It’s hard to stand out when there are millions of mobile apps in the most popular stores to choose from. No matter how brilliant your app idea nor how well-executed, the key to getting users to love it or even notice it at all is marketing.
A successful marketing campaign starts before you roll out your product. First, you need to find out if there’s an audience out there for your app, who they are, and what they want. From there on, you can build a plan that will not only entice new customers but keep the existing ones engaged.
Here’s the best way to build a successful marketing plan for your mobile app.
Market Research
Before you even start developing the app, you should do at least some basic market research. You can scour the stores for similar apps and see what they offer and what they lack. You can try using them to see what you would change about them. Also, read user reviews thoroughly and see what they want.
You need to make sure you’re catering to the right audience. One of the best ways to understand who your target audience is is to create user personas. In essence, you need to understand who the people most likely to be interested in your app are. Why should they be interested? How are your competitors targeting them?
In-depth personas can help you develop the right customer journeys. The information you need to obtain doesn’t only relate to the specific type of app. It should also delve deep into the target audience’s preferences in terms of content, OS, visual branding, etc.
App Store Optimization (ASO)
Just as you can increase your organic traffic on a website using SEO, so can you improve your app’s visibility in the stores using app store optimization. The main objective of ASO is to increase organic downloads of your app, help you rank high for the relevant searches, and maybe even get featured on the store.
ASO starts with something as simple as the app title, so think hard and do proper keyword research before you choose the right name. It’s best to use the search term with the most traffic in the title since that way, your product will appear for a greater number of searches.
Apart from the title and relevant keywords, there are other factors that play an important role in your app store optimization. For example, you should include in-app screenshots and simple instructional videos in the store. You may also decide to localize your app, adapting it to various markets, languages, and cultures.
Social Media
No marketing plan is complete without the use of social media. Instagram, Facebook, and other major platforms allow you to expand your online presence and engage with your target audience directly. They help you build a community around your app and nurture a following that will become your loyal customer base.
You can use a variety of content forms on your social media profiles, including blog posts, exciting news about new features, discussion threads, and even user-generated content. It’s a great idea to check out your competitors on social media and see what methods they’re using to entice new users and keep the existing ones engaged.
You may even connect your app to social media channels and allow users to post content directly from the app.
Content Marketing Strategy
Optimizing your app listing, building a website or landing page, and creating social media profiles make the bone structure of your marketing campaign. However, to add some meat to it, you need a clever content marketing strategy.
Great content will raise awareness and boost app engagement. It will also help you build your brand and establish yourself as an authority in the field. You can start with a fun and creative launch post and build from there. Some content ideas you could use include:
- Blog posts
- How-to videos
- Podcasts
- Testimonials
- Quizzes, etc.
However, remember that the key to a successful marketing strategy is consistency. You need to post regularly and often and share across social media channels. This will keep users interested and build brand awareness.
A Long-Term Campaign
If you want your marketing plan to work, you need to think long-term. A marketing campaign doesn’t end when you launch your app or reach a steady base of followers. You need to keep working on it and refining it to achieve ever better results.
A powerful tool in your arsenal should be your data and analytics. You can use Google Analytics and other similar tools to keep track of your results and understand what works best. In time, you’ll see how users interact with your app, content, and social media platforms and learn how to better cater to them.
You may also ask users for feedback. They will love the fact that you take their opinion into consideration to take user experience to the next level.
Finally, establish your key performance indicators (KPIs) and track them in real-time to identify any bottlenecks and make any necessary changes.
Pre-Launch Landing Page
Having a pre-launch landing page is a must if you want to create some hype around your app before you release it. You may even go for a dedicated website complete with a blog with app-related content. The page or website should contain a download link and a clear CTA button.
The landing page should offer visual cues as to what the app will look like, and you may even include a teaser video. You can use this video on social media and in paid ads too. Screenshots are another must, but a short and sweet video is much more effective as it offers a better glimpse into what users can expect.
Having a great website and app landing page is an excellent way to boost your SEO and reach your target audience. You may even create special offers and newsletters and build an email list for future use. Furthermore, you can incorporate an AI-based helpdesk bot to answer all the prospect’s burning questions and offer assistance with the app.
