After weeks of hard work spent developing and testing, you’ve finally come up with a fantastic app. All your struggles seem to be long gone, and you can’t wait to see your app in the app stores. You’re already imagining hundreds of thousands of users who will download it. WAIT. That’s where the trouble starts. And that’s also why you need a successful app marketing strategy! I’ll briefly tell you why.

Your fantastic app will have to make its way through millions of other apps available in the stores, trying to grab users’ attention. Two recent reports, both issued by Statista, highlight that the mobile apps’ market is ever-growing (Sources: first report by Statista, second report by Statista). As there is a really wide range of mobile apps, it’s very difficult for developers to get users to choose their app instead of millions of others.

That’s precisely why you should adopt a great app marketing strategy! And what about reducing your app’s development and release time? It’s super-easy with MBurger, our Headless CMS. Read this article to discover how!

Now I’ll show you some data about the mobile apps’ market and user behavior, which may be useful for your marketing campaign:

• users spend 30 hours, on average, on their apps (Source: Think With Google);
• 25% of downloaded apps are never used (Source: Think With Google);
• the average app tends to lose 77% of its DAUs (daily active users) in the first 3 days after download and 90% within 30 days after download (Source: @andrewchen);
• 30% of users claimed they’d restart using an app if they got a discount, and 24% of users claimed they’d do it if they got bonus or exclusive content (Source: Think With Google).

A bit terrifying, ain’t it? But I think you should be aware of the challenges you’ll need to tackle before starting working on your app. You should adopt successful app marketing strategies to encourage users to install your app instead of competitors’ apps.

 

App marketing strategies before the launch campaign

1. Add prospects to your email list

Your email list plays a key role in your marketing campaign. Indeed, you could send emails to prospects to ask them for feedback on your app features as well as update them on the future app’s launch. That’s why it’s crucial to increase your email list’s number of prospects during the pre-launch stage. How can you do it? Follow these 2 simple tips:

• Create a CTA to invite users to subscribe to your app webpage. Remember to highlight the benefits of subscribing for users.
• Be as clear as possible, and explain what your app is meant for and its main features.

2. Invite prominent people to promote your app

Wanna know a really effective app marketing strategy? Providing prominent people, like influencers and industry experts, with your app’s exclusive preview! Indeed, those people can write their feedback on your app in several communication channels, contributing to promoting your brand. This way, a lot of people can get to know your app and be prompted to try it. So, start reaching out to as many influential people as possible via email and any kind of social network. You can ask them to write about what they think of your app and what its main advantages are. Encourage them to spread the word!

3. Make an awesome demo video

Videos are a really powerful tool when it comes to amaze people and make your product unforgettable. You can create a video to better introduce your app to potential customers. It’s far more effective than writing a well-crafted text. Believe me! Plus, you can exploit videos in many different contexts, for example, when you launch your app in the app stores or when you want to promote it via social networks. Videos have a really wide range of use and are important for your marketing campaign. Here’s some advice to adopt this marketing strategy:

• Focus on showing your product to potential customers. So, make a video of your app in action. That’s the best way to promote it!
• Go straight to the point, and show your app’s most interesting features.
• Tell people what your app is meant for, how they can benefit from using it, and what problems it can solve for them.
• Make your video enjoyable, and be funny if that is the case.

4. Write an exciting story for the press

In this stage, you have to focus on the ways through which your app can solve people’s problems and benefit them. First, I suggest you do a bit of research on competitors’ apps similar to yours and think about your app’s main distinctive features. Then, you can throw yourself into writing a fantastic story about how your app is the secret to improve people’s lives. Remember to highlight all the advantages users may take by using your app. You can also personalize your story by telling the challenges you’ve tackled when building your app and what you’ve learned from your mistakes. In the end, all you have to do is send this story to the press to make it public. This is another effective marketing strategy! Indeed, people will have more chances to get to know your brand and may be interested in trying your app.

5. Content marketing is the key

Writing blog posts, white papers, and infographics is a successful strategy to promote your brand, increase the organic inbound traffic to your webpage, and improve your SERP ranking. Focus on writing relevant and interesting content, trying to help people deal with specific problems. The best idea would be to share your content across all your digital products, as we’ve underlined here. This way, you’ll have the chance to build trust with users and raise your brand awareness.

 

App marketing strategies during the launch campaign

6. Run a viral marketing campaign

Don’t know what a viral campaign is? Don’t worry! Now I’m gonna tell you what it’s all about. I’d say it’s a particular kind of marketing strategy because it focuses on prompting other people to promote a company’s product or service, like your app for example, through modern communication channels, like social networks. The key to a successful viral launch campaign is to create fantastic and interesting content with the purpose of engaging as many people as possible. You should put a lot of effort into crafting such special content that people can’t help but share it on the Web. I know what you might be thinking. Sometimes it’s difficult to grab people’s attention, and their reactions are a bit unpredictable. But I think this strategy is really worth a try! With a viral marketing campaign, it’ll be more likely that many users discover your app and also spread the word with their friends.

