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Phase I: Increasing app downloads

Over 10 tracks, an imminent deadline, and a high-stakes project. Here is the journey of the content strategy behind my work for increasing our app downloads. 

Business objective: 

To have 80% of our active users download and use our app (~179M consumers) in 2020. ​

  1. 96M active users logged into account servicing but did not use the Consumer App (54% of active account servicing users)​

  2. ​78% of those users have a confirmed mobile phone 

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Role I played: Lead content designer

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My content strategy:

"To encourage users to download the app, we’ll create personalized content that addresses potential concerns like security, contact with others, and ease of use. We'll show them value props that will be relevant to them and to current times.​​

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We'll use snappy, positive, and straightforward messaging that highlights app benefits like payments, native checkout, and easier authentication." 

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Challenges:​

  • Ad-hoc requirement that sprang out of the blue because we were short-staffed. I was asked to fill in as the writer for the Growth team while we were hiring for the role. 

  • The entire team including product, design, and engineering was based out of San Jose. 

  • We were running against the clock and I had to hit the ground running while juggling my usual project loads. 

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My process: 

  • Translate the product features and business objectives into user benefits.

  • Dig for values that will make the users want to download the app. 

  • Create a content strategy.

  • Identify cohorts we want to target and create specific messaging for each cohort. I zeroed in on 3 types of users - p2p, checkout, and people who used PayPal for both types of transactions. 

  • Use targeting based on cookie data that could help us show different copy variants to repeating users. If not available, messaging will assign them as P2P & Checkout users​

  • Learn from user testing about how users respond to the working copy, words I used, and value props

  • A/B/C test our way to the winner and build on our learnings. 

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Our findings from user testing: 

Once I had a few options sketched out, I wanted to see how our users reacted to the copy and value props. So, we conducted a moderated user check-in session where we invited 6 participants. Here are our learnings from hat session:

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Does downloading app using QR code work?

  • There was no usability issue in understanding how QR code could be used to download the app. However, US customers who were already familiar with App Store would prefer using it to download the app rather than scanning QRC. 

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Figuring out the pitch:

  • I got more insights into the reasons why users would want using the app. 

    • “App is easier on mobile device and simpler/faster to use.”

    • “ I like using apps because it logs in automatically.” 

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Does size really matter?

  • I wanted to check if the size of the app was a concern for users. Usually, users with 64 GB or less storage devices may have to pick and choose the apps that they want on their phones. 

  • What we realized was that size is usually a consideration for users, when they are looking for things to offload when they are running low on memory space. Not the other way around. 

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How much is too much communication?

  • We didn't want to spam the users with the app download messaging. We learnt that the customers felt comfortable tapping on download app SMS right after getting OTP confirmation code: 

  • “I feel pretty secure since I already got the code from PayPal.”

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Final results:

  • I took the learnings from the user testing and built on the final copy options.

  • To ensure I got it right, I presented in our community of practice, workshops, crew meetings, and senior leadership reviews. 

  • A big shout-out to my fellow writers who helped me nail our Voice and Tone. 

  • Legal reviews for a global launch: Each region had a unique commandment and set of offerings. I had to work with multiple lawyers to ensure that we went live with the right experience for that market. That also meant I had to do many last-minute edits to make the content more compliant while not missing stringent engineering deadlines. 

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Here are the final results for your eyes. 

Our impact:

  • The numbers were very promising. Our work was leading to hundreds of thousands of new app downloads for each track.

  • Among the different copy variants, the ones that were more direct and told users what to do were more impactful. 

  • Just by shuffling the sequence of app download messaging, increase the app downloads by 10%. 

  • Our success inspired us to "go bold" in the phase 2 of this project. That boosted the total app downloads by 4x. Read all about it here. 

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