Many of the fastest growing apps this week in the mid-size range (100k to 1M) are just for fun type of apps. The top one on the list is Cool Animated Gifts. It has 192k monthly active users (MAU) with a 116% gain this last week. This signifies that gifts are cool, but animated gifts also have potentials. Simple and mindless apps are an easy way to interact with your friends and family on Facebook without having to think too much or play a game against them. The others on the list include Send Love Hearts, Collect Sweet, Free Gifts, Send Good karma, and I Love Chocolate.
These types of applications focus on the hedonistic appeal of the visual aspect of the gifts as well as the social elements. These applications are mostly used as a way to just waste some time and kick back, yet can be really powerful. App owners can monetize these with CPM. Certain aspects of the applications also focus on ?unlocking items? as you progress. After you cross a certain threshold, you can unlock more items to send. This is a great way to incentivize people to progress and keep using the application.
We?ll continue to see this trend escalate as more and more people are sharing items that have a casual appeal (hearts, coffee, teddy bears) and possibly love connotations. As the number of internet users grows, this allows for great brand marketing opportunities for brands looking to associate with certain gifts (Chocolate brands partnering with I Love Chocolates). Even if these opportunities don?t materialize, app owners can still monetize effectively.