However, if you prefer a strategy focused on users’ behavior, interests, and journey, this article will help you!

7. Encourage users’ feedback

A really effective strategy to promote your app is prompting people to spread the word. Wanna know another way you can do that? Through users’ feedback! Leverage all sorts of communication channels, like  your social networks, website, blog, email, and so on. By adopting an omnichannel strategy, it’s easier to reach and engage users. Invite people to share their thoughts about your app!

8. Exploit online communities

Online communities are another powerful tool that can contribute to your app marketing campaign. Start sharing relevant and useful content on blogging platforms, like Medium, Reddit, and GrowthHackers, NOW! This way you’ll be part of a large community of users, who will likely share their feedback on your product. Avoid blatantly promoting your app’s launch campaign. Instead, write about your struggles when developing it and the problems you’ve dealt with. Remember also to ask other users for advice or feedback on your app in order to make it better. They’ll likely feel more engaged and try to help you.

9. Start an ad campaign

I know exactly what you’re thinking right now! This is an old school strategy that isn’t worth it. Well, you’re wrong! Paid ads are still an effective marketing strategy. You’ve also a wide selection of different communication channels in which to run your ad campaign. For example, you could opt for Google or Facebook ads or even radio or print ads if you’re more traditional. Facebook ads may be particularly successful because they can finely target users. Whatever tool you choose, remember to track its performance and be ready to make some changes if necessary.

10. Display your app on billboards

Billboards are expensive, I know. But they’re still a really successful marketing strategy! Indeed, they promote your app to tons of people passing by the streets they’re placed in. So, choosing the right place for showing your product is key. Making your billboard funny is another important thing!

 

App marketing strategies after the launch campaign

11. Encourage loyal users to share their feedback

Sharing our personal experiences with others, whether they’re positive or negative, is a deep need characterizing human beings. With the rise of social networks, we’ve got used to write about our feelings and share our thoughts on topics we’re interested in. So, take advantage of this attitude, and spur your app’s loyal users/customers to share their feedback with friends. They’ll become your brand ambassadors and contribute to your app marketing strategy with positive reviews, suggesting others try your app. Provide special customers with discounts, prizes, and additional points for their loyalty programs to further encourage them to promote your app.

Did you know that a push notification with a discount can increase conversion rates? We’ve talked about this (and much more) here.

12. Leverage deep links to your content

You can create deep links for 2 different purposes:

• engaging users with your app;
• promoting your app to prospects.

If you want to further engage users with your app, create deep links in some app’s sections to lead users to have a look at other interesting and useful content. In-app messages are another really effective tool to further engage users. Discover it here!

If you want to promote your app to prospects, integrate deep links with your SEO strategy for web searches. This way, when users look for something on the Web using their mobile, they can click on a deep link that leads them directly to the corresponding content in your app. Powerful, uh? Now you might be wondering “what if they don’t have my app installed?” They’d be invited to download it. AWESOME!

13. Try to win mobile app awards

I’m pretty sure you’ve already seen one of these prizes in apps’ descriptions in the app stores. Companies and developers put a lot of effort into winning these awards. Indeed, mobile app awards ensure your app’s quality and contribute to enhancing its visibility.

14. Ask for a review to app review sites

Another great marketing strategy for your app is submitting to app review sites. There are hundreds of websites whose only purpose is to rate mobile apps. I suggest you first ask some of the most influential ones for their review. Positive reviews will increase your app’s visibility and show everyone its value.

 

Wrapping up

Uuuh, that’s a really looong article, I know. I hope I haven’t tired you out! To make things easier, I’m gonna sum up the main points you should bear in mind for a winning app marketing strategy:

• App marketing strategies before the launch campaign:
  • Add prospects to your email list;
  • Invite prominent people to promote your app;
  • Make an awesome demo video;
  • Write an exciting story for the press;
  • Content marketing is the key.
• App marketing strategies during the launch campaign:
  • Run a viral marketing campaign;
  • Encourage users’ feedback;
  • Exploit online communities;
  • Start an ad campaign;
  • Display your app on billboards.
• App marketing strategies after the launch campaign:
  • Encourage loyal users to share their feedback;
  • Leverage deep links to your content;
  • Try to win mobile app awards;
  • Ask for a review to app review sites.

What’s next?

Wanna engage users even more? Looking for a tool to send push notifications and in-app messages to users to boost your business? You can do that (and much more) with the new MBurger Engagement Platform!