3 Ways to Use Google AdWords to Promote Your Mobile App

Christina Fournier - March 19, 2015

Gartner recently estimated that “by 2017, mobile apps will be downloaded more than 268 billion times, generating revenue of more than $77 billion and making apps one of the most popular computing tools for users across the globe.” Yes, $77 billion. That’s not a small chunk of change.

In a crowded marketplace, it can be difficult to showcase your app and attract new users. According to Google’s numbers, 60% of apps available are never installed, and of the ones that are installed, 80% are only opened once.

So in our always-connected, multi-screen world, how can you get a piece of the mobile app action? Consider allotting a portion of your mobile budget for Google AdWords. Google recently introduced a new set of advertising solutions specifically designed to help advertisers reach their app-related goals, like downloads, re-engagement and in-app purchases.

Here are 3 ways to use these new tools to promote your mobile app.

Promote App Downloads

Ad targeting is perhaps the most important aspect of any AdWords campaign. Soon, users can be targeted based on:

• The apps they currently use
• How often they use mobile apps
• The types of in-app purchases they make

Research apps that are already popular with your audience, and then tap into that network with app download promotions that highlight the value you are able to provide. Thinking about the behavior of your target demographic could lend itself to out-of-the-box opportunities to engage with both new and existing consumers.

Promote Re-Engagement

The ability to add deep linking to your app for both search and display campaigns allows users to be taken directly to the most relevant page within an app that is already installed on their device, as determined by what they are searching.

Think of promoted re-engagement as a gentle reminder that a user already has a tool on their mobile device to solve the problem they are currently working on. Considering the sheer number of apps that the average user has on their device at any given time, it can be easy to forget what each one does – especially if it’s not an app that’s designed to be logged into and used every day. Make things easier for your users and show them exactly where to find what they are looking for.

Measure, Measure, Measure

How do you know if your campaign is working? As with any advertising solution, measuring KPIs is critical to success.

In AdWords, you’ll soon be able to measure conversions across the entire lifecycle of the app, from installation to re-engagement to in-app purchases. If your numbers aren’t quite where you hoped they would be, don’t panic and scrap the whole thing. Simply adjusting your targeting, or testing new creative, could turn things around.

There’s no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to advertising. Continual testing and measuring which aspects of a campaign work to move the needle is crucial to improving your ROI.

In an ever-changing landscape like paid mobile marketing, it is imperative that you measure KPIs that align with your goals and determine what works and what doesn’t. This way you can optimize what’s proven to be successful and stop wasting time on what’s not working.