Welcome to Meet the Growthmakers, our new content material sequence spotlighting the folks shaping the way forward for app advertising and marketing.
First up is Megan Dean, Technique Progress Director at Yodel Cellular. With years of expertise driving app progress and success, Megan shares her tackle trade shifts, the place manufacturers ought to give attention to proper now and what retains her impressed within the ever-evolving world of cellular progress.
Inform us a bit of bit about your function at Yodel Cellular
I work throughout all 4 of our client-facing departments to verify our methods are aligned and that we’re profiting from any cross-department synergies. On high of that, I basically act as an account director, I construct and keep relationships with our shoppers, deal with issues like contract negotiations and renewals, and have these bigger-picture technique conversations to make sure we’re all aligned and delivering the very best outcomes doable.
I’m additionally concerned in new enterprise, notably in scoping and technique. Meaning ensuring we’re proposing the best strategy based mostly on a prospect’s particular wants.
After which on the advertising and marketing facet, I become involved with presenting at occasions, issues like talking on or internet hosting panels, and dealing with our companions on content material.
What’s probably the most thrilling a part of your function?
I notably take pleasure in working with extra complicated shoppers, particularly when there’s an actual want for strategic enter. Whether or not they’re nonetheless determining their objectives or how their app suits into the broader enterprise, I really like getting caught into that. Utilizing knowledge and technique to assist outline these objectives after which recommending how we are able to finest help them is part of the job I discover actually rewarding.
What’s the very best piece of recommendation you’ve ever obtained, or do you will have a favorite quote?
I believe I’ll go together with my favorite piece of recommendation, it’s actually caught with me, in all probability as a result of it was already so aligned with how I naturally developed in my function. I began out as an intern about ten years in the past, and actually, I had no thought what I used to be doing. I used to be on plenty of calls with my boss, our Managing Director, Ijah, and he used to note after I had one thing on my thoughts. He might actually see it on my face, however I by no means spoke up as a result of I assumed somebody extra skilled would’ve already considered it.
However he actually pushed me to share my opinions and communicate up, as a result of everybody brings a unique perspective, and also you by no means know when your take could be the one which provides actual worth. That encouragement helped me construct confidence in my very own viewpoint. Over time, I realised that after I do communicate up, it usually brings one thing new to the desk.
That have was such a turning level for me. It helped me discover my voice with shoppers and in the end formed who I’m at this time. It’s allowed me to develop into somebody who’s comfy sharing thought management, even when which means going towards the grain. Not simply to be opposite, however as a result of if I genuinely don’t agree with one thing within the trade, I’m not afraid to say so.
What are the most important challenges cellular apps face in progress at this time?
There are just a few key challenges in the meanwhile. On a sensible degree, attribution for person acquisition is a giant one. With all of the adjustments round Apple’s privateness framework, notably SKAN, and Google now engaged on their very own model, monitoring has grow to be loads more durable. It’s actually muddied the waters, and plenty of entrepreneurs really feel like they’ve been thrown again ten years as a result of the info simply isn’t as dependable anymore. That may make it actually robust to make knowledgeable choices.
Then there’s the sheer saturation of the app market, particularly with subscription apps. It’s extremely aggressive, and standing out is more durable than ever. You actually need a singular model and a definite resolution to an actual drawback. Some apps are nonetheless managing to do this, however loads aren’t, and that’s the place many fall brief.
On a extra macro degree, I believe AI goes to be a significant disruptor for apps within the subsequent 5 to 10 years. We might see a big shift in how folks work together with apps, whether or not they proceed utilizing them straight, or whether or not they begin participating via AI platforms like ChatGPT, Apple Intelligence, Gemini, or no matter comes subsequent. That shift in behaviour might basically change the app ecosystem.
How do you strategy constructing a profitable cellular progress technique for shoppers?
So I suppose there are just a few key issues to consider right here. First, and doubtless most vital, is absolutely understanding the consumer and their enterprise.
