1 before you’re automatically getting “upgraded” to a paid plan. Now’s a good time to back up those docs and photos… somewhere else.
*This is a sponsored post.
BRAIN TEASER
“Kings and queens may cling to power, and the jester’s got his call,
But, as you may all discover, the common one outranks them all.
Who is it?”
You can find the answer here.
POOLSIDE CHAT
Cool tech, (funny) business, lifestyle and all the other things marketers like to chat about while sipping cocktails by the pool.
Cats and dogs just wanna be famous on social media
… or should we say, their owners want it for them.
A recent survey of 2,000 pet owners discovered some interesting stats:
- One third of the owners created social media accounts exclusively for their animals.
- One out of four said they want their pets to become famous, like the social media star Grumpy Cat.
We could be wrong, but it seems like there’s a market here.
Anyone want to start a branding agency for pets?