“Cross-promotion starts helping when you have loyal users who really like what you do. But you have to be very explicit — tell users 'this is my app, you would like it' — versus confusing it with an ad.”

Cross-promotion must be explicit and from a known brand to drive installs

Maple Media found generic app-carousel cross-promotion ineffective. What works is explicit, brand-attributed promotion: 'from the maker of WeCal.' Native integration also outperforms banner ads — for example, embedding a finance-focused podcast section inside a stock app, then pointing to Player FM. The common thread is transparency: loyal users follow developers they trust.