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Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 1
Guide to MarketingNon-Gaming Apps
INTERVIEWS WITH 10 LEADING MOBILE MARKETERS
Summer 2016 Edition
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 2
Summer 2016 Edition
Growing a mobile business is no small feat, but for
marketers of non-gaming apps, it’s an even more
difficult task.
From acquiring mobile dating subscribers,
generating mobile purchases, engaging users
with entertainment apps, to driving finance app
subscriptions, non-gaming app marketers each face
a unique set of challenges in successfully growing
their mobile business.
This guide, comprised of interviews with ten expert
mobile marketers representing a wide range of
app categories - dating, shopping, finance, sports,
entertainment, and lifestyle - shares best practices
and tips for successfully growing a non-gaming
mobile app. Read on to find out how marketers
approach user acquisition and retention, as well
as how they diversify their channels to grow their
mobile business.
Visit heroes.liftoff.io
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 3
Q&A with Vivian
Vivian Chang is the Senior Manager of
Acquisition Marketing at RetailMeNot in
Austin, TX. Her extensive background
in paid search marketing led Vivian to
dive into the rapidly evolving world of
mobile marketing where she’s proven
herself to be an expert in growing
mobile businesses.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
I have a search marketing background, so
I enjoy having hands-on optimization and
access to data to quickly evaluate perfor-
mance and run tests. Since the launch of
RetailMeNot’s iOS and Android apps in late
2012, I have been fortunate to have the op-
portunity to learn the industry while helping
to shape our mobile acquisition strategy.
Vivian ChangSenior Manager, Acquisition Marketing
RetailMeNot · Shopping
RetailMeNot is the world’s leading
marketplace for online coupons and
deals. Their mobile app enables con-
sumers across the globe save money
with hundreds of thousands of offers
from leading retailers like Amazon,
Macy’s, and Target.
· Founded in 2007
· Headquartered in Austin, TX
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 4
What do you like most about mobile marketing?
I love that at its core, mobile marketing is fast-pa-
ced and presents the challenge of how to drive
response and awareness on a small screen size.
The industry has gotten much more complex
over the years, but also really interesting as
consumer behaviors shift and new marketing
channels develop. Increasingly, what used to be
siloed as mobile marketing is becoming synon-
ymous with marketing. Who would’ve thought
we’d find it normal to see celebrities in TV com-
mercials endorsing mobile games?
What is the biggest mistake you made as a
mobile marketer?
The mobile space can still be the Wild West
when it comes to prevalence of mobile fraud.
One of my biggest frustrations is the lack of
tools and how manual it is for marketers trying
to stay on top of it.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
Be data-oriented and have a clear view of
all your KPIs to measure success.
Get creative in the ad messaging/design,
and even the channels utilized.
Always be testing.
What does a quality mobile user look like to
you?
Qualitatively for RetailMeNot, the user is a
savvy shopper using our full suite of savings
tools and checks the app every time that
the user is shopping. We look at signals like
frequency of app launches and engagement
with multiple app events to help inform quality
through the metrics.
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
We see success leveraging push notifications
and email to deliver personalized content and
reinforcing the relevant deals content a user
can find in the app through social channels,
especially on Facebook. Of course, the other
key component is delivering a great user
experience in the app product itself. Ultimately
the best predictor of someone becoming an
engaged user is successfully saving money
and experiencing the ease and convenience
of the app first-hand.
What is the biggest challenge in marketing
RetailMeNot?
Because RetailMeNot is a marketplace for
digital savings, the goal is for users to engage
with the breadth of content we offer across
many retailers and brands. There isn’t one
user funnel; instead there are multiple app
actions and paths a user can take for their
shopping needs. This is a challenge when
marketing the app since the metrics are not as
“Be creative, but make data-driven decisions.”
Vivian Chang, RetailMeNot
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 5
clear cut as something like “X cost per enga-
gement” for networks to optimize towards. It’s
an ongoing dialogue with the networks on the
quality of installs each is driving.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
I regularly read newsletters like MobileDevMo,
PocketGamer, and GamingInsiders as well as
keeping up with the Liftoff, adjust, and Apsalar
blogs. On top of that, I ask lots of questions
with my reps at the ad networks and tool pro-
viders I work with. They see across a broad
swatch of clients and industries, so talking
with them keeps me up on the latest trends
and helps me find technology to test. Finally, I
make an effort to build relationships with other
mobile marketers by attending conferences
and events. This is a constantly evolving in-
dustry and I find everyone more than happy to
share his or her experiences.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
It’s critical for RetailMeNot. As competition
on Facebook increases – especially with the
influx of brand dollars – costs continue rising
while volume declines. When RetailMeNot is
pushing for increased volume or lower acqui-
sition costs, having an established, strong
base of installs from various non-Facebook
sources allows me to maintain a balanced
portfolio.
