To successfully market your mobile app, it’s essential to consistently attract qualified users and retain them. With millions of apps available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, a cohesive marketing strategy will help you stand out from the competition.
Sasha Friedman, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Mailchimp, emphasizes that it’s crucial to think about your users throughout their journey with your app and deliver an experience that meets their needs. Lifecycle marketing, covering acquisition, onboarding, engagement, and retention, provides an effective approach to generating consistent interest and encouraging downloads from the right audience.
1. Acquisition: Attracting the Right Users

Acquisition is the first step to making your app visible and attracting new users. The key strategy is to show the value of your app when users are most receptive.
Optimizing Your Presence in the App Store
One key way to boost your app’s visibility is by optimizing it in the App Store. Track keyword trends and regularly update your app’s metadata (title, subtitle, description, and screenshots) to highlight new features. Use tools like App Radar or Apptrace to monitor trends and improve your app’s discoverability.
Boost Your App Store Profile
User reviews play a significant role in the success of your app. Encourage users to leave reviews and update your app with new features to keep the interest alive. Submitting your app to special sections in the App Store, like Apple’s “Today” screen, can also help boost visibility.
Promotion and Globalization
Consider running ad campaigns and requesting reviews from specialized websites. To reach a global audience, localize your app by translating its metadata to appeal to users in different countries, which helps improve search rankings and attract more users worldwide.
2. Onboarding: A Seamless User Experience from the Start

Many apps are downloaded but quickly forgotten. To encourage use, it’s crucial to provide a seamless and compelling onboarding experience.
Engaging Onboarding Process
Create engaging introduction screens that showcase your app’s best features before the user starts using it. Sending a welcome email a day or two after the download can also remind users of your app’s value. Additionally, an in-app tutorial can guide new users and encourage them to continue interacting.
Data Collection and Segmentation
Use the onboarding process to collect data on user behaviors. Segment your audience to understand their interests and customize the onboarding experience to meet their preferences.
3. Engagement: Keeping Users Actively Involved

Tracking user behavior within your app is essential for understanding key engagement moments and responding effectively to user needs.
Personalized Push Notifications and Messages
Use push notifications, in-app messages, and email to remind users of new features and updates. Personalize your messages based on user behavior to keep them engaged.
Encourage In-App Reviews
Request reviews directly within the app, which not only boosts your visibility but also provides immediate feedback on what users like and what could be improved.
In-App Promotions and Upsells
If you offer paid products or services, use in-app payment options to increase revenue and make it easy for users to make purchases. In-app promotions can also drive engagement by highlighting discounts and special offers.
4. Retention: Keeping Users Coming Back

Retention relies on your ability to maintain an ongoing relationship with users and encourage them to return to your app regularly.
Tracking and Re-engaging Users
Tools like Firebase help track user activity within your app. If you notice a drop in activity, such as users starting an action but not completing it, you can improve a process or upgrade a feature. You can then send an email to users who have stopped using the app, encouraging them to return.
Increasing Visibility and Regular Reminders
Use banners or pop-ups on your website to remind users of your app. Social media posts or text messages can also help bring users back, such as retargeting ads for users who have interacted with your brand before.
Testing and Improving
Just like with acquisition and engagement, retention requires regular testing to understand what works best and adjusting your strategy based on user preferences.
Conclusion: Building a Strong Lifecycle Strategy
A successful marketing strategy for your mobile app should cover all stages of the user journey, from download to regular use. By better understanding your users’ behaviors, you’ll be able to keep them engaged and offer an experience that matches their needs.
As Sasha Friedman sums up: “It’s important to understand where your mobile app fits into the customer journey. Once you define your messaging and positioning, you’ll be better equipped to keep users engaged at the right place and time.”
By following these strategies at each stage of the user lifecycle, you’ll be able to create not only a successful mobile app but also one that is sustainable over time.