A visitor usually reaches an app through a traffic source. This source can be organic, paid, social, email… The important thing is that your marketing strategy should respect what is best suited to the maturity of the application. In this article, you will discover the main kinds of traffic sources and how to apply them.
Why apply the main sources of traffic
Before introducing the main sources of traffic, it is necessary to understand that their objective is basically to collaborate with your digital strategy, which can vary from an app to another. Let’s see which kind is ideal for you.
Paid traffic
Promoted through sponsored campaigns on ad platforms, the apps which opt to apply this traffic source need a considerable media budget to use paid campaigns. They are fast, effective and dominate the best sources of traffic. The challenge is to balance the return on investment.
Some ways to increase paid traffic include:
- Segmenting your users;
- Create relevant ads,
- And of course, the more budget, the more traffic.
Direct traffic
At first, direct traffic happens when someone searches your app. But it’s actually an inaccurate number, as there are several situations where another traffic source can appear as “direct”. For example, someone sees your ad on their phone and then enters your computer to see your app.
Ways of increasing direct traffic:
- Generate frequent content;
- Create digital tools that encourage continuous use,
- In addition, direct traffic is a consequence of the other sources, especially paid campaigns.
Referral traffic
That’s when your app’s link is on another site, and someone gets to you using this shortcut. For example, guides, digital magazines and websites or blogs from digital influencers. When referral traffic sources are reputable and relevant in your segment, they can help with the ASO (organic) strategy.
It is difficult to get a good link by reference, but when it happens it usually works very well, because in addition to being free, help in ASO, it still comes with indication, as in the case of digital influencers.
Among the forms to increase referral traffic are:
- Partner and exchange links with suppliers, customers and partners,
- Hire digital influencers.
Social traffic
Promoted by social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Youtube and Pinterest. It is essential whenever you can add a link to your app in social media posts to encourage and facilitate access.
Some ways to increase social traffic are:
- Run sponsored campaigns;
- Engage in networks, responding to your posts,
- Hire digital influencers to share and tag your posts.
Email traffic
Generated through email marketing campaigns, email traffic works for apps that have already picked up their own qualified list of emails. It was once one of the main strategies, still relevant, but has been losing space by the lower audience of emails. It’s a complementary strategy, but it can’t be central, because capturing lists and winning a good audience in this media is complicated.
How to increase email traffic:
- Observe the best time to send emails for your audience;
- Create professional titles and emails;
- Send relevant content;
- Customize emails,
- And of course, increase the list of qualified emails.
How to analyze traffic sources
Google Analytics is the most reliable and easy-to-use tool. It can be used in a basic or advanced way. In that sense, the Data-Driven Marketing tool can add to Google Analytics some benefits, such as:
- Unify channel information;
- Separate paid traffic from social media,
- Make the analysis simpler and more conclusive.
Finally, among all the sources of traffic above, paid traffic is the fastest and more feasible to control and guide. The other origins of visitors require specific actions and promote results in the medium and long term, so deepen on the subject to know precisely which one is better for your app.
Know more about traffic sources and other mobile strategies
Are you interested in going further in the traffic source subject? Read RankMyAPP’s ebook on ASO specifically on organic acquisitions. It can help you get new ideas to increase your apps performance.