How important are the holidays to your
business and what season is the biggest
time for you?
RetailMeNot facilitated $4.8 billion in global
sales in 2015, and is one of top 5 places users
start their shopping journeys so as you can
imagine, the holiday shopping season is our
biggest time of year. What’s interesting is that
every year the holiday shopping season beg-
ins earlier and earlier, and traditional in-store
shopping days like Black Friday drive tons of
mobile shoppers as well.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 6
Q&A with James
James Peng is the Head of Mobile App
Acquisition at the Match Group in San
Francisco, CA. His analytical and crea-
tive talents have helped James grow
the Match Group’s 45+ brands – inclu-
ding Match.com, Tinder, and OKCupid
– but his willingness to take risks and
be an early adopter of new techno-
logies has made him a true leader in
mobile marketing.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
After 4 years of investment banking and
private equity investing, I decided that I wan-
ted to get off of the beaten path of finance
and apply my skills in a completely different
way to a different industry. After a year of
networking, interviews, and soul searching,
I discovered that mobile marketing was the
James PengHead of Mobile App Acquisition
Match · Dating
The Match Group is the world’s lea-
ding provider of dating products, rede-
fining the way millions of people meet,
date and start relationships every day.
They offer products under nearly 50
brands, including Match.com, Tinder,
OKCupid, Meetic, and OurTime.
· Founded in 1995
· Headquartered in New York
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 7
Good karma. Be generous and don’t be a
jerk. The industry is small and the people
you meet will be your de facto coworkers for
quite some time, whether you like it or not.
What do you think is the biggest miscon-
ception about your profession?
That mobile marketing is made up of people
with marketing experience and degrees. I
more often see people with technical expe-
rience and business majors in our industry.
With the number of moving elements around
campaign ROI and the breakneck pace of
change in the industry, there are definitely
advantages to having skills such as financial
modeling and database querying.
What does a quality mobile user look like to you?
A quality mobile user is one that that not only
drives economic value, but also community
value through deep interactions within the vir-
tual ecosystem. An engaged user that drives
compounded network value can easily be
worth several times more than a standalone
user. However, you’ll also need the ability to
measure and attribute this value accurately.
ideal mix of analysis, business development,
and creative thinking for me.
What do you like most about mobile marketing?
I love that mobile marketing is in its infancy and
evolving more rapidly than almost any other in-
dustry in the world. Because of these dynamics,
relationships are critical and it is imperative to
adapt quickly or be rendered irrelevant.
What is the biggest mistake you made as a
mobile marketer?
My biggest mistake was early on when I spent
my time testing as many channels as possible.
I could have used my funds and time more
wisely by conducting more diligence on top
channels and exchanging notes with other
industry professionals. Before you try the next
new solution or ad network because it sounds
interesting, I’d recommend polling peers and
understanding the investment thesis tho-
roughly prior to testing.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
The analytical horsepower to assess each
user as an ROI opportunity and to dynami-
cally optimize toward your goals.
The ability to think creatively about marke-
ting. CPIs are always increasing and that
shouldn’t surprise you. Be able to think
outside the box about ways to increase
your purchase power or better access your
target audience.
“Installs are easy. The real challenge is driving engagement and retention.”
James Peng, Match
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 8
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
Bringing a user into your app isn’t the hardest
part – you then have to engage and retain
them to drive value. I recommend understan-
ding what your CRM team is doing to boost
user value through unpaid means such as
optimizing push notifications and emails. If it
makes sense for your business model, you
may want to create custom offers to drive
greater activity from current users and bring
back lapsed users through re-engagement.
What is your biggest challenge in marketing
the Match Group?
The biggest challenge in marketing dating
apps is that the target audience (and target
intent) is specific, but the ability to target these
users through most traditional marketing chan-
nels is limited by the immaturity of the industry.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
I stay ahead of the curve by keeping a close
network of industry peers and continuous
conversations with my vendors and ad tech
partners. When possible, instead of waiting
for changes to happen, I try to be the one that
helps to define them for the first time. This
can be done through product discussions and
beta opportunities.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
This is usually one of the top things on my
mind. Even though Facebook is the no-brainer
channel to be on for obvious reasons, the
majority of mobile acquisition inventory exists
and will continue to exist outside of Facebook.
Levering yourself too much to Facebook not
only exposes you to unnecessary risk such as
isolated market fluctuations or major platform
changes, but it also stunts your future growth
when other channels advance. It takes upfront
investment to succeed on other channels,
especially for non-gaming apps, and you don’t
want to be left behind when that time comes.
