THE IOS APP ADVERTISING STRATEGY GUIDE (PART 2)
Waiting for new helpful information in mobile app marketing? You are in the right place. Find the best advertising strategy following simple tips.
Here is the second part of our super efficient mobile app advertising guide. We hope you liked the previous part and are ready for more useful tips to learn, soâŠenjoy! Also do not forget about more parts coming up soon and please check out https://applead.net/en in order to see our best offers on mobile app marketing. So letâs get started! Measure user retention and find out how people use your mobile app
App downloads are of course very significant, and they are actually a key metric of your future success. But like we have already mentioned, it is not all about downloads. If you want to get good income from your iPad or iPhone app, you should make people come back to it again and again. You have already done your best to build a nice user experience and created a beautiful design. You always listen to feedback when your users give it to you, both online and in real life.
But some users may not use your iOS mobile app the way you expected. So it would be really good to know how long they use it, how many times they are coming back, whether they share your app with friends, what app features they are using (and which of them you should remove). The great news is that there are many nice instruments (and some of them are absolutely free) which can let you do it. Just choose the one you like and learn more.
Measure the effectiveness of your app advertising channels
In order to promote your mobile app, you should try all kinds of things, different methods and strategies. You have to make people know about it by efficient channels so it would be nice to know which of them are effective. Knowing that, you can decide what is really worth it and what is absolutely not. You may focus on the things which bring the most downloads, or on the things which bring the highest income. Such instruments as Distimoâs AppLink, Yozio or Tapstream can let you do it. For Android mobile applications, Google Mobile App Analytics could let you do the same thing.
If you are just a beginner in app development, the chances are that you have a quite limited budget. Probably, you cannot afford to promote on mobile apps where users will be interested in your app as well. Such service as TapForTap can let you do free tap exchange: you just trade clicks with other mobile app developers. You demonstrate advertisements for other mobile apps, earn the credits and spend them for your own product. If you do not mind using the ad banner (you may have an in-application purchase which includes its removal), it could be a great way to distribute information about your new app.
Creating your own website is essential
You cannot rely just on your page in the App Store. You should make people easily find out about your new app on the web. You require a place to refer them to (journalists, bloggers, and strangers). And you also should build a community around your product. It means that having at least your own website (and maybe even a blog) and using the major social media platforms is essential. When should you do it? Right now! You not only need a good website (or a page at least), but you also should create it asap. You will eventually need one for branding and support, so you might as well use it before launching the app.
You may start with an email list subscription form and a landing page, then you can add your blog and download links and finally add proves and positive user reviews. So right after you choose the name of your app, its main concept and a couple of screenshots designs, you have to go ahead and make your app website.
The major elements your app website should have
The website is that place where you may demonstrate your new product in its best light and show it to the visitors, and also a place where you may easily explain the problems you are solving with your app. You should make it simple to scan and read. There are a few key elements you have to include (or consider at least):
The name of your app and its icon;
List of devices on which it is available (with the screenshots of the app inside or a video capture);
Application pitch: a brief sentence which will explain what your mobile app really is and why it is a must have product;
App store badges where the application may be downloaded;
A direct CTA: before launch it is mailing-list subscription form, after - download button;
App advertising video: the fastest way for people to initially estimate   your new app;
Elements of social proof (after app has been released): user reviews, testimonials, Apple features, awards won, etc.;
Major screenshots and benefits: you have to explain in details what real value your product brings and demonstrate its major screenshots;
Support and contact info: be easily reachable to both your users and bloggers;
Info about social media: direct links to your accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.;
Press kit: you still need the one even if you think it is outdated;
Direct links to your other products (in case you have them, and in case it is relevant to your new application audience).
Blog or not to blog, here is the questionâŠ
Some app developers truly believe that a personal blog for a mobile application is not especially useful. Some of them are sure that a blog for a business is absolutely not useful. We have built our own business around content advertising and we share things on our personal blog (and awesome app videos). So you probably already know what we think about all that.
For your new mobile app, a personal blog is a perfect way to:
Make your current and future users interested in your product sharing the building process and designs of your app;
Keep them curious about what is happening: app launch, different updates and new useful features;
Share new interesting content about your app niche, your main mission, or you can even teach people something useful: a productivity application may have a blog with helpful tips on being even more productive and, for instance, a football application can let them know about main football news, players, etc.
The more interesting content you share with your users, the more visibility your new mobile app is getting.
