With so many options available to consumers, successful app marketing has never been as important. So, how do you expect your creation to stand out in this congested sea of around 2.5 kajillion (rough estimate) apps that are currently available? We’ve compiled a short list below of some of the top tactics our clients are using to drive mobile downloads and capture their audience’s attention.

2012 saw roughly 57.33 billion apps downloaded worldwide, that number is expected to grow to 253.91 billion by the end of 2017 (according to this Statista report). With so many options available to consumers, successful app marketing has never been as important. So, how do you expect your creation to stand out in this congested sea of around 2.5 kajillion (rough estimate) apps that are currently available? We’ve compiled a short list below of some of the top tactics our clients are using to drive mobile downloads and capture their audience’s attention.

Online Advertising

We know, we know; this one might be a bit of a no-brainer. But it’s so important that we didn’t want to skip it. Almost all major online advertising platforms from Google to Facebook offer “app-install” ads. These ads are displayed within a social app and offer users the option to “install now.” Once they tap the link they are taken to the app store to complete the download.

When serving app-install ads, you want to be sure you are using each platform’s native targeting parameters to its fullest. For example: a good place to start, if you already have a large Facebook audience, is to create an app-install ad that is only shown to individuals that have liked your page. Likewise, if you are looking to capture organic traffic, you may want to use Google’s platform to show app-install ads specifically to mobile search users that are searching for you by your brand name.

Take Advantage of Mobile Traffic

Have a great mobile site? Capitalize on site traffic and use it to drive individuals organically to download your mobile app. Create a pop-up or splash page that advertises the app and set it to only be shown only to mobile visitors to your site. When a mobile visitor comes to the site, they are made aware of the mobile app and provided with an easy to click link to download the app.

Likewise, you can leverage your email marketing list to drive individuals to download your mobile app. Send out a short message discussing the new app (be sure to highlight its strengths) and include a link to download the application within the email. Extra points if (depending on your email platform’s sophistication) you create a segmented target list of individuals that are more likely to read your email on their mobile device.

Store Optimization

ASO (App Store Optimization) is the new the SEO. ASO is the science and practice of ensuring your app ranks well inside the Google Play and Apple Store. If you want to have a successful application, you need to make your app discoverable inside stores. Consumers regularly visit these stores to browse for new apps that meet specific needs (entertainment, purposeful, etc.). Identify what niche your app fulfills and ensure the description, headline and picture are all optimized.

Most importantly, you want to ensure your app has plenty of positive reviews. There is an exponential correlation between the volume of positive reviews and app-downloads. The more positive reviews you have, the more downloads you will see. To drive positive reviews, ask for feedback (1 – 5 stars) within the app from time to time. When a user sets a 5 star rating, follow up with a brief question asking them to review the app on a store platform. For users that give the app a 1 or 2 star rating, ask them (in-app) for feedback on how to improve. This gives the 1 -2 star rating consumers an opportunity to air their grievances in a private forum. They feel heard and you get one less negative review on your app.

Promotions

If you have a paid app, price drop promotions are a great way to encourage downloads. Not only will the price drop increase downloads during the promotion period, but the surge in downloads will also help your app store ranking which is partially determined by number of downloads over a period of time. If your app is free, other promotions can include extra levels, exclusive features or something else of value to your users.

Get To Blogging

Blogs are great for a few reasons: firstly, they keep your fans in the loop with their favorite apps, their updates and latest features. Secondly, they provide a space for you to engage with your users by sharing your company’s personality and vision beyond the app, as well as relevant industry info or anything else that would interest your fans. When coupled with a fan advocacy program, you can ensure that your content reaches a wide audience and influences app downloads.

Additionally, you can utilize blogger outreach to help promote your app. Look at the App-of-the-Day sites in your niche to see if there are opportunities to feature your application. You can also work with key bloggers in your niche for placement in feature or list pieces. For example a list of the five productivity tools a specific blogger uses might include your new time tracking app, along-side a scheduling application.

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is probably the most valuable means of promotion for any product; consumers trust the recommendations of their friends and loved ones above any other form of advertising. But how do you make sure your app is being talked about? If you haven’t guessed it yet, we’re pretty big on fan advocacy. So once you’ve generated buzz with your ads and have loyal fans, it’s time to engage them in an advocacy program that is mutually valuable. Whether you call them Superfans or brand ambassadors they are instrumental in getting the word out about your app which will in turn increase your downloads.

While there’s no magic solution that’ll turn your app into the next Snapchat, at SocialToaster, we know how to get your app noticed. Give us a call to find out what SocialToaster can do for you!