Startups always face lack of resources while they have the hilarious task of making their brand visible. An app of a startup has the bigger challenge of getting noticed and creating a loyal audience with a minimum resource in their command.
A startup needs more precision and meticulous approach for marketing its apps than the large and established firms with a developed audience. Here we are going to explain some of the key mobile app marketing strategies for the startups.
Give your app facelift as per your audience
Mobile app marketing has one big similarity with the marketing of any other products, and it is none other than the people-centric approach. You need to make your strategy as per the audience.
Mobile app marketing is also different from other types of marketing in the fact that it needs to evolve on a continuous basis than other product marketing channels. You frequently need to optimise the app as per the demands of your audience and roll out updates.
This requires taking key performance indicators (KPIs) into consideration. The KPIs like store ranking, user acquisition, cost per download, etc. will play an elemental role in giving your app a clear direction about fixing priorities.
Focus on KPIs specific to the app's market
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) helps mobile app developers keeping a close tap on receptivity and responses of the audience from your app. Some KPIs that are particularly related to the app marketing should be focused upon and given priority. Some of the most crucial KPIs for app marketing include app store ranking, organic user acquisition, loyal user metrics, cost-per-acquisition, and metrics related to app store optimization.
Focusing on these KPIs should depend upon your business goals which again should be prioritised into primary and secondary goals. When you have a clear idea about your business goals and the priority of objectives you can accordingly focus on certain KPIs to track your performance.
Starting pre-launch marketing at a low budget
Those days are gone when the marketing team of an app gets going only when the app hits the app marketplace. Today, the app marketing starts way before the actual app becomes available to the larger audience. We call it pre-launch marketing.
Pre-launch marketing is basically about creating buzz about the upcoming app so that when the app is launched it instantly gets an expectant audience or at least can enjoy exposure to people who for some time have heard about it. Instead of going for really capital intensive media campaigns, startups can creatively do the same to save cost while reaching out to its target audience.
Here are some of the effective ways to do low budget pre-launch marketing.
- Reach out to all your existing customers and well-wishers for advice and suggestions regarding the upcoming app. Get in touch with them explaining how it can add value to their life.
- Create a social page for your upcoming app and engage as many people as possible with the same. Create regular contents and engage people with a mix of social media contents that drive conversations.
- Start promotional campaigns that drive engagement such as free subscription of premium app version, gift vouchers, coupons, etc.
- Take advantage of creating campaign alongside popular events of your niche before rolling out the app.
- Create online blogs and publish contents across web platforms about how the app can create substantial value for your app.
Market the experience, not the app
If you are wide awake to all that is happening in the mobile app market, you already know that the focus of most apps is in user experience rather than features or designs. Yes, ultimately it is the user experience of an app that makes it successful. So when unleashing your marketing campaign, you should also focus on marketing the experience instead of the app. You need to tell your audience how the experience of using your app stands out from the competitor apps.
When marketing experience doesn't forget the following things:
- Let the audience know how simple and effortless it has become performing some tasks thanks to your app.
- Let the audience know the immediate benefits of using your app in real life.
- Let them see the number of key benefits and value-additions that make your app stand out from the rest.
- Always push them with a strong call-to-action to inspire those taking positive actions by downloading the app or sharing the message.
Social marketing: it's almost free
Startups cannot depend upon capital-intensive media ads for their campaigns. But the lack of resources not necessarily forces them to remain uncompetitive. They can make the app become heard far and wide by effectively using social channels. Social media is practically free but offers vast access and reach to a broader audience across niches.
Here are some effective ways to use social media for mobile app marketing.
- First of all, instead of targeting too many social channels at the same time focus on a few that are most effective to reach out to your audience.
- Choose your mix of targeting social channels as per the audience of your app and the demographics. Pinterest and Instagram are good for campaigns with visual contents, and the first one is more specific to women. LinkedIn is great for professional and tech audience and Google+ male-dominated. Both Facebook and Twitter are good for reaching out to a wider audience and are must for most campaigns.
- When it comes to content, offer a mix of different types of contents ranging from memes, images, media, GIFs, screenshots, user reviews, interviews of influential people, blogs, campaign-related polls, etc.
- Troll some influencers of your niche, gain attention and generate audience based upon conversation.
- Always be responsive to trends and come with relevant contents that connect your app to the related trends in the niche.
- When feasible, run some paid social campaigns targeting specific audience across locations, genders, and other demographic categories.
Conclusion
The final piece of advice to all campaigners of startups would be to stay alert of being complacent. App marketing is fast evolving with new avenues, technologies and demands. You need to be responsive to deliver to the demands of the day. You need to be always on your toe to take on any opportunity coming on your way.