It is a great thing to have a blog and website for your new mobile app. But in case your content sucks, then it will not be much help. If your application pitch includes ten sentences, people will not just bother to read it. In case your blog posts are boring and full of typos, you will not be able to make people interested, and you could not turn your visitors into your customers. And if the content of the app description at App store page is turning people away, then your app will not probably become successful.
You have to make people really want to get your product. You can be perfect at designing and coding the app, but you also should get better at copywriting and advertising. Luckily for you, there are a few great websites which can help you become better at it.
Inbound and content advertising
Yeah, you get it right: you totally need to do App Store Optimization. However, you also should make it easy for people to find you in the Internet. You cannot depend just on the App Store as your basic advertising channel. Forget about paying users for links and web directories. You should start making and sharing useful and interesting content so that people get to know to it and then find you. We know that it is easier said than actually done. Sometimes it is very difficult to find out whether it is working (as it really takes time) or what is working. Do you remember what we said some time earlier about measuring your advertising effectiveness?
That is what it is actually for. Try to give it some time, it is not going to happen overnight. In case you are planning to create a few apps for the same marketing niche, content advertising is a perfect way to go. All the content which you will create could potentially benefit any of the given applications! And if Apple changes its app store once again, you will not suffer so much even in case things do not go your way. By making and sharing nice content you are also demonstrating that there is a real person (or team) behind this app, building trust.
After your mobile app has been already released, you probably want the visitors of your app website to download it. Do not get your potential customers look for these download buttons! You should make a visible CTA. Paste the app store badges and think about adding another one. In case it makes some sense, use new services accessible such as mobile app distribution by means of SMS or sending download links right to customers` mobile phones. If your product is not ready yet, your call to action should be the subscription button to the app`s email list.
Mobile app developers still do not use all the opportunities that mailing lists can give. People signing up for your email news-sheet are those people you can reach easily, and interact. Providing that they are still subscribed, such users can give you the right to contact them directly by email. Facebook statuses, tweets or other social media platforms may be quite useful. But the greatest way to ensure that your targeted users receive information is still usage of their emails. It is your main job to select the right subject lines and write the right things so that they keep opening your letters.
Here are several ways you might use your email news-sheet:
Estimate the interest that people have in your new product (there are still no sign ups? Maybe you are doing something wrong);
Keep your users informed about the date of your app launch. Again, do not forget to mention again what actually your app does, so that they may remember you;
Ask your users for feedback;
Let them know about your crowd-funding campaign;
Ask your users to vote for your mobile application for a contest or award;
Let people know about latest news and milestones.
When you got your news-sheet going, continue sending emails on a regular basis (but not that often) so that people do not forget you.
You probably already know that Apple and Google stores take its share (around 30%) on every mobile app you sell or in-application purchase which you generate. It sort of sucks, but you cannot do anything t change it as they let you spread and advertise your product on their stores. It does not matter how you actually feel about it, we are sure that you do not want to miss the opportunity to receive extra 5%. And not only when people buy your app, but also in case they purchase anything during the next 72 hours on the iTunes store (providing that they do not click on the other affiliate link).
We have already mentioned Twitter when discussing your online presence. An account on Twitter for your mobile app could also make lots of sense. Plenty of early adopters prefer to use Twitter, and it is a nice platform where you can interact with them. You might use Twitter in order to share interesting content on your app niche, the latest news about your app, or even use it for support.
You might also effectively use Twitter in order to contact bloggers and journalists. It will not always work great (especially if these people do not know you and your product) and sometimes it will be better to do it on your own account, but your tweet with a promo video might be quite powerful.
According to your application and your main audience, a page on Facebook could make lots of sense as well. If you are planning to share pictures, videos or longer texts - Facebook should totally be considered. In any case, you have to create it and save the same name. Such page may be a perfect way to make your current and potential users interested in your new product.
You may ask them for their opinion about your designs, what they would like to see in your mobile app in the future, you might share the great news, etc. Practically the same things you may do via your email list. Do not make it just about your mobile app, though. Not advertising only. There are chances that people will get pretty annoyed with it and just stop following you in case your Facebook page is one huge ad.
If content advertising is a part of your marketing strategy to attract more users, then you have to link your personal app blog to your account on Google+. It is totally worth it, even in case it is just for a great picture of you which it displays in the search results. Sharing your website direct links takes just a few seconds, so why not to try it?
Did you like this part of our guide? Check out here for more information about mobile marketing services we provide. Do not miss your chance to be successful!