Tips for Promoting a App with Digital Marketing
Launching an app is one of the best things you could do for your business. An app presents a unique channel with which you can communicate with your customers and provide them with services that you might not have been able to supply through more traditional avenues (like a dedicated hotline or website perhaps).
However, for most business owners, the problem is usually not within the app itself, but rather the marketing of it. Instances wherein customers are not even aware of the existence of an app is something that happens way too often for a lot of businesses.
So, how in the world should you market an app? Here are some tried and tested methods that you can use.
Leverage Email Marketing
Despite what most people believe, email marketing is still alive and kicking in 2018. As a business with an online presence, you are still sending out tons of emails every month (e.g. marketing newsletters, customer service emails, service updates, etcetera).
From a marketing perspective, these emails present great opportunities for you to let your customers know about the existence of your app. A footer with a one-line call-to-action and a link to your app will go a long way.
Use Social Media
Chances are, you already have a social media marketing system in place. The best thing about this is that marketing your app through social media is the best way to gain users for your app- it’s the lowest hanging fruit, so to speak.
The key here is to focus your marketing efforts on a very specific audience. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for the best, focus your efforts on finding out your target audience first. Are you focusing on tech-savvy millennials? Or are you reaching out to those who are a bit older, like middle-aged moms and dads?
Then cater your posts to these specific demographics. For example, if you have an app that shows recipes based on what you have in your refrigerator and the produce that you can buy from nearby stores, then it’s best to have your social media postings catered to moms, homemakers, and people who love cooking.
The next thing is consistency. Once you post something on Facebook, you should also have it shared on your other social media channels like Twitter or Instagram (if you’re on those). The more that you get the word out on social media, the more chances are that people will be drawn to your app.
Offer Incentives
If you want to give your customers and clients a bit more of a push towards the right direction, then offer incentives when they download your app. This can be anywhere from exclusive content or discounts and freebies that can be redeemed in your physical store or office. You can even try running a contest within your app, and reward users that earn the most points (though this technique is a bit more advanced so make sure that your app development agency is up for it).
Another solution is to sign your app up for ad networks. These work by having your app advertised within other apps in these networks. For example, a game might encourage you to download another game or app in exchange for extra lives or turns. This kind of incentivization can really drive downloads if done right. Though this means that you might have to shell out a bit of money if you want your app to be subscribed to these kinds of ad systems.
Get Influencers On-board
Think of influencers as quasi-celebrities of some sort. They may not be household names like some popular models or actors/actresses are, but they hold quite a bit of sway and influence over a particular audience (especially for influencers with a very active social media presence and community).
You can let influencers onboard your app marketing campaign to boost downloads. Just make sure that the influencer is marginally related to what your app does or what your brand stands for. If you have a fitness-related app, it’s best to get fitness bloggers or Instagram personalities who are in this niche.
You don’t even have to get the most popular ones too- if you’re a small business, even minor influencers (those with a few thousand followers) can greatly drive your app downloads in just a small amount of time.
Try Push Notifications
Push notifications are app messages sent to a person’s phone home screen. They are pretty similar to SMS messages, though they are sent from the app instead of a dedicated phone number. If done right, push notifications can help drive users to your apps and get their immediate attention.
Push notifications were once solely limited to text, but now you can also incorporate images, video clips, and audio for an even greater ad experience for your users. Users who opt-in for your app’s push notifications are a high value demographic that you would ultimately want to keep around and entertain.
The only drawback here is that it’s easy to go overboard with push notifications. Too many notifications and your app will appear to be too intrusive and annoying. Try to keep the frequency and timing of your notifications to a moderate pace, and you’ll be all set.
Combine SEO and PPC
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SEO (search engine optimization) is a marketing strategy that has been around since the birth of the internet. It’s tried and tested, and it’s fairly easy to do. Create a website, optimize your website for your chosen keywords, produce valuable and timely content for your it, and soon you’ll have valuable organic traffic rolling in and looking at what your app’s site has to offer.
Using PPC (pay-per-click) advertisements is just another side of the same coin. Basically, PPC means that you’re paying for advertising space for specific (and targeted) keywords on SERPs (search engine results pages). You’re paying for a guaranteed presence whenever someone searches for a keyword.
Most people would advocate one or the other, but it’s always better to combine SEO and PPC together so that you’ll get the best of both worlds. You’ll have valuable organic traffic from SEO, as well as the potential to drive a huge number of users in just one go-around from a PPC campaign.
- Tips for Promoting a App with Digital Marketing - August 1, 2018
