By Prime Star 
The dream of every mobile app developer is to develop the next viral sensation, and only a few know the mathematical equation of sustainable growth. Although the majority of app marketers think that paid in-app advertising and collaborating with influencers would bring them virality, however, the actual key to the skyrocketing app usage is insight into and maximizing your viral coefficient. This measure will help you in knowing whether your application will be difficult to launch or go viral with organic user referrals.
The major difference between the apps that do not work and the ones that become top-grossing can often be based on a single important measure. When your users are so enamored with your application that they are willing to share their networks that they provide you with a growth engine that is free of charge and yields enormous payoffs. This is a place where k-factor marketing comes in as the most useful tool of sustainable growth.
What is K-Factor in Marketing?
The k-factor is the original name of the term used in epidemiology, and it denotes the extent to which diseases can proliferate within populations. This has been transformed to viral growth in digital products in marketing. It is the ratio of the number of new users on your platform per existing user by way of referrals and invitations.
Your app is really going viral when your k-factor is greater than one. An average user attracts more than one extra user and thus, it forms an endless cycle of growth.
How is K-Factor Calculated?
K = Invites per user × Invite conversion rate, in which,
Invites per user is the average number of people each user shares or refers to and Invite conversion rate is Percentage of invitees who become new users.
For example, let invites per user: 5, and conversion rate: 20%. The K-factor will be calculated as K = 5 × 0.20 = 1.0K. This implies that each user will refer to one additional user, so growth sustains without extra spend.
Strategies to Boost K-Factor Marketing
Optimize Your Onboarding Experience
The initial impression of new users is created within a few seconds after opening your application. A seamless and user-friendly onboarding process boosts their chances of registering and delving into the features. On the one hand, users are more eager to share with others when they soon realize what your value proposition is.
Create Shareable Moments
Create special touchpoints in which the exchange of information that are natural and rewarding. Such moments should align with the user satisfaction rather than forced promotional requests. Users of your app will feel like sharing the accomplishment with their network when they have accomplished something meaningful in your app.
Implement Incentive Structures
Dual sided rewards encourage both the referrer and the referred user to go through the invitation cycle. These rewards must be of actual merit. The best programs have benefits that add value to the core app experience as opposed to generic discounts.
Simplify the Invitation Process
Each extra task in the process of your referral lowers the completion percentages exponentially. Allow one button sharing on many platforms and pre-write invitation messages with attractive copy. The less difficult you make it to share, the more often the users will share the news about your app.
Track and Iterate Continuously
Effective marketing based on k-factor needs to be continuously measured and refined. Track the channels that produce the best referrals and incentive models that produce the highest number of conversions. A/B test all the components of your viral loop, such as invitation copy and reward structures.
Build Network Effects
Naturally, apps with high k factors have higher value as more people use them. Social features, collaborative features and community features are some of the features that provide strong reasons why users should invite their friends. You should not avoid viral growth, especially if your app is based on networking.
Conclusion
Knowing how to apply the k-factor marketing will turn your mobile app into an engine of growth that needs no outside push to promote. By knowing what k factor is, using the correct k factor calculation methods, and using the k factor formula tactfully, you develop sustainable growth without raising marketing expenses in similar proportion. Make users delighted to a level where sharing becomes their instinct, and your viral coefficient will be soaring to the desired number of above one.