How important are the holidays to your business
and what season is the biggest time for you?
For Match, the holidays are extremely im-
portant and are a huge volume and revenue
driver, but spring tends to be huge because of
Valentine’s Day and the influx of new devices
after the holiday season.
What do you see as the next big thing in
mobile marketing?
I think a major development is going to be
user-level targeting for traditional mobile
ad network traffic. Ad networks have been
lagging social and programmatic sources of
traffic up to now by focusing on where the
money has been, which has been gaming
advertisers. However, as eCommerce and
performance brands shift budgets towards
mobile apps, they will also demand precise
targeting around their key audiences.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 9
Q&A with Cole
Cole Mercer is the Director of Growth at
LifeLock in San Francisco. He specializes
in growing mobile apps using social
media, paid, and organic user acquisition
techniques. To Cole, marketing isn’t just
about finding new customers, it’s making
sure they’re happy customers for life.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
I was on the founding team of Lemon Wallet
and when we decided we would only offer
the product through mobile, we had no
choice but to learn what the app ecosystem
was all about.
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
I love the opportunity to collaborate with
the product team. You can’t be successful
Cole MercerDirector of Growth
LifeLock · Lifestyle
LifeLock, Inc. is a leading provider
of proactive identity theft protection
services for consumers and consumer
risk management services for enterpri-
ses. LifeLock threat detection, proacti-
ve identity alerts, and comprehensive
remediation services help provide
peace of mind for consumers amid the
growing threat of identity theft.
· Founded in 2005
· Headquartered in Tempe, AZ
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 10
marketing your app without full buy in from
your product team. Its all about fighting for
acquisition optimizations in the battle for
product roadmap priorities.
What is the biggest mistake you made as a
mobile marketer?
At Lemon, we bought a ton of incentivized
installs on Android right out of the gate and
Google made it clear that we had made a mis-
take because we were halted in the rankings
until we deleted the app and launched a fresh
version. Oops.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
Great partners. The space is evolving so
quickly that it is essential to engage with great
partners that live in the mobile universe and
aren’t only focused on one product.
What does a quality mobile user look like to you?
Someone who gives us productive feedback
on a channel where we can have a little back
and forth. I’m looking at you, ‘1-star App Store
reviewer!’
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
Clearly presenting the most simple use case
during the first user experience. There is usually
one very clear reason people come back to the
app, but sometimes they need to be reminded.
Getting an email address doesn’t hurt either.
What is your biggest challenge in marketing
LifeLock?
We sell a premium product in a category with
growing awareness, so there is often a lot
of research and consideration that goes into
choosing LifeLock. Making sure our message
is consistent across all of our ad sizes, videos,
landing pages, stores, etc. as to not confuse
a prospect no matter where they are in the
funnel is the key to turning that casual installer
into a LifeLock customer for life.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
I surround myself with people a lot smarter
than myself, namely partners like Liftoff.
Unpaid plug.
How important are the holidays to your
business and what season is the biggest
time for you?
The holidays are important because people
realize that they are often sharing a lot more
personally identifiable information with retai-
lers during this time. However, the real boost
in awareness and consideration happens
when people realize that their data has been
compromised because of a data breach.
These breach events are terrible, but inevita-
ble, and LifeLock can help so we make sure
our message is front and center after these
events occur.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 11
Q&A with Elsa
Elsa Hou is the Senior Director of
Marketing at Activehours in Palo Alto,
CA. Her holistic approach to mobile
marketing and focus on retaining va-
luable app users for the long haul has
helped Elsa successfully quickly grow
and monetize multiple mobile apps
over the course of her career.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
I previously worked in ad tech focusing on
desktop display advertising. As the industry
transitioned to mobile, I saw an opportunity
to advance my career and get in at the fore-
front of the movement and made the switch
from desktop to mobile marketing.
Elsa Hou Senior Director, Marketing
Activehours · Finance
Activehours was born from the simple
idea that no one should have to wait
weeks to get their pay when they’ve
already earned it. Avoid overdraft fees
and pay bills on time with Activehours.
· Founded in 2012
· Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 12
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
I like how innovative mobile marketing is.
There are a seemingly endless number of ad
formats and placements to experiment with.
The ecosystem is evolving rapidly so there
are constantly new things to learn and try out.
I enjoy the challenge of staying on top of the
latest and greatest ways to grow mobile apps.
What is the biggest mistake you’ve made as
a mobile marketer?
My biggest mistake is getting comfortable with
my current marketing programs. Even if my
campaigns are performing well, there’s always
opportunity to push the envelope and do
better. In this fast-moving industry there’s no
room for complacency!
