What is PWA?

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are websites that are progressively improved to function like installed, native apps on supporting platforms while working like conventional websites on other browsers.

To break it down: PWA is how you get the best of both the web and apps. Otherwise, you can even define it as a web page that has undergone an alteration that makes it behave more like an app downloaded from the Play Store or App Store. It begins as a normal web page in the browser and as the uses explore, they get the prompt if they would like to “Add to Home Screen.” Once the user allows this, the PWA is added to their home screen where it looks no different than your other apps. When you open from the home screen, it can even conceal the UI controls on the browser and look like an app!

Yes, you can say it functions more like a glorified bookmark. As mentioned, PWA is the bridge between the web and the app, especially when creators have always been eager for the web to be at par with native apps. In fact, PWA is the solution for all those users who bounce from websites that takes more than 3 seconds to load. 

Basically, it is about eliminating interference and making it easier for users to get to what they want.

How Important is it For a Business?

PWAs look great in writing, but how beneficial is it for your business? PWAs are reliable, responsive, secure and engaging. Here’s a closer look at these characteristics:

• Reliable

PWAs launch and give users meaningful content regardless of network conditions. Offline functionality depends on the application—some functions are entirely offline while others show important placeholder data letting the user know that they are offline. Whatever the situation, the application doesn’t crash or become unresponsive.

• Responsive

PWA can adapt to various screen sizes and orientations, which ensures the UX remains great for all users. A good responsive design helps to make sure that your application continues to work with new devices in the future.

• Secure

PWAs are secure by default. The technologies powering PWA demand apps to be completed over HTTPS to function.

• Engaging

Usually, native apps have been more engaging than web apps. When there’s an icon on the home screen, it makes it easier to get into the app. The push notifications can help alert the user of meaningful information that demands their attention. With PWA, users can get the same benefits with web apps. 

With such advantages, for many companies, particularly those building apps for internal use, the cost of producing, testing and maintaining apps for various platforms is unrealistic. PWA is becoming the more viable alternative. 

PWAs let you deliver user experiences that rival native apps without needing multiple teams for development, distributions and updates. By concentrating your resources and efforts into creating one app, you can offer your users better UX. Additionally, PWA technologies are promoted by big names like Microsoft and Google. All Android devices are compatible with PWA.

Some PWA Success Stories

There have been many real-life examples of PWA successes. 

The world’s most famous coffee franchise, Starbucks, rolled out its PWA in 2018. The Starbucks PWA has increased daily active users. Orders on the desktop are at almost the same rate as mobile.

The German transnational company specialising in internet-related hotel products and services, Trivago, did the same in 2017. They saw an increase of 150% for people who added the PWA to the home screen, which increased engagement and this improvement led to a 97% jump in clock outs to hotel offers. 

Tinder also launched its PWA in 2017. The team behind the famous dating site saw load times cut down from 11.91 seconds to 4.68 seconds with their PWA. The app is 90% smaller than the Android app. 

Fashion, beauty and home retailer, Debenham, found their user browsing to purchase journey expanding. The PWA delivered a 40% increase in mobile revenue and a 20% increase in conversion. Streaming platform ZEE5 also launched its PWA in 2019 to expand its reach. The PWA is three times faster and it significantly reduced buffering time.

Native apps will not go extinct thanks to PWAs but the case studies speak for themselves. The interest in PWAs for business grows every day.

The Mobile App Marketing Funnel

Mobile app marketing is about connecting with your users through their entire lifecycle—from the first time they hear about your app to when they become regular and loyal users. To do this efficiently, you have to find out who will use your app, where you can find them, what you can say to them and what they want from you.  

For mobile app usage, there is a sequence of stages, otherwise known as “funnels”, which are acquisition, activation and retention.

Acquisition

The first part of creating a successful app is, of course, getting people to use it. From a messaging standpoint, you have to convince prospective users that your app can solve their problems. Some app acquisition channels include social media, search advertising and app store listing, etc. 

