Airbnb uses Branch’s mobile optimized linking across every marketing and product channel to drive app installs, save significant development time, and provide the best user experience.

Airbnb uses Branch’s mobile optimized linking across every marketing and product channel to drive app installs, save significant development time, and provide the best user experience.

Airbnb, the community marketplace providing access to

millions of unique accommodations and experiences in more

than 65,000 cities and 191 countries, knew that getting mobile

right was critical to their strategy. That’s why in early 2016,

they saw an opportunity to ensure that their marketing links

work across every single digital entity, specifically the mobile

app, where users have been proven to convert up to 6x more

often than the mobile web. They also knew the importance of

the app to their business, and that using links to drive users

to app content instead of mobile web would increase revenue

by providing the best user experience on mobile. However,

When Airbnb approached Branch in early 2016, they knew

their 1% conversion rate on mobile web needed to be im-

proved, but ultimately, they knew that driving engagement

to the mobile app would directly impact their conversions.

After implementing Branch links across all of their marketing

channels, they saw their app install rate increase by 19%.

Problem

Solution

©2017 Branch Metrics, Inc. All rights reserved. 650.209.6461 | branch.io | @branchmetrics

building, maintaining, and optimizing a linking infrastructure

that worked across every device and platform was not only a

daunting business problem, but also a challenging technical

endeavor. It required huge upfront investment and ongoing

maintenance with dedicated engineering resources.

But when the team members at Airbnb were introduced to

Branch, they found the ideal mobile linking solution: links that

work across 6,000 edge cases; and links that can drive users

directly to a specific piece of content inside their mobile app,

including keeping context through the app install process.

In fact, Branch links can be found across Airbnb’s mobile website, in-app sharing, email, social, and desktop Text-Me-The-App marketing channels, and have driven 3.5 million

app downloads in 6 months. And 47 (10% of the San Francisco

office) Airbnb employees now use the Branch dashboard to

utilize Branch links across the entire company.

Airbnb uses Branch’s mobile optimized linking across every marketing and product channel to drive app installs, save significant development time, and provide the best user experience.

Airbnb uses Branch’s mobile optimized linking across every marketing and product channel to drive app installs, save significant development time, and provide the best user experience.

©2017 Branch Metrics, Inc. All rights reserved. 650.209.6461 | branch.io | @branchmetrics

Branch played a crucial role in helping power Airbnb’s growth

engine, and they’ve even included Branch links in their latest

features: Guidebooks, Places, City Hosts, and Experiences.

And by having Branch links everywhere, it ensures that Airbnb

users are always presented with the optimal user experience,

every single time.

ConclusionAs one of the most innovative companies in the world, Airbnb

understands all of the mobile channels they can optimize by

driving new and returning users to the app. Interested in reap-

ing the true benefits of your mobile app?

Contact accounts@branch.io to learn more about Branch can

help your business.

Users can SMS themselves a Branch link from a desktop

browser to download the Airbnb mobile app. This opens up di-

rect channel for users on desktop to find and install their app.

Airbnb uses Branch deep links in their marketing emails to

direct users straight to a certain listing inside of the app, where

the user is more likely to complete a booking.

Desktop Text-Me-The-App

Email

Social networks are one of the biggest drivers of engagement

for Airbnb, and they use Branch links to increase engagement

and conversions in their mobile app. With Branch, Airbnb uses

Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks for app promo-

tions and more.

Social

Airbnb features an option to “Download the App” on their

mobile website’s navigation bar that Branch links power; along

with Branch links behind their banners and interstitials to drive

users from the mobile website into the mobile app. Because

Branch’s banners are easily customizable, Airbnb was able to

run hundreds of growth tests over a three-month period to de-

termine the optimal banner and targeting strategy for driving

app installs from mobile web.

Anytime an Airbnb user shares a certain listing, guidebook, city

host or experience, they are sharing it through a Branch link.

This link, generated by the Branch app SDK, allows Airbnb app

users to be taken directly to that piece of content inside of the

mobile app, instead of the mobile web.

Mobile Web

In-App Sharing