Content Marketing
As a digital marketing agency for community banks, our account managers are often asked, “How can we promote our mobile app?” Despite the surge in mobile banking caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, you may still be seeing that mobile banking adoption isn’t quite as high as online banking adoption. Whether you’re launching a brand new, redesigned mobile banking app, or trying to get users to download your existing app, there are a number of ways to make mobile app promotion part of your digital marketing strategy.
Here are 9 ways you can promote your mobile banking app.
1 & 2 Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Mobile App Install Ads – Google has special ads to let you advertise your mobile app. You can run these ads through your Google Ads account. App install ads allow users to install your app directly from your Google Ad by linking to your app’s listing in the Google Play store. These ads are visible in the Google Search and Display networks, as well as YouTube and Google Play. The cost average of mobile app install ads can range between $0.25 and $1.00.
Mobile App Ad Extensions – If you’re already running Google Ads, you may be familiar with ad extensions. These are another great way for you to advertise your mobile app. If you’re not familiar with ad extensions, they are additional items such as links, callouts, locations, or phone numbers that follow your Google ad. For example, if you see a phone number listed after the ad description, that is an ad extension.
When a user clicks on the headline of your ad, they will be directed to the landing page you designated for that particular ad; however, when they click on the app extension, they will be directed to download your app. As with all ad extensions, there is no guarantee that the app extension will appear with your ad. Additionally, the app extensions will be limited to tablet and mobile phone users. You can also use a site extension link to direct visitors to the mobile banking page on our website. This allows you to measure how many people clicked to the respective store to download your app. It is also a friendly option for iOS users.
If your goal is to promote your mobile app, the App Install ads are the way to go. But this doesn’t mean you should rule out ad extensions. Google calculates your campaign’s optimization score based on your utilization of extensions, so take advantage of app extensions to improve your ad quality and promote your mobile banking app.
Learn more about pay-per-click advertising.
3 – 5. Content Marketing
Blogs – If content marketing is part of your FI’s digital marketing strategy, then you’re likely blogging on a regular or semi-regular basis. Why not post a blog about mobile banking? It’s a nice break from your usual savings and loans topics and it’s a great way to educate consumers about mobile banking. (And it’s an easy way to promote your mobile app) Some may be reluctant to use mobile banking because they are concerned about safety and security. Mobile banking safety and mobile banking benefits are great topics. A credit union published a very popular blog about the benefits of mobile banking. Almost a year later, the post continues to be one of their top organic landing pages. Nine months after publication, it was the number one organic landing page with 434 new visitors one month alone.
Videos – There’s more to content marketing than blogs. Videos are also very helpful resources. If you really want to promote the adoption of your mobile banking app, it’s important to educate your clients about how to use the app. Videos have become a popular way to learn new things. You can show your customers exactly how to use your app. First Exchange Bank has a short tutorial about how to get started with online banking and perform basic functions such as depositing a check. Bank of America covers a lot of information in this fast-paced, but easy-to-watch video marketing their mobile banking app.
If your core provider includes “How to” videos with your mobile banking app, use them to market your mobile app. An overall video tutorial video would go well on the online/mobile banking page. If you have multiple short videos, such as “how to deposit a check” or “how to pay a bill” consider creating an FAQ or education section of your website.
PDF User Guides – If you don’t have videos from a core provider, or the budget to make your own, consider a guide or digital brochure. A PDF guide to mobile banking is a less expensive, more robust option compared to a video. Highlight the benefits of mobile banking, and address security concerns. Create a comprehensive Online Banking Guide that includes detailed instructions for setting up online and mobile banking, and how to perform banking tasks within the platform. Include visuals and screenshots so your readers don’t feel overwhelmed by the information. Make it easy for them to navigate and find answers to specific questions. PDF guides might not be as fun as videos, but it is a great way to promote your mobile app, and online/mobile banking in general.
6. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a more personalized way to directly reach your target audience. To be effective, you need a strategy that consists of more than sending an email about your mobile app to your entire client base. Statistics show that only about 20% of marketing emails are opened. Open rates won’t increase if you’re not narrowing your audience to include those most interested and most likely to take action. Send an email promoting your mobile banking app to customers who are not currently using the app. You will likely see higher success by removing all of the irrelevant contacts.
If you want to promote mobile banking more heavily through email, consider marketing automation. With a marketing automation tool, you can create a series of emails to promote your mobile app. Send follow-up emails to recipients who have opened the first email but didn’t click through, or to recipients who did not open the initial email.
As digital marketers, we suggest sending emails promoting your bank’s mobile app once someone signs up for online banking. You likely send a confirmation email, why not use this as an opportunity to advertise your mobile banking app? Catch their attention while they’re already engaged by promoting the mobile app as an extension of online banking. Confirmation and thank you emails are great touchpoints that are too often underutilized.
7. Direct Mail Marketing
Eighty-two percent of marketers reported that direct mail marketing is effective in reaching their target audience. Direct mail can help your message break through cluttered email inboxes. Using direct mail to promote your app is a great way to reach those who haven’t yet adopted the app or to promote a new or redesigned app. When promoting a new or redesigned app, you will want to include all of your customers – especially if it is a brand new app.
The best direct mail option for this type of mailing would be a postcard. Include a visually appealing design with your FI’s branding and highlight a few features of your mobile app. Don’t forget a QR code that recipients can scan with their phones and easily download the app.
8. Social Media
There are endless opportunities to market your mobile app on social media. If you have a regular social media calendar, craft a monthly or bimonthly post about your app. Posts can be as simple as “Deposit a check,” to a short infographic of three benefits of mobile banking. Also, share a link to your blog posts, user guides, and videos.
Because Facebook limits the reach of your organic posts, consider promoting your content through a post-boost or running a Facebook Ads campaign.
9. In Branch
As a marketer, I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that your employees are your biggest brand ambassadors. Educate your office staff and tellers about the app, and help them educate your customers about what they can do with the mobile banking app. Invest in some signage, and display some of those direct mail postcards where customers can easily see them and take one with them.
Need Digital Marketing Ideas To Market Your Mobile App?
At BankBound, we focus on digital marketing for community banks and credit unions. We understand your needs and the challenges you face as a bank marketer. We’ll work with you to develop digital marketing strategies to meet the unique needs of your financial institution. Contact a bank marketing specialist today or request a digital marketing analysis.
