You’ve spent a few hours developing your app- it would be a shame if it gets zero installs once you publish it in the app stores. Marketing the app is an essential step not only to let people know about your app but to help push it to popularity. Of course, this process isn’t a walk in the park and will need a lot of your time and effort, but if done correctly, can surely put your app into the spotlight. Here are the currently known strategies for an effective app marketing campaign:
Start Even Before App Launch Day
Developing and finishing your app is the front and center of your priorities, but this doesn’t mean that you should wait until your app is out to get started on marketing. In fact, the earlier you start, the more exposure that you can get for the app since people can know
1) it exists and is in development
2) its purpose and features
3) the target date of release.
Even with simply getting the name of the app out there and giving it a description will give potential users clarity as to what you are offering. Setting up a blog where you can announce the progress in the development of the app is also a good idea to keep future users in the know of what’s happening behind the scenes. Don’t wait until the last minute to get the word out there- you’d want to have a crowd actually waiting for the app’s release rather than an empty room when it’s finally out.
Focus on Your Target Market
From the function of the app itself, you can already have a general idea of who will be the primary users of the app. You can also do a competitor check to see which portion of the population downloads and uses similar apps the most. If you already have an existing business and will be expanding to the mobile world, then it’s safe to assume that your current customer base will be the target market for your app. Identifying your target market can help determine your marketing style and what material and platform you will use. Having content that is customized for your target market will surely catch their attention, and will prove more effective than a general marketing post.
There are tools that you can use to gather information about user behavior and preferences. You can learn about their app installs and usage, purchase choices and frequency, browser searches, location, and many more. bobile lets you create custom forms not only for feedback purposes but also to collect information about the app’s users. Fields can be set as required or optional, and you can edit a published form to fine tune the details submitted.
Plan Short and Long-Term Campaigns
In the marketing world, there are two campaign periods that organizations plan for: short term and long term. The former are those that give a temporary boost to the business- this comes in the form of promos, group discounts, and coupons. On the other hand, the latter focuses on future growth, on effects that you will feel months or years from now. This includes app store optimization, advertising efforts, and social media.
For short-term campaigns, bobile has customer-centered features which allow them to save up as they purchase from your mobile store. You can set up an automated rewards program with punch cards and discounts, and create coupons which will be offered for free or for a fee.
As for long-term campaigns, promoting your app on social media is probably one of the cheapest and most effective ways to do the task. Just like how studios hype their movies, releasing trailers and screenshots for your app and posting it on social media can create buzz among the community. You can also partner with influencers and other popular personalities to talk about your app and let their thousands of followers know about it. If you have a little budget to spare, you can also use their paid ads to advertise your app. People nowadays spend a lot of time of time in social media, and you can rest assured that your ad can reach a whole new segment of your target market, as it also factors in user behavior and interest.
Videos Give the Best Results
Compared to other formats, videos are far more effective in delivering content, as it provides visual-rich elements which can effectively convey a message to the audience. Partnered with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, which gives heavy emphasis on visual presentation, videos about your app can really stand out. YouTube is slowly overtaking the population in terms of delivering content- there are more users of the platform during peak TV hours than on TV networks themselves. Facebook even revealed that over a billion of their users watch 8 billion videos- just for one day.
With this in mind, you may want to create videos showcasing the app’s features, its ease of use, and how it can bring convenience and value to its users. There are free video editing tools out there- if you know where to look.
Find the Right Timing
So, you’ve identified and found your target market, you’ve got a convincing video about your app, and you already have promos and content to convince people to download your app. The next crucial step is knowing the right time when to post the material to ensure that it gets maximum exposure. It’d be a waste if you posted your material on a schedule where only one or two people can see them. Analytics and tools can help give you the right time when most users are on their mobile devices, surfing the internet and scrolling their social media feeds. Coschedule conducted a study for US users in Central and Eastern time zones across different social media platforms that you can use as a reference if it fits your target audience- if not, you can always use Google Analytics to find out when users are at the height of their online activity. If you have your own social media account set up, you can also see your follower’s behavior and engagement levels, and adjust your schedule in response to the data you have.
Success Doesn’t Mean High Costs
Last but not the least, it’s always wise to keep in mind that spending more does not automatically equate to effective marketing efforts. You can spend a fortune on marketing your app, but if you don’t know the right steps to take after signing up for paid services, then all that money goes to waste. It is perfectly alright to use free tools to boost your app’s presence, especially if there are budget constraints in the process and you are only starting out in the app world. Always keep the end goal in mind: you’re finding ways for people to discover and use your app. While it won’t be as simple as it sounds, it does not mean it has to be expensive.
bobile has a bunch of marketing features- push notifications, members club, discount coupons, even live customer engagement so you can provide seamless support for the users. They also offer a 14-day trial so you can try out the app maker without any costs.
There is no single way to success when it comes to app marketing, but there are methods that have proven time and again to help even just by a small step. May these general strategies become your guide to finding the exact route that will make your app flourish among users. Good luck on your venture into the mobile app world!
—
Author Bio: As a business development officer at Comparakeet, Angel ensures the company’s continued growth on a daily basis. In her free time, she enjoys redditing, gaming, and giving belly rubs to puppies.