SPEAK

The language-learning brand ran Automated App Ads and branded content ads on Instagram to acquire new subscribers and increase recurring subscriptions by 49%.

THE STORY
Practicing English with artificial intelligence

Speak is a subscription-based app built by Speakeasy Labs that helps people practice and improve their English-language speaking skills by interacting with an artificial intelligence-powered speech recognition system that simulates real conversations. The brand emphasizes the importance of practicing daily to become more comfortable speaking English.

49%

increase in recurring subscriptions

2.4X

lift in first-time subscribers

2.8X

lift in “start trial” event

For subscription services, it is imperative to retain subscriptions and increase a user’s lifetime value. With these mobile app install campaigns and the insights gleaned from the conversion lift study, we now know that Facebook and Instagram can help us acquire high-value users. We plan to use these insights to expand our partnership with illustrators and to inform future year-end campaigns.
GAYOUNG PARK, HEAD OF MARKETING, SPEAK
THE GOAL
Acquiring long-term subscribers

The English-language practice app wanted to boost its number of recurring subscribers and aimed to run a campaign that would attract people who were more likely to subscribe to its services.

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THE SOLUTION

Partnerships and automation

Speak worked with Facebook to develop and run a mix of mobile app install ads aimed at reaching people looking to improve their English-speaking skills.

The language practice company partnered with Korean illustrators who were active on Instagram to produce dynamic and engaging illustrations that promoted Speak’s subscription services during the year-end period of 2020, when many people were reflecting on the past year and setting goals. The illustrators posted their art pieces on their own, and then Speak featured the illustrator’s branded content as ads. The campaign used the app installs objective, was optimized for app installs as well as the “start trial” event and delivered ads to people over the age of 18 living in South Korea.

Simultaneously, Speak ran Automated App Ads optimized for a “start trial” event. A feature of Facebook Ads Manager, these ads used machine learning to select the best-performing creative and deliver it to the most relevant audience of people over the age of 18 living in South Korea.

To measure the campaign’s efficacy in boosting recurring subscriptions, Speak partnered with Facebook to conduct a managed conversion lift study. Speak used the Facebook software development kit (SDK) to measure app installs and Facebook helped the company include “recurring subscription” as a tracked offline event. From there, Speak was able to determine the number of subscriptions that recurred between January 13–February 18, 2021.

By running branded content ads and Automated App Ads that were optimized to reach high-value subscribers and increase app installs, Speak achieved the following results according to the conversion lift study:

  • 49% increase in recurring subscriptions
  • 2.4X lift in first-time subscribers
  • 2.8X lift in “start trial” event
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