101 ways to market your app - amazon web services · 2017-04-06 · 02: app development:...

101 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR APPCarol Barton

www.appmarketingdirectory.com / 101 Ways to Market Your App eBook / Free Sample Excerpt: 2

So you’ve developed an app.

You’ve poured blood, sweat and tears (and probably a wad of hard earned cash) into its content, design and development and it is now ready to be unleashed on the world.

Your app is so beautiful, so useful, so unique, so addictive, such a brilliant idea, it’s going to sell itself. Let the downloads begin! Yes, Apple have your bank account details…

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the days of overnight app millionaires are over. No matter how awesome your app is, without a dedicated marketing plan your app will disappear into the App Store abyss.

Mobile is big business. The market is evolving at a more aggressive pace than any other digital stream. There are over ONE MILLION apps in Apple’s App Store alone. The toughest hurdle is not only app design and development, but attracting downloads, gaining loyalty and ensuring a return on your investment. This is where an app marketing strategy is crucial.

The App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) are the two biggest App Stores, and while there is only one Apple store, there are dozens of Android App Stores, resulting in a very fragmented marketplace. In this eBook I focus on the iOS App Store, though many of the key concepts covered will assist you in the Google Play store also.

This eBook gives you the ammunition you need to plan your attack. My aim is to trigger ideas across a range of touch points and facilitate brainstorming that may be relevant for your audience and app.

You’ll find there are just as many questions as answers. Even solid answers will change as the ecosystem continues to evolve. Like any product marketing, you will need to be crystal clear about who, what, where, how and why? Then be open to trial and error.

INTRODUCTION


For ease of use, I have broken the marketing process into 9 key streams in the app lifecycle. You may be wondering what ‘groundwork’ and ‘app development’ have to do with marketing. These early phases are vital to set the foundations for success. Early research and planning will pay dividends down the track. No amount of marketing will save a poorly designed app or an app with no discernible market. It’s all inter-related.

In this eBook I cover:

01: Groundwork: Understanding the app ecosystem, your competitors and finding your position amongst it all.

02: App Development: Considerations during the development stage that enable the app to be shared and promoted.

03: Marketing Roadmap: Planning your marketing activities and timeline.

04: App Store Profile: The essentials of App Store Optimization.

05: Media: Ways to approach the media and ideas to get cut through.

06: Community: Ideas for tapping into your community and social media networks.

07: Workplace: Using the advocates closest to hand (and already on your payroll).

08: Advertising: Available advertising options if you have money to spend.

09: Post Launch: The cycle of iteration and improvement. No, it’s not over at launch.


My aim was to make this 101 list simple and succinct, as well as practical. I have also included a comprehensive Resource Directory companion, outlining hundreds of sites and services available to assist with each task. It covers a variety of free and paid options that are at your disposal. I mention services amongst the text for context and meaning, but no service has paid to be mentioned or promoted. For those unsure of the difference between a ‘minnow’ and a ’whale’, there is also a guide to app terminology at the back of the book.

Whether you already have an app in the marketplace and are looking to boost downloads or toying with the viability of an idea, I hope this ebook gives you the insight, inspiration and resources to make it happen.

Carol Barton


Introduction .................................................................... 02

01. GROUNDWORK

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2. APP DEVELOPMENT

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3. MARKETING PLAN & ROADMAP

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4. APP STORE PROFILE

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5. MEDIA

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6. COMMUNITY

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7. WORKPLACE

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8. ADVERTISING

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9. POST LAUNCH

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Wrap Up .................................................................................. 102

App Terminology..................................................................... 105Image Credits ......................................................................... 107

Resource Directory...............................................................109About the Author & Contacts ........................................... 133

Contents

First things first.

How well do you know the app ecosystem? Your competitors? Your target market? Where things are headed in mobile?

Questions and more questions to ponder...

GROUNDWORK 01

First things first.

How well do you know the app ecosystem? Your competitors? Your target market? Where things are headed in mobile?

This market research phase is crucial to laying the foundations for your marketing initiatives.

Questions and more questions to ponder...

GROUNDWORK


Let’s start by stating the bleeding obvious.

If you’re launching an app, you need to be invested.

This means not only owning the appropriate devices, but understanding their potential and the markets they operate in.

This does not mean you need to be a whiz at geeky specs. It does mean you need to know what your phone or tablet device is capable of. Without this knowledge you will not be able to leverage or exploit their features.

On the flip side, you may also uncover a missing feature or headache, just ripe for reinvention or remedy.

