During the app development stage, we only focus on developing a feature-rich app that promises a solution for a specific problem. Most of the developers, usually miss out on planning the promotional and marketing strategies. However, once the app is ready and beta testing is done, it is high time that you prepare for a strategy to create a buzz among the target audience. No matter how proficient the app is, if you fail to reach out to the people who might need it, it is a waste of resource.
Even today, mobile app makers don't give much importance to app marketing, and it is one of the primary reasons for app failures. How can you expect app downloads when your target audience doesn’t know that your app exists! Hence, carefully planned marketing and promotion strategies are essential for spreading the awareness of your mobile apps.
Here, in this article, we will discuss some a few points to create, plan and execute a mobile app marketing strategy that’ll help you grab the attention of your audience.
Let’s divide the timeline into three stages:
- Pre-launch
- Initial launch
- Post-launch
Mobile App Marketing: Pre Launch
Decide on a release date:
When it comes to technology, you cannot foresee the future. You might get stuck with various technical blunders and hindrances at different point of time. Hence, it is wise to decide on a release date and plan accordingly. Be ready for any contingencies in advance to prevent any unwanted situations.
Choose a date when there are no big events scheduled in your space. It might surpass your release.
Understand your target audience
Your app addresses a pain-point that a specific group of people suffers from and it has the potential to take care of the issue. Further, after thorough market research, all you have to do is reach out to your audience. The question that arises is - how? Research for blogs, webinars, forums, and websites that your target audience might visit often. Also, look out for influencers that your audience might follow. Read comments, reviews, and other blurbs that they write related to the problem and the cross-check whether your app addresses them. This data will help you to strategise better.
Competitive analysis:
There might be thousands of apps available on the app stores that might be similar to your business niche. Each app might have something unique to offer. Hence, you need to do a quick analysis of - what different are you offering? How uniquely do you address a particular issue? What does your app have that no other apps provide? Choose at least five competitive apps and research on the features, solutions they offer, drawbacks, loopholes, monetisation model, reviews and suggestions by users. Find out where your app fits in the competition matrix. Make a list of unique features that your app offers to address the problem and highlight them in your marketing strategy.
Humanise the app:
People trust products with emotional quotient. What is the story of your brand? Customers don’t just look for features; they need something to connect with. Share a story behind the inception of the app. Customers will resonate and connect with it immediately.
Create a Pitch Deck for investors:
If you look forward to getting some funding from investors, then you need to prepare a pitch deck to lure them. The Pitch deck should have your business information, team strength, vision for the app, and other crucial details. Usually, a pitch deck is sent to the investors before a personal meeting. Ensure that it is easy to understand, crisp and visually engaging.
Reach out to influencers:
Influencers are great. Reach out to them and ask to promote your app. However, not all influencers look for monetary rewards. If there is a prototype of the app, then let them use the app and discover the usefulness of the app. If your app has potential, they will inevitably mention it in their blogs or webinars or social media accounts.
Start PR Outreach:
Don't just reach out to influencers, but also to bloggers and journalists of the same niche and ask them to experience your app functionalities before its release. Later, get them to review your app and share their feedback. Also, write press releases and submit to relevant sites
Develop a website for the app:
Yes, a website is vital for search engine optimisation. Develop a responsive website that is SEO-friendly to start your pre-launch SEO campaign. Also, you can make a video trailer for your app to attract more viewers.
Email marketing:
Though you might think of an email marketing technique to be a traditional one, however, it is still relevant and useful. So, start sending emails to all your contacts about the app launch and along with other relevant information.
Start App Store Optimization:
Before the launch, make sure to start with ASO. It is a technique that will help rank your app page high on the app store. Use relevant keywords to ensure that your app ranks high.
App name and description:
Choose a unique app name to entice your customers. With keyword research option, find out the frequently searched keywords and choose a name accordingly. Also, ensure that the app description is all about conveying a message about the app.
Add screenshots and videos:
Thankfully, you can add short videos and screenshots on your app page on both- iOS and Google. You can add a preview of the app to lure users into checking it out.
