7 Ways to Promote Your Mobile App for Free

Research shows that, people actually spend 87 percent of their time on mobile apps, making mobile app development a must for businesses.

Mobile app is a software application designed to run on mobile devices, such as phones, smartwatch, tablet etc. They are originally developed for the purpose of productivity assistance, such as calendar, contact database and email. Gradually, increased demand has been observed for apps in other industry lines like location-based services, mobile games, social media, online retail, order tracking, ticket purchase, etc.
The word app will subconsciously redirect our mind towards the two giant hubs for these applications the Google Play store and Apple App store. These two applications are a hub for all the mobile device owners, to download applications. The mobile apps available in these stores have distinctive array of categories, ranging from books to social media networks. Right now, you have at least one of them on your device and are totally aware of its functionality. An estimation of 2 million apps are available on the Google Play store and around 1.83 million apps are available on the Apple App store. The data clearly illustrates the level of influence applications have on users mobile usage. Again, there are two categories of apps in here the ones that are free to download and the others require purchase. This division has been done, to distribute the profits between, the app creator and platform distributer. It has become a colossal point for both businesses and individuals, because of its incredible features and the opportunities that are being offered additional to their usage. They are observed to be a great strategy in keeping customers engaged with the brand, by offering unique selling features that drives more engagement than Web and give the company a competitive edge over their competition. Mobile applications are able to prompt both current and potential customers in interacting with the business. To be precise, any brand is right in the palm of customers hand. These applications are helpful in providing customers with easy access to businesses anytime and from anywhere. The steady usage of apps can aid in development of the brand and business. These apps help customers to browse, purchase, make payment, retain information and communicate with the company officials at any given point in time. Also, mobile apps have been increasingly becoming mandated mobile app marketing tools for businesses.

What makes mobile apps a smarter choice for businesses? How to market an app? and Why mobile app marketing plan?

Well, the answer is pretty simple. Its all about the pocket end-to-end user experience that counts and makes it easier for businesses in engaging and retaining their customer interests. You can strengthen your technology infrastructure and try developing complimenting services with cutting edge technologies, with just one mobile app. Every mobile app developer knows the power digital marketing campaigns have on the target audience.

Mobile app marketing is a process of creating app marketing ideas or campaigns to reach your users at every stage of the marketing funnel. This process of engaging your app users throughout their entire experience with your app, such as discovering it, going through the requirements, and downloading it. They are key digital marketing channels, which enables businesses in connecting with their target audience all the time, and also provide digital marketers a direct medium of interaction with the customers. Many creative marketing apps are being developed for the purpose of conducting online campaigns and to encourage brand engagement. Continual evolvement of consumer behaviour had made businesses adapting to strategies that are based on a core point of where their customers are. As a result, companies are moving rapidly towards making mobile apps commonplace for business marketing tools and assets. These marketing of mobile app works effectively in communicating with defined target audience, also helps in driving customer engagement, and loyal advocates for the brands products or services. Also, apps provide a sense of personalized service to the customers, it helps in building customer value. Long-term customer loyalty can help in achieving higher customer retainment. Achieving both brand value and visibility are needed for a business to sustain in this competitive environment. Apps have the power in generating visibility to your business by making it available for many users online. If the app satisfies the user requirements then it will ultimately enhance the brand value.

What if there are ways in promoting your mobile app for free. Did the word ‘'free’' got your attention?
If yes, then read the article further, to know our top recommendations for increasing your app download rates, promote, and helping you in standing out from the competition in a busy and competitive mobile app marketplace.

Here are some best ways to promote a mobile app:

Divulge into cross promotion communities

Ads on online platforms have proven to be effective in acquiring new leads for the mobile app business. If your business does not have the enough financial budget in investing into promotional ad networks, you should explore various cross-promotional communities which are available for free of cost.

A network or community of app developers tend to exchange users or ads for free, this strategy can benefit everyone. It doesnt matter if you are just a new developer or a part of large industry of mobile apps. Many established mobile app development companies use this strategy of using cross promotions as a primary means in increasing the download rate when bringing new apps into the market. Integration of cross-promotional ad strategy on mobile has some powerful benefits, such as, developers can conduct highly targeted ads with options to choose specific geographic across various industry sectors. Once the developers have activated a cross promotional ad campaigns, then they will be able to evaluate their campaign data, like the click through rates and gauge impressions. In order to deliver best results, you need to conduct intense testing and analysis for delivery of best results.

