Investing time and resources to develop a mobile app, either in-house or with a mobile app development company, keeps you current with digital trends.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Your app is only successful if it can attract users who regularly interact with it.
App stores are massive catalogues; it is naïve to assume users will organically stumble across your product.
To grow the awareness of your app, you need a solid digital marketing strategy.
Using digital channels to promote your app can be an effective and inexpensive method to gain earn users and engagement.
The three main channels your business should use to market your app are:
- Social Media
- Website/Blog
Social Media Reaches the Masses and is Conducive to Visuals
Recent statistics show that nearly 80% of Americans have at least one social media profile.
Posting about your app can garner interest and gain users – and you should experiment with a variety of formats and content to earn engagement and interest in your app:
- Videos: Video performs remarkably well on social media. Creating and using short video snippets leverages people’s preference for video content to earn impressions and engagement with your app.
- Imagery: Mobile apps are visual products: use your social media marketing to visually demonstrate your apps functions and value.
- Testimonials: Use testimonials to establish social proof for your app. Highlighting people’s experiences with your app lends credibility and incentivizes others to download.
For example, Contenter uses social video to explain and promote its video marketing app. The video format helps potential users visualize the app’s value.
Social media marketers need to choose the right social networks to reach your target audience. For example, if your app is primarily geared toward millennial users, you need to focus on Instagram and YouTube as part of your app marketing strategy.
Email Marketing Engages High-Value Audiences
Email marketing can be an effective marketing tool for your app.
Low-cost email marketing platforms such as MailChimp or Constant Contact allow your business to create professional and high-quality aesthetic emails.
Here are a few tips for producing highly effective emails to promote your app:
- Engaging Content: Create and feature content that is designed to connect with your audience. This will increase the click-through rate for your content and encourage further their engagement with your company.
- Use Visuals: Email recipients don’t want to have to read a lot to get the message. Use pictures and infographics that tell the story of your in an efficient way.
- No Spam: Be sure to check your emails for anything that could land them in the recipients’ junk mail folder. Most services have an algorithm to check for things that could get your email labeled as spam. Also, be sure to allow recipients to opt out of email messages so your company doesn’t get blacklisted by email servers.
Don’t overload your recipients’ inboxes. Be judicious about how often you send emails and the content you include in them. Sending out the same pitch to download your app multiple times may lead to unscubscribes.
The most difficult part about email marketing, however, is not designing your messages (although you should spend time doing this). It’s finding the best list of recipients.
If you are serious about marketing your app to its target audience, audit your customer contact lists for the most relevant recipients.
If you are unable to collect the volume you want or need, you may need to look to a list service, trade association, or event to collect solid contacts.
Dedicated Websites and Pages Provide Context for Users
Potential app users want to learn more about your produce. Your website needs to be a resource for them to access all the information they need before downloading.
Consider the following approaches for promoting using your company website.
- Dedicated website: Develop a website solely dedicated to your app. Developing a site gives you flexibility to create a one-stop resource for interested users.
- Landing page: If you don’t have the resources or budget for developing a new domain for your app, a landing page can serve as a similar resource. Make sure the page addresses everything people may want to know about your app or links out to other relevant resources.
- Company blog: Use your blog to provide information about your app and its value. People have more patience for longer content online relative to social media or emails, which allows you to really pitch your app’s value.
Regardless of which approach(es) you take for promoting your app online, make sure you provide clear calls-to-action (CTAs), which is to download your app. Include links directly to App on your site, landing page, or blog posts.
Use Digital Marketing Channels to Promote Your Mobile App
Your business’ app can provide ROI if you get people to download and use it.
Digital channels such as social media, email, and your website/blog provide the perfect marketing vehicles to spread the message about your app in an effective and cost-efficient, manner.
Author
Emily Clark is a writer for The Manifest, a B2B news and how-to site designed to help business leaders make informed decisions about business services. Her research primarily examines app developers.
