3 Top Tips for Marketing Your App

 

When the App Store launched in 2009 it carried a mere 500 apps. By October 2013, there were 1 million, and within a few months Google Play had a similar number of apps. That, my friends, is what you call an app boom. 

Great news for developers, hard work for marketers. How on earth can you begin to compete in such a busy marketplace? We’ve put together a list of top tips to help you bring your brilliant idea to the masses…

 

Plan, Plan, Plan

We get it. You’re eager to bring your app to market as soon as it’s ‘finished.’ But without a proper marketing strategy in place, there’s little point in having the app available for download because nobody will hear about it. This is where meticulous advance planning comes in.  

Set a release date at least 6 months after the expected completion date. This will give you time to set up decent press coverage and create a buzz around the app, as well as giving you breathing room in case of development delays and for bug testing. As you prepare for the release date, keep an eye on what’s going on in the wider tech world to make sure your release date doesn’t coincide with some major like the new iPhone. The optimal scenario is that your app comes out during a very quiet week. There are no guarantees here - but good planning is about avoiding the avoidable.

 

Research

When it comes to launching any new product, there’s no such thing as ‘too much’ market research. Invest time and money in a thorough analysis of all the key competitors in your app’s category: 

• What names are popular? 
• What do audiences value in similar apps?
• Which keywords do competitors rank for? 

The more research you do, the better your understanding of the target audience will be. Look at customer reviews to find out precisely what people are saying - this will help you build a picture of the things customers value most and least. 

 

Think Holistically

The development world is prone to insularity. When a team of developers work on a project they’re passionate about, one they believe in 100%, it’s all to easy to lose site of the big picture. Don’t simply rely on feedback from your team - test the app in the real world. 

To launch a beta testing project, recruit users through the channels you plan to target in your marketing strategy. Reward them, engage with them - anything to make sure you’re getting complete, honest feedback. The number of beta testers required will depend on your objectives, but it’s generally unwise to scrimp on beta budgets. Real world testers will have far more in common with your target audience than in-house testers.