As communities respond to COVID-19, consumers are turning to apps to stay safe, connected and informed. In fact, worldwide, average weekly time spent in apps grew 20% year-over-year in Q1 2020,1 suggesting apps are making a difference in how people navigate through this unprecedented time.
This means there are many ways for app developers to help customers adjust to new changes. Here are some tips and considerations to help you be there for your customers while balancing limited time and resources.
Deliver helpful and relevant information
- Consumers’ needs are evolving as they look to stay healthy and connected. Search trends can help you understand what’s top of mind for your customers. For example, did you know that search interest for “is food delivery safe” has increased 650% across the U.S. since the beginning of March?2
- If your app offers food delivery, you could organize your assets by theme—using one ad group for creatives that communicate how you’re keeping users safe, and others for assets that promote cuisines like “Italian” or “Japanese” that are available through your app.
Find more of the right users for your app
- Amid time and resource constraints, it’s more important than ever to connect with new users who will engage in your app. App campaigns make this easy—just define important conversion events, such as completing a tutorial or signing up for a virtual fitness class in your app.
- Then, you can use Target CPA bidding to reach potential customers across Google who are likely to take these actions. Or, you can join our beta for Target ROAS bidding if your ultimate goal is to maximize purchase value in your app.
Engage new and existing customers
- People are turning to video to cope and connect. In fact, in the U.S. since January, views of videos containing “study with me” in the title are 54% higher compared to the same period last year. To help you engage customers when it’s hard to film new content in person, you can create fresh video ads using static or existing assets. Remember to use relatable global scenarios (with limited text and audio) to help reduce your need for localization.
- It’s not just new users who want to know how your app can help. You can reconnect with your existing customers by reaching them with relevant and helpful offers, like a special you might be running on contactless food delivery or deals you have on essential items. You can also make it easier for them to get what they want by directing them from Search, Display, and Shopping ads to the most relevant pages in your app.
For more tips about app development during this time, check out Google Play’s best practices for your subscriptions and in-app products.
1. Source: App Annie, Global, Android Phones, Q1 2020
2. Google Trends, U.S., March 1, 2020–March 24, 2020