Many businesses spend the majority of their marketing budgets on innovative marketing strategies that don’t yield favorable results.

The problem is an app’s target audience likely still prefers more traditional strategies. Of course, it helps to put a unique twist on the old, but older methods still work quite well.

When it comes to marketing your new app, look to the methods that have worked for years. They’re effective for a reason. Mobile users are used to these methods and connect better with them.

1. Social Media

Social media might not seem traditional, but social media marketing has been around for over a decade. Targeted ads, promoted posts and social only discounts allow you to market an app to millions. Think of it as the digital version of placing an ad in a newspaper. Come up with creative looking ads and headlines to make this strategy more effective.

2. Ask For Reviews

Mobile users are more likely to trust a new app if they see an unbiased review for it. It’s difficult to gain reviews in an app marketplace if no one knows about your app yet. Many high authority sites focus on reviewing the latest mobile devices and apps. Some focus on strictly Android or iOS. Ask the site owners if they’ll review your app. Try to schedule a review as early as possible to build buzz about your app.

Alternately, offer a free download of your app to a set number of users on social media. Ask for an honest review in exchange for the app.

3. Television Ads

Television ads are still a highly effective way to market your new app. While many apps haven’t tried this approach yet, the ones who have are seeing a higher number of initial installs and an increased number of sessions per user. For instance, Ucool’s Heroes Charge boosted their install numbers by over 4% right after their ad. Though the number of active users dropped not long after, the number of sessions per user increased by 69%.

Some apps have taken a slightly different approach by paying to have their app mentioned in a TV show. The key is to make sure the app mention fits into the show itself without seeming like a blatant product placement.

An alternative to standard TV ads is to place ads on YouTube videos. This is one way to make sure your ad is seen and not skipped over or ignored while your audience gets up during commercial breaks.

4. Offer Coupons

Old fashioned coupons and discounts are yet to lose steam when it comes to marketing. For instance, an app for locating restaurants might offer a 50% off coupon to specific restaurants for all new users. If the app allows the user to shop, a loyalty program for purchasing within the app or entering details about the purchase also works.

Starbucks uses the loyalty method to increase how many users pay via the app. Thanks to the rewards program, the mobile payment app accounts for over 16% of the company’s weekly sales.

5. Market At Events

Large mobile conferences across the world give app developers a chance to promote themselves in front of potential users and reviewers. It does require a more traditional approach of actually meeting with users face to face. For apps targeting a wider audience, especially games or innovative news, weather or shopping apps, might find this strategy more effective than smaller, more targeted apps, such as a local news app.

6. Print Ads

Despite what you might read online, print isn’t dead. Print magazines and newspapers are still read by millions, especially the generations that grew up with print media as their main source of information. Placing ads in highly circulated magazines and newspapers boosts awareness of your app. Offering a way for users to enter a code to get a discounted download or in-app purchase could further boost your number of downloads.

7. Partner With Other Apps

Businesses have been partnering with other businesses for centuries. The same strategy is still useful today for app marketing. Games are one of the more prominent examples of this approach. For instance, a developer with a new game might partner with another developer to advertise their app. When users click on the ad, they receive a special offer such as free in-app currency or exclusive features.

For other types of apps, simply advertising within other apps works well. Another strategy is to exchange recommendations with complimentary apps. By recommending each other, both apps benefit.

Conclusion

App marketing doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Putting your own unique spin on traditional marketing is all you really need to do. Focus on creating a more traditional marketing strategy as your app is being developed. Then, you’re ready to tell the world about it as soon as it’s released.

Want to make sure you have a high quality app to market? Contact StuartMedia for professional app development that your audience will love.

Image: Jason Howie

Many people feel they either need a mobile app or a website, but it’s best to have both.

A website is a must have companion for any app. Users find much of their information about an app from an app’s website.

If you research some of the most popular and successful apps, you’ll find the majority of them have a website. If you want to please your users, creating a site is just as important as the app’s functionality.

Easier To Discover

As of 2014, Google and Apple’s app marketplaces were receiving over 10,000 new app submissions every month. Simply submitting your app and hoping for the best isn’t enough. App users do more than just use apps. They use search engines to find details about the newest apps. If you have a website, you increase your chances of being found through an organic search. If your site is mobile friendly, your chances are even better. A site makes it easier for users to discover your app.

Takeaway: Create a website to launch before or on the same day as your app. This increases visibility and helps you stand out among all the new app submissions each month.

Build Buzz Before Launch

Why wait to start marketing after your app has launched? A website is the perfect way to build buzz for the app. Use the site along with your social media following to spread the word. A few site elements to include are:

• Bulleted list of app features
• Suggestion form
• Email sign-up to provide updates
• Launch countdown
• Blog with recent updates

Obviously, you keep using the site to promote the mobile app long after the launch. Having the website ready at least a few months before the app releases gives you ample time to build a following and increase your number of downloads when the app first launches.

Takeaway: A website is a vital element of mobile marketing. Consider hiring a professional to create a simple, yet effective site with all of the above features.

