As classrooms fill and the academic year begins, educational apps are at the forefront of the back-to-school rush.
This period is not just about transitioning from vacation mode to study mode; it’s a crucial time for apps in the education sector to enhance their presence and user acquisition strategies.
Learning from the best practices can save time and let you improve your ideation process.
In 2023, these 10 apps stood up with their user acquisition activities;
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- Duolingo – Language Lessons,
- Quizlet: AI-powered Flashcards,
- Mathway: Math Problem Solver,
- SplashLearn: Kids Learning App,
- Kahoot! Play & Create Quizzes,
- Busuu: Language Learning,
- Lingokids – Play and Learn,
- AIR MATH. Homework Helper,
- ABCmouse: Reading & Math Games,
- Montessori Preschool, Kids 3-7
Building on our analysis of top practices within the Education category apps, we will also explore how the “back-to-school” season impacts app marketing overall.
This includes a detailed examination of keyword trends, in-app event strategies, custom product pages tailored for the season, and the ad creatives designed to attract users during this high-engagement period.
Duolingo
Duolingo leads the list with the highest App Store Optimization score among all educational apps in the U.S. storefront during this period.
Duolingo’s organic ranking distribution during the 2023 “back-to-school” season analyzed with ASO Report by MobileAction
During the back-to-school season, Duolingo ranked for over 5,900 keywords organically, with 85% of these keywords securing the top 30 ranks.
Impressively, Duolingo held the first spot for over 1,300 keywords.
The organic download history of Duolingo analyzed with Keyword Intelligence by MobileAction
This impressive ranking reflects Duolingo’s strong brand recognition, which drove over 80% of its organic downloads through its own brand keyword and allowed it to capture downloads from competitors’ brand keywords, showcasing its dominance and wide appeal in the market.
SplashLearn
SplashLearn ranks fourth but is notable for scoring the highest in Apple Search Ads among all the apps listed.
SplashLearn’s organic ranking distribution during the 2023 “back-to-school” season analyzed with ASO Report by MobileAction
During this period, SplashLearn was ranked for over 13,000 keywords, with 40% achieving top 30 ranks and over 400 keywords capturing the first spot.
The organic download history of SplashLearn analyzed with Keyword Intelligence by MobileAction
Significantly, SplashLearn drew 50% of its organic downloads from competitors’ brand keywords, demonstrating its ability to attract users who initially did not search for SplashLearn directly.
App update made by SplashLearn on August 18, 2023 analyzed with App Update Timeline by MobileAction.
SplashLearn uniquely adapted its app metadata for the back-to-school season, enhancing its app description and screenshots to target back-to-school shoppers directly. This strategic move significantly boosted its relevance and user engagement.
“Back to school” keyword search result ads performance of SplashLearn’s analyzed with Search by App by MobileAction.
Furthermore, SplashLearn was the only app to run search results ads specifically for the “back to school” keyword, with a popularity score 27, capturing over 97% impression share from this keyword.
It also ran search results ads for over 10,000 other keywords, indicating a robust and aggressive ad strategy.
Custom product pages run by SplashLearn with “back to school” keyword analyzed with CPP Intelligence by MobileAction
Additionally, SplashLearn created a custom product page themed around “back-to-school,” catering specifically to users searching for this term, which further enhanced its targeted appeal.
ABCmouse
ABCmouse stands ninth in user acquisition but shines with the highest Ad Intelligence score.
Ad creative insights of ABCmouse analyzed with Creative Analysis by MobileAction
ABCmouse utilized 46 ad creatives throughout the back-to-school season and collaborated with over 6,400 ad publishers.
This extensive use of diverse advertising strategies helped to amplify its visibility and attract a significant audience, especially among early childhood education segments.
Keyword Share of Voice
Share of Voice analysis of the “back to school” keyword analyzed analyzed with Keyword Trends by MobileAction.
The keyword “back-to-school” achieved a popularity score 27, leading 233 apps to integrate it into their keyword strategies.
These apps spanned several categories, with 78% in Education, 32% in Games, and 24% in References, indicating a strategic emphasis on seasonal search trends.
The apps that excelled in organic impressions for the “back-to-school” keyword were School Assistant – Planner, Remind: School Communication, and My Study Life – School Planner.
In terms of Apple Search Ads, Preschool + Kindergarten garnered the highest impressions for this keyword, followed by the Games category giant Brawl Stars and the Utilities category app Tape Measure: Ruler App.
In-App Events
In-app events during the 2023 back-to-school season, analyzed with In-App Events by MobileAction.
In-app events are great for attracting new users and re-engaging with the already existing user base, and during the seasonal times, they are great for catching up with the hype.
Education category Although we haven’t observed any in-app event utilization by the apps that managed to get on our list, several Education category apps successfully leveraged them.
FluenDay: Spanish & French, Reading Eggs – Learn to Read, ANTON: Preschool – Grade 8, KidloLand Toddler & Kids Games, Lingokids – Play and Learn, and Pinkfong Tracing World all hosted “back-to-school” themed in-app events, engaging users effectively during this key season.
Custom Product Pages
Custom product pages created with the “back to school” keyword analyzed with CPP Intelligence by MobileAction.
Custom product pages are a great way to increase delivery quality and communicate in the best way possible to a high-intent potential user.
Tailor-made creative sets for specific searches increase the chance of relatability and, in return, conversions.
During the back-to-school season, three apps, two in the Education category and one in the Utilities category, created custom product pages for the “back to school” keyword.
As we mentioned earlier, SplashLearn: Kids Learning App has successfully created a custom product page dedicated to this seasonal time with specially made creative sets. Also, ABCya Games: Kids Learning App and Fonts Art: Keyword for iPhone have also utilized custom product pages.
Ad Creatives
Ad creatives that were live during the 2023 back to school season analyzed with Top Creatives by MobileAction
The onset of the school season also significantly impacts the Shopping category, prompting a surge in targeted advertising by shopping apps aiming to attract parents to purchase school necessities.
The apps that launched targeted ad campaigns during this season included iBotta: Save & Earn Cash Back, Nike: Shops, Apparel, Stories, adidas: Shop Shoes & Clothing, MUSINSA: K-Fashion Store, StockX – Sneakers and Apperal, Ai Registry & Wishlist – Wisher, AfterPay – Buy Now Pay, and the Finance category app Western Union Send Money Now.
These campaigns were designed to capture the attention of parents looking for back-to-school deals, showcasing the cross-category influence of the season.
Conclusion
The back-to-school period is pivotal for educational apps to maximize their visibility and user acquisition.
This analysis of top performers like Duolingo, SplashLearn, and ABCmouse highlights how effectively leveraging strategic keyword optimization, seasonally adjusted content and targeted advertising can substantially grow user engagement and downloads.
At MobileAction, we specialize in mastering seasonal marketing trends, particularly in the education sector during the crucial back-to-school period.
Timing and relevance are key to success. Schedule a demo today to access these insights and enhance your app’s user acquisition as the new academic year begins.
Improve your educational apps with our targeted intelligence, automation, and expertise, perfectly timed for peak season impact.