App Store Optimization (ASO)

The process of optimizing a mobile apps marketing copy, involving title, icon, keywords, description, screenshots, and customer reviews, to rank higher on app store search results. The higher the rank, the higher possibility in getting more visibility for your app. The aim of App Store Optimization (ASO) is to drive traffic to the app by increasing the number of downloads. When you are creating a title for the app, conduct research on the keyword search. Include the keyword that had higher search volume. Do not rush into things, take time in creating a title that satisfies both keyword search and able to attract users attention. Also, once the title is published it would be damaging for the brand image to change it after getting viral. Be considerate before fixing onto a title. Second comes the description, make sure to include all the details of the app and try to detail the solutions and benefits provided by the app through the use of keywords. Provide a visual idea of the app working to the users through screenshots.

It is often described as SEO for app store. With over 2 million apps on app stores, getting to view your app by the user is one of the major issues mobile app developers face these days. The goal of ASO is to drive intense traffic to your apps page in the app store, so user searching can take a specific action like downloading the app. But, it is crucial for you to understand your target user base, and keywords they use to find similar apps to yours. In short, you need to have a better understanding of language of your potential customers.

Social Media platforms

Facebook alone has 1.62 billion visits each day. So never under-estimate the influence these platforms have on the users. Organic or non-paid marketing activities are slightly time consuming processes in this fast pacing competitive environment. In that manner it will be easy in narrowing down the platforms to be used for marketing activities and have a clear view on where to concentrate marketing efforts in. To maintain a prominent presence on social media, you should not just be one in the crowd, as there are over 2 million mobile apps on app store, which are waiting to be viewed by the user. If you feel that your mobile needs to stand out, then you need to start fine-tuning your social media strategy and experiment with your content. Because content is something that adds value to readers life, and the primary purpose of it, is to establish a connection between the audience and the brand. In our defence, social media isnt something that is just used for catching up with your connections, it gives your mobile app a platform and opportunity in reaching a large segment of target audience who are more curious to know about what your app offers. There is no restriction of using a single platform for promoting your app, you have a varied set of digital channels that helps you in gaining visibility. Besides, making your users aware of the app, you can also have the opportunity in conducting customer engagement and build good relationship with them.

Most of the app development companies utilize social media for promotion, conduct a research on online users opinions, track the consumer behaviour and reviews to the apps online. These research insights will help them in improving the quality of the app and develop new additional benefits. Trust and customer loyalty are the core benefits a company obtain from interacting with the users. As we all are aware that anything spreads like a wildfire on social media, so these platforms covers the aspect of public relations promotion of the app. Also, the responses received may not always be positive, so be prepared to respond in a quick and efficient manner to the user responses related to the app.

For example, take Facebook, everyone is familiar with this social media app, most of our mornings start with checking updates on this app. It has become a daily routine for users life these days. From marketers perspective, it is easy to stay connected and share information with your target audience.

Some of the additional benefits are:

User friendly
Easy to communicate with customers
Reach huge user base
Conduct campaigns, share posts, publish content

Develop a website

Create a website for your mobile app, as it is considered to be major source for app installs. The website is considered to be the common destination for all your companys stakeholders. They can be either the consumers waiting to be notified about latest app updates, or businesses researching your recent blog content, or publicity. Developing and creating a website landing page has become a standardized practise for app launchers these days. If you have created a video for your website representing the purpose of the company, then it can also be recycled by putting it in the app stores, social networking channels, and on other free advertising channels. Launching a website can be hectic, but it was proven effective in generating some early Search Engine Optimization (SEO) by building domain authority. The set-up process should be accompanied with collection of email lists, in order to inform your subscribers on the recent updates on features and let them know about the mobile app launch dates. Also, in addition five star reviews can also be displayed in the site, generating more traffic and authenticity for the brand. Make sure to provide the users with app store download options on the site, for a quick conversion rate.

