Article: 6 Mobile App Marketing Trends Developers Should Watch Out For

1. More Privacy Changes

Privacy changes in mobile operating systems will continue to impact mobile app marketing.

For instance, Apple’s release of SKAdNetwork (SKAN) 4.0 and its emphasis on privacy means that mobile app marketers must constantly adjust their strategies to comply with new guidelines.

SKAN is Apple’s privacy-focused attribution framework that helps measure mobile app acquisition campaigns. It allows advertisers to test their campaign parameters and improve their click- and view-through conversions without relying on users’ personal details.

Additionally, Apple has made some changes to its Identifier for Advertisers or IDFA system.

The IDFA is a unique identifier for mobile devices used to target and measure the effectiveness of advertising.

It helps marketers track and identify how and when users use apps without disclosing their personal information.

The changes in IDFA enable users to stop sharing this unique identifier by opting out of tracking.

The prompt to opt-in or opt-out will appear when users install or update the new iOS 14.5 and higher.

Google is also beta releasing the Privacy Sandbox system for Android this year. It is a set of technologies that will limit the tracking of users while still giving advertisers valuable performance-measurement options.

These updates will limit the amount of data that mobile apps can collect about their users, which will make it more challenging for you to target ads effectively.

However, these changes can also present new opportunities for marketers to find creative ways to engage with users while respecting their privacy.

2. Incrementality Testing

Incrementality testing is one of the strategies that will likely trend among mobile app marketers this year to deal with the privacy changes.

It is a testing methodology that lets marketers make a specific change to a test group to ascertain the incremental value of a marketing strategy or method.

There are different types of incrementality testing. These include intent-to-treat (ITT), ghost bid and online-to-offline tests.

In mobile app marketing, incrementality testing can help you evaluate the true value of your campaigns.

With this method, you can understand which campaigns are the most effective and generate the most app downloads. The insights from the test can help you modify or realign your KPIs as needed.

And this can help your marketing campaign generate more value.

3. Media Mix Modeling

Another practice that has re-emerged lately in reaction to the privacy changes is Media Mix Modeling. Media mix modeling (MMM) is a method of analysis that helps marketers understand the impact of different marketing platforms on your bottom line goals. media platforms on your app promotion.

It gives you insights that can help you make better decisions regarding how much money you should spend on each ad and marketing channel.

Since MMM lets you measure and compare the effectiveness of media channels and predict their future performance, you can use it to create and improve your app marketing campaign without the need to impinge on privacy restrictions.

With this method, you won’t miss out on opportunities to optimize your marketing efforts for your app.

However, keep in mind that MMM requires working with a data specialist that can gather different inputs and correlate them with your overall business growth. You have the option of hiring an in-house staff or consultant to help you with these processes.

4. Interactive and Immersive Advertising

Interactive and immersive advertising tools and strategies are becoming increasingly popular among app marketers today and will continue to do so in the future.

Interactive and immersive marketing tools enable users to engage with ads and immerse themselves in the experience. For instance, users can take a 360-degree virtual tour of a new place or play a game to learn more about a brand.

Other examples of these types of marketing tools and techniques include using augmented reality and interactive kiosks.

These types of advertising increase engagement and interest and help build brand awareness and loyalty. Because of these reasons, they are one of the most popular marketing trends you should consider including in your strategy.

Additionally, tracking the results of these interactive and immersive advertising campaigns does not require accessing the private data of app users. As such, you can use the information you obtain to continuously optimize audience targeting and your strategy as a whole to reach your marketing goals.

5. Cross-Promotion and Partnerships

Cross-promotion and partnerships are emerging trends in mobile app promotion.

Cross-promotion pertains to the process of promoting other apps within your app. 

On the other hand, a co-branding partnership is a marketing strategy that involves collaborating with other app developers and marketers to promote a piece of content or the app itself and share the results of that campaign.

Apple Pay is one example of a successful co-branding campaign. This widely used app allows users to store their credit or debit card data on their Apple devices.

With the stored details, Apple device owners can pay for their purchases without using their actual credit or debit card.

MasterCard was the first credit card company to permit its customers to store their details on Apple Pay. The brand supported the technology from the start and worked with Apple on various cross-promotional campaigns.

Moreover, MasterCard continues to evolve with their customers and Apple to make using their credit and debit cards more convenient. 

Through cross-promotion and networking, you can reach new audiences, increase visibility and drive more downloads.

Additionally, these two marketing strategies give you a chance to build relationships with other app developers and marketers, which can lead to new business and collaboration opportunities in the future.

Using partnerships to acquire new users allows you to track users through your partner’s first-party data, meaning you wouldn’t have to suffer from the loss of tracking in regular acquisition channels such as Google ads and Facebook ads.

6. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is one of the latest technical trends in mobile app marketing. It is expected to play a major role in the future of marketing as well.

AI is already being used for app personalization, targeted advertising and app store optimization.

Additionally, AI algorithms can analyze user behavior, preferences and feedback to provide personalized recommendations, advertisements and app updates.

Google Firebase Remote Config’s personalization feature is the perfect example of an AI application you can use in your app promotion strategy.

Through this technology, you can automatically provide users with recommendations and better experiences for using your app.  

For instance, you can change the difficulty of your game according to the player’s skill levels to maximize engagement and session duration with the help of AI.

As such, this technology can help you reach your target audience effectively, encourage app download and use and fulfill your other marketing goals.