The Ultimate Guide to Burst Campaigns

for Mobile App Marketers

All Your Questions Answered!
Find Out Everything
About Burst Campaigns

Getting visibility for your app requires a multi-pronged strategy. There’s no

shortage of competition, no matter your category. As of the first quarter of
2020, the App Store has over 1.8 million apps, while Google Play includes
over 2.5 million.

App store optimization (ASO) is the foundation, but what can you do to
accelerate your app’s position and user acquisition? Many find success with
burst campaigns.

Burst campaigns can work in tandem with ASO to deliver organic and non-
organic downloads. If you’re curious about them or are seeking advice,
check out this guide to burst campaigns.

Key Takeaways
Burst campaigns drive user acquisition with quick, high-volume paid
media.
These campaigns can drive up ranking, providing an organic lift.
Using best practices, including enhancing ASO, is critical to success.
What Is a Burst Campaign?
A burst or boost campaign is just as you’d assume. It’s the act of
“boosting” an advertising campaign with significant spend in a
small timeframe, typically a few days. The goal is to obtain installs
or conversions. It’s a very aggressive approach that drives
immediate exposure.

The mechanics of a burst campaign include purchasing a massive

amount of paid media to promote your app. As user installs climb,
so does your app rank.

Your app may make it to the top of the download charts, which
can then trigger more organic downloads. If your app delivers
desirable functionality and practicality, your new users will
continue to use it.
Why Launch a Burst Campaign?
It’s all about exposure. Burst campaigns boost your app’s profile. You can gain non-organic lift but more importantly
organic lift. Paid strategies support organic lift because more users are visiting and downloading your app from your paid
promotion, your app will rise up the charts. It’s appearance here and in search results from a keyword helps you find new
users that didn’t convert from just your ad buy. It also decreases the cost per install (CPI).

Magnify New User

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Omnichannel Acquisition
Management Rank Reviews
Promotions
Drive organic Ensure leadership Build your app’s Amplify the impact Gain a large influx of
growth for baseline visibility or maintain a authority with positive of your campaign to new users to a brand-
needs and see your key position reviews that provide support other new title or a growth
over competitors. proof of the app’s channels, such as phase objective.
position increase.
quality and usability social, traditional
media, etc.
(great for new apps).
When Should You Deploy What Apps Are Best for
a Burst Campaign? Burst Campaigns?
Timing is everything for any campaign; bursts
are no different. Some apps choose to do it at
the initial launch. It’s a logical step in
promotion and will drive the best results when
you have a reliable, stable app. Once you’ve
done all your testing and have confidence in the app’s
reliability, your burst campaign can expand brand
awareness and drive reviews.
Burst campaigns often align with events. For example,
apps that focus on sports may deploy a campaign when
the season starts. Or, you may boost a holiday shopping
app in Q4. People already have an interest in these
topics. It makes sense that they would already be looking
for an app solution.
Any app can see results from a burst
campaign, but that doesn’t mean it’s the
best strategy for all apps. When
determining if your app will perform well in
a burst, consider these points.
Your app should appeal to a large segment of
users, so niche apps are not good candidates.
Apps should also have a solid ASO status to
reap the benefits.
You also need to ensure you have the budget to
sustain the impact from the burst.

Another reason to execute a burst campaign is when you

are seeing downward trends in user acquisition. With a
boost, this will trend up, but these campaigns are
certainly more about quantity over quality.
What Are Burst Pre-Campaign Best Practices?

Determine Your Goals

To determine if your campaign was a success, set key performance indicators (KPIs) related to your
goals. These should be specific goals like climbing the charts or building your long-term user base.

Conduct Substantial Testing

Before you launch a burst campaign, it’s critical to prep for the expectations of higher traffic. First and foremost, your app
and ASO should be error-free. If you’re pushing users to your app, it needs to work correctly. Extra testing and quality
assurance practices can help you avoid any failures.

Make sure you run a stress test to ensure that the app can handle a substantial influx of traffic at one time. If your network
and servers can’t handle spikes, your investment will be for naught. It could affect your reputation for years to come.

Focus on ASO
If your burst campaign is for an existing app, engage in strategic ASO for at least 90 days before you deploy. Consistent ASO
ensures that your app is ready for high traffic exposure.

Select a Network with Ample Traffic

Not every network can support a burst campaign. They don’t have enough traffic for you to realize substantive ROI. When
considering the network for your burst campaign, ask specifically about traffic sources to determine if it’s substantial enough.
Burst Pre-Campaign Best Practices Spotlight:
Evaluate the Market

Analyzing your specific app market is crucial for your campaign. Pay attention to aspects like:
Smartphone penetration
Existing user LTV (lifetime value) from the market
Market size
Competition
iOS and Google algorithm differences

iOS vs. Android Burst Campaigns

The most fundamental difference between iOS and Android is the algorithm. The App Store leans on the frequency of
installs for ranking. Because of this, it’s the preferred channel for bursts.

Google Play is different and a bit unknown. Many conjecture that Google Play’s algorithm is similar to Google’s search
engine ranking. If so, it considers many factors, including volume, frequency, usage, app quality, performance, reviews, and
SEO status. Typically to make an impact on Google Play charts, you’ll need an omnichannel approach. You’ll promote the
app in multiple channels, including social media, PR, and other paid media opportunities.

Another caveat is that Google Play rankings have less volatility than the App Store. You’ll require many more downloads to
make it to the top of Google charts.
Can You Expect Organic
Lift During and After a
Burst Campaign?
During and post-campaign, you should see an
organic lift in traffic. This metric can grow for
several reasons.
First, your app may hit the top charts as a
result of the burst campaign. Therefore, it gets
more visibility from anyone viewing the charts.
Second, some users may see an ad and not convert
immediately. They may come back to your app days
later to download it.
Third, virality could occur, as users learn about your
app from peers converted via an ad.
Organic lift is a happy consequence of burst
campaigns and can be very valuable in keeping the
momentum going post-burst.
How Do You Maintain
Momentum Post-Burst
Campaign?
After the conclusion of the burst campaign, you
still should continue to optimize your ASO
strategy. Promotion of your app doesn’t end. It’s
continuous. Review your results and develop a
plan to maintain momentum and retain your
new users.
You can do this by continuing to leverage paid advertising on
a smaller scale. Check the metrics of your campaign to
improve future paid campaign targeting. Consult with your
network partner on specific ideas to sustain burst rank with
lower daily volumes.
Next, you need a strategy to keep those new users. Consider
how you’ll create exceptional user experiences. How you
carry this out has much to do with the app and users. The
plan may include things like engaging onboarding, relevant
content, and responsive communication.
Is a Burst Campaign a Good Move for You?
With any business decision, you have to consider the pros and cons. A burst campaign has the potential to deliver
exceptional results for UA. However, there are many questions to ask to decide if it’s a good move for you.

Want to learn more about burst campaigns and ASO? Talk to our performance-based marketing experts about how we
can help.

855-978-APPS (2777)
info@adaction.com

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