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Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

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Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#61

Post by seibelj »

wiradikusuma wrote: post #45

while we're in this topic, does anyone know any ad(?) network that provides "pay per errands" (install app, watch video, fill out survey, anything that can be done on mobile)? i want to give my 30k users a way to earn a bit of extra money.

Fyber https://www.fyber.com/

Trialpay https://www.trialpay.com/

Ironsource http://www.ironsrc.com/

Typically you reward in virtual currency, but you can reimburse them in cash if you want to go through all the work of a cash-out policy with real money

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#62

Post by alc90 »

Spooky23 wrote: post #58
alc90 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Big companies have big marketing budgets and are interested in big numbers (eg. huge number of impressions). I was thinking in terms of a more human approach where advertisers are actually looking to connect with their potential users. App publishers don't sell impressions - they sell influence by allowing the advertiser to get a spot from their app real-estate.

Overcast just did this. If you remember Tweetie (ancient Twitter app on iOS) they built a little bespoke network as well. It's certainly possible, but not scalable. If your goal is to support your own work and you have the hustle and editorial eye, you can make money. Keep in mind that the big players can wipe you out in a second. Overcast exists because Apple's benign neglect of podcasts. They can wake up at anytime…

Indeed - Overcast just did this - and that was also one of the main factors that pushed me to want to build this. I guess Marco would prefer to focus on Overcast and not take care of the ads management system - but since AdMob was not an option for him (and neither for me) he had to.

I'm not sure I've understood - what's not scalable? Selling ads by yourself or using a network that helps you sell ads?

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#63

Post by alc90 »

CJefferson wrote: post #55
alc90 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not an advertiser and I understand your point - but I think it can be the same amount of work pushing the ad in a black hole of ad impressions - not knowing where your add is being displayed - just some numbers - then trying to guess - because it's a great amount of guessing involved - what should you do to increase the relevance of your ad. Vetting the apps you want to advertise can also mean time spent - but kn…

The problem, if it is a big advert spend, it could be hundred of apps. Am i going to vet "bubble pop", "bubble pop 2", "puzzle bubble", and 200 other games, or just say i want my ad to be shown in puzzle games?

I think you could also have this possibility - choose an app category and get the ad spots required.

And still - you could have more control and info regarding your app than just "you had x number of impressions in the last y days".

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#64

Post by st3v3r »

codr4life wrote: post #6

What happened to building great software, providing great service and letting the rest flow from there? Monetization strategy; what is that, really? How is that ever going to lead anywhere that matters? Not that I don't have the same issues, I too am trying hard to find a way to survive in this mess of a world; but I'm convinced it all starts with doing the right thing, which rules out advertisement bullshit for me.

It's kinda hard to do something that matters if you're struggling to pay rent or feed your family.

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#65

Post by st3v3r »

codr4life wrote: post #14
treetruck wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing happened. Build it and they will come (tm) never flowed. Sympathies for the struggle, but I'm not sure why you're convinced "survival" "starts with doing the right thing", discarding "monetization strategy" and cursing "advertising bullshit". That's not the path to "somewhere that matters", it's just the path to a failed business venture.

Sympathy doesn't help, what we need to get out of here is action. Most people agree we're going nowhere fast, but precious few are willing to step out of line and change anything to break the loop. I don't know the answers, but any option is better than what we have now.

Are you gonna pay their rent while others "break the loop"?

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#66

Post by saadullahsaeed »

seibelj wrote: post #61
wiradikusuma wrote: post #45

while we're in this topic, does anyone know any ad(?) network that provides "pay per errands" (install app, watch video, fill out survey, anything that can be done on mobile)? i want to give my 30k users a way to earn a bit of extra money.

Fyber https://www.fyber.com/ Trialpay https://www.trialpay.com/ Ironsource http://www.ironsrc.com/ Typically you reward in virtual currency, but you can reimburse them in cash if you want to go through all the work of a cash-out policy with real money

Adding a couple more to this list:

Peanut Labs (Surveys) http://web.peanutlabs.com/monetization/ Offer Toro https://www.offertoro.com

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#67

Post by exolymph »

orasis wrote: post #50
hashmal wrote: post #23

- up-front payment: one of the most simplest and sane things you can do, which allow you to keep focused on your core product and customers (if you have ads, your customers are the advertisers) - free download with unlock IAP: just a hack to provide a "try it" demo. really a derivative of up-front payment - subscription based: most sustainable model, but difficult to push depending on the niche. it is, however, the m…

The numbers on the App Store disagree with your first thesis of up front payment. Simply look through the top grossing apps and most of them are free to play games.

> and without compromising my integrity.

From the comment you're responding to.

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#68

Post by simon_weber »

kilroy123 wrote: post #44
simon_weber wrote: post #22

I sell productivity tools - Chrome Extensions and a SaaS - that solve my own problems in a niche. I've avoided ads: they wouldn't be worth it with such small install numbers. For business-focused products I usually do a free time-limited full-access trial + paid subscription. For consumer-focused products I usually do freemium (limited version for indefinite use + paid subscription to remove limits).

Well now I'm curious what chrome extensions you've sold. I didn't think you could make money from that.

One adds autoplaylists (iTunes smart playlists) to Google Music: https://autoplaylists.simon.codes.

I'm working on my next, which provides business analytics for Google merchants: https://www.simonmweber.com/2017/03/18/google-payments-cente....

My SaaS adds autoreplies to Google Chat and Hangouts: https://gchat.simon.codes.

You can find the business details in https://www.simonmweber.com/2017/01/09/side-project-income-2....

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#69

Post by ImSkeptical »

benologist wrote: post #31
alc90 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What were your results with this type of monetisation? Do you know any "success stories" of any kind?

You can guesstimate what it will be worth by looking at your analytics. Amazon pay $0.002 per person per minute for US and a little less for a few other countries. I find they pay for about 2/3 of the usage time my apps record. I am netting a bit over $2k/week from it.

I'm curious - do you know how Amazon gets more than 0.2 cents per person minute of value from your app, or apps in general?

If they don't, I can't see them sustaining this business model forever.

Re: Ask HN: What are your app monetisation strategies?

#70

Post by personjerry »

orasis wrote: post #47

Unless your app is a viral, monetization can't just be a strategy - it is the primary design criteria. I have a 5 ⭐️ app, 7 Second Meditation, that has fantastic retention numbers, but I didn't design it around monetization from day 1, so the LTV is too low to do paid user acquisition. So the app is doomed to putter along on organic installs. An app must nail both retention and monetization to succeed. (shameless plu…

What's LTV? Google says loan to value but that doesn't seem to make sense here?
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