Congratulations! Your app has made it through the application process of getting into the app store. You’ve built a quality app that helps make the lives of your users easier and more productive. Or, maybe you’ve built something that lets them take out stress by throwing birds at pigs. Whether your app is based on productivity or entertainment, one thing is the same. For users to love it, they have to hear about it. With over 2 million apps in the iOS App Store and over 3.5 million in the Google Play Store, your new app has a lot to compete against.
Making sure that your app earns a spot on a user’s phone is key to its success. After all, if no one is using your app then you don’t make any money and your app will flop. However, before a user can even use it, they need to have a reason to download it. Whether you want to tell them about its many useful features or woo them with its impressive and beautiful design, marketing is key to your app’s success.
Seeing why it’s important to market your newly published app is easy. Figuring out how to do so can be more difficult. Finding a way to compete with millions of other apps and multi-million-dollar app developers can be a daunting task. Marketing your app begins well before it is released to the public. However, marketing after its release is equally, if not more, important. Below are some strategies to help you market your app after it hits the app store:
Feature It Everywhere
Like we mentioned above, people need to know about your app before they can start using it. Using every avenue available to get the word out will help you reach the most people possible. That being said, you should not only publicize your app, but make it a feature on those platforms. Feature your app on your blog, website, mobile website, and create a video “commercial” or introduction to it. In addition, you should reach out to influencers in your field, related to the app, and ask them to feature it on their platforms as well. Getting your app featured on a blog with “best apps” will do wonders for your download count. Hearing about the app from these diverse, official platforms will help stimulate interest in the minds of potential users.
App Icon & Screenshots
Using eye-catching visuals in the app store can tremendously boost your app’s downloads. Think about your own app preferences when browsing your favorite app store. If you’re looking to download a new health app and have no preconceived notions, would you pick one with a crisp, well-designed icon or one with text that is too small to read or an indiscernible picture? Obviously, the design of an app’s icon is the first impression that potential users see. To help market your app in the app store, make it memorable and make it eye-catching. Your icon should stand out. You can utilize a unique shape to set it apart, use just one or two colors, and avoid photos and lots of text.
When it comes to first impressions, screenshots play a major role. The screenshots displayed once a user clicks on your app to learn more before downloading. Your screenshots should give the user a glimpse into what using your app is like and highlight the key features. Just by viewing a few screenshots the user should be able to decide whether or not they want to download. Your job is to make screenshots that encourage them to download. Take clear screenshots that frame your app in the best light possible. Add captions and fun visual elements to help the screenshots stand out and to explain what they are.
Awards
While your app is growing is the perfect time to apply for app awards. Submit it to contests and competitions like crazy. The press and exposure that competing alone gives your app will be very helpful. On top of that, if your app is chosen to win, a gold medal or blue ribbon can help encourage hesitant users to download. Even if you don’t win, just saying that your app competed can help boost downloads.
Word Of Mouth / Reviews
Once your app is in the app store and users start using it, you’ll start to gather reviews and testimonials. Use this to your advantage and help other potential users see them. When people see that other people, users like themselves, have positive things to say they are much more inclined to download. You can utilize these testimonials by highlighting them in your screenshots and including them in promotional posts about your app. Or, to take things a step further, you can offer some incentive in the app for users to refer their friends. Popular trivia app HQ used this strategy to go from a small, unknown app to one with over 2 million players daily.
Press / PR Kit
Once your app starts gaining traction in the app store, you’ll likely get inquiries from the press. Having a stellar PR kit ready to go will not only make the press happy, but more likely to write a convincing story on your app’s behalf. Like we said earlier, the key to app marketing is getting the word out. The press and the media have the sole responsibility to getting the word out to as many people as possible. Use that to your advantage to reach the most potential users possible.
Market Smart
Developing an app may seem like the hard part, but marketing may be more important and more difficult. You can have a great app, but if no one knows to download it then there’s no point. Once your app hits the virtual shelves of the app store, kick your marketing efforts into overdrive. The rush of new users downloading and the increasing popularity of your app as it rises up the charts will be worth the effort.
Reference links:
https://buildfire.com/free-app-promotion/