App promotion and operation, 3 rules to encourage users to promote social media

In the mobile gaming market, given the increasingly fierce product competition and rising user acquisition (UA) costs, app developers need to think outside the box and consider other UA channels if they want to gain a foothold. Although many game manufacturers are now accustomed to spending money to purchase various online channels, in fact, how to make good use of existing game users for promotion is more critical.

A survey shows that 92% of consumers believe in various forms of advertising recommendations from friends and relatives, so "word of mouth" will become a viral promotion method. Word of mouth means having existing game users talk about your game product with their friends, relatives or on social networks, and then through these conversations make new users interested in the game and complete the download. So how do you encourage your existing users to promote your gaming app for you? You can try it in three aspects: user-generated content, blitz marketing and friend recommendations.

1. User-generated content

Starbucks uses "coffee cup graffiti" to promote its own brand and create public opinion. Consumers submit their own graffiti on their cups on Instagram, and the most popular graffiti can become the template for Starbucks mugs.

1. Implementation principle

● Active promotion: Allowing users to actively promote products can improve the promotion effect by several levels;
● Competition: Most people enjoy the feeling of chasing each other. To get people to support your app, you need to get their friends to vote and interact, creating a difference in data and rankings;
● Credible content: Since this content is generated by users who frequently use the product, it has a higher credibility among new audiences, which is more conducive to the spread of word-of-mouth.

2. Example

Run Keeper's fitness tracking app uses the concept of "healthy lifestyle" to promote itself. The user-generated content on Run Keeper comes from the success stories of running enthusiasts shared on social media, such as before and after training pictures, blogs, training plans, and some running track maps generated by users using the app. There are many ways to incorporate player-generated content into your promotional strategy. Allow users to upload game videos, create new character design competitions, or learn RunKeeper, allowing players to share their success stories.

The three rules of user-generated content:

● Follow the core values ​​of your app;
● Encourage user participation by providing rewards;
● Keep barriers to entry low.

2. Blitz Marketing

Uber is very good at publicity stunts, so they have also made many impressive marketing campaigns, including turning their service into an ice cream truck. Recently they have also been conducting alcohol testing activities on the streets.

1. Implementation principle

The reason why blitz marketing can attract attention is that it breaks up daily activities while still maintaining a certain level of entertainment. In the marketing process, topics can be generated by making full use of existing conditions and doing some unconventional plans. If the topic is chosen appropriately, it can quickly become popular and expand the scope of dissemination. Who can question the logical relationship between breathalyzer testing and good driving?

2. Example

A successful marketing campaign relies more on creativity than on a huge budget. Although some larger companies are keen on large-scale, money-burning marketing campaigns, for companies with limited promotion budgets, well-timed surprise campaigns can have the same effect. Promotional strategies in blitz marketing can be varied. Real-world experiences outside of the target event, social media pranks, holiday game changes, and advertising that offers rewards are all ways to implement blitz marketing.

Here are the three rules for effective guerrilla marketing:

● It must be unexpected;
● It must be closely related to the core value of your app;
● There must be clear objectives and activities associated with them.

3. Friend Recommendation

Airbnb is well known for scaling its business through its friend referral program. Every user who successfully refers a new member will receive a $25 code bonus.

1. Implementation principle

● Help a friend: Referrals are successful because they give people the opportunity to help their friends, which earns them favors and allows them to gradually become thought leaders in their own circles.
● Rewards: The success of Airbnb friend referrals lies in rewarding both the referrer and the referee. In addition to bringing double the traffic to the application, the two-way referral reward can also produce a continuous diffusion effect.

2. Example

Candy Crush Saga does this particularly well, of course, by giving players bonus lives by having their friends sign up for the game on Facebook. The key to this model is that friend recommendations do not incur any cost to Candy Crush Saga, and the new players brought in by this model generally have higher retention and are more loyal. If you want to add a "friend recommendation" solution to your app, you can directly refer to the model of "Candy Crush Saga" and provide players with virtual currency. Beyond that, you can also offer rewards for unlocking content, or partner with other developers to run some player swap promotions.

Three rules for friend recommendations:

● A valuable reward must be provided;
● Communication must be accurate;
● Must be easy to implement (the simplest code produces the best results).

Conclusion: Obviously, there are many optional tools and methods in application promotion, and high-quality promotion methods can bring positive reviews to game applications, which will become the most important asset of the application.