You’ve published an awesome, innovative mobile app, but it has been downloaded less than 500 times in the first month. In agony, you proclaim, “WHYYYY?” Well, fret no more, we have the answer! Mobileapp promotion.
Word of mouth makes mobile apps like Shazam and Songza go viral. There’s certainly a chance that your own app could also go viral, but people need to find it first. How do people know your app exists if you never talk about it? Don’t rely on earned media like WOM and buzz. You should have a healthy combination of owned, paid, and earned media. We have some suggestions.
Here are the top 6 ways to promote your mobile app:
1) Publish a promo page on your website and link to it from your home page. Reach: Website visitors. Good example: Affinity Mobile
2) Issue a joint press release with CollegeMobile through industry, local, or national news sources. Reach: Target demographics. Good example: itracks Mobile
3) Post on all company social media pages. You could either send them to your website or directly to the app store(s). Reach: Social media fans and followers. Good example: Carleton Mobile
4) Create print materials, such as posters, brochures, etc. if you have a storefront. Include QR codes with links to the app store(s). Reach: Customers. Good example: Affinity Mobile brochures, promotion on retail monitors, promotion on ATMs, promotion on retail LED signs.
5) Ensure that you have written a detailed description for the app store(s). Reach: All visitors of your app page on the app store(s). Good example: ACU Anytime
6) Utilize Smart App Banners on iOS 6 to direct mobile users from your full site to your app. This simply requires one line of code on your website’s HTML and we can help you with that. Reach: Website visitors from iOS 6 devices
Do everything at once. Ensure a consistent tone and design across every medium. You should see some huge improvements in download numbers. We’re talking 500-700 in a day if you have an audience of more than 20,000.
If it’s been more than a month and you had expected more downloads, if you haven’t done any of the above, if you have the resources, and your feedback has been good so far, consider promoting your mobile app in an official launch campaign.
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