App Guardians (AGN )

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of ARO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The only mobile app with all restaurant offers, experiences, and events on a personalized feed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire App Guardians (AGN ) to accomplish?

• User Acquisition
• Paid Ad Management
• Building the foundation for the story of our business to our stakeholders

SOLUTION

How did you find App Guardians (AGN )?

Online Search

Why did you select App Guardians (AGN ) over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned
• Had the right answers to how we will acquire users

How many teammates from App Guardians (AGN ) were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of services provided is divided in phases to accomplish each outcome with proper planning and infrastructure in place. App Guardians has an incredible organization method to accomplish this planning and create effective strategies.

Our project with App Guardians began with building a base for our business communications and marketing strategies. From day one AGN has gone above and beyond to meet our needs and prepare us for the next phases, that were new to most of our team members.

The first phase included a 360 degree marketing audit of our product, App Store Optimization, Paid User Acquisition, and Creatives. This allowed us to make key decisions based on their deliverables that consistent of strategy and recommended services for our business including:

• Tech Stack for app tracking
• ASO strategy
• Paid Media strategy
• Paid Media Campaign setup
• and Creative Brief proposals.

The second phase of the project is the launch of our paid ad campaigns, managed by App Guardians. The scope of this work included key steps and deliverables such as:

• Competitor Research & Benchmarking
• Target Demographic Discovery
• KPI identification and plan for maximization
• Strategy & Media Management for 4 channels
• Ad Copywriting
• Ongoing Campaign Optimization
• and Bi-Weekly Reporting.

The efficacy of these processes has proven successful so far as we continue to beat our industry benchmarks for customer acquisition costs under the guidance of App Guardians. The next phase we will enter is Lifecycle Management of our user base. This phase of works consisted of the following key objectives and deliverables:

• Product Lifecycle Strategy
• Event Taxonomy (strategically planning which events to track)
• Push Notification Strategy & Implementation with Existing Tech Stack (send to device)
• In-app pop-ups strategy & implementation with existing tech stack
• Email strategy & implementation
• Copywriting for email, push, and in-app pop-ups
• Product UI/UX Improvement Consultation
• Paywall Optimization Consultation
• and Monthly Reporting for all of these.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The positive outcomes of working with App Guardians are substantial, not only in results, but also in culture fit and alignment with our company values. From the first step in our process, we knew we had made the right decision to partner with them for our needs. They have been our biggest champions and our sounding board for all things related to external comms.

Tangible results, however, are how we make decisions as a business. App Guardians has earned our business by consistently delivering results that beat are expected metrics. These metrics were set internally, not by AG, and have been used as a precedent for how we will measure success. As our contract continues, we have only been more and more impressed by our success, specifically in our customer acquisition cost and we credit that to the App Guardians' strategy.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team is incredibly responsive. Given time zone differences, we expected some delay when communicating, but that was far from the case. We have developed a relationship that feels more like an internal department of our company than a third party service provider. They have managed all deadlines with no hiccups.

What was your primary form of communication with App Guardians (AGN )?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Experience and expertise are what we looked for, and after having worked with this team for more than two full quarters, there is no doubt they have both. We interviewed tens of different teams for these services, and were consistently disappointed with the responses we received during interviews, where most agencies prompt you to believe in the value of impressions and clicks, AG understood our value is only visible through an active user base.

Are there any areas for improvement or something App Guardians (AGN ) could have done differently?

If there was any required improvement specific to our project, it would take one slack message to solve. Usually, any "improvement" is a result of a change of our business needs, and AG has been instantly available to make necessary pivots with us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of Alma (Y Combinator S22)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Alma is a gamified neobank where people can win cash prizes up to $1M per week by taking banking actions in the Alma app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency to accomplish?

• App Store Optimization
• Paid Media Management/User Acquisition
• Lifecycle Marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency?

Online Search

Why did you select App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We worked with AppGuardians as our partner of choice to launch our mobile banking app, Alma, which is backed by Y combinator and other top global VC investors. They helped us with ASO, UA (Paid Media Management), MarTech Stack Strategy and Lifecycle (primarily email) Marketing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We successfully launched our banking app on iOS and Android in the US market, acquiring over 5,000 customers (not just installs, but these are customers who have passed the onboarding/KYC flow) in the span of a few months. This was done at an industry leading CAC, in the crowded market of retail banking. 

