Rent the Runway is the “fashion company with a technology soul”. The firm has reinvented the luxury experience by creating a new market for designer clothes based on the concept of temporary access. Described as the “Netflix for Fashion” by the New York Times, the company’s innovative business model not only created a new market, it redefined what ownership and retailing means to today’s fashion conscious consumer while building a loyal following across the United States.
A key part of Rent the Runway’s strategy for growth is social media and the company has quickly grown a highly engaged audience on Instagram which is ideal for promoting the company’s rich inventory of images for available items.
To help increase followers, the company included the Instagram icon in its email campaigns which links to the Rent the Runway Instagram profile. When testing the icon from a mobile device, a savvy marketing manager from Rent the Runway noticed that despite having the Instagram app installed on her device, the link was leading to the Instagram mobile website. At that point, when clicking to follow the Rent the Runway profile, the Instagram login screen would appear.
As a consumer, the marketing manager knew this would lead to high abandon rates and lost Instagram followers. Over time, however, fewer followers would translate to lost revenue. The solution was finding a way to update the link so that it could detect and open the Instagram mobile app for iOS and Android.
Solution Requirements
The marketing manager discovered that deep linking was the solution to the problem. Deep linking typically means linking to a webpage beyond the homepage but it also means the ability for a marketing link to open a mobile app vs. mobile website. In this case, the link was the company’s Instagram profile and the mobile app was Instagram.
The solution, however, needed to be easy-to-use, require minimal technical resources and allow for immediate implementation. For maximum reach, it also had to support any browser and device configuration across iOS and Android. URLgenius met all of these requirements.
“The URLgenius platform easily removes the mobile website login barrier for Instagram and other social platforms. What we like best is how easy it is to use. It empowers marketing teams to bridge the gap between mobile apps and mobile websites.” – Marketing Manager, Rent the Runway
The marketing manager that discovered URLgenius simply followed these steps to instantly update the company’s Instagram profile link:
The results were immediate. Not only did the marketing team see a dramatic increase in followers after each email send, they also saw a significant increase in overall Instagram engagement.
The company is now using the URLgenius platform to help drive downloads and engagement for their own brand app for iOS.
Saving time and development resources, URLgenius helps solve complex app vs. web challenges without the need for Software Development Kits (SDKs). Contact us to learn how we can help you increase social engagement and drive more app downloads and re-engagement for your mobile apps.
