How to Market Your Mobile App
In the world we live in today, it’s difficult for many to imagine what we would do without mobile apps? The new iPad tablets and smartphones seem to have become the core of digital communication today. User experiences strongly depend on the quality of mobile apps. Some would even argue that tablets and smartphones would lose their value if there were no apps available. This attitude has inspired many app developers to build quality apps, but what happens after development? How would you introduce your new app to the world? The answer: mobile app marketing and a successful app launch.
Mobile app marketing is still relatively new and if you’re not an expert, your first question could be where to start.
You can start by looking at existing successful mobile app launches; for example: Angry Birds. The developers of this app have done a remarkable job given its worldwide success. There were a couple of factors that influenced the level of success this app has had, such as:
– An appealing title: Have you ever imagined how an angry bird would look? Or even thought about it, before the game came out? The name alone triggers people’s imagination, which makes it very appealing. The title is funny and original as we have never seen angry birds in real life.
– Pricing: The app was available for free and thus influenced its popularity. Because of this, people were more likely to download it and give it a try. Basically, Angry Birds offered its audience a fun and relaxing game at no cost—who wouldn’t download it?
– Simplicity: If an app is too difficult to use, how can anyone enjoy it? That’s why you need to keep it simple, easy to navigate and easy to understand. You should be very clear on the following: what is the app’s goal and how do you achieve that goal?
– Add value: This is probably one of the most important factors mentioned. The value of Angry Birds lies in its user experience. People enjoy playing the game because it allows them to relax and this makes it an emotional value.
– Word-of-mouth: As a result of all of the above, the buzz around the app reached many people on a global scale. The power of word-of-mouth should not be underestimated, especially in the tech world of today where you are easily connected to others.
The combination of all these factors has led to the success of Angry Birds; you can even purchase Angry Birds merchandise! This needs to be taken into account when creating a marketing strategy. To make sure you’re heading in the right direction, here are a few more mobile app marketing tips:
– Create a demo: Show your audience how much fun and interesting your app is and explain the how-to to them. You can do this pre-launch to trigger curiosity.
– Test the app and test it again: This is very important because an app that doesn’t work properly can cost you a lot of users and an inevitable bad reputation. You should have more people test the app (preferably on different devices) just to be on the safe side.
– Release updates regularly: Regular updates will prevent users from getting bored with the app. Keeping things fresh and exciting is necessary to be successful.
– Optimize user experience: Make sure your app is fun and entertaining and adds value to the user’s experience. Are the visuals appealing? This is definitely a pre-launch step you should take. Ask different people for their opinions about the app to be absolutely sure of the end product prior to launching.
– Use attractive screen shots: This is what people see first when they get to your app download page. These shots should pursue users into downloading the app, so you should use the most captivating and appealing screen shots.
– Create social media profiles: In the pre-launch period, you can create social network profiles and by doing so, create awareness and hopefully curiosity. Use these profiles to keep people interested in the app. Post-launch you have to add the download link to all your social profiles to enhance web traffic and a larger reach.
– Paid-advertising: Paid promotion campaigns can ensure your app is getting attention in the days after launch and also, using paid-advertising has a big chance of resulting in lead generation.
– Promote download links: You have to make it as easy as possible for users to find your app and download it. You can do this by promoting the download link on multiple platforms, such as social networks, websites, et cetera. The easier it is for people to find your app, the higher the chances of an increasing number of downloads.
– Monitor users’ feedback: This is very important because it allows you to improve the app and moreover, build relationships with the users.
Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your mobile app strategy. If you have any comments or remarks, feel free to share them in the comments!