The world of digital marketing has always been fast moving and perhaps nowhere more so than in the world of social media. Take TikTok for instance. Not long ago it was the new kid on the block, and has now rapidly shaken up the industry, growing to more than 1bn users worldwide.

It can feel almost impossible to keep up with the latest developments. And so our co-founder and CMO, Paul Neto, recently wrote a piece for Advertising Week, stressing the importance of going deep into app usage metrics in order to find out exactly how audiences are spending their time. Paul emphasizes the need to look beyond downloads and ratings, in order to understand exactly how consumers are interacting with apps in order to gain more holistic audience views.

After all, understanding the ways individuals utilize their devices can enable businesses to make more confident and informed decisions. Certainly marketers need to build a clear picture of the ways in which consumers are using apps - including where they are spending their time and what they are doing. Robust analysis of behaviors in these platforms can bring consumers’ entertainment, lifestyle, media and purchasing habits to life.

For instance, we found that, on average, respondents are spending 12.4 hours per week on TikTok, with YouTube as the runner up and Instagram in third place. What’s more, over 24% of individuals have TikTok ranked as their top-used app, compared to 13% for YouTube and 6.8% for Instagram. Paul writes, “It’s clear that this platform is filling ‘micro gaps’ in the day with 15-second-or-shorter memes, dance videos, magic tricks and funny videos.”

Certainly there’s no doubt that TikTok is a force to be reckoned with. As such, it is wise for marketers to come up with strategies that include reaching consumers here, especially if younger audiences are a target. We also delved into many of the most popular shopping apps, to discover that the most commonly used app, by iOS users aged 16-25, was Apple’s App Store at 91%, followed by Amazon at 77%. Meanwhile, SHEIN continues to establish itself with nearly 28% of individuals aged 16-25 using it weekly.

By collecting and analyzing in-app behavioral data, advertisers, brands and app developers can develop better strategies in order to have a significant, front-of-mind presence in the daily lives of their audiences.

Paul continues: “Digging into in-app behaviors can generate huge reservoirs of insights into what people are watching and how they are engaging with various content types, trends, influencers, hashtags, genres and more. By seeing what they ‘like’, where they comment and how they are spending time on their mobile devices, it is possible to build a holistic picture of customers and potential customers, to help you identify trends, predict future behaviors, and make well informed decisions.”

It’s time to redefine engagement beyond rudimentary metrics, he concludes. By keeping track in real time, it is possible to remain ahead of the pack.

How can we help you better understand your app audience today? 

‍To read the article in full, visit:

https://advertisingweek.com/advertisers-and-marketers-must-stay-up-to-date-when-it-comes-to-app-usage-and-engagement/ 

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