Google has today debuted “App Invites“, a more personalised approach towards letting developers invite their friends to try their apps. The product is still in beta and has been tested a few select Google partners.
Now in beta, App Invites let mobile app developers increase their reach, deep link new users to custom experiences, and tap into your users’ device and Google-wide contacts as a source to drive referrals. This is available for both iOS and Android app developers.
App invites is indeed a powerful new tool to help developers increase their organic reach. Your users recommend your app to their friends using personalized, contextual invitations powered by Google. App Invites provide a great onboarding experience to your new users. Google optimizes your app install rates by reducing friction and using relevant context at every step of the user invitation flow.
Apart from the sheer productivity and organic reach increase which App Invites provides, it has come at just the right time, considering how various upcoming and even established messaging apps try to leech out your contacts data to add users. Some in India (and I dare name them !) have even gone to the extent of providing free recharge to anyone who provides a referral to the app. Crazy ! All such promotions will now probably be laid to rest.
And it isn’t a simple inviting service. It’s indeed a smart inviting tool, which not just sends invites, but also tells developers preferred contacts to send invites to. The service recommends developers their closest contacts by going through their registered ID. Google says, noting that its suggestions are based on the interactions between the sender and their contacts across Google apps, like Gmail and Hangouts.
For example, Yummly integrated app invites to expand their user base and generate awareness of their app, by allowing people to suggest the app to those who love to cook or are interested in food.
App Invites is available on both Android and iOS. Here’s what’s in the beta toolkit:
- Use app invites for expanded reach: Tap into SMS and email invites via your user’s phone and Google contacts.
- Make it easy for your users to send invites. We’ll recommend their closest contacts to share your app with, and suggest a preferred method of delivery.
- Send actionable invite cards: Include an install button right in an email invite.
- Faster Android install flows: Your new Android users can click App Invite and download your app straight from the Play Store, bypassing the browser windows that usually open in between.
- Create personalized onboarding flows: New users can get deep linked into a specific onboarding experience – for example, you can offer custom discount codes or content.
- Measure app invites using Google Analytics custom reports.
Apart from this, Google is also providing developers opportunities to re-engage app users using goo.gl deep links. You can know more about the same by visiting this link.
