Now that your MVP is launched and out in the world, what now?
Studies have shown that around 59% of businesses don’t make enough money to cover the development cost. And this is either due to poor development or a poor marketing strategy. You can have the best app in the world, but without a strong marketing plan, it’ll be a total waste and won’t make you any money.
Before even launching your app, you need to have a pre-launch marketing strategy and this is by preparing the audience for your app by hinting functionality, features, and more. Promote your app through your website, social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, etc.
Firstly, you need to set together a press kit which is a kit that includes everything about your app (features, images, launch date, icon, description, etc.) You give this kit to bloggers, influencers, other businesses, and anyone that can help with promotions. So, what are the main marketing strategies to follow to ensure your app is a success?
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Paid & Organic Marketing on Social Media:
Social media is a powerful tool that mustn’t be forgotten. There are many platforms to use like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn, etc. where you can advertise your app. This doesn’t just mean posting about the app, reach out to your audience too! Find out what their concerns are, questions, and needs (in your industry) and use that to promote your business.
You can join pages, forums, or discussions to better know your customers and use that towards working on your app. And of course, paid ads on Facebook or YouTube will also help to promote your app (On Facebook, you can create customized apps for the targeted audience).
Read more: 7 Benefits of Social Media Marketing
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Search Advertising:
No matter which platform you’re using, both Google Search Ads and Apple Search Ads will help push your app ranking higher in searches. Apple states that over 65% of downloads come from organic searches while search ads conversion rate is up to 50%. Optimizing your app with the right keywords will make your app show up more in searches and affect your ranking.
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App Store Optimization (ASO):
With the previous statistics in mind, optimizing your app with the right keywords is vital for your app’s success. However, this is just a part of ASO, which is fully optimizing your app to make it as appealing as possible.
For example, your title needs to be simple, to the point, and memorable. You should avoid complicated words, numbers, dashes or any symbols. Your icon should also hint to the app functionality (if the app doesn’t) and shouldn’t be cluttered with too many items or colors. Use visually-pleasing screenshots (or even a demo video if available!) to give users an idea of the app and encourage them to download it. Most importantly, the app description should be optimized with high-traffic keywords and precise.
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Website:
Use your website as a marketing tool for your app! Place buttons that lead to your social media accounts and the app link on the footer or header of your homepage so that it is clearly visible. Optimize your website with keywords that can link back to your app and you can even create an exclusive landing page for your mobile app, explaining the features, functionality, and any images or videos that explain the app. You can regularly update this page with any news or updates on your app.
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Content Marketing:
Content marketing includes everything like your business blog, guest posts, newsletters, etc. Come up with blog post ideas with a CTA or a link that leads to your app. You can optimize your posts with high-traffic keywords to increase website traffic and appear higher in search results. You can also integrate app promotions in your email marketing strategy. Promote it in your newsletters or add the link in the footer of your business emails!
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Exclusive Mobile Perks:
Encourage your customers to head to your app and engage with it by making it tempting. Offer exclusive perks that only mobile users can enjoy like certain reward points, coupons, discounts, or deals that will keep them checking for updates or waiting for news.
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Keep it Fresh & Fun:
90% of users that download apps, stop using them within the first 6 months of downloading it. That’s why you need to keep things fresh! Besides offering exclusive perks, you need to make sure the experience is enjoyable and new. Always work on improving the user experience by keeping up with the latest trends and market needs. You can personalize the experience, add new features, or come up with new ideas for your app.
And finally, is the investment worth it?
Now that we’ve been through developing and marketing a mobile app, is the investment worth it? Larger companies don’t need to hesitate to develop an app, the business world is quickly transforming to mobile and it’s only a matter of time until all business can be conducted through your smartphone.
Startups or small businesses may think that a mobile-friendly website is enough to have customers engage with their businesses.
However, it has been proven that users rarely use websites and look for apps to match their needs. A mobile website doesn’t offer an easy or optimized experience for users and will result in a frustrating experience instead. Most importantly, take your time in planning this out and don’t rush the process or try to save money with poor decisions.
You should gather your team, discuss ideas, and come up with all the app details needed like features, functionality, goals, etc.
When you have a clear idea of what you need, you’ll be able to set a budget before looking into development options. You can also request a free quote for app development and discuss your app idea with professionals. Don’t delay the inevitable and start thinking smart with your business, look into developing a mobile app for your business and customer needs!
