Strategies for Successfully Promoting VPN Services in Russia
The Russian market has undergone significant changes in 2022 due to sanctions and restrictions. These economic and political events have also affected online products, resulting in various VPN services taking leading positions in the segment.
This trend is understandable because despite the closure of platforms such as Tik-Tok and Instagram* in Russia, the Russian audience still actively uses them, as well as read news from sources recognized as foreign agents in the country (such as Meduza**).
In February 2022, 16 VPN products entered the TOP 100 of the most downloaded apps on iOS, and 8 in the TOP 100 for Android (according to data.ai). By March, 9 services had already entered the TOP 10, along with Telegram (as reported by Statista), highlighting an important new trend in the market – the longer popular online resources remain blocked for the Russian audience, the more popular VPN services become.
Put differently, the VPN market in Russia has become highly attractive for developers, resulting in a competitive environment where successful promotion is essential. Companies offering VPN services use various advertising channels and tools to reach their target audience. QB Agency experts, with experience in this segment, have shared their knowledge on how to efficiently utilize advertising resources to promote VPNs in Russia.
ASO (App Store Optimization) as a Promotion Tool
The effectiveness of ASO as a promotion tool is debated among experts. Its primary aim is to increase app visibility in relevant user queries on marketplaces, which is achieved through selecting search queries, creating a semantic kernel, and integrating keywords into marketplace metadata. However, other factors such as app ratings, visual content, localization, and quality also affect optimization efficiency. ASO requires careful planning and constant refinement due to changing user requests and keyword popularity.
ASO may have been the most effective tool if there were fewer competitors on the marketplace, and popular apps are harder to displace from top rankings. This is particularly relevant for VPN products, which dominate the Russian online market. ASO is a useful addition to promotion, but the primary objective is still presenting the product competently on the marketplace, while advertising campaigns should drive users to the app via links.
Creating a Landing Page in Russian
The landing page is a widely recognized tool for any digital campaign, especially when promoting online products. Its main purpose is to persuade users to take specific actions, such as subscribing for a free trial, purchasing a product, or booking a service.
While many experts consider the landing page a crucial tool for promoting brands, it may not be as effective when it comes to VPN services. This is because users usually search for app information directly through marketplaces or search engines like Google and Yandex, which lead them to marketplace pages with download links.
However, a VPN landing page can still be effective if it contains certain elements. Firstly, it must be in Russian language to target the Russian market. This not only makes it more convenient for users, but also eliminates the need for a Russian-language description of the application on marketplaces, which is beneficial for developers targeting a global audience.
Secondly, a landing page can be useful for VPN apps that offer a free trial period. This allows for more detailed descriptions of the terms of use and pricing policies.
Thirdly, a landing page can be used to describe the benefits of a paid subscription service, highlighting what users can expect to gain from subscribing.
For instance, the landing page of Surfshark, one of the most popular VPN apps in Russia, provides a detailed breakdown of its service packages, including additional apps like virus protection that are included in the subscription price. This helps users understand that Surfshark is not just a VPN service, but an entire online protection package, setting it apart from competitors.
Competitors
The analysis of an advertising campaign is crucial for its success, especially in a highly competitive market such as VPN services in Russia. To stand out and capture the audience’s attention, it is necessary to analyze the competition thoroughly.
The following aspects should be considered while analyzing competitors among VPN services:
- The top downloaded VPN apps on popular marketplaces.
- Identification of market leaders and similar services.
- Examination of their advantages, positioning, and pricing policies.
- Examples of advertising integrations.
By paying attention to these factors, development companies can create an effective marketing strategy to promote their products to a Russian-speaking audience.
Yandex Contextual Advertising
Assuming that the VPN product is already uploaded to marketplaces, has a landing page in Russian that describes the main benefits and terms of use, and competitors have been analyzed, the next step is to focus on the audience that is actively interested in VPN by setting up contextual advertising effectively.
Contextual advertising has numerous advantages related to search queries. It attracts the attention of the right users and enhances their loyalty to the product since they use similar queries. The mechanism is quite effective as contextual advertising works on keywords entered by users during searches. Essentially, you only display ads to a relevant audience.
In March 2022, Yandex received about 9.5 million searches for information on VPN services from Russian-speaking users. This is six times higher than February 2022 and ten times higher than March 2021. Although interest in services slightly decreased in April, it remains several times higher than the pre-crisis level.
