So you’ve built an app…now what?! Our App Developers have created a 3-part series on the best steps to take when considering the best way to market your app and ensure downloads, profitability and success. Read on for the first part of the series, how to prepare your mobile app before it even hits the app stores.
Even before your app is completed, you must develop a marketing strategy and launch plan to ready it for the app markets. Ideally, your marketing strategy would start as soon as your mobile app development does. There is so much that goes into a marketing plan and we are here to help break down some crucial steps that you cannot afford to ignore. The app stores are competitive and there are literally millions of apps for users choose from, and you’ve already put so much into the development of your mobile app, why not put a little extra effort in to ensure its success? Check out our list of to-do’s before you get started to help you create the very best strategy prior to your big mobile app launch:
1. Conduct Research
One of the best starting points to be successful with any project, is to conduct market research – what do your users need from you? What problems do they have that your app can help solve? What age group(s) are you targeting? Who is your ideal user? Conducting in-depth market research is so important and will prove to be very useful when it comes to marketing your app on the app stores, without it you will be severely under-prepared for what’s to come. Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience and what your app will solve for them, it’s time to focus on this group and delve into their wants and needs – what features would they like to see? What features have they seen in other apps that they like or dislike? How can you rise above your competitors to solve problems they haven’t been able to?
2. Create A Competitor Analysis
No matter the subject of your mobile app, chances are that you have competition. Make a list of your top competitors, read user reviews and note what works well for them, where they fall short, their pricing, just to name a few. This strategy is a great tool for you to make sure that you don’t repeat any mistakes that have already been made, this is a great time to also figure out what makes your app stand out and rise above the competition. Using all of this data, this is the best time to determine your brand messaging, something that will resonate with your users, making sure you note your specialized features and use those details to promote your app.
3. Define Your Branding & PR Strategy
Consistency is key when it comes to developing your branding style guide, making sure that the same materials (colours, fonts, images etc.) are used across all channels to promote your app. Creating a press kit is also a great idea so that you have all files and assets ready to go at a moments notice. Determine what you need in your kit, whether it be a video or images, your app’s logo and some screenshots, include descriptions about your key features and functions and if possible, a backstory describing why your app was created.
4. Begin PR Outreach
Positive reviews are a driving force to your app’s success. Including these reviews on your screenshots, or on your website is also a fantastic idea. Another way to get ahead and promote your app before it launches is to create a promotional video or ad that you can run on your social media platforms and places like YouTube. Creating a landing page on your mobile website is also a plus for a few reasons: 1) creating keywords and SEO in advance is also a great bet and 2) providing a link where users can download your app directly from your site once it’s life makes signing up simple and easy. Another fantastic way to promote your mobile app is to reach out to influencers on your market. For instance, popular bloggers or journalists that focus on the tech and mobile industries are a good place to start. You can reach out and offer a “first-look” during your pre-launch phase to generate some recognition and hopefully entice users to download your app once it’s available. Ask them to review your product once it hits the app stores, provide their feedback and recommendations, the more recognition the better!
5. Leverage Social Media
Social media platforms are simply the very best way to promote your app, create brand awareness and conduct contests within your target audience. Identifying which platform your audience uses most is key. Uploading relevant and eye-catching content regularly (but not too much – no one wants to be bombarded with ads) can prove extremely useful in getting your app noticed. Providing updates, screenshots and offering sneak-peeks are all ways to entice users leading up to your official app launch. Another great way to utilize social media platforms is to offer contests or giveaways. Offering in-app rewards or download bonuses are only a few ideas of what you could offer your users for downloading your app.
Check out our next post coming soon, for details about how to make the second phase of your app launch successfully. Do you have an app idea? Contact us today if you’re interested in discussing building an app with us and our team of App Developers would love to discuss how we can turn your idea into a reality. At Vog we build more than apps, we build businesses.
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