App Strategies: Tips for App Optimization on Seasonal Holidays

App Store Optimization
CRO
Paid User Acquisition
Dec 20, 2023

There is an ongoing debate among ASO experts, marketers, developers, and app owners about whether it is necessary to improve their apps for the festive season through seasonal sales and updates like Christmas or New Year’s special offers. The RadASO agency has holiday marketing ideas on how to promote and boost the app's or game’s traffic during the festive season.

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Best Seasonal Marketing Trends For the ASO

If you have a goal to increase the app downloads during the Christmas season, it would be wise to set up a budget for this purpose. Then consider the changes you’d like to make to your visual resources.

Graphic ASO: Icons and Screenshots

Graphic ASO is a way of graphical components' optimization on the app store page. The main goal is to boost rates. When users look for a useful app without entering the actual brand name but using keywords related to its features and functions, they decide whether to download or not according to the visual presentation of the app list (icons & screenshots).

The app icon and screenshots are the basic components of the visual optimization on the App Store and Google Play that have to show the objective of your app when the user finds it. They influence the rate of the application or game. Unlike the App Store, in Google Play, screenshots in search results are only displayed for branded search terms.

Read more about graphic ASO in the article “Instruction-memo for visual ASO”. ТРЕБА ДАТИ ЛІНКУ НА ОПУБЛІКОВАНУ СТАТТЮ В БЛОЗІ

The RadASO agency recommends following some rules when changing or creating a new icon for your app:

  1. Icons and screenshots should be eye-catching and memorable and show users the core of the app.
  2. The design should provide a specific atmosphere during the holidays.
  3. Use a simple design to create the icon. Don't put a lot of small details on it.
  4. Use the thematic details or backgrounds according to the seasonal holiday.
  5. Don't apply the calls to action on the icons. It's not allowed.

If it is an e-commerce app, show the updates and sales during the seasonal festive. It will have a higher impact and provide a great opportunity to become more visual and get more downloads.

Read the article Which Holiday ASO-Creatives are already available on Google Play and the App Store? List For Your Inspirations to find out how various niches have prepared the best holiday marketing strategies.

Textual ASO: Events, Promos, and Visual Graphics

Proper graphic and textual optimization helps you display your app higher and get better in-store rankings for user searches. The RadASO agency notes that changing titles, subtitles, and keywords should be done only for niches that are related to festive season marketing. As an example, you can see such applications:

In other applications, it is irrelevant. The traffic will be used in vain, and you can lose positions in the stores for other relevant keywords.

Note. The visibility of holiday-related applications or games will rise during certain festives because users search for something thematic during holidays. For instance, add some Christmas details to the app icon or holiday-related updates and enter “Christmas” in the keywords.

However, in the e-commerce niche, there is a great influence from keywords associated with gifts, discounts, or promotions. For example, if it is a hardware store, we can use keywords associated with a certain product, such as iPhone 15. In such cases, we can change the metadata, as the keywords are related to promotions, which can attract customers.

Note. In addition to the Christmas holidays, Black Friday is also an integral event for e-commerce, which significantly affects its profits. Traffic volume increases significantly on Black Friday, so adding holiday-related keywords and discounts can greatly impact organic traffic.

Promo texts

They are also an important holiday season advertising for games. Although they are not indexed and have almost no impact on the conversion. But they can be relevant on the gaming app page. Promoting the app will not help us to improve the search visibility or position of the app. However, this type of textual ASO includes motivational texts that provide a call-to-action, which helps to get the user interested in seasonal updates or special offers in games.

Attribute
Value
Format
PNG
Color space
Display P3 (wide-gamut color), sRGB (color), or Gray Gamma 2.2 (grayscale).
See Color Management.
Layers
Flattened with no transparency
Resolution
Shape
Square with no rounded corners
Attribute
Value
Format
PNG
Color space
Display P3 (wide-gamut color), sRGB (color), or Gray Gamma 2.2 (grayscale).
See Color Management.
Layers
Flattened with no transparency
Resolution
Shape
Square with no rounded corners
Word
Frequency in service
Qimai(China)*
AppTweak
Mobileaction
Appfollow
课程 (course)
5387 (high)
56 (mid)
5 (low)
34 (mid)
外语 (foreign language)
5699 (high)
35 (mid)
5 (low)
34(mid)
播放 (play)
5496 (high)
35 (mid)
5 (low)
35 (mid)
*Search index in China provided by Qimai and based on multidimensional calculations such as search results, downloads and relatable keywords.
App Store
Google Play
1. Icon impact on user choice
Important, but not more than a video with screenshots, as they take up most of the screen
Icon is displayed with several other icons in search results, and therefore it has the greatest impact on the user's choice
2. Icon localization
1 icon for all locales
Can be localized for each country
3. Screenshots quantity, orientation
From 1 to 10, any orientation
From 2 to 8, any orientation
4. Screenshots the most important are the ones that are visible before you start scrolling
  • Vertical screenshots: 3 are visible
  • Horizontal screenshots: only the first one is visible
  • Vertical screenshots: 4 are visible
  • Horizontal screenshots: only the first one is visible
5. Screenshots size
Large — the content is legible
Much smaller — the captions are quite illegible
6. Video quantity
Up to 3
One video that must be uploaded to YouTube
7. Video orientation
Any orientation
Horizontal orientation prioritized
8. Video autoplay
Plays automatically for 30 seconds without sound
You need to click on it to play
9. Application cover
Displayed on the application and developer pages
There is no cover
10. Graphics update
After release only
Whenever