Since advertising on Google search cannot be displayed in Russia at present, Yandex Direct has become one of the main channels for promoting VPN services. Therefore, contextual advertising can be considered the most crucial tool in promoting an online product to potential users. However, to increase the reach of an advertising campaign and attract other segments of the audience who may also be interested in VPN, additional tools should be utilized.
Using Telegram and VKontakte for Promoting VPN to a Broad Audience
Social media advertising is generally aimed at a wider audience compared to contextual advertising, which targets users who are already interested in the product. However, promoting VPN services on social media can still be effective, especially in the Russian market, where certain social media platforms are still accessible.
In March 2022, several popular social media sites were blocked in Russia, including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Meta. This has resulted in an increased demand for VPN services among users who want to access these platforms. Therefore, advertising VPN services on accessible social media platforms that are popular among Russian users can be an effective way to reach potential customers.
Telegram is one such platform that is widely used in Russia, and it offers various options for advertising VPN services. However, creating a dedicated Telegram channel for VPN advertising can be expensive and time-consuming. Additionally, the Telegram Ad Platform has limitations, such as a 160-character limit for advertising messages and restrictions on using third-party links. Instead, purchasing advertising on popular Telegram channels that cater to relevant audiences can be more effective.
The same approach can be applied to promoting VPN services on VKontakte, another popular social media platform in Russia. VKontakte offers more options for presenting advertising messages and allows targeting specific audiences based on interests, community memberships, retargeting, and lookalike audiences. By identifying popular VKontakte channels that are relevant to potential customers, businesses can effectively promote their VPN services to a wider audience.
There is an additional option available for promoting VPN on the Russian market. Contextual advertising on Yandex is effective for targeting an audience already interested in VPN products. Popular social networking sites such as Telegram and VKontakte can be used to reach a wider audience. VKontakte offers many options for promotion, making it a versatile tool for marketing. Telegram, on the other hand, has a large and loyal audience and is one of the most downloaded resources in Russia, along with VPN.
In summary, the promotion of VPN on the Russian market can be carried out effectively through these two main channels. However, there is also an additional option available.
Youtube Bloggers
In any advertising campaign targeting a wide audience, promotion through opinion leaders is an essential tool, as many loyal internet users still listen to their advice. This strategy can also be effective for VPN products, especially considering the limitations imposed on the Russian market during the period of sanctions.
Previously, Instagram* and TikTok were among the most efficient resources to work with bloggers and promote products through them in Russia, but they have now been blocked. However, Youtube continues to operate in Russia, and bloggers can still raise funds through user support and self-publish ads in their videos.
Although promoting through opinion leaders is difficult for some products or services, it remains a viable option for VPN services. Firstly, the Russian audience still watches Youtube channels, so selecting the right bloggers could help reach potential VPN users as effectively as promoting on VKontakte or Telegram. Secondly, native advertising that incorporates bonuses, free trials, or personal discounts from a blogger can be highly effective in promoting a product.
Therefore, in addition to promotion on contextual advertising on Yandex and social media platforms like Telegram and VKontakte, Youtube can serve as an additional tool for attracting the attention of the Russian market to VPN products through opinion leaders.
Instructions for promoting VPNs
In the current situation where popular online resources are being blocked due to the sanctions policy against Russia, the demand for VPN applications among users is high. This trend is evident from the ratings of marketplaces and provides VPN developers with an opportunity to attract a large percentage of Russian users as regular customers. However, in a highly competitive market, successful entry is almost impossible without advertising promotion.
To promote a VPN service in Russia, a comprehensive campaign may include the following tools:
- App Store Optimization (ASO) to improve the app rating on marketplaces
- A Russian-language landing page highlighting the benefits of VPN for the audience
- Contextual advertising on Yandex targeted at users interested in the product
- Advertising on Telegram channels to expand the audience of the campaign
- Advertising on VKontakte to work with different groups of potential customers
- Native VPN advertising on Youtube through opinion leaders to increase audience loyalty to the product
Using a combination of advertising tools is crucial for successful promotion in the Russian market. It is essential to choose the right tools and set up an effective advertising campaign that reaches the target audience. The QB Agency experts are available to answer any questions and help find the best approach to promote VPN on the Russian market, taking into account the specific features and preferences of the target audience.