Test the app page with A/B testing:
One of the highly effective ways to test the app page is A/B testing. It boosts the conversion rate.
Make a blog:
An effective content marketing strategy never disappoints. Create a blog page in advance and start posting regularly. By the time your app launches, you will have genuine followers for the business niche. Discuss your app, its features, problems it solves and other details.
Make social media accounts:
In the contemporary era, social media platforms have redefined the way we promote things. It is the most influential medium to promote almost anything. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms can provide an opportunity to market your app effectively. In addition to that, these platforms also allow you to make community and groups. Open accounts in these social media platforms and start posting about the app. You might need to design a social media strategy separately.
Create relevant, original and engaging social media content with videos, images, infographics, and screenshots.
Collect reviews:
It is a known fact that users first read reviews before downloading an app. Hence, gather some good reviews from genuine users and display them on the top of the app page. The reviews should be honest and confident, but should not look fake or promoted ones.
Mobile App Marketing: Initial Launch
More downloads, high ranking:
In the first week of the launch, ensure that you get as many downloads as possible. It will help you rate your app better on the app store. Encash on the user acquisition efforts you have done so far. Also, come up with some special promotional offers for downloads to attract more users.
Start linking your app:
Start linking your app in your marketing materials, email signature, social bios, and other notable places.
Go for paid advertising options
The most significant advantage of paid promotions is -they offer quick results! After the initial launch, employ paid promotion techniques for user acquisition. Facebook paid promotions are considered very effective and bring pleasant results. Even Twitter and Instagram platforms are good if you want to target millennials. Also, Google ads can work well for your app.
Customer engagement is the key:
Communication is a two-way street, so you need to ensure that you engage with your customers effectively. Social media platforms are best to initiate conversations with your target audience. Post articles or queries on different groups, discussion boards, and forums. Quora is yet another powerful tool to communicate with users. You can post questions there, and answer queries relevant to your business niche.
Guest post, interviews, podcasts, videos
Post the launch; it's time to market your app. Schedule interviews with experts make podcasts, and videos to create a buzz. Also, find industry blog sites and request for guest posts and submit high-quality content.
Approach to app review websites:
There are various app review websites such as 148apps, AppReviews and many more. Contact their editors and request to post an app review.
Mobile App Marketing: Post Launch
Ask for feedback:
Feedbacks helps to get an insight into what users think about your app. It also gives you an opportunity to update your app to make the UX more entertaining. Explore more options to get their genuine opinions through emails, in-app surveys and push notifications.
Constant updates:
Users do not appreciate stagnant apps. It is the main reason after a certain period people discard apps. Hence, you should regularly update your app as per the user expectations and feedback. Make sure to keep adding value for users to keep their interest intact.
Conclusion
Don’t abandon SEO activities
SEO activities are fantastic for brand recognition in the long run. Continuous authority backlinking always helps the brand. Keep doing it. Google still appreciates genuine SEO efforts and offers good rewards.
Also Read:Why Media and Entertainment Industry is placing a big bet on the Mobile App?
Conclusion
Creating an effective marketing strategy is very important. However, try to avoid oversell. Promising more than what your offer might give you good results initially but in the long run, it’ll affect the brand credibility, negatively. At the same time, diversification is also important. Vary your marketing strategy as per the user needs and expectations. Ensure that your app marketing strategy is not static but dynamic.
Top comments (3)
This is good step by step advice.
Can you go more into ASO please?
I am interested in hearing about how to get to the top of a category/region etc. If you have tips (with evidence/example is always more useful) that would be cool. I build busy apps but I'd like to know more of the details for those kinds of aspects (like with SEO).
Some useful ASO Points as below
Create Eye catchy App Title
Choosing the Perfect App Categories in App Store
Create App description which describes your app to front the user
Add keywords in app description
Use keywords with low competition
Create An Unique Icon for your App
Thanks, if you have all these +
What else? (obviously improve app/SEO/traffic to install page etc).