This blog post was originally published in 2016. You can read one of our newer posts on driving installs from Instagram.
Branch works with thousands of apps. And in just the last year I’ve helped almost 800 apps integrate the Branch SDK. While working with app developers on these integrations, I’ve learned that there seem to be limitless ways in which developers use Branch links to drive better user experiences. So, how can app developers and marketers really leverage Branch’s technology to drive deep linked UXs and growth?
As Jet and Wattpad can attest, web to native conversion is still the bread and butter of an effective deep linked strategy. But not all the value of Branch’s technology is locked up in our dynamic, customizable smart banner. The true power of Branch lies in understanding how we pass data through install and leveraging this knowledge to create ways to customize every user experience.
Postmates is doing just that. By integrating Branch deep linking within their marketing campaign UX, Postmates has created a scalable system for deep linking new & existing customers to custom content in the app.
Truly Deep Linked Marketing Campaigns
So how does it work? Postmates wanted users to see a customized view every time a user came into the app from a marketing campaign. Its engineering team built a few parameters that the Postmates app looks for in every Branch link — like a title, image, message, and button.
Because these parameters exist in the app, the Postmates Marketing team can now create deep links with the associated data, either in the Branch dashboard or via our API. Then, inside the app, Postmates parses out these fields and instantly applies them to a custom view that pops up if the fields are present in the referring deep link. This allows Postmates to create a customized deep-linked UX for its new users. And if a new user comes into the app without having clicked on this deep link, Postmates still takes you to their awesome onboarding flow to find great new eats, delivered fast.
The Benefits of Deep Linking Marketing Campaigns
At first glance, this type of customized user flow might not seem like anything out of the ordinary. However, there are very few companies in mobile doing this type of customized deep linked marketing at scale.
Each and every one of Postmates’ marketing campaigns, whether it’s on email, Facebook, or Instagram can provide a personalized onboarding experience, the automatic application of a promo code, and granular tracking data.
By reducing steps to conversion with Branch’s deep link routing and by providing an enticing prompt AND applying a promotion code automatically, Postmates saw some incredible marketing results.
The Results of Postmates’ Instagram Promo to Drive Installs
Postmates saw a 31% click-to-install rate on this install ad campaign. Impressive, especially when the industry average is typically below 10% for most channels.
The big takeaway here is that app developers need to think about how they can provide a customized experience for every one of their campaigns. Taking people to your app isn’t enough. The lesson: think about some unique custom views in the app you want to provide, and then, marry that with some parameters that you can systematically drop into all your links on the fly.
It’s deep linked personalized onboarding made dead simple.
If you want to learn more about how you can implement something similar in your app, take a look at the Marketing Section of the Dashboard, and read our guide on personalized welcome screens. Remember — any link generated from the Dashboard, SDKs or API can house data which you can then use in your app to create a tailored UX.