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Acquisition Channel Opportunities: Browser Extensions, Facebook Log-in, TikTok

Want to get more paying users? I've analyzed over 2100 marketing news from the past week, identifying the top 3 opportunities for founders that can help you get more paying users. Let's get started.

1.Browser extensions are coming to Safari on iPhone/iOS

Extensions are a big acquisition channel: If you've read my Zero to Users report on acquisition channels that consistently work for founders, you'll know that "app plugins" rank #2 on the list.

The reason: Distribution. If you've been reading Indie Hackers, for example, you'll find a lot of examples of profitable Chrome extension. Google puts an effort to promote extensions because they increase the chances people will continue using the browser. The same is likely to happen to Apple.

In its WWDC event, Apple has announced that Safari web extensions are finally coming to the iPad/iPhone.

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The opportunity: Take a look at your desktop browser. How many extensions are you using? Now those same extensions are coming to your mobile Safari browser. This is a pretty new terrain, since Apple is the first company to allow mobile web extensions, but if people use them as their desktop counterpart, things will get interesting.

We're likely to see founders who make 3, 4 or even 5 figures with their Safari extension where 80%+ of people use them on the web, if this takes off.

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2. "Login with Facebook" is becoming "Login + Message" with Facebook.

This is good news if If you're using the "Login with Facebook" button for your app.

The news: Facebook is now adding the ability for your app to also ask users whether they want to be contacted through Messenger after they log in.

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Positive opt-in rates: According to initial data, over 70% say 'yes' after presented with this window.

The opportunity: You'll be able to more easily contact your existing users. Email marketing, despite being effective, is becoming saturated. Being able to also contact people via another communication channel something we all want.

For now this feature is in closed beta and will probably be available to everyone over the coming months.

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3. TikTok is growing faster than you think

According to recent SenorTower data, TikTok is the fastest growing mobile app overall for a third month in a row (here are the April and March results).

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Are you ignoring TikTok? According to a recent study, TikTok ranks high in driving Gen-Z purchases. This will probably increase as younger folks adopt the social platform more.

Teenagers are not the only people on TikTok, though. According to Savannah Sanchez, a social media marketer, (F) 35+ are one of the top-converting age groups on the platform right now.

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  1. 5

    Things will get really interesting if Apple releases an app store for mobile browser extensions.

      1. 1

        Even more interesting if it could be for every Chrome extension builder that they could have it working on Safari with merely a rebuild for that App Store. The only reason I’m not switched to Safari on desktop yet is because I would miss all my extensions…

  2. 1

    So happy extensions are getting built out! I built a service that lets you easily add payments to extensions and this development should help out even more! https://extensionpay.com

  3. 1

    I wonder if Facebook is going to pull another bait-and-switch on messaging as well, like they did with Facebook pages (giving them huge reach at the beginning and then reducing it to single digits).

    1. 1

      That's VERY likely to happen IMO. That's why I'm suspicious about FB getting into the newsletter business as well.

  4. 1

    Why do you think TikTok is dominating the app charts lately?

    1. 1

      TikTok also has a really advanced algorithm to keep you on the platform itself.

      There's a pretty decent article about it here:
      https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-finally-explains-for-you-algorithm-works/

    2. 1

      Kids competing who has the stupidest video :))

      On a serious note: I think the pandemic had a huge efffect, which kicked off the network effects as @zerotousers said.

    3. 1

      Probably a combination of network effects and every 3rd generation wanting to use another social network than the one before them lol

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