Creating an application for your company is a very complex task for the entire team involved in it, from conceiving the idea to finalizing the application. However, the challenges do not end there. Once the app is developed and tested, you need to think about how to advertise an app, and that goes far beyond publishing it on the Apple Store or Google Play.
The truth is that the ideal is that this strategy is created in the initial roadmap and the first stages of strategic planning of the mobile app development process. Below, we'll take a closer look at how to advertise an app and what strategies to use on each channel you choose to advertise it on.
Create a keyword strategy
The keyword strategy is an old acquaintance of those who work with digital marketing because it is how people find content on the internet. And the same goes for apps: a good PC strategy will help your app to be found in a search on Google or another search engine, on social networks and, of course, on the Apple Store and Google Play.
So, as a lot of people on the internet do research related to solving their problems, what you need to do is to spot which words and terms related to your business are most searched for. So when people use those words in search engines, they'll find your app.
Some useful keyword tools to use are:
- Google Trends
- Keyword Planner
Optimize your app on the Apple Store and Google Play
This tip on how to advertise an app may seem obvious, but many people on the market forget about it. For that, first of all, you need to understand what ASO is and how it works.
ASO stands for App Store Optimization, and it's a way for you to understand how app stores rate your app so that it can be found more easily. Some important points to consider when applying ASO and making your application easier to find:
Before choosing the name of your app, search the stores and see what the names are like. Try to analyze if there are any patterns. If your competitors always use the same keyword or variation in the title, for example. In the same sense, check if there are points in common between the logos of competing apps.
From this analysis, try to create a name and a logo that stand out from the ones you saw, so that they will attract the attention of your target audience. With the keywords already defined, remember to use them in the description of your app in the publishing process. Try to get at least 500 downloads as quickly as possible, and always interact with your audience through app stores: respond to reviews and comments about your app.
Comment on blogs, social networks and websites related to your app
When it comes to promoting your mobile app, select some sites that have to do with your market and your audience to comment on your posts and link to your application in the app stores.
However, there is no need to distribute links in random comments: you must maintain consistency, relevance and meaning. Otherwise, you will not attract your target audience, and you still risk having your comments deleted or blocked by blogs, networks and sites you selected.
This may not seem to work, but there are records that this type of action generates high clickthrough rates on these links. After all, if your comment is adding or contributing to something, it's natural for people to click on it. So, people who are interested in a particular subject will see that there is an app for them related to that.
Just bear in mind that it is not an easy job because it takes a fair bit of time, but that it can generate an excellent result for your app.
Encourage current users to recommend the app
E-word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to increase downloads of your app. The old "my friend showed me this" or "my colleague told me about that" still works well, especially online. A study published by Nielsen shows that 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know.
Of course, people recommend a specific brand, service or product that they like and have a pleasant experience with. However, you can give some incentives to make it happen. Have in mind that you will need to be creative and offer something in return to have these recommendations
Things to bear in mind
The investment in improving your app's ASO and spreading it among your acquaintances are examples of how you can significantly improve your app's performance and get more users.
There are many strategies to get downloads, some more straightforward other more sophisticated, but we chose to present tactics that I know will have an effect and that don't need high investment, at least in the beginning it will not push the cost of developing an app (and promoting it, of course) too high.
Author Bio
Gabriela Damaceno is a journalist and head of online content for Media Shark, one of the best mobile app development companies in Queensland, Australia. She is representing HK Certifiers, a company that offers Construction Certificates services. You can connect with her via Linkedin.
