Using Influencers in Mobile App Marketing: Strategies and Practices

New data from Mintel sheds light on the growing role of content creators and influencers in today’s social media landscape. According to this research, as many as one in five social media users (19%) identify themselves as a content creator or influencer. This evolution has not gone unnoticed by brands, which increasingly use partnerships with content creators and influencers to build their marketing strategy. This trend also translates to mobile app developers, who increasingly turn to opportunities to promote their products by working with influencers.

However, with the expansion of this type of promotion and the increase in the number of potential collaborators, it is easy to get lost in the sea of possibilities. To help you streamline the process and achieve your goals, I’ve put together a set of tips, practices, and lessons learned.

It’s not easy to get lost.

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Let’s start by looking at the topic from the right perspective. The value of influencer marketing is so significant that it reached $21.1 billion globally in 2023 When we take this discussion to mobile apps, exciting possibilities open up.

Collaborating with influencers to promote mobile apps can be a key success factor for developers and marketers. Why? Because influencers have a remarkable ability to engage their audiences, build trust and provide credible recommendations. In the context of mobile apps, where competition is fierce, and users’ attention spans are fragile, the effective use of influencers can result in a significant increase in downloads, boost user engagement and build a lasting brand. Therefore, exploring the potential of working with influencers in mobile app marketing becomes crucial for any company that wants to succeed in the digital world.

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Depending on the intended goals, the characteristics of our mobile app and the target audience, it is crucial to develop a personalized strategy for promoting the app even before deciding to cooperate with an influencer. The questions we should ask ourselves when developing a strategy for this type of campaign are:

1. What goals do we want to achieve with the promotional campaign? Do we want to increase the number of app downloads, user engagement, or brand awareness?

If our main goal is to increase the number of app downloads, then our campaign strategy should focus on reaching as many potential users as possible and encouraging them to download our app. In this case, we will look for influencers with many followers and high community engagement.

On the other hand, if the goal of our campaign is to increase the engagement of users already using the app, we will focus on creating content that encourages more frequent interaction with our app. Here, influencers can help by presenting the various features of the app in an attractive and compelling way.

Influencers can help by presenting the various features of the app in an attractive and compelling way.

On the other hand, if the main goal is to build brand awareness, we will focus on presenting our brand and the values it represents. Working with influencers who are well-known and well-liked in our target audience will help us build a positive brand image and increase its visibility in online communities.

2. What success metrics will we monitor and how will we measure the effectiveness of the campaign? What analysis tools and methods will we use to evaluate the results?

For example, if we are interested in maximizing the number of installations, then the most relevant indicator should become the CPI or cost per installation.

However, if we want the campaign to have the best impact on in-app sales, it will be worthwhile to monitor results, such as ROAS or cost per in-app purchase event, with high priority.

For awareness-raising efforts, cost per thousand impressions or clicks alone will be a valuable metric for us.

3. What are the characteristics of our target audience? What are their preferences, interests and consumer habits? Which influencers best fit our target audience?

The selection of influencers should be closely related to the characteristics of our target audience, their preferences, and interests, so that we can effectively reach them and achieve our campaign goals. It is, therefore, worth thinking carefully about who we actually want to reach as a result of this particular campaign.

Selecting influencers for app promotion

This is one of the more important aspects affecting the final results of a campaign, and as I mentioned earlier – the choice is huge. Before deciding to work with an influencer, consider the following factors:

1. Recognition (or simply: size) of the influencer

The three most relevant categories for dividing influencers by the number of people who follow them, as well as the reach their published content gets on average, are as follows:

• Nano influencers: Individuals with a smaller reach but often a more engaged community, which often leads to higher conversion rates due to campaigns in partnership with them. They can be effective in reaching a more focused target audience.
• Micro-influencers: The so-called „golden mean.” They have a larger reach than nanoinfluencers but still maintain a personal and authentic connection with their community. For this reason, brands with varying degrees of recognition are willing to work with them, and the final choice should be made after careful analysis of additional factors.
• Macro and Megainfluencers: They have a significant reach, which allows them to reach a wider audience. However, working with them can be costly and less personal. Choosing a macro influencer may be wise if you have a large budget and are primarily concerned with activities that build brand awareness and recognition.

2. Match the influencer’s niche to the characteristics of the application:

When choosing influencers, you should be guided by their niche and content topics that perfectly fit your app’s profile. For example, if you’re promoting an app that monitors workout progress at the gym, then partnering with an influencer who regularly publishes fitness-related content may prove more effective. Such a collaboration will seem more authentic to your audience because the influencer will already have an established reputation in the fitness industry, which increases trust in the recommendation and encourages users to use your app. There is a greater chance that promotional content will resonate better in communities where interest in fitness is already evident, contributing to the effectiveness of the advertising campaign.

3. Previous collaborations:

Before deciding to work with an influencer, it is advisable to carefully analyze the history of their collaborations. It is worth checking whether the influencer has promoted similar apps to yours in the past and what the results of their campaigns were. Choosing influencers who have had positive experiences promoting mobile apps can be beneficial, but it is also important that they do not publish a significant amount of sponsored content with very similar themes to your app or your direct competitors’ products.

4. Reputation and risk of negative PR:

Before engaging with an influencer, carefully check their reputation. Negative actions or controversies that an influencer is involved in can be quickly noticed by the online community and can affect your brand’s reputation and users’ trust in your app. That’s why it’s important to carefully analyze an influencer’s history and activities before deciding on a collaboration to ensure that they are in line with your brand’s values and standards.

5. Activity on social media platforms:

Identify the social media platforms on which a given influencer is most active, has the greatest reach, and generates the most engagement relative to their content (including sponsored content). Choose influencers whose activity best aligns with your promotional strategy. For example, if you care about video content targeting young people, target an influencer with a high engagement rate on TikTok sooner than a blogger or someone primarily active on platform X or LinkedIn.

Based on the factors outlined above, list influencers with whom you would like to potentially collaborate. Then simply contact them directly or the agency representing the influencer to work out the campaign’s details, including its schedule and the rate for both the material preparation and other elements of the cooperation you care about.

The influencers you would like to work with are the ones you would like to work with.

Be-Alert

Collaborating with influencers in mobile app marketing is a dynamic and versatile area that is constantly evolving with changing trends and user preferences. Therefore, to be successful in this field, it pays to stay abreast of the latest trends and practices and constantly refine your strategies and approaches.

The tips and practices presented in the article will be helpful for companies planning or already running mobile app promotion campaigns in cooperation with influencers. With a properly developed strategy and collaboration with the right influencers, you can achieve significant results and contribute to the success of your mobile app in the market.

With the right strategy and collaboration with the right influencers, you can achieve significant results and contribute to the success of your mobile app in the market.