Provide Support

If users don’t have an easy way to ask for support, they’ll leave a bad review in the app marketplace and uninstall your app. Some apps rely solely upon the marketplace reviews to see what users want while others add a support feature to the app. Overall, a website with a simple contact form or forum is much easier to use. Plus, users look for a website first. You can even have a live chat feature for one on one support to make your users feel even more valued.

Takeaway: Use your website to provide valuable support and advice to users. They’ll appreciate it. A professional developer can help you create the site and even ensure your app links to the support area of the site.

Keep Users Up To Date

Are you planning on added limited time features to your app? What about planning a major upgrade in the next month? Your users want to know. Adding all of this information into the mobile app itself is difficult. Users don’t want to be bothered with numerous pop-ups or long blocks of text in their app. Add a simple News or About link to the app that links to your site’s blog. Or, use this section of your app to list blog titles with links to the posts themselves.

Takeaway: Build excitement for new features with a website with all the app’s latest changes. A developer can easily link your site and app so your users always stay updated.

Gain Valuable Feedback

Trying to figure out what your users want can seem impossible. Create a website with a suggestion form. Users love being able to influence an app’s features and design. Give them the chance and finally find out what your users want most. While you don’t have to use every idea, the submissions you receive will help you see if there’s anything you need to change or add.

Takeaway: Use your website as a valuable tool for improving your app. If you’re working with an app developer, you can show the developer the submissions so they better understand your target audience’s needs.

Conclusion

It’s not a question of why should you have an app website. The real question is why don’t you already have a website? Your app and website work hand in hand with each other to market, provide support and gather feedback for your app.

Are you ready to create a companion site for your app? Contact StuartMedia today to find out how to get started. 

Image: Jason Howie

It takes the right combination of app features and marketing to boost user numbers and increase the app’s popularity.

Every business wants their app to be a success. Until users actually find the app, it might struggle along with only a handful of devoted users.

Be Unique

While there are numerous weather apps available, every user has their favorite. The reason – each app is presented in a new and unique way. One of the best ways to market an app is through organic marketing. Trying something new or making the information in the app easier to access than any of the competing apps will get users talking. The more they recommend the app, the more new users the app will receive.

Takeaway: The key is to look closely at the competition. Determine how your new mobile app could improve upon these existing apps. Work with a professional mobile developer to make your app unique and appealing.

Add Useful Features

The more useful an app, the quicker it’ll gain traction in the marketplaces. Even with the best marketing techniques, users won’t download an app if it’s not something they feel is useful. For instance, an app that’s just a marketing pitch for a business isn’t going to attract many users. If the app allows the user to make purchases, compare prices, find locations, access exclusive deals and more, they’ll not only want to download it, but use it regularly. This helps the app rank higher in mobile marketplaces which leads to more new users.

Takeaway: In addition to marketing, focus on the app itself. Talk to potential users and ask what features they’d find most useful. Incorporate the ideas which best fit in with your vision of the app to make it a must have app. Consider hiring a developer who can easily work all these features into an easy to use and attractive app.

Use Social Media

Advertise your new mobile app on all the social media channels you use. Since followers and fans are already interested in your business, they’ll want to know about the app. Use fun campaigns leading up to the app release that tease about features and show screenshots. Incorporate polls or quick questions to see which features users like or want most. Not only do these posts inform potential users about the new app, but interested users are likely to share at least a few posts with their own friends and family.

Takeaway: Even a simple social marketing campaign helps spread the word about a new app. After all, user numbers won’t increase if no one knows about the app to begin with. Consider adding social sharing to the app itself to further boost your social marketing.

Offer Incentives

Everyone loves to get a discount or something for free, including mobile users. Advertise incentives on the company blog, website, social media channels and email newsletter. If users believe they’ll get something useful in return for at least trying the new app, they’re far more likely to download and explore the app. A simple discount, a unique feature if they enter a special code, a useful free ebook or any other small incentive is all it takes to get people talking and more users trying an app.

Takeaway: Instead of just marketing the app itself, market the incentives a user receives for downloading the app. You can even offer additional incentives if they share a link to the app on their on social media accounts. It helps you market to more users and people are more likely to download apps if they’re recommended by someone they know.

Try Ad Networks

Basic advertising is still a classic, yet effective option for marketing a new mobile app. Using ad networks with a targeting option will help you get your app in front of more eyes who might actually be interested. With millions using social media, social sites are great for targeted ad marketing. Mix this with the incentive method and user numbers will jump. Plus, an increase in downloads helps boost the app’s marketplace ranking, leading to more organic marketing.

Takeaway: Try using a few ad campaigns through different ad networks before and after the app launch. This builds hype and continues to spread the word after the app is live.

Conclusion

With a solid set of useful features and a great marketing strategy, gaining new users isn’t a problem. Work closely with a professional app developer to make the app look beautiful and function as smoothly as possible. After that, spread the word on your site, blog and social media channels.

Need help creating a must have new mobile app? Contact StuartMedia today to get the design and functionality your users’ crave and you need.