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
As a mobile marketer, you need to capture
a prospective customer’s attention, clearly
communicate your products unique selling
points, evaluate the performance of various
campaigns and quickly react to changes in
performance. To do this effectively, you need
to be creative, analytical, and nimble.
What does a quality mobile user look like to
Activehours?
A quality user for us is someone who con-
sistently uses the app over a long period of
time. Retention is extremely important for
Activehours and we put a premium on driving
users who exhibit a high lifetime value.
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
Since our product is a new concept, our
customers often do heavy research on
Activehours before signing up, so social proof
through news articles and app store reviews
has been important. We also have support
functionality throughout the sign-up process,
so anytime someone has a question it can be
quickly addressed.
What is your biggest challenge in marketing
Activehours?
My biggest challenge has been to quickly find
new channels to scale marketing efficiently.
Often when you test a new channel, you need
to iterate on creative, targeting and place-
ments before you are able to hit your KPI’s
and that requires a significant investment in
time and money.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
I stay ahead of changes in technology by
regularly reading publications and keeping
up to date with my peers in the industry.
“Success is often born from a willingness to try new things.”
Elsa Hou, Activehours
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 13
Attending industry events and talking with
other mobile marketers is a great way to keep
up with the latest trends and build your profes-
sional network.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
Facebook offers enormous scale and targe-
ting abilities for mobile marketers, but your
campaigns can quickly be affected by chan-
ges within the marketplace or the platform. It’s
important to have diversification within your
marketing mix for the times when something
unexpected happens. Additionally, if you
are too comfortable with marketing only on
Facebook you are susceptible to missing
other opportunities that may actually yield
better results.
How important are the holidays to your
business and what season is the biggest
time for you?
Our product is relevant throughout the year,
so we don’t see really massive changes
throughout the seasons outside of media
costs.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 14
Q&A with Gary
Gary Ma is a Mobile Marketing
Manager at FanDuel in New York. His
finance background shaped him into
an analytics-driven marketer who puts
a premium on driving post-install user
engagement rather than just genera-
ting new installs.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
I stumbled into it when looking for a mar-
keting job. But I quickly realized the mobile
advertising industry was going to be massive
and felt like there would be exciting opportu-
nities for me if I continued in the field.
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
I like that we’re still in the early stages of mo-
bile marketing and there’s a lot of innovation
Gary Ma Mobile Marketing Manager
FanDuel · Sports
FanDuel, launched in July 2009, is the
leader in the daily fantasy sports in-
dustry. Offering fantasy sport contests
for NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, FanDuel
pays out millions of dollars to winners
every week.
· Founded in 2009
· Headquartered in New York
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 15
occurring. Given the high adoption and usage
of smartphones, it’s the present and foreseea-
ble future of where marketing budgets will go.
What is the biggest mistake you’ve made as
a mobile marketer?
The biggest mistake I made was early in my
career, when I mainly focused on optimizing
for a low CPI and didn’t understand how im-
portant post-install engagement is to grow a
mobile company.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
Curiosity. Although certain advertising prin-
ciples like storytelling and the ability to put
together strong ad creative, you should have
a desire to constantly learn the industry. Since
mobile marketing is a relatively new aspect
of the digital advertising ecosystem, we’re
writing the book on what it takes to succeed
as we go.
What does a quality mobile user look like to you?
At FanDuel, a quality mobile user is someone
who installs the app, deposits money and
enters into our daily fantasy contests.
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
A well-planned and helpful user onboarding
process combined with thoughtful push and
in-app notifications goes a long way toward
creating more engaged users.
What is the biggest challenge you face in
marketing FanDuel?
The biggest challenge is ensuring strong geo
blocking in certain states due to the ongoing
legal challenges facing the daily fantasy
sports industry. It would be a poor experience
if a user downloads our app from an ad only
to learn during the registration process they’re
blocked from playing.
How do you stay ahead of changes in mobi-
le technology?
I frequently read popular tech blogs to keep
track of emerging trends in the industry. At the
rate this space is innovating, it’s easy to get left
behind if you don’t stay on top of tech news.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
It’s very important because there are still a
lot of people who aren’t on Facebook (or
Instagram). As such, you need to diversify and
reach those potential users in other apps.
Other things to consider are how busy the
News Feed has become and the occasional
spikes in Facebook user acquisition costs due
to branding/awareness-focused marketers.
How important are the holidays to your
business and what season is the biggest
growth period for FanDuel?
