Marketing & ROI are a prime concern for any business. Entrepreneurs always want to go ahead with proper planning, considering how they will market and ensure maximum return on investment. Today, as Mobile Application development Industry is evolving, there has been a tough competition. To get a proper and continual response from a wider audience and keep them interested you have to have a proper marketing plan. You can’t imagine you are going to be next AngryBird, WhatsApp or something like that, so have a plan in advance.
By July 2015 there are 3.97 million apps are available for download in leading app stores. With 1.6 million apps, Android holds the #1 Position wherein with 1.5 million Apps- IOS is giving a tough competition.
Before going ahead, let’s understand user behavior with App Landscape: (By May 2015)
- An average App user has 36 Apps installed in their Smartphone.
- 26% Smartphone Apps are used daily.
- Gaming and Social are category Apps fall into daily used Apps
- 68% daily used apps are from Social & Communication
- 33% are from media and communication
- 46% Game related apps
- 19% Retail store related
Do you know how people Discover Apps?
- #1 Source is social influence, 52% Apps are downloaded due to recommendations from friends and family
- 40% Browsing App Store
- 27% Search Engine
- 24% Company Website
- 22% from TV
Importance of search for discovering Apps (by Category)
People prefer to discover apps through search; here is an insight of app users who discover apps through search engines.
- Technology: 43%
- Travel: 35%
- Local:34%
- Entertainment:28%
- Retail:24%
- Social:19%
- Finance:16%
- Gaming: 15%
What is deciding Factor for downloading an App?
There are various factors which affect the decision-making process for downloading an App, here are some key findings:
- Price -82%
- Description: 62%
- Reviews: 60%
- Rating: 60%
- Free Trial: 43%
- 75% users expect an App should be free
It is critical to understand why there is a trend of shifting from the web to App Landscape. After deploying these findings in your app, you can ensure that it gets the love of millions. Always remember, people want to simplify their lives, it must be problem-solving. Given below points will give you an insight about end-user expectations:
- Makes my life easier – 63%
- Clear instructions for using the app – 63%
- Appealing design and aesthetic – 57%
- Consistent experience on multiple devices – 57%
- Always has new content – 45%
- Brand I interact with offline – 43%
Do you know what the driving force behind App usages is?
Consumer mobile journey is incomplete without Apps. A well-planned app can stand out from the crowd and satisfy user’s needs in an efficient and effective manner.
On the basis of the above facts and figures now we can devise our marketing strategy so our application can have an embark-able presence in the App store. Let’s dive our strategy in two Phases: Pre-Launch & Post Launch.
Pre-Launch App Marketing
We are seeing a growth in App stores with a speed of 1000 Apps/Per Day on both Android and IOS App stores. The app industry is a witness of great innovation and support for user-centric updates. Here are the following activities you need to complete before launching the Application.
1. Understand the market capabilities and your competitors: Create a strong foundation for a successful app through research. Identify your target market to understand the critical points of success. Do you need to know to whom you are selling to? Are they business users, children, adults or the people of specific interest, where they live, etc? The more you will be having data for them; you can make a much precise plan to tap those users.
You will need to know demographics such as:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Income
- Ethnicity
- Marital status
- Trends
As well as more individual information such as:
- Hobbies
- Lifestyle
- Behavior
- Frequency to use Apps
With demographics and individual information you can always create a why (Why users will download the application) and WOW factor.
On the one hand when you are investing in market research, parallel you need to analyze your competitors. What all devices/operating systems they are targeting, what is their USP’s, design, layout, number of screens, for what keywords they are ranking high. This information will help you to turn the game in your favor since you will be having a better understanding of pain points and value addition factors for users. Additionally, integrating credible residential proxies into your market research enables real-time competitive insights, geo-specific consumer behavior analysis, and access to restricted data, helping refine user engagement strategies and drive business growth.
2. Marketing Materials: Before launching (even beta launch) often people neglect planning the marketing activities and preparing for marketing materials, e.g. Landing page, trailer, video, screenshots, press release, App description and more. Give special attention to how simply you can deliver the message. Once completed post them in an online press kit made accessible to the public. To make sure your press kit reaches the right recipients, performing an email list validation can verify that all contact emails are accurate and deliverable, reducing bounce rates and improving the effectiveness of your outreach.
- USP – What is the unique value it delivers to the users, how it is different and serves better than others in its class.
- Trailer Video: Create an imaginative video giving a glimpse of the functioning of App, user emotions, how the problem is solved, the brand personality, user interfaces etc.
- Screenshots: Prepare real screenshots of the application for different phases. You can quickly edit screenshorts online to highlight specific feature or add annotations for clarity.
- Blog/email/social media content: Prepare content in advance for blog posts, email, to be sent and the content what you are going to spread over social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
• Decide Release date in advance: To create a buzz and eagerness among the audience and getting press coverage plan for a release date in earlier phases. We often face the challenges of delay in development, to overcome it when your project comes in testing and quality assurance phase you can predict and make announcements of release date.
Hot Tips: The Technology industry is a witness of frequent updates, releases. Make sure any major change is not going to roll out at the same time. As it is going to grab the attention of the influencers and your App can remain unnoticed.
2. Identify Channels for your beta users and test your App: You can choose a release of the public beta, or users by invite. Users driven test group are the source of the sincere and honest critique. There are plenty of channels that can be used for this purpose.
#1. Facebook: Spread your message on the right groups to acquire the right people who can seriously consider your App and can give their honest review. Please remember even if you get criticism, don’t get discouraged, it will help you to come up with an outstanding.
#2. Twitter: Twitter is a popular way to search for like-minded people. You can search for #keyword to search for the people who have a similar interest. While posting, it is recommended to use proper keywords so you can grab proper attention.
