Now that you know the advantages of having an app for startup companies and you know how much it costs for the development of such apps, you need to know the most important thing: the strategy to promoting a mobile application to start getting downloads. The budget that you have allocated to the development of your application should be similar to the one you will allocate in the promotion of it. That does not mean that all the steps are paid, there are many creative and free ways to start your marketing plan.
This article gives you the first 11 steps to promote an application. They are not all necessary, you can select the ones that best suit your budget and goals ... You decide!
The name of your mobile app must be unique and easy to pronounce. It should include the most important keywords of your business and give clues about the problem that will solve the user who decides to download it.
Try not to exceed 12 characters
You must choose a category and a subcategory for your application. Although a priori seems simple, there are many apps that do not identify with any, in this case you should think about the user and ask yourself the following question: What category are my potential customers? The selection of the same will be decisive in the promotion of the application. Once launched, the category can be modified in each update. This will help your app move through the ranks to the top apps in no time.
In the case of companies, the first impression is what counts. When it comes to promoting an application, visual design must be incorporated at the beginning of the development of the app. And that initial development of an app is no more (or less) than a launch icon and several screenshots that explain the content.
The icon is what will differentiate your application. It must be attractive enough to stand out from thousands of similar icons with which you will share the same showcase: app store. The features that must be included are different depending on whether it is for iOS or Android.
The best option is to publish a project for design companies to help you create the best icon for your app, as well as in the web design or landing page.
Application promotion
These are some of the objectives that the screenshots of an application must fulfill:
Provoke an exciting and informative feeling about the application.
Explain what the app does If you have to include a screenshot with personal data to explain something important, try replacing it with one that simulates the situation as best as possible.
Convincing users to download the application.
The choice of keywords, as happens with content marketing, can determine the success or failure of an app. In fact, the ASO (App Store Optimization) concept is very important. The application stores will be increasingly competitive, and you must make an effort so that your application is at the top of its category. If you want to choose the best keywords to promote your application, follow these tips: How to choose the keyword, app marketing.
For the promotion of your application you will need at least one landing page that explains in the most clear and concise way what you can offer to your potential client.
Among the most recommended programs to create landing pages are top platforms such as Unbounce and Instapage.
The content marketing is important in every business, especially if it’s about ecommerce or mobile applications. You must write content that interests your potential customers, put you on their skin and hook them with useful information. When you start receiving organic views, include a banner of your landing page in the blog and you will see how your app downloads will increase soon.
A good way to start promoting a mobile application is to build the blog one month before launch. You can comment on the process of development and the advantages of your app. It will also serve to receive the first questions or suggestions from future clients.
A good example of a blog to promote an application is Buffer. They update contents daily of great interest for their audience and are shared in social networks. The only advertising they introduce is a banner to their landing page that remains static on the right side of all their content. The conversion of most of your readers into customers is assured.
Nothing you do not know. Use the top social networks to promote your application daily: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus, are essential. Also something as simple as including a link to your application in all the profiles you have in social media will help you secure the promotion. It is also interesting to create a board on Pinterest with blog images, infographics or any other visual content that identifies with your application.
This step is the one that will bring you the most benefits in the long term, but also the one that requires the most effort. Appearing in specialized media and blogs is the best way to promote a mobile application. You will also be able to increase your downloads in an amazing way if it appears on top pages like Business Insider or Digital Trends.
With just one review from an expert you can turn your application into a success. To start you should contact the sites where you want to go and send press releases to the media, both online and offline. To be prepared before launching your app, gather everything you need: images, press releases, biography of the founders, logos, guest-post, and contacts of bloggers, journalists and advertising companies who may be interested.
It does not have to be a tutorial or explanatory video. You can create a video that invites reflection, that is fun, creative, or that simply tells a story. The important thing is that the user feels identified and interested in learning more about the application.
If your application is paid, it offers a launch promotion for example of $ 0.99. This type of price drives customers to buy.
If the above options are not enough to promote your mobile application, you can contact top paid advertising companies. In Google Adwords you can find all the options offered by the search engine to promote your app and generate more downloads. The choice depends solely on the budget you want to invest in the promotion:
Use the Display Network or the Search Network.
Use AdMob, Google's mobile advertising network to promote and monetize mobile applications. Other mobile advertising platforms are Inmobi and Millennialmedia.
If you want to start promoting your app or design your web or landing page, explain what your project is and your project manager will advise you to find the best freelancers. Do it now!
Kenneth Evans is a Content Marketing Strategist for Top App Development Companies, a research platform for top app development companies in the world. He has been contributing to various blogging platforms and Forums.