When you select an acquisition strategy, it’s important to monitor your cost per acquisition (CPA). Certain channels—like a webpage or app store listing—are time-consuming but cost-effective. Other channels—like paid ads—are easier to optimise and scale but can get expensive. Choosing the right balance of activities is necessary if you want your app to remain successful for a long time. And this success depends on how well you activate and retain your customers.

Activation

Once a user has installed your app, you need them to use it. Most users delete apps shortly after downloading the app, so it’s important to have a powerful messaging strategy that will make users want to use your app.

Retention

Keeping your users engaged is not something you do once and then never again. Since it’s a key factor in calculating the lifetime value of a customer, retention is particularly important. It basically tells you if your efforts have been profitable or not. Sending coupons or discounts, curating special content and offering personalisation are among the many things you could do for customer retention.

A Way to Start—Social Media Platforms

The advent of social media and apps can be tracked simultaneously. At the same time, we have seen advertising become a permanent part of social media apps like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

But not all platforms are made the same, especially when the three biggest platforms work very differently. If you want to promote your app on social media platforms, you have to consider how each platform functions.

Facebook

Facebook is where you can build a community. When you create a page for your app on Facebook, you’re given many ways to engage potential users, such as

• Feature promotions such as referral freebies, special offers or discounts
• Do giveaways or run contests for free trials and passes
• Post an engaging mic of high-quality images, videos, GIFs and expert

Besides creating a page, you can also join Facebook groups relevant to your specific audience. In groups, you can make recommendations and leave comments that will let your audience know you want to help them or how your app can benefit them. 

When group members find something of value in their feed or get a direct response from your brand, they will be primed and ready to download your app.

Instagram

Users on Instagram gravitate to the most aesthetically pleasing account. It is a visual platform, so there are many ways you can generate hype. The concept of “sneak peek” works great for apps. You can create buzz around your app through screenshots, video promo or a website visual. 

Sneak peeks are an excellent way to find interested users because people like looking forward to what’s not available right now. To optimise your reach, use 20-30 relevant hashtags and post more than once a day. 

On Instagram, you need to find the right balance between photos, videos, influencer shoutouts and giveaways and contests. As mentioned before, Instagram is a visual platform, so you will need to support good content with a strong aesthetic. Choose a branded theme that appeals to onlookers and maintain the current audience’s interests.

Twitter

Twitter is the best for acquiring users. This social media platform depends on the exchange of ideas, so interacting with your audience is a must on Twitter. Post news about your app, share content and ask about how users are doing with your app. Encouraging interaction will help you spark engagement and sustain app usage. The more social proof and engagement you create, the more users you can attract.Twitter can also be used as a customer service platform, as done by Amazon, for example. If you can dispense amazing customer service, your app grows through positive word of mouth. Showcasing how much your app cares for users online will let others know you care, which will motivate more downloads.

Social media can go a long way in promoting your app. Right now, with so many people online already, you need to explore the scope of mobile app marketing on social media. It can yield some amazing results.

What is Content Marketing?

A study by Content Marketing Institute found that many marketers are using content marketing. The most notable organisations applying content marketing are P&G, John Deere, Microsoft and Cisco Systems. But it’s not limited to big companies, even smaller businesses are applying content marketing to create brand awareness. 

The marketing strategy focused on creating and dispersing consistent, valuable and relevant content to draw and retain an audience, and eventually drive profitable customer action is known as content marketing.

How Content Marketing Impacts Your Brand

Relevant content lets you show your customers what your company is about and what your brand represents. 

Brand awareness isn’t limited to people knowing the name of your brand, it extends to your audience knowing what makes your brand unique. To create this distinction, your content needs to focus on the qualities that set your brand apart from others. For this, you gotta share details about your organisation that will help you stand out in your industry and show potential customers why they should pick you over your competitors. 