#3. Take leverage of Reddit: Reddit crowd can be extremely helpful. You can submit your idea to r/entrepreneur – A hotspot of 140,633 entrepreneurs, where you can request for feedback. You will be amazed by the responses from there.
#4. Press Coverage: Press is a great way to dig potential users, branding and sustained media coverage. Talk how you App makes a difference and why it is best to solve the real world challenges in an effective manner – why someone should download your app. Start with warm-up top-tier reporters for the most interesting news bubbles up. Here is how you can approach:
Find those reporters who have covered a story of recent app launches.
- Reach out to these reporters and pitch your app. Make sure you tell them not to write about your app before it is released.
- Offer exclusive access to the pitch to a reporter. When you have an interesting app, reporters are extremely interested in being the only people to write about your on launch day. Obviously, you need to select the right media outlet when agreeing to the exclusive coverage agreement.
Why Pre-Launch Press Release?
Pre-launch press release is different from an app launch release. Here the emphasis is given over “WHY” wherein launch release is dedicated for “What”. Remember, until your app gets launched, it is still an Idea which is being sent to Journalists. You have to satisfy the reasons for getting press coverage
[mark]Explain the existing problem with facts and figures. Let’s say if you are talking about the pre-launch of an App cost estimator discovery app – you could focus on how many businesses are adopting Mobile-first strategy, what is ambiguity in App development marketplace, on what factors cost depends etc.[/mark]
- Then explain how you can solve the problem. Your experience and expertise within the segment, how you have delivered successfully for various clients.
- Be genuine. Provide them probable launch dates, technology details, algorithm parameters, founding team, location – anything you can add to make it look like a smart solution of the problem.
3. Plan your acquisition campaigns: The next big step after you’ve developed your app? Finding users. Every app is going to have organic acquisition, but only some are going to have paid acquisition. Facebook’s platform is currently the most-used, but using search engine marketing and other mobile ad platforms should be considered in the planning phase. Mobile ads work well to drive users because they’re already in the mobile mindset. Plus, when ads are served to the right audience (by targeting specific interests), you’re paying to introduce your app to your ideal users.
4. Leverage the importance of email: In the era of social media many times, we overlook the importance of email. Email is still a big source of conversion and getting potential clients if you target the right people. Though it is challenging to capture email addresses and build your subscriber list. In the era of social media, many times we overlook the importance of email. Email is still a big source of conversion and getting potential clients if you target the right people. Using eCommerce email templates in app marketing offers powerful benefits for driving user engagement, retention, and monetization within your app-based business. Though it is challenging to capture email addresses and build your subscriber list, platforms like EmailLabs (cloud e-mail solutions) can streamline list management and delivery.
Using eCommerce email templates in app marketing offers powerful benefits for driving user engagement, retention, and monetization within your app-based business. Email is still a big source of conversion and getting potential clients if you target the right people. Using an email list builder can simplify the process, though it is still challenging to capture email addresses and build your subscriber list effectively.
5. Landing Page with Social Integration: A smartly designed creative & effective Landing page is a major weapon for getting subscribers and potential users in pre-launch stage. The page needs to have the following:
- Attractive Visuals, Videos, screenshot and appealing call to action
- Easy Sign Up as the central Call-To-Action. Use this platform for getting enough subscribers to soon release you can go for an email finder.
- Your landing page should have an optimum integration with leading social media channels. Has a convincing value proposition by incentivizing users to share your message in the form of say ‘Early Access’ or ‘Discounted Access’.
6. Take leverage of Pre-Release Channels
There are plenty of pre-release platforms that can be used for promoting your application in early stage
Being Succinct, Simple & straightforward, while you deliver your message to an audience, it is key for success. Do remember people never buy your product or service, they need a solution for their problems. Pith in a manner so it should appear as a source of their solution.
Get some pre-Release Platforms
-
- AboutYourStartup – an up-and-coming app submission site
- AppVita – All about cloud-based apps
- BetaLi.st – early access to the latest and greatest new apps
- Feed My App – Web and mobile app reviews
- Killer Startups – A blog and directory of startups and new apps
- Launch.it – Get the scoop new gadgets, apps, and hardware
- Listio – browse thousands of new and undiscovered apps
- Make Use Of – New app reviews, how-to’s and tips
- MoMB (The Museum of Modern Betas) – The art of the early-stage startup launch
- Scoutness – Invitations and reviews of apps and startups
- Startup Book – Startup news and advice curated from top sources
- Startupli.st – A gorgeous submission site to be spotted by the right early adopters, bloggers, investors and founders
- Vator – startup news, reviews, conferences, and community
- Ziipa – A web and mobile app discovery platform
7. Influential Users
Give early access to famous personalities and industry leaders. Their contribution or recommendations will have a vital role in gaining trust, credibility, and virility. Add their experiences to the Launch Page, Social Channels and Press Release.
8. Get Feedback from other developers/people of the mobile industry
As a business, we want feedback from our targeted users, but keeping other developers in the loop and having expert advises also makes sense.
You can get valuable feedbacks regarding your design, pitch even for marketing strategy. These expert insights can give you an idea for blog posts.
Share your project with them, offline or online:
- Offline: go to conferences, developer and tech meetups
- Online: interact on Twitter, share what you’re working on (and help others!) on the iPhoneDevSDK forum or the TouchArchade Forums, discuss on Facebook groups for devs, get advice from experts on Clarity, etc.
- Summary: A pre-planned marketing strategy is key to get lots of downloads, and an astounding app in the market where you are going to compete with lots of other application in other categories. Stay tuned for the next upcoming blog: Post Release App marketing strategy.
Anand Mahajan
Shivraj Dhaygude