In 2014, worldwide mobile app downloads amounted to approximately 138,809 millions, with this number expected to double by 2017. Each day, thousands of new apps are added into apps stores, with a few hundreds of them being similar to yours. That’s why, when releasing a new mobile app, most marketers have to put up a real fight to get the user’s attention. A good marketing strategy will definitely increase the chances of a user downloading your app.
Here is our complete mobile app marketing guide you can use, with 8 free and paid ways to promote your mobile app.
1. Social Media: Free and Paid
Social Media is definitely one of the most popular channels when you think about online marketing strategies. An ExactTarget study found that 46% of marketers believe social is core to their business and 57% of their marketing budget went into Social Media Marketing in 2014. A few years ago, marketers used Social Media as a free marketing platform. Of course, registering and posting to your own page is still free. But the rules of the game have changed… Now you need to pay if you want to reach a bigger and a more targeted audience.
How can you promote your app via social channels? First of all, by posting a status update on your Facebook page and letting your audience know they can install your awesome app. This is the free part, of course. If you want your message to get outside your own audience you can create a Promoted Post. Custom your audience by targeting the age, location, interests and other details that can help you reach the right people.
Facebook offers you the possibility to create a separate campaign to increase the number of app installs. Select the Get installs of your app objective, set up your creative (message and image), define audience and add the budget.
You can also promote your mobile app on Twitter, by promoting the Tweet where you announced the app launch or by developing a Twitter Card. Twitter Cards allows you to add the app description, app icon and the call to action. Don’t forget to target your audience carefully to make sure your app installs come from the right audience.
2. Paid Search Marketing: Paid
Try paid search marketing to show your app at the top of the search engine results. Mobile Ads promoted on search engines can help you achieve your marketing objectives by gaining impressions, clicks and installs to your app. Reach you audience on-the-go and advertise your mobile app based on the users’ location, interests or search preferences.
3. Online PR: Free
Press releases can be another good way to get free buzz for your app. Write the press release and send it to some press contacts you know might be interested in publishing tech or digital media news.
4. Email Marketing: Free or Paid
An ExactTarget report states that 95% of online consumers use email and that 91% of them check their email at least once a day. When looking at those numbers, it’s pretty clear what you should do next. Remember that the first impression is triggered by the subject line, so make it punchy. Use a powerful image and describe the main benefits they get from installing your app.
5. Blogger Outreach: Paid
Bloggers are a key part of the online community and they play a huge role in influencing readers. Their opinions are heard, shared and listened by thousands of people. Blogger outreach is about marketing to people who can convince their followers about the merits of your app. The advantage is that they have direct access to your audience and can easily influence their decisions. Make a shortlist with a few bloggers and choose only the ones you know that can add real value. Send them a personalised email with details about your app and the benefits they can get from collaborating with you.
6. App Review Websites: Free
Pitching your app to some app review sites is also another great free marketing resource. Sites like 148apps, AppStoreApps and AppAdvice can help you generate a lot of buzz for your app. Getting someone to review your app is a great way of both spreading the word, but also for improving your App Store Optimisation (ASO) position.
7. In-app Advertising: Paid
In-app Advertising is the perfect way to target people who already use similar apps to yours. Choosing a category relevant to the app you want to promote offers you the possibility to display your ad only within related apps. If you want to promote a new travel app, you might want to start by targeting the Tourism category within each app store. Image or rich media ads are definitely the most powerful types of promotional content you can use for in-app advertising.
8. App SEO Ranking: Free
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is for websites what ASO (App Store Optimisation) is for mobile apps. ASO refers to the practice of optimising various elements of you app to maximise the app’s visibility in app store searches and place them at the top of the search results. Here are 6 Ways to Improve Your Mobile Apps SEO Ranking.
Extra TIP!
- Email signature: add in your email signature a catchy one-liner about your new launched app and a link where it can be downloaded.
How did you get on by promoting your mobile app? I would love to hear other marketing channels you tried.