Holidays aren’t as important because FanDuel
is a sports-based business. However, our
busiest growth period is during the fall when
football season begins.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 16
Q&A with Sami
Sami is the Senior Director of
Marketing at Acorns in Newport Beach,
CA. Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug
at a young age, Sami quickly realized
that the success of his app was directly
tied to marketing and vowed to beco-
me a mobile marketing expert.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
When I was 22, I started a photo sharing
app, but spent way too much time working
on development and not enough on marke-
ting. It was the failure of my first start up that
inspired me to never fail at marketing an app
ever again.
Sami KhanSenior Director of Marketing
Acorns · Finance
Acorns is the largest and fastest
growing investment app that allows
people to round up their daily pur-
chases and automatically Invest the
Change® into a commission-free diver-
sified portfolio of index funds offered
by the world’s top asset managers.
· Founded in 2012
· Headquarted in Newport Beach, CA
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 17
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
The instant feedback. The quick learning.
The fast thinking. It’s almost addictive, wat-
ching the data pour in and trying to figure
out how to make that next click even more
valuable.
What is the biggest mistake you made as a
mobile marketer?
The biggest mistake is thinking your hunch is
the only path to success or thinking a single
feature will make something viral. Until you
have the data, a hunch is more like a shot in
the dark, hopefully in the right direction.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
Without a doubt, to be able to think outside
the box. Digital marketing is, in many ways, the
wild west. No one knows where the next hit
will be, so you have to keep trying, iterating
everywhere you can. Acorns is a new app
of it’s kind; it allows anyone to start saving
and investing. Potential users not only had to
understand the magic of our app, but actually
download and use it.
What does a quality mobile user look like to
you?
I think the industry as a whole can agree that
stickiness is the ultimate goal. A user that
keeps coming back is better than just another
number in your download count.
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
I believe you’ve got to set the expectation of
what the app will do as clearly as possible.
Don’t mislead with a vision of a promise land
that doesn’t represent your app. Again, the
sticky user is the one we want, so how can we
get that particular user in the app? Be honest,
let the creative and placement help convince
the user that this is the right app for them.
What is your biggest challenge marketing
your app?
For Acorns, it’s all about getting people to be
patient and understanding about investing.
For many, it’s their first time into the world of
investing. Mobile apps by nature tend to be
perceived as something short term, but the
commitments we want our users to make can
make a lifelong impact.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
I’m always reading mobile marketing blogs
and newsletters to learn from others in the
industry. I also make it a point to attend events
“My previous failures fuel my desire for success on mobile.”
Sami Khan, Acorns
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 18
and conferences with other mobile marketers
to get their take on trends in technology.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
As a marketer, I don’t think you ever want all
your eggs in one basket. You become de-
pendent on that channel and your entire paid
growth trajectory is based on the pricing of
that channel. What if it gets more expensive in
3 months? Can you sustain growth? It’s always
good to diversify.
How important are the holidays to your
business and what season is the biggest
time for you?
New years resolutions are the best time for
any wellness app. In many ways, Acorns is
a wellness app; we are redefining financial
wellness. We want all Americans to become
more financially fit.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 19
Q&A with Alessandra
Alessandra Sales is the Director of
Marketing at Smule in San Francisco.
Her focus on gaining a deep unders-
tanding of her users helps her develop
the right message for her audience
and provide an awesome experience
that leads to loyal customers.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
When I first moved to the US, I started wor-
king at Nextag, a shopping comparison site,
to help them launch their marketing presen-
ce in Southern Europe. Nextag was limited
only to desktop search at the time. In early
2010 I moved to Zoosk, where our marketing
efforts spanned across both mobile and
desktop.
Alessandra SalesDirector of Marketing
Smule · Music
Smule is a developer of interactive
sonic applications for mobile devices,
including Sing! Karaoke, Magic Piano,
AutoRap, which are among the top 15
most downloaded music apps.
· Founded in 2008
· Headquartered in San Francisco
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 20
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
The great thing about mobile marketing is
how dynamic it can be. New products and
apps are being released every month, perfor-
mance numbers change everyday, and you
always need to be on your toes. It gives me
adrenaline and I love it!
What is the biggest mistake you made as a
mobile marketer?
Early on, I used to optimize for good perfor-
mance/ROI without considering the ramifi-
cations of where we were advertising and
what message we were sending about our
company. Spending millions of dollars on
advertising means that millions of people are
seeing your ads. It is important to establish
your brand and messaging in this type of mass
exposure. Giving off a poor brand image early
on could not only stunt your future growth
efforts, but could also be an irreversible
mistake.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
A positive attitude goes a long way in this
industry. You are going to run into many
daily challenges and issues, so it is easy to
be overwhelmed with stress. Focus on long
term, high-level goals. What makes mobile
marketing so engaging is that it also requires
a blend of critical thinking, creativity and
dedication.
