Almost everyone uses mobile devices now, from toddlers to seniors. There’s a huge market for mobile apps.
Unfortunately, many apps are downloaded daily and some are never used.
For people to choose your mobile app – out of the hundreds of similar options available – you need great marketing.
App downloads usually peak within the first couple of weeks after launching. But those results are short-lived if your app’s community and marketing efforts aren’t built to last.
You need to build a long-term plan. That’s what we’re here for today. To start, break your marketing strategy up into pre-launch and post-launch tactics.
Pre-launch mobile app marketing
1. Start marketing long before your launch
From the minute the app concepts and designs are complete, you should be thinking of marketing it. Figure out who your ideal users are, why they should download the app, and how to encourage them to do so.
Marketing an app early can create anticipation. People do love the newest and latest app on the market.
According to studies by Google, only 40% of mobile users will search for apps through the mobile app store. The rest will find the applications through YouTube videos, blogs, and tutorials online, among so many other options.
So there’s a lot of ground to cover when you start planning your marketing.
2. Start engaging potential customers
In order to create the ideal app, it needs to be designed to meet your ideal users’ needs. People will download it if they don’t want to live without it.
So you should get feedback from your target audience throughout the creation process. Seek out and engage with potential customers during the app creation process. Get feedback from real users through forums in relevant sites and social media.
You can use monitoring tools that help you identify industry leaders and reach out to them for feedback, as well.
For example, BuzzStream works with influencers to get feedback on features of their web app, then includes them in the launch:
3. Start a blog
A blog is one of the best ways to share information online and keep people updated by posting regularly. You should start a blog for your mobile app as soon as your website’s up.
Sharing your experiences creating the app will engage readers. They’ll feel included in the process, and you can get great feedback with people interacting with the posts.
It’ll also build interest in your application and become a place where you can communicate with the users, even after launching the app.
4. Start releasing teasers
You can talk about your app all day, but people always want to see things for themselves.
Use sneak peeks and teasers to move your customers from ‘interested’ to ‘excited’ about the application. Humans are visual creatures. App screenshots and video promos let people see the app, instead of hearing or reading about it.
You can use these to grow an email list of interested mobile app users.
5. Start preparing your press kit and launch materials
You need to prepare your press kit and launch materials for the launch date.
Before you launch the app, you should have your full website ready, have a video promo outlining the key features of the app, and a piece of content like a press release or blog post.
Reach out to the relevant media, industry influencers, and authoritative bloggers for interviews and reviews of the application.
And now you’re launched! But the work’s not done.
Post-launch mobile app marketing
6. Get more feedback from customers
Mobile apps in app stores are often ranked on popularity and value, based on ratings.
So you definitely want to create a plan for getting customer feedback and more reviews to increase the possibility of more downloads. You should also include contact info in your app descriptions, so customers can reach out with more detailed feedback or questions.
But don’t just read feedback – respond to it and take it into consideration. Reach out to unhappy customers and address their issues and improve customer happiness.
7. Get app reviews
You can submit your app for reviews on blogs and video channels.
You can also create your own YouTube videos on how to use the app to deal with specific problems. This will help capture people that are looking for solutions to those problems and convert them into users.
Once they see a step-by-step guide on how they can use the application for their needs, they’re so much more likely to give it a try.
Remember that even simple apps can be confusing to some people, even with instructions and onboarding. A demonstration is a great way to get customers interested in downloading and using the app.
8. Optimize the app for mobile app stores
For the 40% who download mobile applications through searching the app store, you need to ensure that the app is optimized for acquisition there. Use well-researched and structured keywords in the application name.
You can also use search ads to get your download numbers up. They can improve app visibility and drive downloads really well, because they come up at the exact moment the customer is searching for an app like yours. It’s perfect timing.
Stand out
You need to make your mobile app stand out wherever users are looking for new apps.
The different channels they’re using shows that you need to get creative when devising marketing strategies.
The app market is flooded with over three million mobile apps currently available to download. Standing out and building a community is essential for the survival of your app in this cutthroat market.
