A Quick Guide to Mobile App Marketing

Creating a successful mobile app marketing plan is not the easiest task to undertake, however it can and should be done if you want expect to earn rewards proportionate to the amount of time and energy you put into your project. We have seen firsthand the difference between a well marketed app and those marketed with less than stellar results. As an experienced mobile application development company, customers are curious how we approach marketing which is why today we wanted to share a Quick Guide to Mobile App Marketing.

An important thing to keep in mind is that this guide on its own will not guarantee that your app’s launch will be successful. The mobile app still needs to fulfill a need or provide value to users and it also needs to be designed well. However if you can confidently check those boxes off then your mobile app marketing strategy is next on the list to put yourself in the best position for success.

Quick Guide to Mobile App Marketing

A good mobile app marketing plan includes a combination of creating awareness and earning downloads which can be achieved by doing the following:

• Optimization in the App Store – First and foremost, your must have a great title that is catchy and descriptive. Your app also needs to be labeled with the proper search keywords that are placed within a well crafted description. Next, you need to be conscious of both your current and future competitors within your niche in regards to the keywords being used as sometimes unprincipled people copy keywords of apps that are trending upwards to try and siphon off some of that success.
• Selectiveness in the App Store – Fun fact: everyone gets the same amount of space in the app store to show off their app. It is vital that you are using that space in the best way possible to showcase your product for your target customers. Make sure whoever is responsible for placing the app in the app store has a firm understanding of marketing because you absolutely need to display the features and aspects that will engage perspective users and showcase the value the app provides. Pick screens that are informative and display that value. Be selective with your icon as well.
• Showcasing Value in the App Store – An important part of getting downloaded is demonstrating value to the user. What is it that your app is doing? Is this for entertainment? Does it help simplify a process? Perhaps it will solve a problem the target user base has had? No matter what the reason is, that value needs to be clearly demonstrated to the target user if you expect a download. You need a great value proposition that will entice someone to make the leap to download!
• Create a Landing Page – You should have a landing page for your app on your website to take advantage of organic keyword queries and provide additional information beyond what the app store provides space for. Your page should showcase your app using keywords along with covering primary features and benefits. You should include visuals, onboarding videos, user testimonials, ratings, CTA buttons to download and even a QR code. This page should be like the app store on steroids.
• Obtain Product Reviews – Many sites provide reviews of apps. If you are confident in your product you should submit your app to a few sites so that they can review it providing a form of social proof from experts about the value your product brings to the table.
• Use Social Media Marketing – Social media has become a very powerful tool for generating buzz and interesting in products such as apps. As there are a wide variety of platforms that appeal to various demographics, almost every product has a viable outlet to make use of. You want to get people talking about your app before the launch and social media is a great place to start conversations.
• Use Email Marketing – Email marketing is still one of the best tools available and should be used to promote your app launch. If your business regularly uses email as a contact point the app can be included as a news item or regularly as your showcase the value proposition. You can even use something simple like, “Have you tried our new app?” with an icon and link to the app store.
• Consider a CPI Campaign – CPI, or cost-per-install, is a paid marketing campaign you use to help increase downloads. This tactic is used for a very specific reason – to increase your numbers within the app store which can be very important during the first few weeks of launch. Usually search traffic on the app stores only goes as far as the top 50 apps in regards to total downloads when searching within general categories. A CPI campaign can help get you into the top 50 to increase your visibility early on.
• Use First-time Rewards – Creating a promotional campaign geared around first-time registrants or downloads is a nice way to help kick off a product launch and this tried and true tactic works for mobile apps as well. It can be as simple as offering that the first 500 registrants get a free e-book covering an important industry topic or tokens to use within an app game or something along those lines.
• Include a Remarketing Plan – Did you know that most apps lose 80% or more users within the first week of a download? So don’t just consider that all of your new user marketing efforts will only be about 20% effective, but instead anticipate and plan on how you can then remarket to that 80% that at least had enough initial interest to give your app a try. It is far cheaper to retain customers than acquire them therefore a remarketing plan should be part of your initial plan rather than an afterthought.

The bottom line is that actually creating a great app is only part of the equation in mobile app development. The other critical part is having the proper strategy in place for a good launch and then continued success. Today we outlined our quick guide to mobile app marketing that can help your next launch take your app to the next level.

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