Best Ways to Promote Your Mobile App

Posted on February 13th, 2014 by Quertime Writer in Mobile

A report by smartinsights.com reveals that mobile internet access will surpass desktop internet usage by 2014. In such a scenario, more and more mobile applications are hitting the market every day. However, few of them succeed to draw user attention. Most users download new apps out of curiosity and delete them without using just a few months later. Therefore, it is very important that you effectively communicate with your target users and promote your app carefully.

Here are some great ways to promote your app:

Create an awesome product website: This should be a microsite that showcases your app to the web users. A cool microsite can make a lot of curious users download your app on Google play and App Store.

Microsites provide quick information about the application you are promoting. In-depth information is provided in a lightweight manner, which in turn helps to leverage social media marketing.

Add a blog to your microsite: This is critical as you need to have fresh content in your site regularly. With a blog, it is easier to add a new entry, introduce a change or news without making any modifications in the actual website. The content will attract readers and will also bring natural links from other bloggers. Google likes new content; so your website will rank higher in search results and bring relevant traffic.

Also, adding a blog to your website allows you to add notices, reminders and announcements. Through it you can highlight individual sections of your website. It is particularly helpful during short term promotion.

Using free platforms like Blogger and WordPress: When it comes to promoting your mobile application for free, there are no alternatives to Blogger and WordPress. Even multi-national organizations use these free platforms due to their ability to connect with people easily. Especially, WordPress has a very vibrant community, and it is easy to get a lot of exposure from this platform.

Start guest posting: Identify and contact bloggers who write on mobile technology. Search WordPress, Blogger, Facebook to find them and approach them for guest posting. This would give your application/website a lot of exposure (and you will get a link to your site as well).

You can use the guest posts for promotional purposes, but you must write very high quality articles. Otherwise, most reputable blogs will turn down your request to publish the article. A well written article on a popular blog can generate high traffic in a very short time.

Approach mobile review websites: There are many cool websites that will publish reviews of your application for free. Submit your app on these websites and request a review. Don’t hesitate to shell out a few bucks if the website is really good. Some good websites include macworld.com, phonegap.com, 148apps.com etc.

Run a contest on your Facebook page: Start a contest to increase participation on your Facebook page. This will attract new users and thereby enhance the possibility of more downloads.

Wondering what to do to run a contest on the social media site? One of the most popular strategies is to introduce gift cards and vouchers. You must specifically target people who are interested in your product. For example, if your product is a mobile application, the giveaway should be something like an option to download the app for free. Through such contests on social media sites, you must make a database by collecting contact details/emails of as many participants as possible.

Start using Pinterest: Upload all kinds of images and infographics on Pinterest. It can be a source of huge traffic. You can make your own pins with photos, screenshots, and clicks related to your mobile application. Clicking on the photos and pictures you upload will redirect users to your website, which will increase your website traffic. You can also start a contest like “pin it to win it”. This will make pictures and photos more popular. Consequently, your app will also gain popularity.

Promotional strategy: Create a promotional strategy like making your app free initially for a few months and then turning it into a paid app. Also, you might consider making some basic features of the app free and having a premium version; this concept is called “Freemium”.

Using video sharing websites: Shoot promotional/how-to-use-it videos and upload them on Youtube, Metacafe, and Dailymotion. This will boost your website traffic. You can also embed these videos on your website. Watching videos is always fun and engaging. And in the process, your message gets delivered.

Participation in forums: There are lots of technology forums where you can participate in discussions or start your own thread. Although direct promotion/advertisement is prohibited in most forums, you can always refer to your app in a natural, non-spammy manner.

The idea of forum posting and commenting is to popularize the newly launched app. Although there is no direct promotion involved, popularizing the app among the potential customers is important. Through forum commenting and posts, you can spread the word in a natural way to the target audience. Also, you can discuss on various topics relevant to your application.

Search engine optimization for microsite: This may sound like a turn-off, but you simply cannot do without on-page and off-page optimization. Proper use of Meta tags, heading tags, URL optimization, link building, and social media marketing are required for attracting more users. If you are not comfortable doing it, hire a professional agency.

Paid Promotion: You can’t hope to develop organic traffic overnight. If you are looking for a shortcut, go for paid advertisement like Pay Per Click. It’s a sure way to get the desired result. In addition to Pay per click, media planning and buying also helps in the promotion of a smartphone apps.

Remember the above points if you are targeting smartphone users with a mobile application. Most of these strategies come for free, but they play an important role in spreading the word about your app.