Optimize logo and overall design of the app

Your app logo is something that identifies your business from competition. Ensure to have your app store icon clear, eye-catching, understandable, creative and succinct in its design. To get more insights on the design approach, research more on what your competitors are delivering something out-of-the-box for their potential new leads and accordingly make required changes in presenting yourself. Do not limit your creative boundaries, test possible logo options through testing, and see what delivers the best possible results.

When any user finds your app, then the next step would be they will be checking the descriptions and screenshot images accompanied with the app download link. This is the place, where you can do most and put all your creativity in both content and visual graphic aspects and present yourselves highlighting the unique selling propositions of your app. Regardless of the actual functionality of the app, this step is where you will be converting leads into customers. So make sure to execute each category with finesse. Besides, highlighting the unique selling points the provides compared to other similar apps, always give information on additional benefits received to increase the value for both user experience, and their opinion towards the app. Top recommendations from our side in this category would be, use video content if relevant to your mobile app, as they have the potentiality in communicating the key benefits of your app within few seconds of time.

Blog

Content is an essential part for any business. Right content delivery can establish solid foundation for an app before its actual launch. Many customers build a long-term loyal relationship with their brand based on reliable content they receive in reverse. Be ready with blogs content, months in advance to the app launch. Start with writing content for the launch post, the content should focus more on boosting app features, accompanied with relevant videos and images. Benefits received by writing quality content for your app includes:

Helps in being expert in your niche groups and creates a brand image for the app prior to the launch
Drive organic traffic and increase conversion rates
Build brand awareness
Develop a connection with customers through reliable content
Similar content can be used for strategies like promotions on social media and email marketing

Also, the content for the blog can be related to your experiences while creating the app. Taking the customers through a ride with a story can create an emotional connection for the users. They will feel the valued through the experience, and at times provide feedback through interaction on the blog posts. Quality content always creates a sense of curiosity in the customers regarding the app launch and its workings.

Implement PR strategy

A public relations strategy will help in organizing your PR activities and make strategic decisions in communicating the best way possible. It also helps in using the stories in your business to draw your target audiences, and increase your profile by building brand awareness for your mobile app. When you are involved with the development process of your app, then it qualifies you in promoting it across all target media outlets, through influencers, blogs, and social media platforms. We have already covered the concepts of blogs and social media in the above elements, lets us give you a brief into influencers marketing. Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing involving product placement or endorsements done by influencers, people and companies who have an expert level of social influence on the online user base. This marketing strategy has become a popular trend, and many businesses are actually adopting it as an essential component in their marketing mix. Find an existing influencer in your specific industry whose activities could complement your mobile app. Make use of their network in promoting your brand. The influencers can be either in real time or social media celebrities with huge user following on all of their digital media channels. All these people have a level of influential power over their audience. Most of the top app development companies are indulging themselves into this process, to gain following and app visibility in shorter time. So, you can choose people through your connections who have huge following on social media for help in promoting your app for free.

Some of the other techniques of PR strategy includes, interviews with the lead app developers, inviting journalists to your development studio, providing insights, and recommendations to your community. Because, nurturing an inspiring and engaged community is a great feedback source for the app, also you can receive many insights that can be helpful in further development. Besides from all these, you need to be responsive to user and medias queries, opinions, reviews, etc. Because, if these small elements arent handled right then it can cause a serious issue, as any news spreads like a wildfire in the marketplace. For instance, if any negative comment on the app is not received and required changes are made then the news might spread and sometimes lead to downfall of the app.

Final Thoughts
Mobile apps are quicker and are a key enabler in generating brand recognition and at the end it all comes to the end-to-end user experience that makes it simpler for businesses in engaging with their customers interests and retaining them. There are many free methods in promoting your mobile app, but it is your responsibility to choose the online mediums which are actually viable to your app. Choosing a platform, just for the sake of saving on finances can lead to lower download and conversation rates. Our suggestion would be, first analyze your target audience, then plan a promotional campaign, and stick to it. Irrespective of what method you choose, make sure to test the content on smaller target audience, and measure the results of the campaign. No strategy is a failure, know what works for you, and develop further activities based on the experience and feedback received.