What does a quality mobile user look like to
you?
At Smule, a quality user is not necessarily
someone who becomes a paying subscriber.
We also highly value engaged users who play
or sing songs at a high frequency, and users
who are socially engaged with our community.
We discovered that content+social=retention
and this also improves our revenue per user
overtime.
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
Above all, you should figure out and unders-
tand your audience. The other important part
is to offer a smooth and clear first time user
experience. Once you can segment your
users, you have the ability to offer a more
personalized app experience, which typically
leads to better retention. For Smule, social
features are a strong driver of engagement/
retention. We have found that users who feel
a sense of belonging ( joined a community,
sang a lot of duets) tend to engage, retain,
and monetize better.
What is your biggest challenge in marketing
Smule?
One of the biggest challenges is trying to
scale your apps efficiently without having to
rely heavily on the “usual suspects,” Facebook
and Instagram. We have a dedicated person
on our team who is in charge of looking out
for new opportunities. Our general rule of
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 21
thumb is to continue testing new partners and
products, and if your app is global, go after
regional opportunities.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
I read a lot and I ask a lot. My morning ritual
goes something like this… coffee, run, coffee,
TechCrunch. I also like to discuss the latest
marketing trends with friends and colleagues.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
Diversification is key and it is imperative to
find good users outside of Facebook. Nobody
should rely on one source of traffic to drive
user acquisition, because your performance
would be strongly tied to the performance of
that company. It is also important to remem-
ber that your users are also engaging with
other apps, and that different networks offer
different pocket of users. For example, if your
audience skews on the younger side, you
might find other social networks and gaming
apps to be more effective in driving new user
acquisition.
How important are the holidays to your
business?
Holidays = new devices, and new devices =
more users who are willing to download apps.
Smule is a subscription-based company and
we measure the quality of our users based on
their initial ROI as well as their retention rate.
What we have discovered is that during the
holidays more people tend to subscribe using
gift cards and consequently their retention
rate tends to be lower than that of customers
who subscribe using credit cards.
“Create a great mobile experience and revenue will follow.”
Alessandra Sales, Smule
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 22
Q&A with Elyse
Elyse Burack is the Associate Director
of Marketing at Boxed in New York.
After earning a degree in psychology,
Elyse began applying her knowledge
of how the human mind works to mobi-
le marketing, where her ability to truly
get into the mindset of prospective
customers has driven her success.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
I started my career on the agency side of
marketing and was most excited by techno-
logy clients. When I went to make the switch
to in-house marketing I knew that I wanted
to work for a fast growing startup that was
mobile-first.
Elyse BurackAssociate Director of Marketing
Boxed · Shopping
Forget long lines, hassles and back-
aches. Boxed has all your favorite
big box sized products at pint-sized
prices. Save on time, gas and mem-
bership fees while shopping for items
you use every day – all shipped
to your door.
· Released in 2013
· Headquartered in New York
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 23
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
I like being at the forefront of where marketing
and where eCommerce is headed.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
While it is really important to read as much
industry news and information as possible, the
best way to stay on top of changing technology
is to constantly talk with others in the space.
What is your biggest challenge in marketing
the Boxed app?
The biggest challenge is that there is a lot of
noise in the marketplace and consumers don’t
want to be bombarded by advertising. It’s
extremely important to be thoughtful in terms
of using the best channels to reach high qua-
lity users and to be focused in terms of which
acquisition channels we utilize.
What does a quality mobile user look like to
Boxed?
A quality mobile user is someone who wants
to stock up on items for their home or office
and builds a cart to do so. The more that users
“walk through the aisles,” the more value they
see in Boxed and the more likely they will
come back on a consistent basis.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
It is important to be diversified across
channels the same way it is important to be
diversified with investing. There are so many
factors that can go into the ups and downs of
performance and it is never smart to have all
your eggs in one basket.
Additionally, different types of customers
come from different channels. It is important
to diversify channels so that you can test the
LTV of customers coming in from one channel
in comparison to another. While one channel
might be great in the short term in terms of
getting customers in the door, another might
be a better long term investment to get the
right types of customers.
What are your top 3 tips for marketing a
mobile app?
Many people are very selective about how
many apps they will download and have a wall
up that isn’t necessarily there for websites or
brick and mortar. Therefore, my number one
tip is to be as direct and concise as possible
in articulating the app’s value proposition and
why this app will make a difference in the
customer’s life. My second tip is to be open to
testing as there are constantly new platforms
being introduced and you never know what
could resonate with customers unless you try.
