App Marketing for Gen Z: How to Promote your App on Social Media

Want your app to reach Gen Z? Your app marketing needs to be on social media - and it has to be super slick. Here, we’re taking you through how to get it right.
Fanbytes | App Marketing - For Gen Z - On Social Media

In 30 seconds:

  • You’ve made the “next big” mobile app. Audiences are going to love it – you just need to let them know you exist first. How do you do it?
  • There’s more to mobile app marketing than simply listing on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. If you want to drive user acquisition and mobile app retention, you need an up-to-date app marketing strategy.
  • Gen Z are constantly using their mobile devices, so they make great potential users. We’re sharing how to reach them on social media.


How many apps do you have on your phone? How did they get there?

With apps, we can navigate new cities and converse fluently in new languages. We connect with others and entertain ourselves. For Gen Z especially, mobile apps are second nature. This group are hyper-engaged, and are quickly forming loyalty to brands – apps included. If you win them over, you’ll have a valuable userbase who’ll grow with your product.

Even the best app in the world needs a marketing strategy to spread the word, however – and younger users are particularly discerning when it comes to brands’ marketing efforts.

How can you promote your app, and drive the best user acquisitions, activations and retention figures? In this article, we’re explaining what you can do to make your app a success – especially amongst hyper-connected younger audiences.

How to market your app to Gen Z

If you’re planning on marketing your app to Gen Z, you’re onto a winner. Business of Apps has revealed that 64% of Gen Z are “always connected” to their mobile devices. This group could be on your app at any moment, providing you with those much-needed user statistics for your business. 

So, how could you be improving these potential active users‘ lives?

We don’t ask this question because we have our social warrior hats on. It’s because this is what they will want to know. After all, the average Gen Zer uses up to 80 apps already, so your app install will be vying for space with many others. 

Your messaging needs to stand out, and it needs to be relevant. 

It also needs to reach Gen Z where they are at. It’s no good putting messaging where they won’t see it. You need to understand how to leverage their current digital habits into a convenient path towards your product.

In 2020, App Annie reported that TikTok and Snapchat are the most over-indexed apps among Gen Z – and since the pandemic, TikTok’s popularity has continued to rise amongst this age group. 20% of Gen Z now spend over 5h a day on the platform. Additionally, young people use social media platforms like TikTok mainly from their smartphones, meaning they’re well placed to respond to your ad and use your app on the same device.

What are the best digital marketing strategies for apps? Here are our finest tips.

Fanbytes TikTok marketing | Your social media niche

Tip 1. Get to know your social niche

The best place to start for this is TikTok. TikTok’s algorithm is the subject of much discussion because its content recommendations present a marked change from other social media platforms. A user’s feed (called the ForYouPage) is so highly personalised, it has spurred micro-communities on the platform around shared interests. 

This is perfect for understanding your Gen Z audience. Search for hashtags in your niche and like or comment on videos you find. Eventually, TikTok’s algorithm will adapt to automatically show you more timely content based on what’s trending in your content community. 

You’ll see what conversations are taking place within your target market. You’ll get a sense of relevant trends, and who is leading the conversation. Use the information you gain to create messaging that feels relevant to your audience. This is key for all your app marketing campaigns on social media, whether driving metrics such as downloads and new users, activation or retention, or decreasing churn.

Take it further:

We developed our industry-leading Bytesights tool to take the randomness and guesswork out of understanding content communities. As well as instantly identifying influencers and popular topics in each niche, we can see trends very early on, meaning we can help brands use them while they’re still growing. If you’d like to find out how we could use Bitesights to develop your mobile app marketing strategy, get in touch.

Fanbytes TikTok agency | Optimise your static touchpoints

Tip 2. Optimise your static touchpoints

Your static touchpoints in social media marketing for apps are the more permanent elements in your digital presence. This includes your appearance in the Google Play Store and/or Apple App Store, your website landing page and your social media profile. You need to make sure these touchpoints communicate effectively, or your app marketing on social media will not work.

You may have heard of App Store Optimization (ASO). The key here is to make your app look as good as possible, to the right market. Include compelling screenshots of your app. Add a video – these increase downloads by 35%. Communicate the app’s benefits and features, and use relevant keywords in your description and title.

It’s also important to show compelling previews of the app on your landing page. Your visual elements should engage and educate your users. Use your copy to enhance SEO and emphasise your value proposition and benefits; include social proof (such as app reviews or testimonials) and include a clear call-to-action (CTA).

Take it further:

We’re often surprised to see apps marketing on social media who haven’t set up their own social profile. You’re missing out on a huge opportunity by not doing this. Use your app’s icon as your profile photo, create a short bio using branded copy, and add a link. You can only have one, so use a tool like linktree to send users to your Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and your website. Examples of apps doing this well are Depop on TikTok (@depop) and By Rotation on Instagram (@byrotationofficial).

Fanbytes App Marketing | Video Ads

Tip 3. Use Paid Video Ads

Paid social ads are a great way to reach your target audience and increase your app’s visibility. In fact, this is how 49% of people discover new apps. Instagram and TikTok are particularly useful as cost-per-install (CPI) ad platforms. However, it’s important that your ad stands out for the right reasons.

