In his fireside chat at Inside Social Apps today, Facebook Director of Product Management Doug Purdy discussed about mobile app discovery difficulties faced by developers. He discussed how developers can use the platform to drive app installations through mobile app install ads.

Since first launching last October, mobile app install ads have started to be used by more than 3,800 developers. Since sharing this number earlier last month, Purdy today stated that 4,000  developers have started using the ads which have driven over 25 million app installs. He added that one app developer has earned over three times its average ROI from the ads.

Purdy explained that Facebook’s goal is to build its products to complement existing app stores and help developers drive more users toward their applications. He suggests that developers look beyond the install and create a goal for users to engage deeper with their applications. This is done by planning around having users take a specific action after installing the app. He added that with Facebook’s robust targeting options, it is the best way to target and identify which users will take the appropriate action.

He also brought up Parse, a cloud-based platform which provides mobile app developers with tools to seamlessly integrate their apps across multiple platforms, which Facebook acquired last April. Purdy explained that the acquisition was based on Facebook’s goal of helping developers integrate faster and easier.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Adobe

Adobe, a Facebook Strategic Preferred Marketing Developer, today announced that it has hired the team behind creative design firm Ideacodes. The San Francisco-based startup had specialized in design and user experience for websites, web apps and blog networks. The Ideacodes cofounders will join as creative directors of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, which includes apps like Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. Last week Adobe made another acqui-hire: mobile app development team Thumb Labs.

Adotomi

Social advertising technology company Adotomi today announced its Universal Mobile App Tracking Program to give app developers a way to track the actions users take within their mobile apps after being exposed to Facebook install ads. Developers can track multiple actions to better understand users’ progress through the conversion funnel and their lifetime value. This allows developers to more accurately gauge the ROI of their Facebook campaigns and optimize them accordingly. Mobile app tracking providers HasOffers, Ad-X and AppsFlyer have integrated with Adotomi to offer this feature, and Adotomi says more partners are coming soon.

Adotomi is a Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer and CEO Joe McCormack will be participating in a panel and vendor workshop at our Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco next week.

DataXu

Facebook Exchange Certified DSP DataXu introduced an Algorithm Marketplace to its enterprise programmatic marketing platform last week. The Algorithm Marketplace is a library of algorithms for programmatic buying, which also taps into attribution and validation models from Adometry and Nielsen, as well as data from eXelate. The marketplace gives brands and agencies new ways to customize the DataXu Platform and better engage consumer across channels, including FBX, display, video and mobile.

Looking for insider advice on social app development, marketing, and monetization? Discover how to take your app to the next level at the Inside Social Apps Conference & Expo, happening June 6-7 in San Francisco.

This event will showcase the industry’s most forward-thinking minds in panels, presentations, and fireside chats. You’ll also have ample opportunity to network with developers, marketers, investors, and managers in the app community.

Early bird rates end on 4/25; register by Wednesday and save $300 off onsite pricing.

Featured sessions include:

• Platform Opportunities for Social Apps: This keynote panel will feature developers from KIXEYE, HitFox Group, Glu Mobile, and DeNA. You’ll learn about which devices and platforms offer the most opportunity for growth and revenue.
• Maximizing Audience Engagement with Real-World Incentives: This session will focus on strategies to drive engagement by offering users real-world incentives earned through in-app activity. Panelists include professionals at AppGlu, Relevvant, Urban Airship, and Atomic Axis.

Featured speakers include:

• Deb Liu, Product Manager, Facebook
  
• Gabriel Leydon, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Machine Zone
• Wilson Kriegel, President and COO, Paltalk
• Josh Williams, President and Chief Science Officer, Kontagent

Check out the full program and speaker list for more details, and don’t forget to register soon.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

We’re gearing up for the biggest social app event of the year: Inside Social Apps Conference & Expo, happening June 6-7 in San Francisco. Expert developers, marketers, analysts, consultants, and venture capitalists will lead sessions on key social app development, advertising, and investment opportunities.

You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to network with social app professionals during and after the event.

Featured sessions include:

• Going Social with Entertainment and E-Commerce Apps: This session will highlight social features that drive engagement in entertainment and shopping apps. You’ll hear from Ari Brandt of MediaBrix, Jeremy Toeman of Dijit Media, and Damon Brown of Quote Unquote App.
• Gambling Games: The Promise of Real Money: This newly-added session cover conversion and revenue opportunities for social gambling apps in light of recent legislation changes. Bret Terrill of “Bret on Social Games” will moderate.

Explore the full program and speaker list.

Don’t miss out on this great event. You’ll save $300 off onsite pricing when you register before April 25. We hope to see you in San Francisco!

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Inside Social Apps 2013 is happening June 6-7, 2013 in San Francisco. If you’re a manager, developer, marketer, or investor in the social and mobile app industry, you won’t want to miss this event. Early bird rates end this week, so register today.

