How We Helped OPERI Go Global: PR, SMM, and Performance Marketing

We examined the MVP version of the OPERI app, the landing page, and the in-app UX. Our goal was to understand how the product works and which parts of the flow might prevent users from reaching the installation stage.

At the MVP stage, the app offered diagnostics across 18 areas but didn’t explain why this was important here and now. Users didn’t feel motivated to complete the whole process. We identified this as a risk zone: low engagement in the first 5 minutes reduces retention and increases churn before installation.

The product audit helped us understand:

• what the app’s key value propositions are: analytics and improving manufacturing efficiency via a mobile interface,
• how to improve the landing page,
• how to refine the app’s first screens,
• how to connect ad creatives with the product’s internal logic.

OPERI is a cross-ecosystem product designed for MSMEs and consultants. But it’s also important that associations, financial institutions, and government bodies are aware of its existence. Each of these segments perceives its value differently and has its own pace, motivation, and trust criteria.

We defined the target audience needs based on three types of data: secondary research, analysis of comparable platforms, and our team’s hands-on experience across other industries. We have previously worked with B2B SaaS, government programs, consulting and certification, as well as markets in emerging and industrializing economies.

We chose a flexible, multi-level segmentation approach and structured the audience into three key segments:

• Growth-stage MSMEs, consultants, investors → Tier 1.
  Small and medium-sized businesses that are already experimenting with ERP systems, automation, and staff training. This became our core audience for the ad launch: they understand the value of the tool but do not yet have a stable assessment framework in place.
• Industry associations, development agencies → Tier 2.
  Organizations with more advanced systems, where OPERI can act as a lightweight supporting tool or an alternative to expensive solutions. Here, we tested comparison-based messaging: “simpler, faster, more affordable.”
• Governments, traditional MSMEs → Tier 3.
  Small manufacturing businesses with manual management and little to no digitalization. In this segment, we saw long-term potential through PR and SMM, but did not recommend focusing on installs due to low readiness for new products.

As a result of the audience audit, we clarified who to speak to, what to say, where to launch ads, and in what sequence. This made it possible to quickly bring the first relevant users into the product.

Created a strategy and media plan

The goal of the PR campaign was to highlight OPERI’s value for small businesses and build trust within the professional community. We developed a detailed media plan and outlined a step-by-step launch strategy:

Phase 1 – Launching OPERI’s official page on LinkedIn.

Phase 2 – Publishing articles in the media and on industry blogs.

We put together high-level strategic notes to make sure all content was clear, relevant to each region, and compelling backed by concrete numbers that highlight the scale of the problem and the value of the solution.

We chose LinkedIn as the primary channel to reach OPERI’s target audience: executives, consultants, and small and medium-sized business owners. The content focused on real pain points-task overload, lack of structure, and low team engagement. We showed how OPERI helps identify bottlenecks through diagnostics. For each post, we created dedicated visuals, including covers, charts, and UI snippets.

Next, we connected SMM with paid traffic by setting up LinkedIn Ads retargeting for users who interacted with OPERI’s posts and page. This allowed us to build a consistent funnel: first, introducing the product through content, then bringing users back via ads with a clear understanding of its value.

As a result, LinkedIn became a channel that combined awareness and performance. Engagement increased, and paid campaigns started generating warmer, more cost-efficient leads compared to cold traffic.

We built and approved a media plan that included industry publications, professional blogs, and English-language business platforms focused on MSMEs. Our priority was to target outlets with strong trust among B2B and tech-savvy audiences.

We agreed with the client to go with an option that offers a good reach at a reasonable price. We calculated CPMs by factoring in both the cost of placement and the total reach of each outlet.

For the second phase of OPERI’s promotion, we compiled a list of potential media platforms in other languages to attract audiences from France, China, Indonesia, and beyond.

We created a clear structure for all articles and aligned it with the client. The content plan included specific topics, talking points, and formats tailored to each publication.

When it came to content production, we wrote the articles and designed visuals – interface screenshots, covers, and banners. Each piece was customized to fit the tone and format of its target outlet. This strategy led to strong relevance and engagement from readers.

For example, we used a thought leadership approach for London Loves Business, while the USA Today piece focused on issues specific to American small businesses: labor shortages, rising costs, and inefficient operations.

All articles were published on schedule. We managed the process end to end – staying in touch with editors, keeping timelines on track, and ensuring everything went live accurately. After the campaign, we collected performance data, tracking reach, impressions, CPMs, and clicks for each placement.

The PR push delivered multiple benefits for OPERI: boosted visibility in key markets, initial inquiries from partners and manufacturing associations, and a warmed-up audience ready for paid ads down the line.

We started paid promotion with Meta Ads. We implemented a system to track the user journey after installation and launched campaigns with interest- and demographic-based targeting. Our focus segments included small business owners, manufacturing specialists, workshop owners, and technical managers.

Initial installs came in at a steady pace, but the cost remained higher than expected. We continued to refine the creatives and made several iterations to improve CTR.

Next, we launched campaigns targeting a broad audience, with no interest restrictions-only country, age, and device filters. This approach performed better: the cost per install dropped noticeably, and in-app action conversions increased. It showed that the creatives and messaging were strong enough to work without complex targeting.

Broad targeting in Meta proved to be the most effective. The campaign without interest targeting delivered installs at just $0.35, lower than campaigns aimed at narrower audiences.

After successful tests on Meta, we rolled out Google UAC. We leaned into video ads, creating short clips that showcased the interface, ratings, and core value proposition. The videos performed especially well on YouTube – users watched them to the end, clicked through, and installed the app.

Both platforms delivered the traffic we needed for the first cycle: we brought in users, collected data, identified the best-performing segments, and got ready for the iOS launch. Google outperformed across the board – installs were 5 times cheaper, and user engagement was 10 times higher. Meta was helpful for early testing, but less efficient in terms of cost and user involvement.

After the successful Android launch, we scaled up and brought OPERI to the iOS platform. First, we set up SKAdNetwork to track installs and in-app events while staying fully compliant with privacy policies.

We adapted the app and tracking systems to meet iOS requirements, synced event data with ad platforms, and launched campaigns targeting English-speaking markets with a high share of iOS users – including the US, UK, Canada, and Singapore.

To lower acquisition costs and improve conversion rates, we started testing new hypotheses:

• Tailored creatives for a more mature audience.
• Refined ad copy for clarity and impact.
• Enhanced visual elements to catch attention.

These tweaks gradually boosted performance across key metrics.