Why App Developers Need to be Running App Store Ads

Apple Search Ads

Apple’s App Store ads, officially called Apple Search Ads (ASA), was released a couple years ago. These are the app ads you see when you search in the App Store. They appear as the first search result in a light blue box.

There are 2 types of ASA:

1. Basic - Basic has extremely limited functionality. At the end of the day Apple's AI does it all for you. You'll also have limited reporting capabilities.
2. Advanced - Advanced allows you to control and manage every single aspect of your ad campaigns. You'll get full access to ASA API for reporting purposes.

Also, the reach of ASA was limited to certain countries until earlier this year when 46 new countries were added to the existing list of 13.

So now more than ever, app developers need to be running ASA campaigns.

Give the Underdogs a Chance

Before ASA came around, there was really no way to beat the big players. Smaller apps sunk to the bottom of search results, became zombies, died out and then eventually got cleaned out all together.

ASA changed all of that. It gave indie developers a chance to get their app in front of a larger audience, above the listing of a widely popular app. These App Store ads also have an additional crucial benefit: brand protection. Developers can now utilize ASA to either protect their own apps or run ads against a competitor’s. Apple allows exact match keywords, which are best used for both of the mentioned cases.

Notice below, that smaller apps are using ASA and well-known social media apps as ad campaign keywords to drive traffic to themselves.

65% of Downloads Occur Directly an App Store Search

The majority of iOS app installs come directly from the App Store. Not social media, not other apps, not web search. So it makes total sense to promote your app in the App Store, especially if you’re a smaller indie developer.

ASA is the only access app developers and marketers have to app promotion within the actual App Store. All other ad campaigns live on platforms such as social media, ad networks which place in-app ads, mobile web browsers and desktop web browsers. These are all great and fine, however, none of them gives you direct access to high visibility in the App Store.

There are 2 million apps in the App Store. To stand out among this number is a gigantic but 100% achievable task. Increasing app visibility in the App Store involves two major factors. The first is App Store Optimization (ASO) and the second is ASA, which relies heavily on the first.

I’m going to leave ASO as a topic for another day and let’s move along with why you need ASA.

Apple’s App Store Makes Way More Money Than Google Play

First, Apple reports 70% of people use App Store search to find a new app and ASA has a 50% average conversion rate.

ASA converts extremely well because they’re being seen by a high-intent audience. App Store visitors use search to look for a specific app, app genre or app functionality. An ad ensures that your app is seen above all others for certain search terms, bringing you the users were already searching for an app like yours. 

Second, iOS apps are making way more money than Android apps. Yes, statistically there are more Android phones floating around out there in the world. But even so, Apple’s App Store beats out the Google Play Store for revenue earned.

2018 Q3? Apple’s App Store earned a jaw-dropping 93% more than Google Play. Furthermore, historically two-thirds of all revenue made from mobile apps comes from Apple. iOS users are far more likely than Android users to drop a dime.

If you want to earn money with your app then you have to go where the money is. The numbers don’t lie. Your destination is Apple.

Get your App Store Ads Going

Alright, what are you waiting for? Get your ASA campaigns going and increase your user base today. But remember, ASA basic is going to do pretty much nothing for you.

Give Advanced a go and when that’s too much for your plate, give my App Radar expert app growth team a call.

#appstoreads #applesearchads #appmarketing #appgrowth #iosapps