If you have been doing app marketing for a long time, you know that the mobile app landscape constantly changes. Each year brings new trends while leaving behind features that were once celebrated by many.
If you want to stay on top of the competition, you need to know what is coming in App Store Optimization (ASO). Thankfully, this post will help you know the most important app marketing and ASO trends in 2023 that you should watch out for.
Without any delay, let’s get into it!
1. ASO continues to play a big role
In 2022, many marketers put a great emphasis on using paid ads to get more users and promote their apps. While this is certainly an important aspect of app marketing, ASO would still serve as the foundation for getting more users.
ASO is considered a long-term investment that can give you more organic installs in the long run. It gives you a more stable and continuous stream of downloads from users, which is something that you don’t see in paid ads that will instantly lose their effectiveness as soon as you stop using them.
2. Creating paid user acquisition campaigns to work with ASO
In the past, ASO was seen to be utterly different from paid ads or paid user acquisition marketing efforts. This slowly changed in 2022 as more and more app marketers realized that paid ads should work together with ASO rather than a separate marketing method.
The best paid acquisition campaigns are based on a highly optimized app store. Not only that, but as you run paid ads, you’ll see that your downloads will increase, which will eventually benefit your ASO. So, they actually complement each other.
3. Data will play a greater role in marketing
It is no secret that the app store competition is fierce. There are now millions of apps vying for the limited attention of people. If you’re going to rely on hunches and guesses, you will never survive in an overcrowded market.
This is the main reason that, as part of the 2023 ASO trends, gathering plenty of the correct data would help app marketers get the edge over their competitors.
By recognizing the importance of getting data, you will see that existing tools and new software will get a significant upgrade to ensure they gather more information in the most efficient way possible. Those with the correct tools will surely make data-driven decisions that will help them rise above.
4. Personalization
Many app marketers already know the importance of personalization and specific customization of marketing campaigns. However, creating a more personalized message has only been possible in 2022. This ASO trend would continue with the rise of tools that could gather more details about users.
More and more app marketers would use Google’s Custom Store Listings and Custom Product Pages. Localization and customization would be a big hit in 2023, where marketers would try to take advantage of them with brand-new tools.
5. More quality, less quantity
As mentioned above, the app stores are just brimming with so many apps. Millions of apps are in the app stores, and that’s actually not a bad thing, but you know that with this massive number of apps, the app stores need to do some quality control and ensure that users get the best experience from the apps they host.
Thus, you can expect that in 2023, app stores will continue featuring and promoting high-quality apps in search results and top picks.
6. Stay updated with updates
Apple will continue to produce new iPhones and iPads. More Android smartphones would also get their upgrades, and new models would surely hit the market in 2023. Therefore, always keep your eyes peeled for optional and mandatory updates.
For example, Apple encourages app users to add iPhone 14 screenshots to the app store listing. While this is optional right now, you know that it will become a requirement as more and more people will become iPhone 14 users.
The same trend would happen not just on iOS but also on Android since Google regularly updates its operating system.
The key here is for you to continually stay up-to-date with the latest updates from app stores to ensure you make the necessary changes and adjustments to meet new requirements.
7. New ways ads work
Getting organic traffic has become more and more of a challenge. The quickest and most straightforward solution would be paid ads. App stores know this, which is a great business opportunity for them. As a result, app stores would try to develop new ways to improve their paid ad schemes.
One good example of this is the recent move of Apple to include Product Pages and Today Tab in their ad placement. Google sees this, and they will undoubtedly take a similar action in 2023.
8. Emphasis on privacy and security
You can expect that app stores would work harder to ensure that their users are protected and given the security they need.
With this in mind, you need to make sure that your app is in compliance with the terms and conditions of app stores.
Keeping users private and secure can also be challenging in the midst of the desire of app marketers to get more data about their users. That’s why app stores must strike the perfect balance between data acquisition and privacy.
9. Foldable smartphones and larger devices
While the trend in the past years is for devices to get smaller and smaller, that’s less likely to happen in 2023. Many mobile device manufacturers would try to see how they can shake up the market and start a new trend to help them come out of the competition better and stronger.
Thus, we are seeing the rise of foldable smartphones now. Larger devices like tablets and Chromebooks are also getting more popular in 2023. You must ensure that your app is responsive enough to various screen sizes.
10. Watch out for social media trends for 2023, too
What happens in social media could potentially affect ASO trends. While yes, the most significant influencers out there could help improve your app visibility, don’t discount the power of micro-influencers.
These are people who have about 1,000 to 100,000 followers. The best thing about micro-influencers is that they might not have a big following, but they have a more engaged audience.
Aside from that, you need to note the rise of user-generated content (UGC). UGCs are a growing trend in 2023 that allows marketers to promote apps. UGCs can be ratings, reviews, and testimonials from users.
Keep up with ASO trends in 2023
These are just some of the 2023 ASO trends you need to know. Obviously, knowing them is just one thing. Doing something about that knowledge is quite different. That’s why you need the proper guidance in keeping up with these trends, and you can do that with the help of ShyftUp.
ShyftUp is among the best user acquisition agencies today that help app developers reach their marketing goals. ShyftUp is always updated with the latest ASO trends and they can help you cope with them in this competitive industry.
Get in touch with them now and see how you can achieve more success in 2023!
Why should you know ASO trends for 2023?
ASO trends have a big and direct impact on how app stores work. It sets the path to where the future of mobile apps would go. When you get familiar with ASO trends, you can take the necessary steps to anticipate changes and take advantage of them.
How to know ASO trends for 2023?
Be alert to updates released by app stores. Get mobile app news from various reputable resources. Observe the mobile app markets and see any patterns or trends as early as possible.
What is ASO in mobile marketing?
ASO or App Store Optimization in mobile marketing is an important aspect of app marketing. ASO is the process of improving the visibility of your app by setting the right metadata, using the right keywords, and adding quality creatives.
