As most of us continue to work from home to do our part and help battle the global pandemic, I couldn’t help but feel lonely, stressed, and frustrated hearing about layoffs in the tech industry. The events of the past few months have left me, and many others, searching for community, connection, and a network.
According to the Ericsson Mobility Report, 74% of people found social networking apps that help us stay in touch with family and friends the most critical during COVID. And 67% of respondents reported that apps that helped them do their job and collaborate with peers were some of the most important, showing that human connection is vital during this time.
The years I spent working for well-known publishers across various app verticals have given me clarity about what I value in an organization. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had these life experiences where I met many creative, brilliant people at companies that I now call partners – and I want to call out one of them right now.
Liftoff, a platform that helps mobile app marketers like me acquire and retain high-quality users at scale, has added incredible value to the organizations I have been at over the years – not only through their product but also with their marketing.
Given the absence of live events due to COVID-19, Liftoff sensed that the industry craved social interaction. To alleviate that, they came up with a fantastic idea to bring together like-minded growth marketers via Zoom, for a virtual gathering called the Mobile Heroes Lunch Club. For four weeks, Liftoff matched small groups of app marketers to meet once per week to have lunch together, exchange ideas, and answer each others’ burning questions around UA, attribution, retention, creatives, and more.
Here’s why Liftoff’s Mobile Heroes Lunch Club virtual event idea was a success and I strongly encourage app marketers to join:
A Space to Exchange Ideas
COVID-19 has not only changed our day-to-day life and how we interact with the world but also changed how we do our jobs as mobile marketers. As users’ behaviors changed rapidly at the beginning of the pandemic, uncertainty grew around what was happening in the app stores. And without any data to guide our decision making, we were all challenged to make strategic decisions like whether to cut UA budgets or change our north star metrics. The Mobile Heroes Lunch Clubs became a safe space where marketers could candidly share what we were going through, exchange experiences, and help guide others’ decisions. I have learned new perspectives, received brilliant ideas to help me in my work, and helped out others going through challenges I have encountered in the past.
An Extra Resource Library
The Mobile Heroes Lunch Clubs are typically hosted by senior mobile marketers who work in a similar app category as you or have extensive experience on a particular shared topic. One thing for sure: they have likely dealt with more significant, complex challenges in their career. I have had an opportunity to learn the latest trends relevant to my app, expand my network by getting to meet new people, and bounce ideas around when the need arises. The discussion topics change weekly based on your group’s preference, so we have debated different approaches to novel problems and discovered new tools and vendors that can help us grow our apps more effectively. I found that showing up to have lunch with other mobile experts can help me solve some of my most significant day-to-day issues either through the advice I received or someone connecting me to the right resource.
Catered Lunch
Let’s be honest – many of us aren’t just craving more social interaction, we are also missing our catered office lunches. With the Mobile Heroes Lunch Club, Liftoff killed two birds with one stone. Before your lunch club meetings, you receive a food delivery code to order your lunch (on Liftoff – neat, huh?) and try out the variety of food choices in your neighborhood. Below are some pictures from my last lunch club group, where one member even ordered some delicious desserts. Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch?
Don’t miss out, join the Mobile Heroes Lunch Club email list to enjoy free lunch while exchanging ideas with like-minded marketers. I hear registration for the next round of Lunch Clubs launches in mid-August!