For example, you can describe your company culture on your website and explain why you’re different. You can also outline the many ways your brand varies from others in a similar category, whether it be the diverse ingredients or materials that you use, or something particular, like the fact that you provide 24×7 real-time support.

How To Apply Content Marketing For Your Brand

Developing brand awareness is difficult, but you can follow these four steps to accomplish your branding goals.

• Produce Relevant Content

Nothing is quite as powerful as relevant and timely content when it comes to connecting with your customers. From infographics to blog posts, different kinds of content can highlight your services, offer meaningful information and explain your mission. 

When you begin developing your content plan, ask yourself the following questions to address what your audience needs:

1. What are the pain points and how can you resolve them for your customers?
2. What is your audience’s objective when reading your content?
3. How can you offer value beyond your services and products?

Determining your audience and their reasons for engaging with your brand becomes easier when you answer these questions. It will aid you to create high-impact content that can cater to your audience’s needs.

• Focus on Value

The number one goal of your content strategy should be boosting your brand presence, but it need not be the only goal. To truly build trust, try to offer value. 

Among the best way to do this is through educating your audience. If you’re a B2B organisation, this can mean providing insights relevant to your industry or diving deep into a particular topic. If you’re a B2C company, offer expert advice associated with customer pain points. This can help them holistically consider your brand and motivate them to turn to you for guidance.

• Be Authentic

Customers want to engage more with brands that are genuine. In fact, 90% of customers value authenticity when determining which brands they want to support. 

If you can’t be genuine, it might hurt your company more than you realise. When it comes to consumer engagement, this becomes particularly true. However, it’s worth mentioning that a lack of authenticity might also hurt your bottom line. 

It might look discouraging, but it’s important to consider this is as an opportunity. If authenticity becomes the DNA of your brand, your efforts of content marketing will reflect that. Here’s how you can bring authenticity to your content:

1. Develop your brand voice
   A powerful brand voice is the key to a convincing narrative. To establish yours, focus on emphasising the details that define your brand.
2. Engage with your customers
   Great customer service is important in almost any business, but to really develop relationships with your customers, you may need to go a step further, including being responsive across all of your channels and looking closer at how you can personalise the customer experience.
3. Address negative feedback
   Dealing with negative feedback can be difficult, but it’s also an excellent way to let your customers know you care. Don’t be afraid to own a mistake. Your customers will appreciate your honesty and the fact that you’re actively working to improve the situation.
4. Share Customer Stories
   Customers as brand ambassadors—after all, who can highlight your value better than your customers who use your service or product every day?

There are many ways to do this, but the best approach is through social proof points such as testimonials, reviews and social media comments. The key is to find ways to incorporate them into your content strategy. Social posts and newsletters are also great starting points. Buying decisions can be heavily influenced by custom content. 

Among the best ways to build trust is through a strong brand presence, and content marketing can be a driving factor. When you prioritise the needs of your customers and offer them valuable content, you can move past transactions and create enduring brand loyalty.

First of all, What is Inbound Marketing?

In simple terms, inbound marketing is the process of helping prospective customers find your business. This happens often before the customer is even ready to purchase. Making early contact can turn into brand preference and, eventually, revenue and leads.

Inbound marketing is a strategy that uses many forms of pull marketing—blogs, search engine optimisation (SEO), social media and content marketing among others—to generate brand awareness and attract customers. On the other hand, outbound marketing looks for customers where inbound marketing focuses on visibility, thus, pulling buyers to you. When you employ inbound marketing, you are focusing on new methods aimed at generating awareness, creating relationships and producing leads.

All these methods make your business attractive to customers because they do not make people feel like they are being marketed to. The content provided by inbound marketing is entertaining, informative and welcomed by customers. When it’s done right, inbound marketing can deliver dramatically improved results than conventional marketing, presenting them with an open invitation to engage. When customers find your business in this way, it has a more powerful impact on their future buying decisions and their feelings towards your company in general.