So you have an app project and were thinking it will start to get traction as soon as it hits the app stores?
Think again!
The Apple App Store now has over 4.3 million apps and Google Play has 2.9 million so no one is just going to run into your app by accident.
It’s going to need some work to get the word out, but how?
In this article, we will look at some of the best ways to market your app.
Define the problem it solves
First and foremost you need to understand and be able to clearly define who the app is for and what problem it solves. This should be done before the app is planned and built so you probably already have this nailed, but if not, it certainly needs to be done before any marketing is started.
It is normal at this stage to identify your customer persona, which is the exact demographic and identity of your ideal customer. This will help down the line when you need to decide who to show the adverts to.
PR
If you can afford a PR company that would be ideal, they can be expensive for smaller businesses. With some charging more than $5,000 for their initial research and planning phase, and some much more. This might sound like a waste of money for a small business. But to have experts get to grips with your market and target customer, then design what your brand stands for and how it fits into that market can make all future advertising easier and more productive.
Website
Next, having nailed your band and message the website needs to be coordinated to tell that story. It needs to promote the app full-on and not just add some links to the app stores like it’s an afterthought. App-focused landing pages need to be built for anyone coming in from the app stores. And the blog needs to tell the story of your app users in pictures, videos, and words.
Youtube
Your Youtube channel should not just be filled with shameless adverts for your product, who is going to watch that? It needs to provide useful, educational, and relevant content that will interest your target audience. At the same time educate them about your app’s use cases and how it will make their life better.
Social media
All relevant social media channels need to regularly put out content that will interest your target market. Resharing your blog content, infographics, surveys, and your youtube videos. Along with topical updates about your app and industry news for your target markets.
Industry Publicaitons
It is an essential part of your PR campaign to keep the industry press talking about you, and all press and media were possible. Press releases should announce any important moments in the development of the product and business, and publicity stunts should be staged to keep your business at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Regular articles in leading industry publications will not only build your credibility and social score but increase backlinks to your website to increase its organic traffic. And it will provide yet more material to push out through your social media channels.
Influencer
Celebrity promotion of your app in the form of product placement is a great way to bring it to the attention of your target audience. And it does not always have to be Kim Kardashian with millions of followers. A campaign run with lots of smaller influencers can work just as well and come across as less blatantly promotional. Each could target a particular sector that might use your app. This can work in conjunction with your Youtube and other social media channels to give a boost to all of them.
Blog and link exchange
Find other websites and social media channels in your niche or in complimenting niches where your target demographics hang out. Offer guest blogs, interviews, and collaborations with those channels to share your audiences and reciprocate backlinks. Tech blogs and Youtube channels that focus on mobiles will be ideal audiences for a mobile app product.
Podcasts
Do guest appearances on podcasts that reach your target market. This log form format of usually more than an hour of attention is a great way to dig deep into the benefits of your product or service. You can explore case studies in detail and educate potential customers about your product.
Integrations
Typical in B2B applications but also some B2C. Third-party integration with other apps is a great way to cross-pollinate with another app company’s audience. Getting into the other companies’ app stores is a great way to be introduced to their audience which should be complimentary to your product rather than competing with it. Putting your app in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of users of the other app is a powerful way to get introduced in a kind of digital recommendation.
ASO
App Store Optimization just like its older cozen SEO is the process of making your app more findable in the app store. Many of the same techniques apply such as keyword optimization. Ensuring you have a good quality description, video, and images of the product’s most important parts. And ensuring that the reviews are good and regularly coming in. To get this right it would be wise to consider hiring an ASO company that has the experience to get it right.
Reviews
It is essential these days to display good reviews on your website and have them on the app store. These should be in the app store itself and third-party review sites like Trustpilot.
Apple Search Ads
Apple now offers paid ads in the form of PPC (pay per click) these work just the same as Google PPC except inside the apple store. So you can get your app up to the top of the list for any relevant searches by anyone that fits your demographic criteria.
Google Ads
Unless you have lots of time to wait around for organic search rankings, you will need to pay for Google PPC. This can display ads in Google search results, websites that are showing google ads, and in the Google Play store search results. When running Google search ads they should be primarily targeted at mobile searches and voice searches, as opposed to desktop, as you are selling a mobile product. This might sound obvious but it is often overlooked.
Mailing List
Yes, the mailing list is still alive and kicking. Ensure that you offer some kind of freebie to join your list, then over time you can educate the list subscribers about your product and ensure they have plenty of opportunities to participate in your introductory special offers. Of course, if you offer a free version of your app, then you can push notifications right to their mobile which could be better.
Physical locations
If you have brick-and-mortar locations they should be promoting the app as well. Posters with QR codes are a great way to get people to download the app when they are in your store.
Other promos
There is a whole host of other promos that you can run to get people to sign up for your app. Giveaway contents, free swag, promo codes, app awards, and word of mouth like inviting a friend are just some of the strategies that can be used to get the word out there and keep the buzz going.
Conclusion
This is just an introduction to some of the many ways that you should consider when marketing your app. But if handling all of these things sounds like it could be too much for you. Then it would be best to work with an app marketing company like Blue Whale Apps. We specialize in taking your app to market in the most effective way possible and we can also help you to get the project off the ground by designing and building the app as well. For more information book a free consultation with one of our experts today.
