How Shyftup helped AllTrails achieve 119% growth in user acquisition in 6 months

AllTrails is a health and fitness app, which provides outdoor enthusiasts with trail maps, photos, reviews, and community-generated recordings. AllTrails’s mission is to foster happy, healthy communities by connecting people to the outdoors and to each other.

AllTrails found new and effective ways to expand its userbase worldwide and attract new nature lovers who are more likely to convert through Apple Search Ads, achieving great success in globally expanding its community.

THE CHALLENGE

After achieving its first success in the United States, the AllTrails team set the goal of reaching more customers worldwide. However, the challenge was to determine which markets had the highest opportunity to focus on first. They knew that app localization in tandem with adequate marketing strategies is crucial for expanding into a global audience. ShyftUp team came to their rescue to identify the markets to penetrate into and execute the right tactics for ROI-positive user growth.

“Apple Search Ads helped us determine which markets were our biggest opportunities and attract new, more engaged customers.”

– Ron Schneidermann, CEO at AllTrails

SOLUTIONS

Use Apple Search Ads to determine which geos to expand into

We ran a small Apple Search Ads test campaign to find out which markets offer low-hanging fruit opportunities. After running the campaign, we detected higher user engagement in some parts of Europe than others, so we decided to focus on the following markets: France, Belgium, and Germany.

Apply learnings from Apple Search Ads into App Store Optimization (ASO)

We took a holistic approach towards paid search and organic growth to generate optimal results for AllTrails. We used insights gathered from Apple Search Ads test campaigns to optimize the AllTrails App Store product page, including metadata and app descriptions. This generated a positive impact on organic presence and reach.

Through Apple Search Ads, we were able to strategically test our initial hypothesis and take advantage of tools to see if we were on the right track. Reliable channel performance helped us gain accurate insights, which we applied to App Store Optimization efforts. This holistic approach towards Apple Search Ads and ASO serves as a part of how we develop all our clients’ campaign strategies.

Scale with high ROAS and cost-effective customer acquisition

Trial conversion rate and customer lifetime value are key performance indicators for subscription-based apps like AllTrails. With ShyftUp’s efforts, users acquired through Apple Search Ads displayed a higher likelihood of 32% to convert to AllTrails Pro, the paid version of the app.

In terms of acquiring profitable customers, we still need to find the best solution. That being said, the overall AllTrails campaigns’ return on ad spend (ROAS) was 8% higher than other paid user acquisition channels.

RESULTS

ShyftUp team worked together to deliver great results in expanding the AllTrails mobile userbase globally. After accepting the challenge, running tests for market assessment, and determining actionable steps, we took a holistic approach towards Apple Search Ads and ASO for AllTrails in execution.

We witnessed 119% growth in user acquisition in six months, 32% higher likelihood of conversion to the paid version of the app than users from similar platforms, and 8% higher ROAS than similar channels.

We are grateful and proud to be a part of such a great success as we are passionate about the work we do for all of our clients. Reach out to us today via [email protected] to learn how we can do the same for you.