36% of American saw our app.
Earlier this year, I shared a list of topics I wanted to explore on this blog. One of them was: promoting your app through US wireless network operators: how many qualified installs can you actually expect?
Test done. Here are the learnings:
The hypothesis
By partnering with a major wireless carrier such as T-Mobile, we could hack the Apple App Store charts and climb near the top of our category.
I didn't just want to validate the ranking boost but also know: would these users actually be qualified or would we just get a spike of downloads from people who'd only get the free product and never open the app again.
How the idea came to life
Exactly one year ago, I wrote about this very possibility on our internal Slack. I shared third-party data on a random app that seemed to be using this strategy, demonstrating how the mechanics could work.
The post got some traction in thread, enough to catch the attention of Kahina, our Account Manager at Pictarine. Within weeks, she had secured a contact for this hypothesis to be tested.
So here we go!
How it works
The concept is straightforward: T-Mobile runs a weekly program called T-Mobile Tuesdays where they offer exclusive deals and freebies to their ~130 million customers.
To get featured, you need something to offer. In our case: a free print.
The results
We launched our campaign on November 25th.
Within hours:
- We jumped from #146 to #5 in the Photo & Video category.
- Coming from literally nowhere, we appeared at #35 in the overall Free Apps Top Charts.
What struck me most wasn't just the magnitude of the jump because I expected it but it was the speed. T-Mobile has 130 million customers, with roughly 40% on iOS devices. That's 51 million potential iOS users seeing your app featured here.
In a few hours, we were listed alongside big names; apps everyone knows: McDonald's, Paramount+, Snapchat, Sora, Instagram, etc.
That visibility matters, even if it's temporary.
The qualification question
Here's where it gets interesting.
Our ranking in the Free Apps Top Charts dropped quickly. We didn't generate enough downloads from organic chart visibility to maintain that #35 position which makes sense given our brand awareness compared to the apps around us.
Still, we held our ground much longer in the Photo & Video category. We had enough qualified downloads to maintain our rank and continue attracting users who were genuinely interested in photo printing.
That's the real insight: we can reach people who actually want to print photos, not just tire-kickers.
That said, user quality is better in the category rank of your own vertical.
What this means
If you want to expose your apps to dozen of thousands App Store users for a few hours, you can do it by spending money; not on Apple Search Ads directly but on a third party (for whom, cost per install can be ridiculously low).
If you're considering a carrier partnership:
- Expect a dramatic, immediate impact on your category ranking.
- Don't count on maintaining a top position in overall charts unless you have serious brand power or a strong appeal (app title?) and PLG app.
- The quality of installs matters more than the quantity and seems surprisingly good.
The hypothesis is validated. The hack works. But more importantly, it works well to acquire qualified users on top of the commercial campaign.
Definitely worth exploring if you have something valuable to offer to such a big audience: 36% of the US population!
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