Interview with Jonathan Raveh from Neura
Jonathan Raveh is the Director of Monetization and Strategic Partnership at Neura, an AI Engine that allows your product to engage users. He has 10 years of experience in the mobile industry in various content & advertising positions. Prior to Neura, Jonathan was responsible for monetization at CallApp and managed all Partnerships & Community endeavors at Appnext. We will have the pleasure to listen him at Applause 2018 next Friday 1st of June.
Read the full interview and find out more about Jonathan!
Quick quiz Jonathan Raveh – Neura
Do you want to know what he will be talking about? Keep on reading and don’t miss the chance to attend at Applause 2018!
1. How and when did you arrive to the mobile industry? Why did you decide to stay and work on this sector?
I first entered the mobile industry in 2008, managing mobile content for a telco operator. The iPhone had just been featured a few months earlier, and we were not aware (at first) that the smartphone era had begun. We could definitely feel the wind of change, however, and that’s probably what got me so passionate about the industry.
2. What is the most important professional quality an app marketer can have?
The ability to try again. A lot of us quit trying at some point, but app marketers don’t have that luxury. The industry and user trends are constantly in flux, as well as engagement and marketing tools. The ultimate app marketer knows to always iterate, explore, and to never fear failure.
3. What is the best option to monetize a mobile app?
There’s no right answer here. Subscription used to be rare, now it’s quite popular. IAP is still strong, but a hybrid model that includes ads is now very dominant. Getting a good product with a strong need, and a good K-factor is the best route. Finding the right monetization model and A/B testing it to perfection isn’t easy, but it’s much easier when the product is popular and viral.
4. What advice would you give to a company or startup before launching a mobile app?
First and foremost, get the product right. Make sure the app is bug-free, that it provides users with the value is aims to provide, and that it has (at least) decent viral mechanisms. And don’t hurry on monetization. Money should never be first priority, at launch.
5. What are the biggest challenges facing the mobile app industry?
Engagement & retention, most definitely. Competition is as fierce as ever, while user patience is at an all-time low. So maintaining long-term, productive relationships is the greatest challenge all apps face today.
6. What trends will mark 2018?
2018 seems to be the year of Header Bidding. Facebook, Google and other big players will offer header bidding capabilities that will make ad monetization more profitable. On the engagement side, a mini-revolution is bound to occur, with new data verticals and a clearer focus on true user identity.
7. How do you keep up to date with all the news in the app marketing industry? What sources do you consult?
- Best source in my opinion is Mobile Dev Memo. It touches on any mobile industry-related matter, from ASO & Ad monetization to product and data.
- For ASO, I recommend TheTool and ASO stack. Both are focused and provide high, detailed value for any ASO efforts.
- For advertising in general and ad monetization specifically, I recommend AdAge & Soomla blog, respectively.
- I’d also recommend joining ASO Stack’s and MDM’s slack groups, where the real discussions happen. These communities are truly insightful to those who participate in them.
- Finally, I recommend following a few industry leaders on twitter – Eric Seufert, Peter Fodor, Thomas Petit, Gabriel Kwakyi and Andy Carvell, just to name a few.
8. What will you talk about in Applause 2018? Why the attendees shouldn’t miss your keynote?
I’m going to talk about a very important pillar of information that is missing for any app growth expert – real-world user data. Understanding what our users are doing in the real world is a crucial step for optimization of any engagement effort. Most app marketers are too focused on the limited data they currently have access to, while they should really be looking to expand these limits.
9. To finish, what apps or games have surprised you in the last year?
Tekken – this old console game got published recently on mobile by Bandai Namco and the game experience, other than a few bugs, is pretty great. An old game brought to life.
World Surf League – the World Surfing League app is definitely not a new one, but always on top of my list, not just because I’m a surfer, but because it produces great written and video content, including live content, with high quality and minimum ad intrusiveness.
See you on Friday 1st of June at Applause 2018!