ASA Holiday Season Marketing Tricks

First, think about customizing your Custom product pages (CPP). You should do the CPP only if the app offers its users Christmas special offers or gaming updates because you need to have a certain marketing goal that matches the user’s needs.

It will be great to create a separate page specifically for these promotions or sales and get creative with it. Add screenshots and videos as they add more engagement, and allow briefly demonstrating the offer or better introduce users to the application. Also, demonstrate eye-catching promotions that will grab the attention of your customers. By offering a visually engaging and customized experience, you'll increase your chances of higher bids and downloads.

During the seasonal holidays, the app actively operates to manage and improve traffic for specific search terms, as they can change during the season. The RadASO team suggests separating brand, competitive, and category requests into separate Ad groups to control the percentage of buybacks of these search terms. There are the following steps on how to do it:

  1. In addition to branded search terms, highlight competitor groups (branded search terms are usually highlighted; if not, do so). This is necessary to protect the brand.
  2. Select the most relevant competitors. If the app has key competitors, create separate groups for them to attract users who are looking for similar apps.
  3. Place category search terms (those that relate to the app's category or functions) in separate groups as well. Within the category search terms, create a separate group for New Year's holidays. For example, a widget app makes СРР or has a set of New Year's widgets and wants to increase the number of downloads for the holidays. In this case, search terms for New Year's covers should be separated into a separate group.

RadASO clients can rely on the team to use a self-developed tool RadASO Tech Boosted Solution to increase traffic. In particular, there is a brand protection function that the team activates so that competitors cannot boost their app rating for key brand search terms, and the agency increases the app's traffic.

This will help you to direct the budget to the most relevant groups/search terms and raise your rates and downloads.

Device or context
Icon size
iPhone
60x60 pt (180x180 px @3x)
60x60 pt (120x120 px @2x)
iPad Pro
83.5x83.5 pt (167x167 px @2x)
iPad, iPad mini
76x76 pt (152x152 px @2x)
App Store
1024x1024 pt (1024x1024 px @1x)
Source language
Target language
How much longer (+) or shorter (–) the text in the target language is
English
French
21.18%
English
Spanish
19.52%
English
Italian
17.91%
English
Deutsch
16.67%
English
Dutch
13.80%
English
Portuguese (Portugal)
14.29%
English
Portuguese (Brazil)
12.96%
English
Polish
9.33%
English
Russian
9.11%
English
Czech
3.70%
English
Arab
–6.25%
English
Japanese
–39.68%
English
Korean
–44.04%
English
Chinese (Simplified)
–61.97%
English
Chinese (Traditional)
–63.80%
*Search Ads Popularity (SAP)shows the popularity of the search term from 5 to 99.

App Visibility Boost By Applying the In-App Events

In-app events are timely activities in games and apps. You can post information about events right on your app’s page on the App Store and Google Play, giving you a new option to attract the interest of existing and potential customers. They can also help promote your app by providing additional visibility in the stores.

In-app events are a highly flexible way to interact with your audience. Create events timed to the holiday season, such as Christmas Eve countdowns, holiday sales, or thematic quests. Consider using in-app events during the holidays this year.

Google AdMob recommends creating an interesting background for your app, for example, snowflakes, during the holiday season, or adding a new game character or quest related to the festivity. You should note that such updates will be displayed for most users instead of screenshots, that is why you should keep in mind the following:

  1. It may overlap the graphics developed specifically for the event.
  2. The in-app event picture should be as attractive as screenshots.
  3. If there are difficulties with the event publication, you can update the icon and screenshots.
Device
Spotlight icon size
Settings icon size
Notification icon size
iPhone
40x40 pt (120x120 px @3x)
29x29 pt (87x87 px @3x)
38x38 pt (114x114 px @3x)
40x40 pt (80x80 px @2x)
29x29 pt (58x58 px @2x)
38x38 pt (76x76 px @2x)
iPad Pro, iPad, iPad mini
40x40 pt (80x80 px @2x)
29x29 pt (58x58 px @2x)
38x38 pt (76x76 px @2x)
Search term
Translation
SAP* English (U.S.)
SAP* English (U.K.)
truck games
games with trucks
62
39
lorry games
games with trucks
32
jail games
prison games
29
8
prison games
prison games
32
24
*Search Ads Popularity (SAP)shows the popularity of the search term from 5 to 99.
App Store
Google Play
What can be tested?
  • Short description
  • Long description
  • Icon
  • Feature graphics
  • Screenshots
  • Videos
  • Screenshots
  • Videos
  • Icon (has to be uploaded to the build*)
Number of simultaneously running tests
5 tests (each test is valid within a single country.