The vital first step is to ensure you are creating these in video form. Video is far more effective than static ads: 93% of brands have landed a new customer because of a social media video. Video content marketing is particularly important on TikTok (a video-first platform), as users are more likely to engage with ads that fit naturally with organic content. 

But what should you include in your video ad? Remember to emphasise relevance. Nearly half of consumers expect social video ads to reflect their interests, so focus on how your audience will relate to your app. It’s also important to keep it short and simple. Gen Z has an attention span of 8 seconds, so keep messaging punchy. Mobile app ads should also be creative: 45% of users see TikTok ads as more creative, something that they view very positively. 

Take it further:

Ad platforms on social media make it possible to test variations on ads, so take advantage of this. Make sure you A/B test different elements of your videos, including duration, CTA, informational hierarchy, sound effects and music, copy, imagery and style. Ensure your targeting is as granular as possible, and keep monitoring your analytics. You can then scale up your successful ads by increasing your budget. You can learn more about TikTok ad formats here

Fanbytes | App Marketing - TikTok influencers

Tip 4. Use social media influencers

The top reason users start to use new apps is because they were recommended by others (33%). It’s clear, therefore, that recommendations are vital for driving brand awareness and downloads – but how do you achieve this on a large scale? 

One great method for this is using social influencers. Gen Z in particular are very receptive to recommendations from influencers. 76% follow at least one influencer, and half of them have made a purchase decision based on an influencer (although we recommend you keep your app free – this is one of the biggest turn-offs for potential users). 

Social influencers have accrued large followings because they know how to make social content that attracts attention. They understand what their audience wants to see. They are therefore well-placed to recommend your app in a way that their audience will respond to. Remember what we said about Gen Z’s short attention span? At Fanbytes, we work with influencers to create “advert-ainment” for apps. This blends well into popular organic content, while providing clear value as an ad.

It’s important that mobile apps give creative licence to influencers promoting them, as these individuals know how to relate your app’s benefits in the best way to their audience. TikTok is particularly useful for advert-ainment, as the algorithm prioritises entertaining content, meaning your video could go viral. You won’t just get views from the influencer’s followers, but could reach (and secure KPIs from) the wider TikTok community who would be interested in your app.

Take it further:

We’ve discussed paid ads and social media influencers – why not combine the two? Usually, influencer marketing for apps will include changing their bio to include a link to your app. However, by using an ad, you can create a CTA that’s even simpler to follow. By working with multiple influencers, you can assess which piece of influencer content drove the best results for your KPIs. Use this learning to create an optimised ad. Just make sure you have permission from the influencer if you are repurposing their video.

Fanbytes | App Marketing Agency - Social Media Campaign

Tip 5. Keep going!

If you’re not using social media marketing to retarget your audience, you are missing out. As an app, you already know it’s not just about the initial awareness / download stage. 1 in 4 downloaded apps are never used. You need to measure activation and retention too. Social media marketing keeps yourself front of mind, so your audience knows about new features, or can even help your marketing efforts through referrals from competitions and giveaways.

The top reason people stop using apps is because they are no longer interested (34%). People don’t form new habits instantly, so it’s important to keep new users engaged. You may choose to do this via push notifications and email marketing. However, a strong social media presence is a particularly effective method, especially on TikTok. Take DuoLingo (@duolingo) for example: the language-learning app is constantly reaching TikTokers’ ForYouPage with organic videos (regardless of whether they follow them or not), in turn prompting users to return to the app.

Another reason social media is a useful marketing channel for retargeting is FOMO (fear of missing out). One of the top incentives for lapsed app users to return is because family or friends use the app. This is harder to induce in a non-messaging app, but it’s where social media can help. If you create a successful campaign encouraging user-generated content (UGC) on social media, you’ll find many lapsed users rejoining.

Take it further:

How does DuoLingo regularly go viral on TikTok? This app knows a thing or two about standing out; using the functionality of the platform to its advantage. Apps should embrace each social platform as an individual channel – and TikTok is a space to celebrate personality quirks. We spoke to Zaria Parvez, the brains behind DuoLingo’s success, to discuss how she grew the app’s TikTok here

App marketing: the TikTok agency unlocking Gen Z on social

Gen Z are hanging out on social media – so this is where you’re most likely to draw the most eyeballs to your app marketing campaign. They’re also usually accessing these sites via smartphone, meaning it’s easier to turn those views into KPIs, be they app downloads, activations or retention figures.

Gen Z are also a valuable audience, with a current spending power of $140 billion. So it pays (literally) to get them on your side.

They are fussy, though. 62% will not use an app that’s slow, while 60% won’t use apps that are hard to navigate. So, app developers be warned. They’re easily turned off by underperforming marketing efforts, too: a static image, outdated social trend or awkward message will quickly turn them off. 

All marketing solves a problem and fulfils a desire. Even DuoLingo’s famously wacky videos have a purpose: encouraging users to return to the app by making them want to engage with its mascot. 

You undoubtedly had a problem and desire in mind when you set about building an app. You need to connect this message with your audience – but it’s not always straightforward. However, an effective social media campaign will turn your app marketing efforts into one of your brand’s greatest assets. The key is understanding how.  

At Fanbytes, we’re uniquely placed to understand the landscape of Gen Z culture, and how they’ll interact with your app – both on your platform, and on social media. Get in touch to find out how Fanbytes can help you market your app today.