Tune in to product launches and software announcements. Apple posts videos of their Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote presentations on their website. You’ll be updated on the latest market stats and also gain insight into the type of apps selected by Apple for showcase.

# 01 Know Your Device

http://www.apple.com


You won’t know where or how to position your app until you’re familiar with the App Store ecosystem.

Get into the habit of regularly downloading apps. Download like crazy.

• Check out what’s hitting the top of the charts: top paid, top free, top grossing per category.

• Study their style, content, layout, price point, marketing messages and tone.

• Determine the common traits of successful and popular apps.

• Monitor who Apple are promoting and why.

iTunes is a global marketplace. It is also worth getting familiar with App Store versions outside of your country of residence.

Go down to the bottom of iTunes screen and swap the iTunes view to another country for a whole new perspective.

# 02 Study The App Ecosystem


On your App Store ‘Reconnaissance Mission’ you may discover there’s already “an app for that”.

This may put a spanner in the works, or it may be a golden opportunity.

Just because an app already exists, does not mean you can’t win over users with a better version. Your potential users are likely to be those using a competitor app.

Download as many apps as you can that are related to your idea. What’s their secret sauce? Their Achilles Heel?

Check out the screen shots, icon design, and descriptions. • How are they marketing to their customers?• Is this app addictive? Why?• Has this app made the user a raving fan?• Does this app provoke an impulse buy?

Most importantly, are any needs not being met by this app?

Ask around online and offline. • What do people use? • What’s their favourite app? • What would make their life easier?

# 03 Study Your Competitors


When assessing your competitors it is also worth establishing how their app is being monetized. Here are the most common ways to generate income for an app.

Paid AppThe publisher or developer of the app sets a price. Apple takes a 30% cut. You have a customer for life. Free upgrades are expected.

Paid + In-App Purchase (IAP)Usually reserved for games. The user pays for the app, with additional charges for items within the app. These may be, for example, new characters or coins to unlock new levels or powers. Apple uses two types of IAPs. ‘Consumable’ being something you keep buying, like coins, and ‘Non-consumable’ an item the user only buys once.

Free + In-App Purchase (IAP)An app that is free to download, with the intention to upgrade users to a paid version with additional features or content. Also known as a freemium model, a free app enables potential users to try before they buy. You will find many free apps featured in the top grossing charts due to this method.

Free + Paid AppTwo separate apps are distributed, usually for greater exposure and presence. This is also cross promotion - utilizing a range or collection of free apps to promote other paid apps.

Free + AdvertisingAn app that is free to download, with advertising incorporated. This is usually accepted by users if the advertising is not overtly obtrusive or does not interfere with functionality or play.

Paid + AdvertisingA little like ‘double-dipping’. Users usually do not expect advertising if they have paid for an app. The advertising may be accepted by users if it is relevant or useful.

SubscriptionUsually reserved for periodicals and magazines. In order to receive new content, a user must subscribe for a set period (fortnightly, monthly, yearly). A preview edition may be incorporated to give users a feel for the content.

Free for a Limited TimeUsed to prompt a quick boost in App Store ranking, the price of an app is dropped for a limited time to entice new users and generate App Store activity.

MerchandisingUsually a free app launched with the intention to sell related products or integrating commerce functionality.

SponsorshipAn app that may be funded through sponsorship with a “Brought to you by“ message inserted.


App Store reviews offer very useful marketing intelligence.

• What are user reviews telling you? • What is frustrating users? • Are there clues within the reviews on improvements

needed?• Are there any clues about desired features?

Reviews in the App Store are not always fair. Even great apps get their share of unreasonable, petty and vindictive reviews. That is the nature of the internet and anonymity (and sometimes a naive understanding of the effort and money that goes into developing and maintaining software). You can, however, learn from the most common gripes:

• poor performance: freezing, crashing, slow response, battery drain

• too many ads• out of date content• perceived value for money• an app that doesn’t live up to its hype.

Most importantly, look out for the gems, the feature requests that will assist you to launch a better version.

Too many ads 53%

Heavy battery usage 55%

Slow responsiveness 59%

Crashes 71%

Freezes 76%

# 04 Study Reviews


Be clear about what differentiates your app and where it sits against your competitors.

This will help you tenfold in the upcoming stages of your plan.

• Does your app have a twist?

• Does your app solve a problem, nuisance or inconvenience? You may address a need that is big or small, personal or business related.

• Does your app solve a problem in a better way than existing apps?

