SwiftKey is an award-winning keyboard app for smartphones and tablets that learns from you to offer better auto-corrections and next-word predictions. Anne-Catherine Goulby, a marketing project manager in SwiftKey explains their success by using alternative approaches. How to reach key influencers, how to get featured by Google and dealing with Android fragmentation are only few of the aspects covered.

1. How SwiftKey got to no.1 in Google Play:
Using Alternative Approaches
Anne-Catherine Goulby
www.swiftkey.net
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

2. About us
We make typing faster, easier, more
personalised
• SwiftKey is the highest-selling paid Android
app in the world
• It’s been No 1 in 58 countries without any
advertising
• How did we achieve that?
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

3. Play the Google Ranking algorithm
game
And get to no.1 with organic downloads:
• The quality of the app as perceived by users (numbers of stars)
• Sustainable amount of downloads over past weeks
• Downloads growth over the last 30 days
• Frequency with which your app is used
• Swiftkey ticks all this boxes
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

4. Build a loyal community around your
product
An happy community equals
outstanding ratings and reviews
• Membership of our VIP community
surged from fewer than 30,000 in 2012
100,000.
• Good reviews on Google Play: an
average of 4.6 stars
•
Our network won us a Webby Award
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

5. Spread the word with Key Influencers
We build very close relationships with
top tech writers and personalities:
•
We take the time to connect with them
and to initiate a conversation with them
about our products
•
We invite them for closed beta
•
We listen to their feedback
•
Stephen Fry’s tweet was worth
thousands of organic downloads
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

6. Autumn sales screenshot
here
Get fully global: getting featured by
Google
App platforms and stores are looking for inspiring apps
they can use as ambassador of their ecosystem
•
Build an app that solves a problem in the platform ecosystem
•
Be creative using the technology of the platform
•
Speak constantly with App Store Product managers and let them
know your needs
•
Featuring increase organic downloads by 10% to 15%
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

7. Once at the top…
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

8. Deal with Android fragmentation
Android is a great platform because of its
flexibility but it’s also a daily and costly
challenge to run on it
•
An app fitting every device, screen size and
ram, which requires a costly backend
•
Google Play is the main distribution channel,
but other app stores to consider, esp. in
emerging markets
•
Rigorous analytics required to optimize at a
very precise level
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

9. • No.1 doesn’t mean
Monetization is not a givenmonietization
SwiftKey has been one of the fortunate ones, growing big
enough to make significant revenue from Google Play, but:
•
Some country app stores are very small (e.g. Belgium,
Switzerland); you only need 30 sales a day to be no.1
•
With a paid app you only make money once; finding the right
price is crucial
•
Sales are an interesting tool but need to be profitable: the
number of downloads should make for the loss
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

10. Next steps
SwiftKey keeps evolving at the same path
as the whole Android ecosystem
• Master data collection and analytics
• Experiment with app marketing (launch,
sales, featuring)
• New distribution channels
• Smart advertising based on analytics
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

11. Take away
If you’re trying to make it big...
•
Find advocates for your product: blogs and reviews matter
•
Listen, chat, make it easy for your customers to talk about
you
•
Capitalize on the free ASO tools to get as many organic
downloads as possible
•
Measure, measure, measure!
•
Experiment, run A/B testing and iterate, iterate, iterate
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute

12. TouchType Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute