Table of Contents
Deploying a Marketing Funnel
Introduction
In the world of app development and marketing, understanding and deploying an effective marketing funnel is crucial for success. A marketing funnel is a step-by-step process that takes potential customers or users through a series of stages to ultimately convert them into paying subscribers. In this article, we will explore the process of creating and evaluating a marketing funnel for a subscription app, with a focus on mobile services. We will also discuss the importance of tracking key metrics and optimizing your campaigns for a higher return on investment (ROI).
Creating the Funnel: User Awareness to Monetization
When creating a marketing funnel for a subscription app, it is important to consider the user’s journey from awareness to monetization. The funnel typically consists of several stages, including showing ads, clicking on ads, installing the app, opening the app, paywall, trial period, first purchase, and subsequent purchases. The goal is to guide users through each stage and ultimately convert them into paying subscribers.
To start the funnel, you need to launch an effective advertising campaign to raise awareness of your app among your target audience. By reaching the right users and capturing their attention, you increase the chances of them clicking on your ads and redirecting to the App Store to install your app. At this stage, you can begin to see conversions and evaluate how users are progressing through the funnel.
After installing the app, users go through the process of exploring the free content and options before encountering a paywall. The paywall restricts access to certain content and features, prompting users to consider purchasing a paid subscription. To encourage users who are hesitant about payments, you can offer a free trial period that provides access to paid content for a limited time. If users find value in the app during the trial period, they may continue as paying subscribers.
Tracking Conversions and Evaluating the Funnel
Tracking conversions is an essential part of evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing funnel. The conversion rate is calculated as the percentage of users who completed a desired action at each stage of the funnel. For example, if 500 people installed your app and 50 of them activated the trial period, the conversion rate would be 10% (50/500).
It is important to not only focus on the conversion rate but also consider the absolute number of users at each stage of the funnel. If you attracted fewer users than expected from the beginning, even a high conversion rate may not result in the desired number of paying subscribers. Additionally, monitoring the churn rate or the percentage of users who unsubscribe from your app is crucial. This rate helps identify any issues with user retention and can guide adjustments to the funnel.
Estimating the Effectiveness of Paid Traffic
To effectively monetize your subscription app, you may choose to buy targeted mobile traffic from social networks like Facebook and Instagram. Buying targeted traffic can increase the likelihood of desired actions and constant purchases from users. However, it is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of your paid traffic to ensure a positive return on investment (ROI).
Key metrics to consider when evaluating paid traffic include the cost per action (CPA) and the cost per install (CPI). CPA refers to the cost associated with a desired action, such as the first purchase made by a subscriber. It is calculated by dividing the total cost of advertising by the number of users who completed the desired action. For example, if you spent $5,000 on advertising and 100 people reached the trial period, the cost of the trial would be $50 (5,000/100).
It is important to consider the long-term value of users when evaluating the CPA. While the initial cost may seem high, if these users make multiple purchases over time, the ROI can ultimately be positive. Therefore, it is crucial to track historical data and give your marketing campaigns time to generate accurate predictive analytics.
Avoiding High Costs per Click
When promoting an iOS application, it is important to avoid high costs per click (CPC) as it indicates reduced user interest. While tracking CPC can help you measure the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, it is less significant in the subscription business compared to CPA and CPI. CPC primarily reflects how users move from advertising to the app page in the App Store, and many of these users may not install your app.
Evaluating the Return on Investment
The return on investment (ROI) is a critical measure of the overall success of your marketing campaign and should be considered when building a promotion strategy. For a subscription app, the ROI refers to the revenue generated from subscribers who made the first purchase after the campaign. A positive ROI indicates that your funnel is working effectively and generating revenue.
To calculate the ROI, subtract the cost of advertising from the revenue generated and divide the result by the cost of advertising. For example, if you spent $1,000 on advertising and earned $1,500, the ROI would be 50% (($1,500 – $1,000) / $1,000).
A good ROI is typically considered to be around 20% or higher in the long term. Achieving this goal with minimal advertising spend indicates a well-functioning funnel throughout the stages of monetization, such as the first and subsequent purchases.
Conclusion: Building an Effective Sales Funnel
Creating and deploying an effective marketing funnel for a subscription app requires careful planning and evaluation. By guiding users through each stage, tracking key metrics, and optimizing your campaigns, you can increase the chances of converting users into paying subscribers. It is important to continuously monitor conversions, churn rate, and the ROI to make necessary adjustments and improve the effectiveness of your funnel.
Remember to take time to build your funnel and gather audience data for accurate analysis. By doing so, you can increase your chances of success and achieve a high ROI. With a well-optimized marketing funnel, you can transform ordinary users into loyal subscribers and maximize the revenue potential of your subscription app.