All posts by Mary Chan - 3. page

Marketing begins the day you put your mobile app idea into production. But not everyone has a budget for marketing. Contrary to popular belief, most effective marketing strategies don’t require any spending at all. How to put that strategy in place?

From the period before you launch your app to after it goes on the market, here are six important marketing strategies. While they may require time and perseverance, they involve little or no money:

1.Make your press kit pop. Your press kit should include information about the problem you’re solving, but not enough detail to completely give the product away. Key components include a high-resolution logo, sample design screens, an app icon, a press release, a microsite and a teaser video. Make sure you have a fantastic name and icon for your app that’s catchy and connects with the audience instantly. The first paragraph of the app description should be your selling pitch and app store screenshots should be customized to attract your customer.

One of the most under-rated, but highly effective strategies is app store marketing. Because a lot of people browse with keyword searches, select your keywords wisely by researching successful competitors.

2.Build an enticing microsite. These two to three page website aggregates all the information about the product. While a lot of downloads will come directly through app stores, a huge amount of traffic is driven through the web. For example, the Path app‘s microsite homepage greets visitors with the tagline: “Private messaging and sharing with friends and family” directly above a sign-up prompt at the top of the page. This is designed to hook new user as soon as they hit the landing page, before they’ve gotten all the information they need on the app.

3.Create a teaser or giveaway campaign. Build a teaser or giveaway offer into your microsite and invite people to share their email address to stay updated on when your app launches. This helps build a database of people interested in your app. For example, a teaser videothat came out before an app called Analog Camera came out last month, offered demos of how the app would work without going into a full explanation or revealing the release date. Instead the video lead you to a microsite with the message: “Sign up and you’ll be the first to know when Analog Camera launches!” — a clever way to gather potential customers early.

4.Keep content fresh. Do this by creating a blog linked to your microsite. This is important because blog posts are indexed by Google. Keeping your content fresh will drive a lot of inbound traffic to your website. You can also make your presence cohesive on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Digg and Stumbleupon by sharing your blog posts with an active audience. Always think about how your content can be of value to a follower. For example, Angry Birds’ social media strategy includes sneak peeks of new game levels and versions, special offers and real-life examples of people enjoying the game.

5.Build hype. Once your app is ready to be submitted to the app store, be sure to set a release date and plan publicity around the launch.

Get in touch with tech blogs and publications likely to write about your product. Personalize your email with links to the press kit and microsite. If you haven’t heard from them in a week, send a reminder. If they did not cover your product initially, reach out again after your launch with download statistics and customer testimonials.

Some popular sites like 148 Apps, App Advice and Macworld can help spread the word about your app. After it launches, write to them for a review of your app. There’s a large audience that reads recommendations online when deciding what to download.

6.Ask customers for feedback. The more positive the ratings are for your app, the better chance it has of being downloaded. That’s why it’s worth it for you to build a code into your application asking users to rate it. Make sure to include contact information at the end of your app description or use a software development kit such as Appsfire to let people send feedback from a notification inbox. You can then reach out to unhappy users, resolve their issues and ask them to leave a rating on the app store if they were satisfied. Converting unhappy users to happy ones will improve your ratings.

The main investment in these tactics is your time, persistence and creativity. Armed with these three qualities, you can get over a million eyeballs for your app in a very short time.

There are just a few people on the internet by now that has never heard or played Five Nights at Freddy’s. Sure, it is originally a point and click game for PC’s and even consoles, but Five Nights at Freddy’s has gained a lot of attention from being playable in cellphones and tabs too. It has gained so much popularity though its gameplay is very straightforward and even downright simple. Garnering so many fans from so broad a demographic, this game has gone on to merit two sequels to the original game a testament to the success of this simplistic yet very likable game.

Five nights is a scary game where the player works as a night watchman for a pizza place not that different from a regular Chuck E. Cheese. All one has to do is get through five nights of being in the guard’s quarters. There is one kicker thought at night, the haunted animatronics of the pizza place move and become murderous.

More than anything, the game five nights at Freddy’s succeeds at being one thing-scary. It is, at its very core, a horror game. There is not much that can be said about it except that it is just a bunch of clicking.It does fit in well to the goal of the game though- checking the security cameras for the activities of the scary animatronics and conserving electricity to survive the night.

The game gives a great portrayal of the creepiness that comes with a job of being a night watchman. People have loved the simplicity of the operation of the game and the fact that it is not as complicated as other horror games. That said, the game’s not being complicated most certainly doesn’t mean not complex. Yes, there is a background story to the game. There are a lot of things that happen on and off screen and some that one would just have to be very observant about to know more. In this, the game succeeds by not pretending to be
anything more than what it is- a scary point and click game.
Though there are some detractors, this game still proves to be a very worthwhile endeavor for its creator as it delivers exactly what it promises chills down the player’s spine. This type of game may bore others but for those open-minded and adventurous, this is one that should never be missed.

Disclaimer: The content of the above mobile app review are the opinions of the reviewers and is intended for informational, educational and discussion purposes only, and should not be used, interpret or relied upon as any form of recommendations. We does not endorse or accredit the mobile app. We make no representations or warranties with respect to the app for the company owned the app and the app developer developed the app.