Third is to be nimble – if something isn’t wor-
king, be quick to change things, whether it is
creative, targeting, bidding, etc.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 24
What will be the next big thing in mobile
marketing?
I think we have only scratched the surface of
using location based mobile marketing. It is
incredibly powerful to know what your custo-
mers are doing in real-time and how they are
interacting with other brands and products.
“Be nimble. If something isn’t working, quickly change it.”
Elyse Burack, Boxed
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 25
Q&A with Colette
Colette Nataf is the User Acquisition
Manager at MileIQ (acquired by
Microsoft) in San Francisco. She attri-
butes her success to her passion for
measuring everything in the user fun-
nel from install to subscription.
How did you get into mobile marketing?
I used to work in search engine marketing,
but I love being at the forefront of new tech-
nology. So when I spoke with Nat Robinson,
fellow Mobile Hero and Head of Marketing at
MileIQ, about moving into mobile user acqui-
sition, it was easy to see that this is where
the future of marketing was headed and
knew I needed to be a part of it.
Colette Nataf User Acquisition Manager
MileIQ · Business
MileIQ service takes the hassle out of
mileage tracking with a mobile app
that tracks drives automatically, syncs
them to the cloud, and dramatically
simplifies the process of generating
accurate mileage records.
· Founded in 2012
· Headquartered in San Francisco
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 26
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
I love puzzles, so I love that everyday I can
face new adventures and challenges in the
world of mobile. Information is always in de-
mand, but hard to find – we can’t even create
our own tracking links in Facebook cam-
paigns! And these challenges inspire creativi-
ty. I wanted a job that would be intellectually
enriching, and I have absolutely found that in
mobile marketing.
What is the biggest mistake you made as a
mobile marketer?
I would say that my mistakes were always in
my assumptions. Everything from assuming
conversion rates are the same on iOS and
Android (head’s up – they’re not!) to estimates
in volume based upon my own mobile usage,
which was never game-based.
I’d say the biggest mistake I made was not
insisting on having visibility into all conver-
sion data immediately. When I first started,
we worked towards a cost per install target
goal. I was able to hit that goal by diversifying
our user base and marketing channels, but
ended up wasting money on users who
never ended up paying the company back.
But like all mistakes, I’ve learned from this.
Now the entire MileIQ growth team operates
on revenue and upgrade KPIs. It’s been a big
change, and a welcome one.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
Succeeding in this job takes dedication along
with a willingness to learn. Mobile doesn’t
have the same tools as desktop yet, and
sometimes that means you need to come up
with your own process or build your own tool.
I’ve had to learn advanced SQL, Python and
how to work with APIs.
I’ve also had to learn to be at ease with a
philosophy of constant iteration. The mobile
landscape changes every day – sometimes
every hour – as new competitors start and as
new people use their mobile phones. Being
adaptable is key. You need to be able to
respond to your users – wherever they are –
at any time.
What does a quality mobile user look like to
you?
MileIQ has somewhat of a different user ex-
perience. The app actually runs in the back-
ground, so one of our goals is for users to be
LESS engaged with the app. We don’t care
about daily or monthly active users.
“We’re not just staying ahead of changes in mobile tech, we’re creating them.”
Colette Nataf, MileIQ
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 27
Instead, we want to find users who are getting
true value in the app. This means people
who are logging drives, classifying them and
ultimately reporting them to their employer
for a reimbursement or to the IRS for a tax
deduction. I love users who never open the
app, but get deductions at the end of the year
for more than $10,000. We’re providing an
amazing service, and I want all of our users to
take advantage of it.
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
Re-engagement and re-targeting are both
key. Our goal is not to bring users back into
the app for continued usage like a game, but
instead just to remind users that they have
MileIQ. We want to remind them that we’re
catching all of their drives and that those
drives are worth money.
We’ve found that the best methods to increa-
se conversions are those that only remind
users that we have drives. We’ve tried promo-
tions, driving to upgrade and many others, but
at the end of the day users just want to know
that we’re catching drives and doing our job.
That being said, we have advanced user
segmentation for re-engagement. This means
we’re grouping users by every single number
of drives caught and every single dollar classi-
fied. We can show extremely customized crea-
tive based upon these audience segments,
and this is what creates success for us.
What is your biggest challenge marketing
MileIQ?
Our biggest challenge at MileIQ is honestly
just explaining to users how to download an
app. We frequently receive support messages
asking how to install MileIQ and if they can
install it on their computers! These are users
who have only used email, text messaging
and calling on their cell phones. And we’re
finding them and engaging them with an
amazing service. People love the idea and the
execution of our product – we just need to
give them a little more direction.
