Adrián Sarasa Cantán

Q&A with Adrián

Adrián Sarasa Cantán was formerly Director of Mobile User Acquisition at Letgo in Barcelona, Spain. After spending several years managing search and social media marketing campaigns, Adrián fell into mobile marketing when his previous company realized the potential of mobile.

How did you get into mobile marketing?

I have 6+ years experience in digital marketing, mainly focused on user acquisition and performance marketing. In my previous position, I was working for a pretty established start-up that pivoted from desktop to mobile. I was lucky enough to be involved with the transition and to collaborate on the creation of their first mobile marketing campaigns.

What do you like most about mobile marketing?

I like the fact that it's a data-driven world. It's amazing to have access to such powerful data and use it to acquire new customers all over the world. Also, the mobile ecosystem is changing so rapidly that it is impossible to get bored.

What is the biggest mistake you made as a mobile marketer?

When I first got into mobile marketing I looked at acquisition and retention as separate compartments and it was definitely a mistake. From my point of view, retention starts with acquisition, reaching those users that not only perform well in the short term, but that are also more likely to stick with you in the long run.

What does it take to succeed in mobile marketing?

Due to how fast the mobile industry is moving, I think it is extremely important to keep up with the latest innovations, not only in the marketing field, but in product and tech as well. And it is essential to be data-oriented and feel comfortable working with huge amounts of data.

What does a quality mobile user look like to you?

Retention is a key factor for all of us at Letgo. We are definitely not looking for users that only buy or sell one pair of shoes or a bike and never come back. A quality user for Letgo is someone who becomes a regular buyer and seller.

What strategies work best to convert installs into engaged users?

1. Timing is crucial. User acquisition, retention and product teams should be aligned to create a seamless user flow that engages users from day 1.
2. Engagement starts with acquisition, so when acquiring users we need to communicate our message in a way that encourages users to use the product or service after downloading the app.

What is the biggest challenge in marketing the Letgo app?

One big challenge is definitely the lack of transparency from ad networks. Most ad networks are black boxes, so it is not uncommon to face cannibalization, as many of them end up buying from the same inventory. Mobile ad fraud is another major challenge we face. When you work with many partners, there's a high risk of encountering fraud and it is difficult to detect.

How do you stay ahead of changes in technology?

I'm subscribed to quite a few industry newsletters and follow a couple of blogs to stay up to date with the most immediate news. I've also built quite good relationships with account managers and representatives from different networks and tools we work with. I find it extremely helpful to learn what is happening on their end. Finally, I try to attend industry events, both in the US and Europe, to exchange knowledge with peers from the industry.

How important is diversifying user acquisition outside of Facebook?

I think it is key. Diversifying your acquisition channels is important to efficiently scaling your install volume, especially when Facebook is becoming such a competitive landscape for app marketers.

How important are the holidays to your business and what season is the biggest time for you?

Interestingly, we see a spike in activity after the Christmas holidays when people start listing the presents they don’t want to keep.