You can choose a default country test (details below): then it will run in all countries where there are no localized graphical or textual materials.
1 test (the test can be immediately extended to all countries where the application is available or opt for specific countries as needed)
The number of test variants that can be tested with the current version in the store
Compared with a maximum of 3 new variants
Can a test be launched while another item is under review?
Yes
No
Mandatory formats for screenshots uploaded to the store
6.5
  • 6.5
  • 5.5
  • 12.9 (if there is an iPad version)
*Build – is a new version of the application. Updating the icon is only possible when updating the application version in the store. In other words, the term "build" refers to a specific version or variant of the application that is ready to be downloaded and installed on the users' devices. It contains all the necessary files and data for users to install and use the application.
More about optimizing graphic elements in the App Store and Google Play can be found in the article 'Graphics in Mobile App Promotion in the App Store and Google Play (ASO) – How to Optimize Graphic Elements.'
Device size or platform
Screenshot size
Requirement
Screenshot source
6.5 inch (iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR)
1284 x 2778 pixels (portrait)2778 x 1284 pixels (landscape)1242 x 2688 pixels (portrait)2688 x 1242 pixels (landscape)
Required if app runs on iPhone
Upload 6.5-inch screenshots
5.8 inch (iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone XS, iPhone X)
1170 x 2532 pixels (portrait)2532 x 1170 pixels (landscape)1125 x 2436 pixels (portrait)2436 x 1125 pixels (landscape)1080 x 2340 (portrait)2340 x 1080 (landscape)
Required if app runs on iPhone and 6.5 inch screenshots are not provided
Default: scaled 6.5-inch screenshotsAlternative: upload 5.8-inch screenshots
5.5 inch (iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus)
1242 x 2208 pixels (portrait)2208 x 1242 pixels (landscape)
Required if app runs on iPhone
Upload 5.5-inch screenshots
5.5 inch (iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus)
2048 x 2732 pixels (portrait)2732 x 2048 pixels (landscape)
Required if app runs on iPad
Upload 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation) screenshots
5.5 inch (iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus)
2048 x 2732 pixels (portrait)2732 x 2048 pixels (landscape)
Required if app runs on iPad
Upload 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation) screenshots
Price
Traffic Source (Self Reporting Networks)
Facebook
Google
X (Twitter)
Apple Search Ads
Cohort reports
Impression tracking
Audience segmentation
At extra charge
Custom Dashboards
Custom Reports
At extra charge
Advertisement Cost
DAU/MAU (Stickiness)
Raw Data Export
At extra charge
At extra charge
At extra charge
API Reporting
Search term
Translation
SAP* French
SAP* French (Canada)
soldes
sale
25
5
aubainerie
sale
14
*Search Ads Popularity (SAP)shows the popularity of the search term from 5 to 99.
Device
Icon size
iPhone
180px × 180px (60pt × 60pt @3x)
120px × 120px (60pt × 60pt @2x)
iPad Pro
167px × 167px (83.5pt × 83.5pt @2x)
iPad, iPad mini
152px × 152px (76pt × 76pt @2x)
App Store
1024px × 1024px (1024pt × 1024pt @1x)
Icon format
PNG
Color models
sRGB or P3 (see "Color Management")
Layouts
Aligned without transparency
Sizes
Shape
Square without rounded corners
All the current requirements for icons are specified in the specification.
Icon format
32-bit PNG (with alpha channel)
Color models
512 х 512 pixels
Layouts
1024 КБ
Sizes
square, without rounding and shadows (Google automatically rounds the corners and adds shadows)
All the current requirements are specified in the specification.

The great part about apps is that there are so many components that can be optimized during the seasonal holidays. By developing different features of the app, you can achieve incredible results.

The RadASO agency advises you to take the next steps for optimizing your app during the seasonal holiday:

  1. Update screenshots and themed images to include holiday promotions and seasonal content to increase the potential rate. Potentially update the app icon, according to the focus of your holiday campaign.
  2. Potentially refresh your metadata to include keywords related to the holidays. Do so if the content is highly relevant to your app (and only if it doesn't distract from your main, high-priority keywords).
  3. Make seasonal promotional ideas to introduce holiday-related content, sales, or special offers your app provides to users.
  4. This holiday season, consider listing in-app events on the Store to increase involvement and visibility.

While many find this time of year challenging due to higher competition, there are many options that apps (both unpaid and paid) can take advantage of using the ASO and ASA strategies.

The text was based on the expert advice of ASO specialists of the RadASO team: Nataliia Kaidanovska, Yevhen Mamin, Yaroslav Vorona, Maxim Melnik, Marianna Herasymenko.

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