Our CAC was 10x lower than that of other neobanks, and 100x lower than that of major retail banks (Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo etc.) because of AppGuardian's mobile marketing work and constant optimization/iteration.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Delivery was managed through a project manager. There was confusion around deadlines and delivery at first, but when escalating to Fouad (agency owner) he would ensure that confusion was resolved. They prioritized us as a tier 1 client based on our large contract size and long collaboration.

What was your primary form of communication with App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Fouad (agency owner) has deep expertise in mobile app marketing and prioritizes the right things to be done. Additionally, they expressed good business integrity and flexibility by adjusting timelines based on external factors (eg. fraud attacks) that were outside of both our and AppGuardians' control.

Are there any areas for improvement or something App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency could have done differently?

They could have been better at creative work (mobile app screenshots). There was a lot of thrash in this particular project, which led to us canceling it, and getting the majority of the money refunded. In my opinion, they should be solely focused on mobile growth since that's where their strengths lie (they are a very data driven team, and not a creative marketing agency by DNA)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Mobile Growth of an arts, entertainment & music company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Music/entertainment company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency to accomplish?

• ASO audit and testing
• LeanPlum audit
• User journey audit and testing

SOLUTION

How did you find App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency?

• MAU Conference

Why did you select App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The team provided support in conducting a deep ASO audit and rolling out two optimization tests for both iOS and Android. The team also dived into our LeanPlum platform to conduct an audit of our user journeys, events, and implementing testing on journey variations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Strong results from ASO campaigns and learnings on best practices regarding app titles/copy/messaging. Great deep dive into our definitions of user segments, user journeys, and testing of these journeys.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team developed a timeline of all deliverables and estimated time of completion, and we met regularly to discuss progress and ensure that we stay on track.

What was your primary form of communication with App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency?

• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They cared about driving effective results, understanding the business, and bringing forth new ideas and strategies.

Are there any areas for improvement or something App Guardians | App Growth Network's Mobile Marketing Agency could have done differently?

Having a clear POC for each deliverable when there was a moment of transition for team members on their side.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder at GEM. We are a mobile SaaS gifting platform for influencer marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire App Growth Network, and what were your goals?

GEM needed explainer videos that were on brand and that gave clear direction, verbally and visually, to our users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Teagan, the business strategist, did a wonderful job explaining their process for video production and did soft introductions on their team and their backgrounds which made me feel comfortable moving forward. He took many calls with me on short notice to answer any questions or concerns I may have had and always made me feel as if AGN was available for my needs 24/7

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

The moment we agreed to work together I was kindly greeted by the entire AGN team that would be involved in the project. Immediately I was added to a Slack channel where I was able to communicate with everyone involved. Once we got started and the scripts were drafted, AGN made sure to include me throughout the process so I was able to add any suggestions to the videos, a total collaborative effort. Usually within a couple days we would have new material to review and if we had any suggestions for edits, they were made same day. No time was wasted from start to finish.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

I worked with Jennifer directly and she was a dream to work with! The communication was always clear and she never had me wondering what the next steps were or when I should expect any drafts for review. Jennifer made sure to keep me in the loop throughout the entire process. If I had any suggestions Jennifer would relay my message to the team and I would see AGN working on our edits live. Very streamlined process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Any time we are able to post on social media or send out an important email, we always make sure to post the explainer videos AGN has created. The response we have received from our peers has really given us the credibility and peace of mind that with solid videos you can get the right message across to future users.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication was strictly on Slack where all team members were involved. I loved this approach especially since if one team member was busy, the other was able to reply on their behalf, wasting no time. Typically within 24 hours (or same day) any suggestions we had were completed immediately.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was blown away by the quality of the videos and how they were perfectly on brand. The animations, cuts, edits, and scripts were on brand which is typically tough to accomplish when bringing in a new agency.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The scripts took a more collaborative effort since AGN didn't understand our industry as well as I wish they would have.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the group project manager at Keap, and we build automation and marketing software for small businesses. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with App Growth Network?

We had a mobile app offering, and we wanted more users to sign up for it. We were looking to increase the number of prospective clients seeing our app through app stores. We needed help marketing our app and increasing our organic and paid user acquisition efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work with App Growth Network to create different creative sets for ads on Google and Facebook. 

