So, you’ve finished development on your new mobile app. Congratulations! Now you need to find a way to market it. You have lots of options. You could set up billboards, post on social media, or use a hosted VoIP to contact customers.
Yet with 3.4 million apps on the Google Play store alone, standard advertising by itself just won’t cut it. What you really need is a way of advertising that helps you to stand out from the crowd and cuts through to your core audience. Luckily, there is a solution that can do just that: influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing overview
On platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, many creators have amassed large followings. These creators are known as influencers. As the name suggests, these social media stars have a large influence on their own audiences. As the number of influencers has grown, brands have seen influencers as easy marketing opportunities.
Best reasons to use influencer marketing
Well, the biggest reason is that while traditional marketing can be effective, it is impersonal. Younger app users such as Generation Z (generally classed as users born after 1997), make up the largest portion of mobile app users and are ripe for influencer marketing. This group uses platforms such as Instagram and YouTube the most and makes up the bulk of their influencer following.
Influencers tend to interact with their fans a great deal, meaning that their audience is more trusting and responsive when they recommend new products. By now, we’re sure you’ve seen the opportunity; influencers can directly tap into the largest group of mobile app users.
Just as you can optimize your customer service with hybrid communications, choosing the right influencer can maximize your marketing campaigns.
But how do you go about picking the right influencer? Here are some steps for setting you on the right track.
Different types of influencers
It’s important that you don’t categorize all influencers as the same. In reality, there are many different kinds of influencers. Each type of influencer brings its own benefits. Make sure that you take a moment to think about your particular app. What kind of influencer is likely to help your audience?
- Networker: these have the biggest contact list and are found across multiple platforms.
- Thought leader: an influencer that is an expert in their particular field. They carry more authority due to their experience.
- Trendsetter: have you ever noticed new trends on social media? These influencers will always be the first to capitalize on trends.
- Social media influencer: on social media, you will probably have noticed accounts with mass followings. A social media influencer could range from an industry expert to an account that posts pictures of cats. Both can provide useful forms of marketing.
As well as choosing the right kind of influencer, you’ll probably want to know the number of followers that they have. Influencers with a higher number of followers may seem attractive. But remember, these will come with a much higher price tag attached. The popularity of influencers can be separated into three categories:
- Micro: influencers that have a following ranging between 5,000 and 100,000.
- Macro: influencers that have a following ranging from 100,000 to a million.
- Mega: influencers that have over one million followers.
Influencer marketing in action
These examples demonstrate the power of influencer marketing:
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Plarium
Throughout 2019, Plarium used influencer marketing to promote their mobile RPG game RAID: Shadow Legends. Plarium worked with many different creators, but the most noteworthy examples included YouTubers Logan Paul and David Dobrick (the two have 23 million and 18 million subscribers, respectively).
The marketing worked. By 2019, the app had amassed more than one million daily players. RAID: Shadows Legends remains one of the most popular mobile apps to date.
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Subaru
In 2017, the car manufacturer Subaru launched their #MeetAnOwner campaign. The marketing stunt focused on showing influencers driving the new Impreza from different locations. The brand collaborated with 20 different Instagram influencers, each with a different audience.
The most notable name was Zach King, a digital creator with 24 million followers. Subaru also worked with Devin Super Tramp, a stuntman with over 500k Instagram Followers and 4.6 million YouTube subscribers.
By the end of the campaign, posts had attracted 1.9 million likes and 9k comments. The success of the campaign saw Subaru’s sales grow by 10 percent.
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Loot Crate
This is a company that will be familiar to anyone within the geek or gaming community. By signing up for Loot Crate’s subscription package, customers receive boxes that contain mystery items that relate to films and video games. The success of the company can partly be attributed to its success with influencer marketing.
In 2015, the brand sponsored PewDiePie, who remains one of the biggest YouTubers in the world with over 100 million subscribers. The YouTuber released multiple sponsored videos advertising Loot Crate, with one example receiving over nine million views.
Screenshot taken from youtube.com
With the smart use of influencer marketing, Loot Create was able to massively increase its name recognition and improve important factors such as its average order value. If you’re looking for an average order value definition, the term simply refers to the average amount each customer spends when they make an order via your website.
Illustrating the mind-blowing success of the brand, a study projected that, by 2025, the company would have made over $20 billion.
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American Eagle
TikTok is quickly becoming one of the biggest platforms. By the end of 2021, the video-sharing site had racked up over 745.9 million downloads. One of its biggest stars is Addison Rae, a fashion and beauty influencer who has more than 60 million followers. Rae’s success didn’t go unnoticed by the clothing brand American Eagle, which partnered with the star in 2020.
Rae created multiple videos for the brand; the most popular example is a clip involving the influencer dancing in a Mickey Mouse shirt. The campaign was a storming success and generated $4.26 million in media impact value.
Screenshot taken from tiktok.com
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Dunkin’ Donuts
Many people will be familiar with Dunkin’ Donuts’ sweet treats. But you might not know that the confectionary giant turned to influencer marketing to bring in the dough and boost customer retention. The brand worked with eight content creators to talk about National Donut Day. On the day, Dunkin’ Donuts ran a special offer. Customers could get a free donut after purchasing any beverage.
The creators took over the brand’s social media channels and were tasked with encouraging customers to participate in the special offer. It’s safe to say that the stunt worked. The campaign reached three million people and saw a drastic increase in the number of social media followers.
Top tips for influencer marketing
If you’re looking at using influencers to market your mobile app, there are several factors that you might want to consider.
Research mobile app influencers
The mobile app encompasses many different genres. A creator with content specific to mobile apps is not necessarily the only option. But a mobile app influencer is a safe bet. The easiest way to find creators is by searching using relevant hashtags on social media platforms. This should help you to find a list of influencers within your field.
You even could make use of AI to help finalize a shortlist of influencers to reach out to. By combining this with complementary artificial intelligence skills you can analyze the data, review suggested candidates, and make a final choice.
The right influencer can do wonders for your app, helping to bring in new users and reduce negative factors, such as shopping cart abandonment online. But make sure you take the time to find the best option.
Know your budget
Before you can even begin thinking about influencer marketing, you need to have a clear idea of what your budget is. As we’ve already explained, influencer marketing isn’t cheap, especially if you go with some of the bigger names. Make sure you run a thorough check of your budget and know how much you can allocate toward influencers.
If you find that you’re lacking funds for marketing, try to find some areas where you can cut back. For example, you could replace your phone system with a hosted solution. This removes physical hardware, meaning there is no need to pay for maintenance and upkeep.
Explain your campaign clearly
When you choose an influencer, it’s important that they know exactly what they’re advertising. If you want them to promote a product, make sure that you send a complimentary copy to the influencer.
Start by making use of cloud-based communications and having a conversation with the creator. This will give you a chance to explain the goals of your campaign. Don’t instruct them exactly what to post (they will know their audience better than you do).
Influencer marketing is the future
As you can probably tell, influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere. In fact, this form of marketing seems set to become more and more popular as time moves on. Looking to the future, younger people are more and more invested in platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Mobile app creators can now tap into this audience more easily than ever.
Alongside other equally important factors, such as investing in sales enablement campaigns and learning the meaning of a platform container for computer processes, influencer marketing can be a goldmine. Make sure that you don’t overlook it when releasing your mobile app.