• Does your app bridge a technical or feature gap?

Your point of difference may be a slicker interface and more intuitive design.

You may be offering or aggregating information users can’t find anywhere else (or just not on mobile).

Whatever it is, know why your app stands out from the pack or why it’s in a league of its own.

# 05 Know Your Point Of Difference


Who is your app for?

• What is your typical user’s age and characteristics?

• Is your market visual, audio or text driven?

• What are their key behaviours and preferences?

• Beyond an individual user, is there a group, niche or community need for the app?

• What are the most popular devices for your target market?

• Is there a usability need to consider for your particular market? Even indoor vs. outdoor more generally.

• Is your audience global? If so, will there be a requirement to cover languages other than English?

• If your app is a game, is there a character or element you can introduce that your global audience may relate to?

If this is your first app, it is more efficient to concentrate your efforts on one App Store and then expand to others once you have built awareness, gathered learnings and tested your market.

In short, answer one simple question for your user: What’s in it for me?

# 06 Know Your App Target Market


When considering your target market it is also worth breaking down the context for using your app. The situation. Where does your app fit into a product lifecycle or process?

The use and context for mobile and tablet apps is also different.

Tablets can offer a more immersive experience during the explore and discover phase of the customer life cycle, as opposed to task-oriented, on-the-go actions serviced by some mobile apps.

For example, whilst your app may fit into the travel category, the travel category may also be broken down into types of activity conducted at certain phases: dreaming, researching, planning, booking, learning, getting organised, getting there, killing time getting there, getting around, on location, connecting, sharing when there, bragging or critiquing when back etc.

The travel context may be ‘on the road’ or ‘on the couch’, with different requirements, utilising different devices.

Similar ‘niche within a niche’ scenarios exist for most app categories.

It may be challenging to be all things to all people in the one app.


No one wants to build an app, throw time and effort into marketing, only to find the idea is a dud (known in the App Store as a ‘zombie’).

Before making an investment in time and money, it pays to mock up or wireframe your app and ask around for feedback. The web is awash with resources (often free) to help you roughly sketch out your app, even build interactivity into it to create a slick presentation. Sketching out on paper works just as well (if your freehand isn’t so great, there are even stencils to use). See the Resource Directory for a listing to get you started.

The added benefit of engaging users early is that this test group can become app ambassadors down the track. They are more likely to share and celebrate in the launch of the app as they have a sense of ownership over the final product. Make them feel special. Include their insights, reviews and testimonials in your marketing material.

A word of warning: avoid analysis paralysis. At some stage you may learn more from just getting your app up and out there to test the market.

# 07 Wireframe, Mock Up, Socialize


# 08 Kickstart A Campaign

Crowdsourcing funds for your app has marketing benefits.

If no one bites at your app proposal, it may mean you need to go back to the drawing board with your idea or finetune your marketing pitch.

If you do secure investment, you will have pooled together another group who not only act as testers, but have a vested interest in the success of your app and will help spread the word down the track.

A successful crowdfunding campaign involves engagement from inception to delivery of the app, so be prepared for ongoing communication and a distinct marketing effort for this group of stakeholders.

Go through successfully funded app ideas on sites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, AppBackr, Pozible and AppStori and do a little reverse engineering.

How are successful campaigns pitching their app idea for buy-in and engagement?

http://www.kickstarter.com

http://www.indiegogo.com

http://www.appbackr.com

http://www.pozible.com

http://www.appstori.com


If the trend is toward flat design, your highly glossed one may stick out for all the wrong reasons. You don’t need to be a slave to the latest trends, but you shouldn’t look dated.

Keep abreast of mobile design trends and get inspired on sites like Pinterest, Behance and Dribbble.

# 09 Explore Design Trends

http://www.pinterest.com

http://www.behance.net

http://dribbble.com


01. Know Your Device02. Study the App Store Ecosystem03. Study Your Competitors04. Study Reviews05. Know Your Point of Difference06. Know Your App Target Market07. Wireframe, Mock up, Socialize 08. Kickstart A Campaign09. Explore Design Trends

Summary: Groundwork


Thank you for downloading a sample excerpt from 101 Ways to Market your App.

To get the full benefit of this guide you can download the entire eBook with 90+ more tips, suggestions and a bonus Resource Directory from www.appmarketingdirectory.com.

Thank You

http://www.appmarketingdirectory.com

101 ways to market your app - amazon web services · 2017-04-06 · 02: app development:...

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