Notably, App Growth Network has helped us create video ads so our audience can understand our app. They’ve produced a video campaign that showcases our product in an entertaining and simple way. They’ve handled all aspects of production, including scriptwriting, casting, shooting, and editing. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with eight teammates, including Fouad (Founder & CEO), data specialists, analytics specialists, creatives, and an account manager. 

How did you come to work with App Growth Network?

We researched companies that could help us with this project. We narrowed our search from 15 companies to three.

We chose App Growth Network because Fouad understood our challenge and what we were trying to do. He had a similar experience with the same problem as ours, so he understood our pain points and the factors necessary to make our vision come to life. We also liked App Growth Network’s cost-effectiveness.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $70,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2021, and our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Within three months, App Growth Network has helped us grow our total installs by 226% and decrease our average cost per impression by 26%. 

App Growth Network’s ad has performed well and received excellent reviews from internal and external viewers. In fact, the video has been nominated for a mobile app advertising award. They’ve done a great job with the video ad, and it produces positive results — it speaks to our brand and product. 

How did App Growth Network perform from a project management standpoint?

App Growth Network is very effective at project management. They do a great job setting goals and steps to follow. I feel confident about their ability to execute the project. We have bi-weekly meetings where we recap results and action items, and we primarily communicate through Slack. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We feel App Growth Network is a part of our team — we don’t feel like we’re contracting with them. They think very creatively about helping us accomplish our goals. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

App Growth Network can be more precise on the client’s responsibilities during the engagement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on your goals, and ensure that it’s aligned with what App Growth Network will work on. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

ThinkUp is the #1 app for positive affirmations and motivation

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire App Growth Network, and what were your goals?

We felt that our app was not reaching its full potential in terms of growth. AGN's goal was to inspect the app (product and funnel), identify areas of improvement, and build and execute an ASO, ASA, creatives strategy to facilitate further growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

AGN were recommended by their partner that we trust on app growth.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

AGN team of experts worked on various tasks - creatives - screenshots design and preview videos, ASO, GP optimization, funnel optimization recommendation, and Apple Search Ads management.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I was very impressed by a team of experts in various fields - creatives and design, data analytics, apple search ads. A project manager (Liana) was assigned to the project, she coordinated all the experts and was super attentive to all my (numerous :-)) questions and requests. All the tea experts were super responsive on Slack and provided data and reports of their work and progress. Liana and the rest of the team created very professional presentation and reports to be presented during our weekly/bi-weekly meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The AGN team identified weaknesses in our funnel and made specific, data based recommendations where to focus our devs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective, communication over slack was great. We're working with various freelancers and AGN are one of the most effective agencies I've worked with (in terms of communication/time difference etc)

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Great communication. They're a very broad team of experts that can create results in a short time.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

A better balance between the tactical execution and a more strategic planning.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner/co-founder of a small business with a wellness app focused on increasing the quality of life and overall happiness of its user base through habit building, completing small daily tasks, daily personal reflection, and improved personal accountability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire App Growth Network?

We hired AGN for app launch services (inclusive of market research and ASO) and two months of growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched several marketing companies via online reviews (including Clutch reviews) and had two meetings with AGN about their proposed package and marketing strategy.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The AGN team performed market research, analyzing competitors for market demographics, app functionality, cost structure, and keywords. They managed an ASO campaign based on their keyword research with several iterations, greatly increasing our ASO and making our app more easily discoverable in the App Store with our core keywords.

They also created niche personas to target with Facebook ads. AGN made ad creatives for the App Store consisting of still images and a 30-second video as well as ad creatives for the Apple Search and Facebook ads. They ran our Apple Search and Facebook ad campaigns for a little over one month.

Early on, we requested a more organic growth strategy of an influencer campaign, which was our preferred marketing strategy to target our niche. They reached out to one of their vendors and one other company then did not pursue this any further. They seemed focused mainly on paid advertising campaigns.

What was the team composition?

Our team underwent several leadership transitions (outside of the control of AGN), losing 2 project leads (their seasoned startup expert and his replacement) and 1 project account manager. We were disappointed by this as working with their startup expert was one of our deciding reasons for hiring AGN.

Our team eventually consisted of a project manager, a creative director, a data analyst, and a few additional team members with smaller roles.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project leadership team changed several times early on, which was stressful/anxiety-provoking for a start-up launch as we transitioned from AGN's lead startup expert (who we were very excited to work with) to a replacement that also subsequently left within 4-6 weeks, to a relatively new Mobile Growth Consultant, Eric.

