Valentine’s Day has become a significant event in the mobile app industry, with various app categories experiencing significant user engagement and downloads. Understanding the ecosystem and emerging trends is crucial for developers and marketers looking to take advantage of this season’s opportunities. We’re going to look at what apps get more active during Valentine’s Day, discuss effective user acquisition (UA) and monetization strategies and give some tips on how to improve app performance during this time of year.
App Categories on the Rise During Valentine’s Day
1. Dating Apps
Unsurprisingly, dating apps witnessed a significant uptick in activity during the Valentine’s season. In the lead-up to Valentine’s Day 2023, dating apps observed an 8% rise in installs on February 12 compared to the monthly average, indicating a last-minute rush for potential romantic matches (Adjust).
Beyond installs, dating apps also experience higher in-app activity, with increased swipes, matches, and messaging interactions. However, retention rates seem to have decreased after the hectic season.
2. Social Networking Apps
Installs across all social apps went up 6% over 2024, with sessions peaking at +29% on February 14. The most notable growth on Valentine’s Day was seen in messaging apps, with sessions rising 31%. (Adjust).
3. Food and Drink Apps
Restaurant booking apps grew by 156% on February 14, as users booked last-minute dinner reservations for Valentine’s Day. Prior to the holiday, recipe apps also grew steadily, peaking on February 12 (+60%), reflecting greater interest in homemade food. In February, food delivery apps witnessed a notable spike (+27%), indicating users prefer home delivery. (Adjust).
Features like exclusive Valentine’s discounts, pre-ordering, and romantic dinner package promotions can drive even more engagement for food and drink apps during this period.
4. E-commerce & Retail
Gift-giving is a central aspect of Valentine’s Day, prompting a surge in e-commerce app usage. According to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, consumers are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. This is an increase over last year’s $25.8 billion and slightly higher than the previous record of $27.4 billion set in 2020.
5. Entertainment & Streaming Apps
During Valentine’s Day 2024, entertainment apps saw steady increases in downloads and sessions. Music & audio apps showed the highest install growth between February 1 and February 10, with over 35% on February 10. Installs of video streaming apps grew 25% on February 3 before peaking at 21% on February 10, likely due to interest in romantic movies or TV shows. There was a big spike in video streaming sessions, with over 10% of sessions on multiple days between February 9 and 13. (Adjust).
6. Travel & Experience-Based Apps
With many couples planning romantic getaways or unique experiences, travel and experience-based apps also have the potential to grow. Hotel bookings, guided city tours, and couple-friendly activities contribute to increased in-app spending around Valentine’s Day.
Key User Engagement Practices
To maximize the benefits of increased app activity during Valentine’s Day, developers should implement the following user engagement strategies:
- Personalized Content: Tailor the app experience to reflect the Valentine’s theme. This could include special offers, themed content, or personalized messages that resonate with users during the holiday.
- Push Notifications: Utilize push notifications to remind users of special promotions or features available duringValentine’s Day. Ensure that these notifications are timely and provide value to the user, enhancing engagement without being intrusive.
- Engage Micro-Influencers: Get your message in front of niche audiences by using micro-influencers. By creating authentic content, influencers can demonstrate how they use the app to celebrate Valentine’s Day and engage users.
- Exclusive Rewards: Offer exclusive rewards or content that is only available during the Valentine’s period. The app’s users are encouraged to engage deeply with the app as a result of this sense of urgency.
Utilizing AppSamurai’s DSP for User Acquisition & Retargeting
Valentine’s Day is a prime moment for apps to scale their user base. With AppSamurai’s machine learning-powered DSP, developers can drive incremental growth by leveraging real-time bidding, first-party data, and advanced optimization strategies.
1. Smarter User Acquisition (UA) with Real-Time Bidding
- Advanced CPI/CPA Algorithms: AppSamurai’s proprietary bidding models optimize for key conversion events, ensuring efficient ad spend.
- First-Party Data Utilization: Apps can retain valuable audience insights in-house, improving targeting for future campaigns.
- Access to a Wide Pool of Daily Bid Requests: Developers can explore new inventory pools, reaching high-intent users with increased conversion potential.
2. Retargeting & Audience Expansion
Many users install apps before Valentine’s Day but may not engage immediately. Retargeting campaigns can bring them back with personalized ads based on:
- Event Type & Frequency: Target users based on actions like adding items to a cart or swiping on a dating profile.
- Recency of Activity: Serve ads to users who have engaged recently, increasing the chances of conversion.
- Bid-Level Insights: Utilize data such as the bid floor, session depth, and loss notifications to refine bidding strategies for better ROI.
Maximizing Revenue with Rewarded Playtime
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about acquiring new users—it’s also an opportunity to monetize existing ones effectively. AppSamurai’s Rewarded Playtime offers a highly engaging, fraud-resistant ad revenue stream that benefits both users and developers.
1. Unlock a New Revenue Stream with Rewarded Playtime
- Users earn rewards within minutes, increasing session duration and engagement.
- Developers generate instant revenue, boosting ARPDAU with an additional monetization layer.
- Effortless integration allows apps to start monetizing within 24 hours.
2. Higher Engagement, Lower Churn
- Tailored game offers from popular titles keep users entertained, preventing drop-offs.
- Encourages habit formation, increasing long-term retention.
3. Fraud Prevention & Quality Revenue
- Minimized revenue loss from fraudulent traffic.
- Authentic user engagement, ensuring premium eCPMs and high-value impressions.
Conclusion
Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to boost user engagement, acquire new customers, and maximize revenue. You can keep growing your app after the special days by analyzing category trends. You can also add new and effective strategies to your marketing funnel such as AppSamurai’s DSP for smarter user acquisition, and implementing Rewarded Playtime for effective monetization.
Long-term success requires understanding user behavior, fine-tuning engagement tactics, and capitalizing on seasonal surges. UA and monetization strategies based on data can help developers make sure users love their apps all year long.
