10 strategies to market your app
When it comes to app marketing, there are quite some good ideas and strategies out there you can give a try. Here are our favorite 10 strategies to market your app.
1. Create an app landing page
As a target for potentially interested parties, a home base is needed in any case. A place for contact requests, news, and exclusive material.
create a website, a modern one-pager. The idea of the app should be clear in the foreground and the advantages should be emphasized. animate the users with call-to-action elements to participate or give feedback.
There are several providers like Wixx or Jimdo, who offer websites for free. Better, of course, to get a web package from one of the many web hosting providers. Buy a domain name, in the best case like the app name, and set up the website using WordPress or other CMS. It is important to choose the best possible, speed-optimized variant.
2. Build your social media channels
Of course, it is also important to set up the most diverse social channels. A Facebook page, Instagram and twitter should be the minimum. Youtube, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn for those who want more.
The important thing is that the content should be tailored to the respective platform. It does not make so much sense to post long texts on Instagram.
Therefore, keep an eye on the target group and platform.
It is also important to know that you don’t get Likes and Followers overnight or without doing anything. The social platforms need to be maintained and provided with regular news.
Tip: try to create account names that are as similar as possible everywhere. This makes it a little easier for users to find you again. Add sharing and like features for all social channels to your website.
3. Go public early
Practically as soon as you have some ideas written on a paper towel, scan them and start to publish your upcoming idea. Use platforms like Producthunt or Reddit to get feedback about your upcoming app and build an audience. Take the feedback seriously and work on your idea. Validate your idea and sharpen your vision.
Don’t be afraid to talk about your idea and discuss it. Usually, no one will just take it and build a clone or similar (this will happen if you are successful).
If someone else has something similar already on the market, take the challenge. Competition assists to open the market.
Convince your critics and it is more likely to find users for your upcoming app.
4. Create a newsletter
Build a sign-up page and try to interest your readers with interesting innovations and developments. It is important to refer to the newsletter again and again. For it is recommended to accomplish also, again and again, special marketing campaigns.
Offers coupons or vouchers, for users, who sing-in. Importantly also, users, who are already submitted, should not be requested any longer for it.
Send out newsletters regularly and keep track of the campaign results like open rates, click rates, and so on. Track the results and improve your writing and your content. Use tools like Hubspot or Mailchimp to create a newsletter. They will help to comply with GDPdU regulations as well. In addition, users can subscribe and unsubscribe easily without your action. Reportings, campaigns, forms, and other features are at least provided for free.
5. Create localized app descriptions (text and screenshots)
Number five of our 10 strategies to market your app: present your app professionally, take screenshots, and make an effort to write the app descriptions.
Screenshots can of course be created completely in tools like Photoshop or Sketch. The designs are one thing, the creation of screenshots for all resolutions and all languages is another. Tools like LaunchMatic help with this. Try to automate things. I.e. create the initial screenshots, so appealing and according to all rules of marketing art, and then automate the creation for all other languages.
The same applies to the texts. Good descriptions of the app and its functions are important. Keywords in the right places. Translate professionally, as far away as possible. Applications like Grammarly or others improve your texts.
The App Store Manager transfers all finished content to the stores quickly, easily and intuitively.
6. Get reviews
Get reviews for your apps. There are several review sites you can submit to. Prepare material (a press kit, see the next point) and send it to the different vendors.
Admittedly, this is not very easy. It is crucial to have an app that stands out from the crowd. Many providers also charge money for a review, so first consider how much budget is available for this type of advertising. And of course, you have to check how big the range of the requested review site is. Many small and larger sets are now referred to, so a little caution and careful research are advised. Do a little scouting for press distributors and the like to get started.
7. Create a press kit
A good and important point: create a press kit. They are a very good way to promote your app and significantly increase awareness. Properly put together, it makes it easy for interested journalists, industry experts and media representatives to quickly overview the most important info about your company and your app and to classify you correctly.
A press kit is usually built the same way:
- Introduce yourself and your app
- List your key facts
- Add suitable and good images and screenshots
- Your contact details (e-mail, website, download links..)
It depends on the right materials, images and texts. you could find some how-to tutorials here and here.
8. Apply for awards
An often too seldom-used option, sign up for awards and honors.
Look for events, conventions, or the like that give awards for apps in your category. Gather the materials you need and submit them on time.
If your app is selected or nominated, there are usually at least two positive effects. You will be listed among the nominees. This will give you direct attention, including back-links to your offer.
The second effect? You have the possibility to mobilize your community and to interest them in the voting, the nomination, and maybe even an award.
In the best case, you get an award that you can promote. In the worst case, your app will simply not be selected.
9. Create a video
It is always a good idea to create a video. On the one hand, it is also a recommended part of the App Store description, on the other hand, users prefer watching videos rather than reading texts or looking at images. Therefore, conceived a good idea for a video. Find the right software to create it. Use in-app images, screen recordings, or similar.
10. Do SEO
An essential, important point within our 10 strategies to market your app: Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is not only about ASO (App Store Optimization), but also about classic SEO. The landing page, company page, or others must also be found. For this, consider the required and recommended SEO topics. There are a variety of SEO checkers that check websites thoroughly. After you have implemented them, the findability of your app and marketing pages should increase steadily.
Important: SEO is not a one-time task. Do your Search Engine Optimization on an ongoing basis.
Conclusion
Our 10 strategies to market your app are of course just some ideas that might work. Of course, they are no guarantee for app success, but an app is rarely successful without at least some of these measures. The more and the better you implement these suggestions, the higher the chance for many downloads and returning users. Try it, let us know what worked and what didn’t. Or what other strategies have been successful for your app.
