7 Tips for Marketing a Mobile App

The App Store and Google Play Store are e-commerce marketplaces that sell products. Conveniently, these stores require similar marketing to typical SEO. However, there are significant limitations. We have developed some key strategies to drive mobile app sales.

First, marketing begins the day you release your app idea into production. Prior to launching your app, you need to spread the idea. By doing so, you familiarize your potential customers. Promotion begins long before release. In this article, we will explore seven strategies to hype up your app.

mobile applications


1. Make your press kit pop

Press kits grab the attention of your potential clients. Make it exciting! Explain what problem your app is solving. It should tease the idea. Don’t give it away completely. Include a high-resolution logo, samples of screens, app icon, press release, microsite, and teaser video. Your name and icon need to grab attention. Your name should connect with your audience instantly. The app description should sell the idea in the first paragraph. App store screenshots should be attractive.

2. Research competitor keywords

The app store is a search engine like Google and Amazon. There are a search bar and an algorithm. Many people don’t consider this when they are marketing their app. An under-rated (and highly effective) tool for app visibility is to select keywords based on data-driven research on your successful competitors.

3. Build an enticing microsite

A microsite is a two or three-page website that aggregates all the information about your product. A majority of downloads will come through the app store. However, a substantial amount of traffic is driven through the site.

We will use the Path app as an example. Their homepage greets visitors with a simple line summarizing their service: “Private messaging and sharing with friends and family.” This line is directly above a sign-up prompt above the fold on the homepage. This design intents to hook new users as soon as they hit the main landing page, even before they’ve gotten the information they were seeking on the app.

4. Create a teaser campaign

Your microsite should include a teaser that invites people to share their email address to receive updates on the app launch. This method is useful for building a database of potential clients.

For example, before releasing the Analog Camera app, they released a teaser video. The video demonstrated how the app works. It didn’t go into a full explanation or reveal the release date. Instead, the video directed viewers to their microsite, which prompted them to sign up. The interested party was redirected to the site, so they are likely to sign up to stay informed.

5. Keep content fresh

Create a blog linked to your microsite. Google indexes blog posts, which makes this step crucial. New web content drives traffic to your site. Your brand voice should be consistent and easily recognizable on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Digg, and Stumbleupon. Your blog posts should speak with the same voice, in more detail. Share these posts on social media platforms.

6. Build excitement for your app

Once your app is ready, set a release date and create publicity around the launch. Reach out to tech blogs and publications and ask them to write about your app. Make sure your emails include links to your press kit and microsite. Check back in a week if the publications don’t respond. If they did not cover your product initially, reach out again after your launch with download statistics and customer testimonials.

Popular sites like 148 Apps, App Advice and Macworld can help spread the word about your app. After your app launch, write to them to request a review. There’s an audience that reads recommendations online when deciding what to download.

7. Ask customers for feedback

E-commerce customers rely on ratings and feedback from their peers. The more positive reviews and ratings you can accrue for your app, the more people will download it. Build code into the app that asks the user to rate it. Include contact information in your app description. Customer feedback is always valuable. You can also use a software development kit like Appsfire to let users send input from a notification box.

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Communication is important. Reach out to unhappy customers and use their criticism to improve your app. Resolve their issues and ask them to leave a rating on the app if they are satisfied. Converting unhappy customers to happy ones is critical for maintaining a positive brand reputation.

Your marketing campaign is essential for building up demand for your app. Many channels can be used to spread the word, but not without copy, imagery, and video that entices the customer. Implement these strategies to get visibility for your app and watch the downloads accumulate!