Explore key trends and issues in the social and mobile app space, including:

• Cross-Platform Development
• Understanding Analytics: Platforms, Services, and Stats
• Going Social with Entertainment and E-Commerce Apps
• Monetization and Payments in Apps
• Investing in Social Apps
• Gambling Games: The Promise of Real Money

Check out the full program.

Newly-added speakers include:

• Jan Beckers, CEO of HitFox Group
• Chris Cunningham, CEO of appsavvy
• John Dobrowski, Games GM of Nanigans
• Emily Greer, Co-Founder of Kongregate
• David Kim, CEO of Animoca
• Erik Lundberg, VP and GM of W3i

View our full speaker list.

Early bird rates end Wednesday at midnight EST. You’ll save more than $400 off onsite prices, so get your pass soon.

We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco this summer!

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Facebook is testing new headlines for its latest games discovery module in News Feed to drive more users to canvas apps.

Some users are seeing versions of the module, which includes three suggested games, with the headline “Personalized games suggestions for you.” Other users have seen this module called “Games that are growing rapidly.” The original headline, “Games your friends are playing,” which was used when the module debuted in late January, is still in rotation for some users.

At least two of the three “games that are growing rapidly” as seen in the graphic below have been regularly appearing on sister site Inside Social Games‘ weekly list of fastest-growing Facebook games by monthly and daily active users.

This unit is not currently eligible for advertising. Apps that are included in App Center and have App Center screenshots can appear in this module organically.

We’ve heard from the comments section on our other posts that some users dislike seeing these suggestion in their feed. For others, though, it might be a useful way to discover new games they might enjoy, while driving traffic to different developers’ games. We’ve heard from many developers that an ongoing problem with putting games on the social network is discoverability, something Facebook’s been trying to address for some time.

Canvas games are still an important part of the social network’s business because it is the one stream of direct revenue from its platform. More than 251 million users played games on Facebook, as of October 2012. Approximately 27 million users bought virtual goods using Facebook Payments in 2012, up from 15 million in 2011. Facebook generated $805 million in games-related payments revenue in 2012.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Want to network with like-minded peers while learning about key market trends and best practices from leading industry professionals? Join us at the Inside Social Apps Conference & Expo, June 6-7 in San Francisco. Register early and save.

The two-day event will consist of panels, presentations, and workshops led by the brightest minds in the social and mobile app arena.

Topics include:
- The Challenge of Mobile App Discovery
- Maximizing Audience Engagement with Real World Incentives
- Monetization and Payments in Games
- Trends in Social and Mobile Advertising
- International Opportunities: Asia, Europe, and the Middle East

View the full agenda.

We’re bringing together an incredible lineup of speakers, including: Brandon Barber of KIXEYE, Giordano Contestabile of PopCap, Jussi Laakkonen of Applifier, Tommy Palm of King.com, Josh Williams of Kontagent, and Andy Yang of PlayHaven. Check out our full list of speakers.

Want to know more about Inside Social Apps? Take an inside look at our recent New York City event on YouTube.

Save more than $400 off onsite pricing when you register before March 14.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Our Inside Social Apps Conference & Expo brings together the nation’s leading developers, marketers, designers, and managers to discuss the future of the social and mobile app industry. This year, we are launching ISA’s first-ever companion event, Inside Social Apps Tech Job Fair, June 6 in San Francisco.

Leading companies from across the nation will be attending the event to recruit for open positions and network with great talent. If you’re interested in representing your business at the event, contact us for sponsorship details.

If you’re looking for a new position or simply interested in making new connections, early bird tickets are only $10. You’ll receive full access to the event’s recruiting booths, career panels, and refreshments.

Event highlights include:

• Exciting opportunities to network with executives, hiring managers, and peers
• Fresh insight and advice from panelists on how to score top tech jobs
• Complimentary food and drinks

Take advantage of our $10 early bird rate and register today.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Calling all social app community members: The 2013 Inside Social Apps Conference and Job Fair is in San Francisco on June 6-7. This industry-facing event takes a deeper, more targeted approach to discussing topics and trends that impact social app developers, marketers, investors, and platform operators. Join us for two days of insightful panels and presentations from industry leaders and network with recruiters and job seekers from top tech companies.

Early registration ends tonight at midnight. Register today and save $500 over onsite pricing.

Stay tuned for our agenda and job fair participants in the coming weeks. We hope to see you in San Francisco!

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Even at the overwhelming Consumer Electronics Show, it’s hard to miss the large Salesforce monitors in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s North Hall. Every second the screen is spitting CES stats, ranging from the reactions to certain announcements to the ranking of the most discussed gadget categories. The graphs, charts and numbers are pulled from about 500 million different sources.

It is called the Social Media Command Center, a nerdy collaboration between CES-owners Consumer Electronics Association and cloud computing giant Salesforce. Inside Social Commerce talked to Michael Peachey, Salesforce Senior Director of Solutions Marketing, about how the partnership came about and what trends they were already seeing early in the conference week.

Read the Q&A and learn how Salesforce is monitoring social media conversations and engaging consumers live from CES on our sister site, Inside Social Commerce. 

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook