To create an application is only half the battle. The second half is to find a right way to the minds, hearts, and wallets of users. The success of the business greatly depends on how the application will be advertised and how many people will use it on the commercial basis. Press releases, briefings, support of the media – all these techniques work, but what do to if you have a really small budget? How to promote a just-created app which is great but unknown?
The industry of mobile applications has already developed the optimal approach to the hearts of users. In this paper, we will present you the best ways to promote your mobile app that will suit both small and large companies.
So…what’s to do right after you’ve created an application and placed it in the App Store, Google Play, or in any other specialized online store?
Social Networks and Blogs
To promote the app fast, you have to use all available channels. Spread the news about the application via Internet: Facebook, Twitter, and posts on different blogs – all these will work for you.
The ideal post in social networks should consist of:
- A brief description of the functionality of the application.
- A screenshot of the app.
- A link to download.
If the post will be short, informative, and contain a clear call to download, the audience will respond.
A single announcement is not enough. Continue to spread the news on a regular basis. Keep the interest of the public. The best you can do is to start a blog devoted to mobile applications.
Media
The success of the app depends on the number of references to it in the media. Of course, media will not highlight a third-rate app, so you have to create something of high value.
And even if your app is not among the best, you can share it with profile media. Journalists need something to write about, right? Tell them about the advantages of your app, but try to be honest and go into details without using any advertising tricks. Start your promo in the popular online media like AppAdvice, iPhone Application List, AppSpy, etc.
However, the promotion of only through scale focused media is not enough to get to the top. Therefore, try to promote the app to a wider audience by regularly publishing posts as an expert, as well as commenting the news in the closest fields.
Do not forget to send out press releases with the clear and accurate information about your product, including a few screenshots with explanations. The quality of the images should be enough not only for electronic but also for the print media. It often happens that a journalist is unable to publish the article but happy to give your press release to a colleague from another department.
SEO
Most people are not usually looking for a particular application but rather type requests. For this reason, it’s crucial to indicate the keywords and phrases which you expect are the most relevant to the app. Despite the growing skepticism about the effectiveness of online advertising, contextual ads still work well.
SEO should focus on your target audience. Remember that all of your content is ultimately designed for users, not for Google. Please don’t optimize the texts to such an extent that it become difficult to read.
Beautiful Story
It’s vital to have an interesting story staying beyond your app. If you have no history, please turn on your imagination and come up with something spectacular. The power of art allows users to feel an attachment to a new application or service. There are many examples when people, inspired by some descriptions, voluntarily advertise the product they adore to friends, relatives, and sometimes even strangers.
In the story, you have to give answers to the following questions:
- How did you come up with the idea of creating an application?
- Who has inspired a coder to develop the app?
- What difficulties have you overcome when designing the app?
History must be presented on the official website so that it can be picked up not only by users but also by the media.
TV Channels
To many of us, TV advertising seems horribly expensive and inefficient. But if the application developer can afford to advertise the product on TV – be sure to use this chance. In fact, television commercials are very effective.
But what if the budget is too small?
Then still make your promo video, even the simplest. You can record it using a smartphone (for example, a convincing speech) or a PC. Enjoy the result and look at it through the eyes of viewers. Correct the mistakes if necessary and two or three versions of different lengths previously ascertained formats of the most available TV channels.
If paid advertising is not for you, please load your promo video to the all free website you know.
According to the researches, up to 40% of smartphones and tablets users keep them in hands when watching TV. And if they see the intrigued movie, they will likely to download the application.
Collaboration With Other Developers
Partner relations may eventually lead to the fact that you will build the ads into your application while others will do the same for you. It’s a kind of barter you just can’t miss. The internal cross-promotion provides benefits to all parties involved.
Promo codes
This method of promoting the mobile applications is often not considered as a serious one. Nevertheless, try to use it.
The user can request up to 100 promotional codes for each version of the application that is hosted in the App Store. Each code can be used only once and for a specific period of time. Also, a user who has downloaded the application by the promo code can’t leave a review for the app.
This has both pros and cons. Promo codes is an excellent tool for self-promotion of your application since you can send links to media and popular bloggers. Also, you can place the codes to Twitter, thus arranging special promotions.
Inbuilt “Share” button
Often, the developers of mobile applications underestimate the value of “Share” button. But this is a wonderful way to force the users to promote the app for free. If your application produces a result that the user can be proud of, be sure to use the button in the design.
The Perfect Start
Load the application to the market only when it’s perfect. As long as the program has bugs, don’t promote it. Yes, you can announce the upcoming “boom”, but please don’t disappoint users by letting them use the app with shortcomings.
Spend a media attack on the date of release. Try to post all advertising articles in social media within one day after the launch of the product. And at the same time, you need to post all promotional banners.
Short and striking promotional is more effective than the long but sluggish one.
Smart Pricing
Please don’t try to earn all the money at once. At first, make the app free so not to create another barrier between the application and users. Afterward, you can go to the freemium model when the basic functionality of the application is free, but the most interesting features are available after payment.
How to determine the right price?
To do this, define the state of the market. Look how many similar app are already released. If there are a lot of competitors, assign an extremely low price. If the number of competitors is small, you can set a high price, but only under the conditions that your application:
- Useful to solve a specific problem.
- Highly attractive from an aesthetic point of view.
By the way, be sure to explore the market before starting the development. What if someone has already brought your ideas to life?
Brian Jens is a good blogger and talented designer. He works for www.designcontest.uk and he always does his best to improve his own skills and to help his readers.
