Developing an application is an achievement. With so much time and effort involved in the entire development, testing, and release process, designing an effective marketing strategy would be the last thing on a developer’s mind.
In the app market, there is the ‘abundance problem’. With a large number of mobile apps in various app stores, success is not guaranteed even if your newly developed app has “everything” in it. This is further compounded by the high failure rate of various well-developed apps in the app stores. The truth is, no matter how great your app is, a solid marketing strategy is what ultimately sells it. Marketing “promised value” can act as a key differentiator.
Creating a marketing plan prior to launch is critical for brand awareness and promotion. After all, no one is going to download an app that doesn’t have rumors.
What is the strategy to generate interest in marketing?
one. Promotion before launch: Even before the app launch, various promotional content needs to be finalized: content development, reviews from various influencers, opinion makers and bloggers, and banner design for advertising, press releases, etc. A correct medium (portals and publications) can ensure that the promotion is directed to the right audience. This is facilitated by making an online presence through social media. Demo tests with a target group spread awareness among the right audience.
two. App optimization: It is important to optimize the application for the search engine by providing the correct keywords in its title and description so that users can easily locate it. Optimizing the application during the development process should be an essential step for detection in the search query in the application store. (one)
3. Early release of unique features: To grow a user base, an early launch is essential, which attracts investors’ attention. Publishing the core features would aid early adoption, laying the foundation for a growing user base in the future. Enabling a social sharing feature can further lead to an improved user base. Adoption is usually quick if a unique feature is introduced at an early stage. For example, a messaging app that has the ability to address 50 or more people at the same time will attract interest. (two)
Four. Be discovered – With a large number of applications in the same market segment that you are operating in, the highest frequency is essential to make your presence felt. The audience wants to know how your application makes their task easier and that it is ready to be downloaded. Create a landing page and email subscription option for the app. The focus should be to create awareness to drive traffic to the page. A multi-channel marketing strategy, such as email marketing, banner advertising, and viral marketing, can help promote applications across multiple channels. For maximum visibility, the marketing process must be continuous.
5. Make users your marketers: Reaching the top position on the chart is difficult, but once achieved, users can act as marketers for your ‘great app’. Users can use the app’s sharing features to spread brand awareness among friends. They can use the app to share content and social media to build buzz around the app. Relationships can be forged through the sharable aspect of the app. Social media can be used to create profiles of target users who can engage and re-engage through content, value description, offers, and features. Once convinced, your real marketers do the viral marketing for the app. (4)
6. Income model: It is essential to develop clarity on the source of income model. The most suitable income model must be chosen. The application can be a paid application or initially free and with a charge later. The various sources of app monetization that can be explored include purchase options, advertisements, subscriptions, and product / service sales.
7. User retention and participation: Retaining customers can be as difficult as acquiring them. Push notifications serve as a source of user engagement. A strong user experience is essential to attract and retain customers. Feedback on user experience through ratings and reviews on the app / app store page are definite ways to increase credibility, retain existing customers, and acquire more. Allowing people to communicate directly from the app through email or social media can help build engagement. Any negative feedback on a bug, problem, crash, or additional feature requirement should be resolved immediately. Successful user request handling leaves a satisfied customer and generates positive reviews. (5)
Positive reviews increase the credibility of the app as people download apps with higher positive recommendations.
Well-planned pre-launch promotion, accurate optimization, early release of unique features, improved discoverability, viral marketing, and positive review through high credibility are some of the ultimate strategies to fight the competition and topping the charts in the app market.
References
(3) Dholakiya, Prateek. “Three strategies to win in the hypercompetitive market of applications”. February 6, 2015. Entrepreneur.com. February 19, 2015
(1, 2) Kimbrell, Gideon. “Five Incredible Marketing and Distribution Strategies for Your Application”. July 18, 2014. Forbes website. February 19, 2015
(5) “Marketing your new mobile application.” October 10, 2014. Smart Insights.com. February 19, 2015
(4) “The iOS App Marketing Strategy Guide.” Apptamin.com. February 19, 2015