In our latest video advertisement, we literally
have a shot of a person sitting on the couch,
going to the app store, pressing Install and
opening the app.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
We’re not just staying ahead of the changes –
we’re creating them. I personally build internal
tools every single day to help with marketing
automation and management. Our enginee-
ring team develops strategies to easily A/B
test screens within our app. Together as a
group, we find solutions to every problem.
This ambitious creativity and enthusiasm for
the work we do is contagious here. You won’t
find anyone at MileIQ who isn’t at the front of
his or her field.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 28
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
My very first task at MileIQ was to diversify
acquisition spend away from Facebook. We
were spending more than 90% of our marke-
ting budget on Facebook, and it was a huge
risk to the business. If anything happened to
Facebook and the users, we would lose ou-
rentire marketing strategy.
Since then, we have managed to diversify
across a number of channels. We now have a
healthy and well-balanced portfolio.
How important are the holidays to your
business and what season is the biggest
time for you?
Our “holiday season” is tax time. MileIQ users
typically think about mileage tracking and
deductions for their taxes (and generally when
their accountants ask to see their mileage
logs!).
We see a lot of search volume during this time
and increased conversion rates. But diversifi-
cation in revenue is just as important as diver-
sification in costs. We are always challenging
ourselves to think about how we can engage
users outside of this “holiday season” and rely
less heavily on the first four months of the year.
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 29
Q&A with Shamanth
Shamanth Rao is the Director of
Growth at PuzzleSocial in New York.
His experience in search marketing, ad
tech and mobile marketing has shaped
him into an expert on mobile growth.
How do you stay ahead of changes in
technology?
I don’t consume massive quantities of infor-
mation. My friends at Grow.co run a great
email newsletter and email list focused on
mobile growth that I regularly read. Other
than that, I like to meet industry folks one-on-
one and at events.
What do you like most about mobile
marketing?
I like that I’m always learning something new.
The industry has evolved dramatically over
Shamanth Rao Director of Growth
PuzzleSocial · Entretainment
PuzzleSocial Inc. is the maker of Daily
Celebrity Crossword, the world’s
most-solved and top grossing daily
digital crossword puzzle. The app can
be played on iPhone, iPad, Android,
and Kindle devices as well as on
Facebook.
· Founded in 2010
· Headquartered in New York
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 30
the last few years – from running banner ads
on CPM to hyper-targeted rich media ads and
CPA campaigns. Working in mobile marketing
keeps me excited to go to work every day.
What does it take to succeed in mobile
marketing?
Having a long term view of growth that encom-
passes the financial viability of the business.
What is the biggest mistake you made as a
mobile marketer?
Ignoring downstream retention and perfor-
mance. We’ve run campaigns where the initial
ROI of users in their first few days looked
good because these users were relatively
cheap. After taking a closer look at our data,
we realized that their downstream retention
and monetization (beyond their first few days
after install) were not so hot. Therefore, what
we thought was an ROI-positive cohort based
on the initial data turned out to be one where
we lost money.
What does a quality mobile user look like to
you?
A quality user for us is one who has made it a
daily habit to solve our puzzles every single day.
What strategies work best to convert ins-
talls into engaged users?
Because we’re a game that’s proven offline
for decades now, most users who install are
familiar enough to start playing our game. With
that said, we also have an in-game tutorial that
is a key part of our first-time user experience
that guides users through the gameplay to
make sure users understand the core value of
the game.
What is the biggest challenge marketing
your app?
Acquiring cost-effective, quality users at scale.
There’s always a tradeoff between scale and
price – and that is a constant battle that we
fight.
How important is diversifying user acquisi-
tion outside of Facebook?
This is absolutely critical. Facebook has to
be one channel in a portfolio – and we take
care not to be overly reliant on any single
channel.
How important are the holidays to your
business?
Holidays are only marginally important for
us, because we’re a daily crossword game.
There are new devices in the market that
drive incremental usage, but our primary goal
is to have users form a daily habit of solving
crosswords, irrespective of whether it’s holi-
day season or not.
“There’s no room for complacency in mobile.”
Samanth Rao, PuzleSocial
Guide to Marketing Non-Gaming Apps | Summer 2016 31
Liftoff, Fueling Mobile Growth
Liftoff is a full-service mobile app marketing and
retargeting platform which uses post-install data
to run true CPA-optimized mobile user acquisition
and retention campaigns. With Liftoff, campaigns
are optimized to drive specific actions beyond
the install, to acquire users who engage in more
profitable post-install events like booking a hotel,
subscribing to a service or making a purchase.
[email protected] heroes.liftoff.ioliftoff.io