man drawing schedule of business growth
One of the main thing I hear developers are looking (myself include in this) is how do I increase my downloads for my app in the app stores? I came up with a list of 25 items that you should consider. Some of these may or may not be appropriate depending what your app is and what it does. Check it out!
1. Build a one or two page web site with its own domain to showcase the app.
2. Start a blog around the subject of the app you are creating.
3. Build up and use social media to get a buzz about your app.
4. Create a product video showcasing what the app does and what problem it solves or how much fun it is to use.
5. Get reviews on app review web sites. Contact sites like 148apps, AppStoreApps and AppAdvice to try to get your app reviewed.
6. Contact bloggers in the niche that your app is in. Don’t blast out email spam to hundreds of blog writers/owners.
7. Contact writers and/or editors at physical magazines that are in the niche that your app would be of use for. For example, if your app helps tennis players don’t try to contact golf magazines, etc…
8. Create an email mailing list from your blog site that is in the same niche that your app caters to. Check into mailchimp.com to get started for free.
9. Find your audience and actually meet people that would use your app. Meetup.com may be a good resource for this.
10. Create a Facebook group around the niche that your app is in.
11. Find speaking opportunities to talk a bit about the topic your app covers. You can reach out to toastmaster.com for help on this.
12. Research and adjust your app store listing using ASO (App Store Optimization) techniques.
13. Guest blog for other blogs in the same niche that your app is in.
14. If your app is a paid download, offer it for free for a limited time and let as many people know about the free period.
15. Use social media in your app to have your users help promote the app to their friends and followers.
16. Have users be your affiliates. Internet markers have has affiliates market their products for years so why not try this with apps too? This is an interesting concept and I am actually surprised it’s not talked about more in the app marketing space.
17. Reach out to an organization that is having a benefit drive and offer the proceeds for the money you make for downloads in a certain time frame be given to them. They can offer this in their marketing of the benefits campaign.
18. Buy ads on Facebook or Adwords in Google. Make sure you do some tests and set limits so you don’t spend excessive amount of money for low download numbers.
19. Create flyers and distribute them at conferences, events and any other gathering that your niche market for your app will be attending. Create a QR code so the people can zap it with their one and go directly to your app in the app store.
20. Have a free giveaway contest. Get people to enter their name and email into an opt-in for the contest. This has to be tightly tied to the niche that will be using the app.
21. Be a guest on a podcast. Research to see if there are podcasts in the same niche your app is in and offer to be a guest on their show.
22. Answer questions in forums. Go to related forums and answer questions that are posted their. Have a signature pitching your app with a direct link to download it.
23. Write articles on ezinearticles.com. Again have a signature with direct links to your download page.
24. Create short YouTube videos. You would create low production fast videos on YouTube related to your niche, briefly mention your app at the end of each video and include a link to it in the description of the video.
25. In app ads. Again make sure you watch your budget on this and track the money your spending on downloads and how much money your app is bringing in.
Bonuses! I have come up with five additional items, check them out!
26. Team up with a successful blogger to endorse your app. This one is an outside of the box approach that can work very well if you get a successful blogger to endorse your app and tell their audience about it.
27. Radio advertising. Believe it or not radio ads are not that expensive and there are low cost options like having a DJ just read some copy and airing the spots at night for reduced costs. Make sure you have an easy ad short URL to drive traffic to for this to work well.
28. Create a magnetic sign with a catchy phase and a simple URL ant put it on the back of your car. Off the way but definitely out side of the box.
29. Old school direct marketing though snail mail. Put together an intriguing story and have it mailed with a QR code to people in the niche. You can purchase mailing lists that are in the exact same niche for the people you are trying to reach.
30. Have a display or booth at a convention or local fair. Again this should be tightly coupled with your niche that your app is in.
OK so there you have it, 30 ideas to help you drive downloads to your app. As you probably have figured out, I love out of the box thinking and I believe that you need to think differently than the millions of other marketing promotions for apps. Please add comments below and let me know what you think!