We unfortunately lost the startup/launch expertise, but Eric did a great job filling in and rising to the occasion on short notice. He was great to work with and is likely one of AGN's rising stars.

The market research and competitor analysis was robust and very helpful. The ASO campaign was also successful, resulting in ASO/visibility for a brand new app/brand. While initially part of the team, Eric eventually took over as lead after market research, prior to launch.

The App Store creatives were very aesthetically pleasing and professionally done. They also included a 30-second video highlighting the important features of the app. The Creative Campaign Manager, Jennifer, was very engaged and receptive to feedback. She was a joy to work with. Most of the ad creatives for the paid ad campaigns were excellent. Some were more basic, similar to a PSA, that may have resulted in app installs, but didn't appear to translate into active users from our limited data.

The initial target personas that AGN created unfortunately did not perform well with an average CPI ~7x higher than projected. After removing the target personas and relying on the Facebook algorithm to discover the target audience, the CPI dropped, though remained above the projected CPI.

As a new small business, we had to follow our marketing budget relatively strictly and it became clear that the "pay for user" approach would be cost prohibitive for us. AGN was not able to engage any influencers for our desired influencer campaign.

Our limited experience with our AGN data analyst, Aleksei, was very helpful. Aleksei was very engaged and provided a lot of insight within a short time. We really wish we had more time to work with him.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our app development was delayed and AGN was accommodating during this process (and had said they would be prior to signing our contract). Given their staff departures, it worked out well for both parties. The team was very responsive to Skype messages and flexible with meeting times and frequency. They were very easy to work with and we developed a strong rapport with our key team members.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

One of their major strengths was their competitor research, market analysis, and ASO implementation. AGN communicated effectively and was very responsive. Eric, Jennifer, and Aleksei were excellent to work with.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

It seems their primary marketing strategy is paid advertising, which requires a large marketing budget for a new brand/product launch (probably at least mid to high 5 figures), which is difficult for a new small business. They also can grow out an Instagram Influencer network given the much higher engagement rate of Instagram and the potential for organic growth.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Veereo is a video sharing platform with a focus on unsigned musicians.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire App Growth Network, and what were your goals?

We wanted to develop a mobile app for users to access via their phones and computers. We were essentially starting from scratch so our main goal was to get up and running in a way that would attract users from the very beginning.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We interviewed with several other companies but once we met with App Growth Network, it was clear that they understood our vision and were willing to walk us through, step by step--all while adhering to our budget.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Fouad and his team at App Growth Network were incredibly thorough from start to finish--outlining their plans and meeting every milestone and goal that we'd expressed to them. From preparing us for iOS and Android release, to guiding us on design elements, their attention to detail, timely communication and support for our often changing needs/ideas made what could have been a very stressful process one that was much easier and manageable.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had a team of eight. Their positions were project manager so with someone focusing on each of the following: social media content, social media research and development, data analytics, market research, event taxonomy and firebased analytics.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We hired them at the very inception of development but due to our company's own internal delays, we've put a temporary pause on things until we launch. At that point, I will have a better grasp of outcomes.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They're clear and timely communicators. Response time was nearly always immediate and the professionalism throughout was remarkable.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I appreciated their ability to break things down in a way that was easy to understand and execute, especially for someone who's not technologically proficient.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I think they could benefit from more internal cohesiveness.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at an IT wellness and mindfulness company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with App Growth Network?

We needed their expertise in growth marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged App Growth Network’s team for our keyword optimization efforts to promote our digital presence in the App Store and improve our rankings and install rate.

We provided them with our requirements and rationale, and their team did the marketing work on their own. Additionally, their team helped us branch out and offer our services across new countries.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, an App Store Optimization (ASO) lead, and a design lead.

How did you come to work with App Growth Network?

We found their team’s Clutch profile while looking for potential agencies to onboard for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from March–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

App Growth Network’s marketing efforts drove positive results to our business —  we were able to secure a 10% increase in conversion rate, and our app install rate improved as well. Their team attended to our needs and delivered them seamlessly.

How did App Growth Network perform from a project management standpoint?

We relied on Asana for project management. They were a responsive team that genuinely cared about our small company’s goals. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

App Growth Network delivered what we needed when we needed it — they had impressive turnaround times.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would’ve benefited more from a target-oriented approach.