Burst Campaigns for Retail Apps
Burst campaigns are a core part of many UA (user acquisition) strategies. They can drive a high volume of new users to your app in a short amount of time. Deploying bursts during the holidays can be a smart approach for your retail app.
In this post, we’ll provide you with the benefits of holiday burst campaigns and ideas for making the most of your budget.
What Is a Burst Campaign?
Burst campaigns are those in which you deploy concentrated spend on media for a short period. One type is burst keywords, where the budget goes directly to keyword bidding on the app stores. It provides a significant boost as a CPI (cost per install) campaign that improves your app’s discoverability and visibility.
You can use that same model but focus on holiday-related keywords that align with your retail app.
Burst Campaign Best Practices
Before you deploy the campaign, you’ll want to do a few things. First, revisit ASO (app store optimization). Your app’s profile should sync with your burst campaigns, which could mean updating keywords and descriptions related to holiday shopping. On iOS, you can create CPPs (custom profile pages) for multiple segments, so take advantage of this!
You also need to determine your goals and how you’ll measure performance. Downloads of the app are just one metric. You’d also want to monitor your app store ranking, which can improve with lots of new installs. Additionally, track the activity of those new users—did they create an account, make a purchase, or engage in another way?
The other decision is whether you’ll launch on the iOS App Store, Google Play, or both. iOS uses the number of installs for ranking, so they are typically the preferred channel. Google Play is more unknown, but if you have a good presence here, you should consider it. Ultimately, where you execute these campaigns should align with the traffic they have, your app’s credibility in the store, and where you believe your target users are.
Holiday Burst Keyword Campaign Ideas
Once you have the parameters determined, it’s time to build the campaign. General holiday keywords will have lots of volume but will be more expensive. Ideally, you’ll want to identify a happy medium of a longer tail keyword with substantial volume. Being niche here helps. Here are some holiday burst campaign ideas to get started.
Keywords Involving Specific Products Hot This Holiday
Does your company offer a “hot” holiday gift this year? In 2021, the top categories were clothing and accessories, gift cards, and toys and hobbies. In addition, the latest tech gadgets, small appliances, and home goods top these lists.
If you see substantial high demand for your products, consider keyword bursts that specifically call out the item. For example, percussion massagers have become very popular. If you sell these, it’s a great product-focused campaign to try.
Considerations for Budget Spenders
While holiday shopping expectations are for growth over 2021, consumers are feeling the pinch due to inflation, with 84% of consumers stating it’s affecting their spending. A survey found that 54% are spending less this year, and 47% are purchasing discount items.
As a result, you may want to incorporate these behaviors into burst campaigns. Including terms around discounts, deals, or budget could catch these consumers seeking to find reputable retailers with fair pricing.
Bursts Associated with Shopping’s Biggest Weekend
Another idea is to use Black Friday and Cyber Monday in keyword phrases to capture the attention of shoppers. If you use such a campaign, ensure your app profiles clearly define the exclusivity of using your app on these dates for the best deals. In addition to bursts, you should also promote this on your website to drive people to use your app.
Targeting Keywords Around Gift Recipients
Most people need a bit of guidance in gift-giving. They often search for specific categories, such as men, women, children, seniors, families, new parents, etc. The shoppers aren’t sure what to buy, so they look for recommendations based on the category. You can use that same approach for keyword bursts by including a category with gifts. This should, of course, align with your products.
For example, a cookware and home goods brand could bid on “gifts for chefs” or “best holiday gifts for home chefs.”
Kick Off Holiday Burst Campaigns with AdAction
Holiday shopping is already in swing. Acquiring new users through a burst campaign is a way to attract those shoppers and get them to download and use your app. As you acquire new users, your organic rankings will rise, too, which could result in organic downloads.
If you’re ready to invest in this tactic, we can help. Our burst experts will guide you in optimizing the campaign and driving results. Contact us today to chat.