The Art of Acquisition 05: Learn Pros And Cons Of Top Mobile App Marketing Platforms
If you are a mobile app developer, digital marketer, or entrepreneur trying to find a marketing platform to grow your business, a comparison might be helpful to make a decision.
To find the best mobile app marketing platform for your needs, you need to understand the pros and cons of your options. The outcome changes depending on your mobile app, your app’s category, target audience, budget, and other factors. But knowing the advantages and disadvantages of the platforms can help you to build the marketing strategy you’re looking for.
There are numerous platforms available, and some of them can be considered universal, while others are designed for specific needs and demographics. Selecting the right one is important to ensure you get the best results. Here is a brief comparison of the top mobile app marketing platforms and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
1- Apple Search Ads (ASA)
As we’ve covered in our previous blogs previously, Apple Search Ads is the platform that you can advertise your app inside of the App Store, in the search results. These are the pros and cons if you use the Advanced option of the Apple Search Ads.
Pros
Basic Section
- Easy-to-use
- Needs minimal management
- Ability to set a daily budget
Advanced Section
- Advanced targeting options
- Ability to manage campaigns in a flexible way
- Has advanced keyword and targeting management
- Has detailed reports
Cons
- No credit for new accounts
- Competitive atmosphere
- Basic section can be too simple and displays basic metrics
- Basic section has a limited app and campaign option
- Advanced section can be time-consuming and complex for non-professionals
2- Google Ads
As a powerful tool for promoting your mobile app, Google offers different placements for your ads, such as search ads, display ads, play store ads, also Gmail and YouTube. While you can use each placement for different outcomes and occasions, Google has a series of options that might be beneficial for your app’s strategy. And if you want to learn more, you can read our articles about Google.
Pros
- Simple ad campaign creation
- Option of pre-registration ads on Play Store
- Has inexpensive options
- Gives credit for new accounts
- Easy to measure
Cons
- Requires high-quality landing pages
- Limited length for text ads
- Competitors may have higher clicks if they used Google Ads for a while
- Requires a lot of time
- Losing money at the beginning
Google Ads can be considered more budget-friendly and less complex than Apple. You can receive credits when you create your Google Ads profile for the first time, you can figure out the measurements of your ads easier, also create ad campaigns for your app before your launch (pre-registration apps). But despite having a lot of benefits, you should also have a good and high-quality landing page, willing to lose money to test and learn how the ads work, and you may be dissatisfied with the limited text option for the texts. Also if your competitors started using Google Ads before you do, they’re more likely to get higher clicks, since the algorithm the platform works in this way.
3- Social Media Platforms
Social media websites and tools are a great way to spread the word about your mobile app. This can be hugely beneficial for a business, especially if users enjoy your app and offer favorable reviews. If you plan to use social media marketing platforms like Twitter or Facebook to promote your apps, it’s worth your time to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each platform before making any decisions. You can read our blog for more details about social media platforms.
a) Facebook
When you start advertising on Facebook for your mobile app, there are two different ads for apps:
1- Installs
2- Engagement and Conversation
Depending on your outcome, you can choose one of the ads that have been designed differently. You can also read the App Install Ads Guideline of Facebook, and discover other options for your advertising goals.
Image Credits: Salesforce
Pros
- Lead Generation
- Detailed Targeting Options
- A Cost-Effective Platform
- Detailed Conversion Measurement
Cons
- Ads Are Reviewed First
- Strict Advertising Policies
- Competitive Atmosphere
Facebook ads are a crowded place with strict advertising policies, and it may take some time to get your ads reviewed and eventually shared. But the platform is still a great place to reach a lead generation with detailed targeting and measurement options, and you can reach out to potential users for your apps.
b) Twitter
Another platform for marketing your mobile app is Twitter. You can find different communities that deeply care about their interest, people who read and create content every day, and value ideas. To discover what the platform offers for mobile apps, you can read App Install Campaign guide of Twitter, and also the case study of Gopuff app.
Pros
- Less Competition
- Good For Reaching Out To A Niche Audience
- Large Targeting Options
- Good For Ads With Long Texts
Cons
- Tracking Is Not Strong
- Does Not Have A User-Friendly Experience
- Takes Some Time To Create An Account
- Needs A Detailed Control On Budget Spend
You can reach a lot of different niche audiences and specific communities on Twitter without limiting your text usage, the place is less-competitive than other social media platforms and you can do specific targeting. But the social media platform is not as useful in terms of managing your budget spend and tracking your ads properly, so you might be disappointed if you wish to see advanced ad tracking and managing tools as other platforms have.
c) Instagram
Instagram can be a beneficial place for mobile apps. Depending on your goals, if you analyze your app and its potential users, they may be spending a lot of time on Instagram. Creating visually powerful ads would be great to catch the user’s attention, and if the message and timing are right, you can reach your potential users from here too.
Pros
- Good For Web Traffic
- Increases Visibility And Brand Awareness
- Video, Photos, Multi-photos Options
- Great For Visual-Oriented And Catchy Ads
Cons
- Does Not Have an Advanced Ad Settings & Options
- Has An Audience From a Limited Age
- Users Are Not Likely To Click Links
- Not a Text Friendly Ad Platform
Instagram is another social media platform you can advertise your app. The platform has an audience of limited age and is not a beneficial channel for long-text ads that’s aiming for a high click rate. If you’re creating visually qualified and catchy ads for a young audience and don’t need advanced settings and options, Instagram might be beneficial for you.
d) YouTube
Vlogs, Tutorials, How-To’s, movie trailers, news, sports, and so on. Everyone has a YouTube page created by their tastes and interests, and YouTube is where we spend a long time and give our focus while we’re watching anything we want. This is a great place to explain long-form topics, engage with the audience with visually rich content, and storytelling.
Pros
- Videos Are Engaging Form Of Ads
- Good For Storytelling
- People Spend More Time In YouTube
- Ability To Reach A Broader Audience
Cons
- Has The “Skip” Button
- You Can’t Choose Which Videos Your Ad Will Be Appeared After
- It’s Hard To Turn View Numbers To Clicks
Youtube is a great platform for long-form video ads and ads that tells a story. Though it’s hard to turn view numbers into clicks and viewers have an option to skip ads, you can reach a broader audience where people spend a lot of time and create long-form video ads without hesitating. If you’re okay with not having the ability having ability to choose which videos your ad will appear after, you can consider using YouTube for your advertising efforts.
Choosing a marketing platform is only the first step in successfully promoting your app. Once you’ve found the best platform for you, it’s time to build a cohesive plan that speaks to your target audience. With an effective plan, budget, and powerful marketing strategy, you can be well on your way to helping your mobile app reach its full potential with the help of a professional team. And for your advertising efforts on the marketing journey of your mobile app, whenever you need help, Cherry is here for you.
So, if you are interested and would like to know more,
please drop us an email: “hello@getcherry.app”
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