Making the most of the seasonal app-ortunity 

With the Christmas season almost upon us, there are lots of opportunities for app developers to cash in with new app downloads and lots of all use – according to new advice from Google’s Vice President of Product, Mobile App Advertising.

Sissie Hsiao says research shows users installing apps in the month of December are much more active than other users, with twice as many in-app actions logged within the first day of having the app installed. That’s great news if your app is also a point of sale.

Google says its Universal App campaigns are a great way to reach users at this time of the year, making now the ideal point at which to lay out your seasonal marketing push. Here are a few titbits of advice from Hsiao to ensure that you make the most of the app opportunity:

1. Be ready on Black Friday

Black Friday is a peak time for new app installs – along with Black Friday and Cyber Monday – but Google says many app developers mistime their app promotions and peak before Black Friday actually hits.

With users traditionally primed to perform app installs on Black Friday, be careful that you don’t use up all of your app’s promotional budget ahead of the day itself. Many developers make the biggest push over a week before Black Friday according to Google, which means they miss out when it comes to the day itself.

2. Be eye-catching

Of course, competition for users is intense at this time of year as brands fight to inspire consumers but, you can ensure your app gets its fair share of the spotlight by being creative and eye-catching with your seasonal app campaigns.

If you are going to use Universal App Campaigns, Google’s advice is to have both portrait and landscape videos at your disposal. This might sound like a simple tip but it’s one that lots of advertisers fail to consider – when you remember that some brands say their users spend as much as 12% more in-app in the months of November and December, it’s well worth going the extra mile.

3. Be prepared to adjust

Consumers move fast at this time of the year so if your campaign isn’t delivering the results and downloads that you expected, you need to be prepared to adjust it – fast. It’s essential to keep a very close eye on campaign data, whatever type of strategy or advert you have deployed, to ensure it’s working to its optimal level. If you spot something that isn’t delivering results, act quickly to adjust and try a new approach.