We regularly function as an extension of their group, so our aim is to plug any gaps they could have. Generally they have already got just a few issues lined, and we’re simply specializing in a smaller a part of their total technique. Different instances, we’re proudly owning the entire thing, which clearly adjustments how we strategy it.Even when we’re simply concerned in a single space, we nonetheless wish to know what’s occurring extra broadly. That greater image helps us help them extra successfully and form the best technique for his or her wants.
The second factor is setting significant objectives. Numerous apps have objectives, however typically they’re not likely backed by knowledge. That’s the place we have to problem assumptions and ensure the objectives we’re working in direction of imply one thing and can transfer the needle.
Then there’s understanding the broader house, the trade, the competitors, and the place our consumer suits inside that. We’re all the time seeking to determine the low-hanging fruit, what’s going to present us some early traction. However alongside that, we’re additionally pondering medium to long run, constructing out the foundations that may drive sustainable success for the enterprise.
When you weren’t in app advertising and marketing, what would you be doing as an alternative?
This can be a difficult one for me, however I believe what I take pleasure in most about app advertising and marketing is the issue fixing. It’s such a fast-evolving trade, there’s all the time one thing altering; whether or not it’s platform updates, privateness frameworks, or shifting person behaviour. So we’re continually having to reassess and ensure what we’re doing is related, efficient, and optimised. Even simply navigating the complexity of the providers we provide requires plenty of inventive pondering. And I really love that.
Funnily sufficient, I’ve just lately been studying a little bit of carpentry from my cousin, and I realised I take pleasure in it for precisely the identical purpose. There was this one reduce we wanted to make, and we needed to get inventive with the instruments we had, determining how every thing would match collectively, what sort of body we might construct, and how one can get the precise inset we wished. That form of hands-on drawback fixing is one thing I actually take pleasure in.
So, in a bizarre approach, the a part of carpentry I really like is strictly what attracts me to advertising and marketing: it’s the problem, the creativity, and the method of constructing one thing from scratch that actually works.
Are there any widespread misconceptions about cellular progress technique that you simply’d prefer to debunk?
One of many first widespread errors I see is an overfocus on self-importance metrics, particularly from senior stakeholders. These are metrics that may look good on paper however don’t actually inform you whether or not your technique is working. For instance, price per set up (CPI) is commonly used as a benchmark for achievement, however somebody might set up the app and by no means use it once more. When you optimise purely for that, you threat attracting low-quality customers, ones which might be low-cost to accumulate however in the end don’t stick round or carry worth.
One other one is class rating on the App Retailer. It’s not that distinguished in your itemizing, and most customers don’t actually see or have interaction with it. Whereas it could really feel good to rank excessive, it doesn’t all the time mirror precise efficiency or influence.
I’ve talked about objectives loads, however that’s as a result of they’re foundational. If the objectives you set aren’t significant or aligned with what drives success, then every thing else begins to disintegrate.
One other pitfall I see is groups working in silos. For instance, person acquisition and ASO are intently linked, what occurs in a single can straight have an effect on the opposite. Identical with inventive and UA technique. If these are handled as separate features, like if UA is outsourced however creatives are produced in-house with out a lot communication, it could actually restrict efficiency. Your marketing campaign construction is commonly formed by the inventive you’re utilizing, so the 2 must work in sync.
Lastly, I believe there’s usually a misunderstanding round scalability. Manufacturers may run a small take a look at, say, spend 5 to 10k, and get nice efficiency, then count on that very same efficiency to scale 10x. However sustainable scaling doesn’t actually work like that. It takes time, steady testing, optimisation, inventive iteration, and a robust deal with on attribution. Endurance is vital if you wish to scale in a approach that lasts.
Last Ideas
Due to Megan Dean for sharing her perspective on what it takes to drive significant progress in at this time’s ever-evolving app panorama. At Yodel Cellular, we imagine nice progress comes from nice folks, and Megan’s story is only one instance of the pondering that powers our technique day-after-day.
Megan shall be talking at APS London on Thursday, twenty fourth. When you’re heading over, you possibly can catch her within the Progress Zone at 12.20pm.
