Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Optimizing your Keywords and Monetization ― Part 2 with Ramit Arora, Microsoft

Recorded live in London, Microsoft 365 consumer growth lead Ramit Arora tells David Barnard how the Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps do ASO: jobs-to-be-done keywords (resume, notes, invoice, budgeting), monthly keyword updates that drop terms held in the top 3 for about a year, and Apple Search Ads plus MMP data to find keywords that drive subscriptions within strict CPI limits. Android monetizes far worse, so Android CPI caps can be 50x lower. Paywall wins: 'free' in the trial button, GIF cards, Family as default plan, monthly-equivalent prices.

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10 tactics

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Pick App Store keywords for the jobs people do, like resumes or invoices

Brand is covered by app titles (Microsoft Word, Excel). A smaller part of keyword work targets competitors, including small productivity apps that top the charts. The bigger part uses user research on what the apps are used for to target generic job keywords: resume creation, note taking, slide decks, budgeting and invoices for Excel (someone searching 'invoice' may just need a simple Excel template, not QuickBooks). Works with an ASO vendor; description must still read cleanly, not as stuffed keywords.

Unknownaso

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Swap out keywords you've ranked top 3 on for a year; add new ones monthly

Update keywords every month. Once a keyword has ranked top 3 consistently for about a year, slowly remove it from the 100-character keyword field to free space for new terms such as AI or Copilot for new features; bring a keyword back if it proves sticky.

Unknownaso

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Use search ads to find keywords that bring paying users, then target them organically

Run multiple Apple Search Ads campaigns; use the MMP to check whether a keyword drives only monthly active usage or real subscriptions, under strict cost-per-install limits. Move high-performing ASA keywords into organic ASO metadata or bid more on them.

Unknownapple-search-adsaso

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Cap Android install costs far below iOS, since Android users pay much less

Android CPI caps up to 50x lower than iOS in some cases

Set CPI limits per platform from LTV:CAC; Android CPI limits are up to 50x lower than iOS because few Android installs convert to paid. Also watch tools billed by data points or MAU, since cheap Android usage can raise costs without revenue. LTVs are in the hundreds of dollars, so budgets are managed like any consumer SaaS.

Unknownpaid-socialanalytics-attribution

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Put 'Try free for one month' on the buy button, not 'Buy now'

Worked in tests; no lift numbers shared

When a free trial exists, the CTA button must say so ('Try Free for One Month'), not 'Buy Now' under a free-trial headline; users fear one-tap charges and hesitate to press buy buttons.

Workedpaywall

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Show paywall benefits as cards with GIFs instead of lines of text

Converted better in tests; no numbers shared

Replace bullet text with cards containing GIFs or illustrations of key benefits: premium desktop apps, 1 TB OneDrive storage, AI features. Example: an illustration of six family members each getting 1 TB of OneDrive.

Workedpaywall

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Show the yearly price as a monthly amount, like $8/month for $99/year

Very successful in an A/B test; no numbers shared

Separate A/B test: displayed the annual plan's monthly-equivalent price (e.g. about $8/month for $99/year) even though billing is annual.

Workedpaywallpricing

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Microsoft 365 · B2C · Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps

Put the pricier Family plan first as the default, above the Personal plan

Both plans sold more; the cheaper plan sold a lot more

Reordered the paywall so Microsoft 365 Family ($9.99) is the default/top option instead of Personal ($6.99). The pricier option acts as an anchor, like seeing expensive items in a luxury store and buying a tie.

Workedpaywallpricing

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

A weather app · B2C · host's own app

Pre-select the $4 monthly plan instead of the $40 yearly plan

20% more people converted to paying, per the host

Paywall packaging test: default to showing the $4/month subscription vs the $40/year subscription.

Workedpaywallexperimentation

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

A weather app · B2C · host's own app

Add a video to the paywall because people don't read

Host reports really good results; no numbers

Experimenting with a video on the weather app's paywall to show value instead of relying on copy.

Workedpaywall

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-05-15

Numbers mentioned

Who	Metric	Value	Context	When
Microsoft 365	price	USD 9.99	Microsoft 365 Family, US	16:40
Microsoft 365	price	USD 6.99	Microsoft 365 Personal, US	16:40
Microsoft 365	price	USD 99/year illustrative	Annual plan used as the example; shown on the paywall as about $8/month	16:40
Microsoft 365	share	80% estimate	iOS share of in-app purchase revenue vs Android ('80/20 sort of a thing', not exact), despite Android's larger install base	9:39
Microsoft 365	cpi	50 x approximate	How much lower Android CPI limits are than iOS CPI limits for paid ads, in some cases	9:39
Microsoft 365	ltv	hundreds of dollars, not thousands approximate		9:39
Microsoft 365	count	6 app stores approximate	Android app stores the apps are on ('six-plus'), including several in China; also pre-install deals	9:39
Host's weather app	conversion rate	+20% approximate	Lift in conversion to paying when the paywall defaulted to the $4/month plan instead of $40/year	18:27