Four tips for crypto app marketing

Dave Bell, Co-founder and CEO of Gummicube, offers advice for companies looking to market crypto apps in the app stores.

Cryptocurrency apps shook up the app marketplace when they were first introduced in 2014. The digital currency landscape was once reserved for those with access to the space through complicated hoops and hurdles. 

 While the cryptocurrency space is now largely democratized, that means the competitive landscape for crypto apps on the app store is also increasing. There are wallet apps, exchanges, and marketplaces – the list goes on. Not to mention, almost all of these apps are competing for a similar, if not the same, target audience.

App Store Optimization (ASO) is one of the key strategies all crypto app developers should have to differentiate in a highly saturated market. Let’s explore some ASO best practices to help us better define how to market your crypto app effectively and organically on the app stores.

App Marketing Strategy #1 – Ensure Disclaimers are Clear and Concise
As a relatively new category on the app stores, there are still quite a few grey areas you may run into when marketing your app. To ensure the publication and iterative processes run smoothly, it’s vital to double-check what disclaimers and callouts you need to make to avoid being flagged by the app stores. 

This is one of the biggest reasons many crypto apps have a difficult time making it on the app stores. Not only for crypto apps but for personal finance, NFT and Defi categories as well. 

App Marketing Strategy #2 – Define Your Target Audience
It’s not enough to give your users access to your cryptocurrency app features – you must define your why and for who. The big players in the crypto space all target people who are interested in the space but typically have varying levels of experience. There are clear terminology and demarcations that speak to a seasoned cryptocurrency trader versus a beginner. 

Defining your unique brand voice is a best practice in ASO that not only lets you find a quality audience, but further differentiates you from competitors. In a lot of cases, most cryptocurrency apps offer similar functionalities, but features and voice are the main points of differentiation. 

Ask yourself similar questions like these: Is my audience looking for security? Ease of use? Variety? Advanced tracking? Creating a user persona is a good place to start. Then, define what keyword phrases you will use to help those users find them using ASO technology

App Marketing Strategy #3 – Address External and Internal Marketing Impacts
Crypto is no stranger to volatility, and that includes the demand for the apps as well. The highs and lows of the industry often lend themselves to the impactful industry sways that take place. When crypto does well, the apps do well, and reversely if they’re not. But there are ways to mitigate the economic and publicity effects of the cryptocurrency space and how they relate to effective crypto app marketing.

Depending on the type of event that impacts your performance, iterative and seasonal updates are one of the ways crypto app developers can continue to grow their app performance. If the cryptocurrency marketplace seems to be dwindling, highlighting features that offer users a sense of security or market updates is a great way to market despite changes in the economy. 

Our ASO company has found that implementing a marketing game plan is vital to adaptation. One of the biggest pitfalls of a mobile marketing strategy is not having an action plan to actively address factors that may be out of your immediate control. Empowering your users with information is a great way to not only retain but acquire users during economic shakeups.

App Marketing Strategy #4 – Maintain the Integrity of your Paid Growth Strategy
The most powerful differentiator you have at your disposal is your organic growth strategy. As mentioned previously, the cryptocurrency app marketplace is highly competitive. However, this doesn’t mean that a Google Ads (GA) or Apple Search Ads (ASA) campaign will allow you to cut through the clutter.

Both the App Store and Google Play Store look to relevancy through your app metadata. App listing fields like app name or title, short description/subtitle, and full description on Google Play are considered in this process. 

Through ASO, you build relevancy for keywords over time and prove to the algorithm you’re relevant for those terms. Without an ASO strategy, you end up paying a lot more for keyword bids because that relevance hasn’t been adequately established. Keeping this in mind allows developers to develop a better paid marketing strategy that reduces marketing costs over time. 

Overall
Today, any average Joe can invest in Ethereum, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies with just a few taps – something quite inconceivable just a few years ago. The role of cryptocurrency apps in today’s financial investment world cannot be understated, but they need to arm themselves with the right tools and strategic plans to compete. With these ASO tips, crypto app developers and marketers can make positive strides towards a more effective organic growth strategy on the app stores.

About the Author
Dave Bell is Co-founder and CEO of Gummicube. Gummicube is a global leader in App Store Optimization with more than 12 years of experience optimizing and marketing apps. We offer the leading enterprise ASO technology and agency services, providing support to clients around the world. Our company is trusted by thousands of enterprise brands and leading startups including Microsoft, LinkedIn, Bethesda, SWEAT, GrubHub, McAfee and many others.