Today, trying to develop your business without proper marketing is like“Trying to climb a tree to catch a fish”. Mobile app marketing is no different in this regard. With so manymobile applications  being developed day-after-day, the probability of showing off your newly-developed application becomes lesser and lesser unless it is marketed really well.

Any marketing strategy requires proper planning and execution. Any individual, who really wants to make it big, has to develop a market plan that is tried and tested in other operations. In this case when marketing your apps, there are several questions you need to be asking yourself.

1.Know your Target Audience

As you know, mobile applications are available in a variety of categories like applications for students, mathematicians, astrologers, bedtime applications, kid’s education, cooking, multimedia, games and many more. So whom are you going to target? Who are the ones that might best utilize your app?

So targeting your audienceis the most important factor that might make or break your business. More often than not, your apps are more likely to succeed if they are a potential solution to people’s problems.

For example, if you have an app that can solve any of the modern teenage problems (say you have an app that can find solutions on the web for all teenage problems like smoking, drinking, and many more) then your target audience is the teenagers.

2.Let your Message be more appealing

The next big thing is how you get these products marketed or how you make them appealing to your targeted people. This is very important. Every piece of message you pass on has to be conveying and convincing. The value of your app has to be understood simply by the look of your presentation or writing.

Anything that is unique about your application has to be pointed out. This can be anything including features, sounds, animations and other functions. A lot of your success depends upon how well you explain your app. You may even popularize the smallest of advantages you see in your product.

3.The Pricing Factor

Another important factor that will determine your success is the pricing of your app. It is very easy to be carried away here. You should be careful not to over-price your app. Some people tend to do this hoping to prosper faster. On the contrary, this could backfire. You might end up gaining very little as there are few people willing to try out new apps digging deep into their pockets.

On the other hand if your product is competitively priced, you will have more people paying greater attention to your new invention. This will result in much more and longer benefits. You will have more people peeping into your product through referrals and other means and so that would mean long time prosperity.

4.Study your competitors

In the modern arena, this strategy cannot be ignored. Make a detailed study of all the competitors around you. As a beginner it would not be smart to challenge an experienced game developer or a professional programmer. Here, being mild and keeping away from the big boys would be the right thing to do.

And of course, if you are confident enough of your genius gems, you may go ahead and challenge them. But again, be careful as your skill might be challenged.

5.Making a Praise-worthy After-market Plan

Last but by no means the least, always make a praise-worthy plan that will yield the best after-market results. For example,think of the followers or the feedback obtained from individuals who have downloaded and used your app. These feedbacks are like gold. This will in turn attract or drive away users into your section. The more number of satisfied customers or the more positive feedbacks, the better are your chances of success. Again, people who are aware of your successful app will follow you to your next app development. There you have a readymade set of customers to test your new app yet again.

Here you see how one brilliantly marketed app, can help you in your next venture.

6. Utilize of Social Media

Social Media is a blessed tool or a boon to people involved in marketing. They can be used efficiently to build on any kind of marketing.

In recent times, the tools available for app marketing in social media have increased considerably. However, the above mentioned strategic ideas have to be followed in order to experience any kind of genuine success.

When it comes to ASO, there are two types of people: one will admit to not having a clue what that is, and the other will tell you that it’s basically like SEO, only for Appstores. While the latter is partially true, the real story behind ASO is far more complex, deep and interesting.

Our purpose isn’t generating app-page traffic, but instead making sure your app is discovered by relevant, loyal users who will not only visit the app page but continue to install your app and use it on a regular basis. It’s not about traffic, it’s about conversion.

In other words: to truly optimize your app store page, you need to pay close attention to various aspects that will come into play during a potential user’s visit. The following list details the key steps in creating a creative, compelling and informative experience that will do just that:

Keyword research

Most organic traffic to your page will be the result of a simple App search, so give it all you’ve got.

App description

Potential users don’t know or care about keywords. They want the app asking permission to access their most sensitive information to be serious and smart. Don’t write text that might suggest otherwise.

App logo

When potential users scroll and examine different options, your icon is the first thing they notice. You have to stand out.

Screenshots

just like you would never use a bland, simple banner, don’t let such a crucial part of your app page become boring and predictable. Use screenshots to tell a story.

Video trailer

Your trailer allows users to see not only what your product does, but also how creative the people behind it are. Keep potential users both informed and entertained.

Competitive research

It’s always good see what the current standard is, and then do something completely different to become an Appstore superstar.

Reviews and 5 starts rankings

Users expect you to be ready with an answer in an hour, so if there are loads of reviews consider assigning a staff member to stay on top of it.

App Name

Only the first characters of your chosen title will be visible to users, so make it short and sweet.

Category

Your chosen category gives potential users a better sense of what your app does, and allows them to find you in a relevant search.

Price

If your app is on sale, make it part of your PR plan as well, and get featured on an “apps gone free” post.

Localization

There’s no “one size fits all” in ASO. Include local phrases, slang and cultural references to match each specific location.

Analytics

It’s a trial and error business. The saying “if you don’t try you will never succeed” was never more fitting.

For app developers to fully understand what drives potential users to install an app, think of your app page as a storefront on the busiest boulevards in your area and apply each part of our guide as if were a way of attracting window-shoppers. Focus on creating an emotional shopping experience for users and you’re bound to see the results right away.