Congratulations! Your app has finally made its way to the App store/ Play Store. Now that the heavy lifting of developing the app is done, it is time to sit back and watch the skyrocketing downloads, and pop a bottle of champagne. If that is what you think, then you need to wake up and smell the coffee!
After the fantastic launch, you need to work on how to sustain the momentum and not let your App dip under the radar. We know for a fact that a lot of time and money is spent on developing and launching the app, but what many give a miss is the long-term plan to maintain the popularity.
There are about more than 1.5 million apps in the App store and Play store, so if you want a shot at success then continuous analysis and long-term working strategy is crucial. Here are a few core elements you need to work on to make your app visible:
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Burst campaign:
Burst campaign is a popular technique that marketers swear by to push their app in the spotlight quickly. The idea is to create a burst effect for an app by purchased media over a short period of time, usually 24-72 hours.
The aim is to generate as many as paid downloads, which will eventually improve the ranks in app store. The sharp rise in organic downloads will give the app enough exposure to be discovered by the users.
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Consider referral bonus:
In the digital age we live in, word-of-mouth marketing travels faster. Though it is originally a zero-spend concept, a referral bonus will get the consumers talking about your app. A benefit or a discount will surely make them spread the word.
Dropbox is an excellent example for referral program. The growth rate of 3900% in just 15 months made everyone wonder how they pulled it off. Quite simple, they offered free space to the users who referred their friends and also accepted invitations. In 2018, they just had 1,00,000 registered users, but within 15 months the user base climbed to a staggering 4,000,000 and this was a result of the referral program.
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Search ads:
A study by Google and Ipsos claims that about 27% people discover new apps through search engines. Google also found that about 50% downloads of applications are driven by search ads as the ads reach out to the users at the purchase intent moment. To create search ads, all you need to do is simply sign up on Google Adwords and create App install campaign
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Choose your advertising campaign:
Mobile apps are just like businesses. No matter if it is launched as a product by itself or a supplement to your company, it needs to be profitable to survive in the highly flooded app store. Mobile apps require you to monitor certain metrics that are specific to the platform. Cost Per Install, also known as CPI, is one of the most used campaign. Sure there are other models to look for, but CPI should top your list. Why? Because, marketing is a challenge and it is important to make sure that it is worth it. In CPI, digital ads are placed to drive installs and businesses are then charged a fixed rate or a bid rate per install. For instance, an app owner decides to go for paid ads to increase the exposure of the app. Then the ads are placed in other apps or websites in various formats like banners, videos, OfferWall; etc. if a user clicks on the ad leading it to an installation then the owner of the app is charged.
This is just one of the many advertising pricing models. Other options are Cost Per View, Cost per Click, Cost per Mile and Cost per Action. In the case of CPM, the advertisers are charged just for the display of ads. When compared to the other models, which are quite self-explanatory, CPI is the best option as it leads to downloads and you know that the ads are actually working or not.
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App A/B testing:
The A/B testing on mobile application will benefit you in similar ways when run on a website. You can test your in-app experience and make changes based on the results. The test will let you determine the impact of even the smallest change in your app, with statistical data.
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Build a website:
Ideally, a landing page should not just be seen as a promotional tool for the launch. Havinga website will give you long-term benefits including domain authority and improved ranking, a well-designed and informative website will also increase your legitimacy. There is several Web designing Company as well as Digital Marketing Company to assist you in this cause; you need to choose one correctly.
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Never ignore the feedback/ reviews:
A two-way dialogue engages the users and helps establish a loyalty and increase the fan base. Good reviews are always about a good timing. Let the users enjoy a good in-app experience, then prompt for a review. But remember, too many pop-ups for reviews may ruin the user experience, so time it out. Address the user feedback and opinions, you may catch a bug which went unnoticed or you may like to work on what the users feel is missing.
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Work on maintenance and updates:
An app that is in a stagnant phase will be abandoned by the users over a period of time if they don’t find any added value. Grab the interest of the users by letting them know the upcoming features and keep them excited about it.
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Keep the press and social media in the loop:
After the launch, don’t forget to thank the users and the reporters for their interest. Keep the press posted about the upcoming developments and the features. On the other hand, engage with the users on social media by blog posts or how to’s or tips and tricks.
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Submit to app review sites:
Having the expert’s assessment of your app and further recommending it is like a crowning stroke. Getting your app appraised by the reviewers will create awareness and eventually increase the app store ranking, owing to the backlinks directing to your app in the app store. App review sites are genuine and give out honest reviews, so be sure before volunteering for your app. Make sure to include a good pitch, promo code if any and demo video of your app in your submission.
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Invest in App marketing and analytics software:
The learning and the insights from the initial phase after the launch is invaluable. They set you a path to follow for further growth and optimisation. If you don’t have a right tool then how can you measure the success? First week engagement rate, retention rate, most used features, least used features, App installs, Churn rate, bugs and much more can be easily traceable if you have right software.
An important part of any marketing strategy is not to overpromise. For instance, if you are offering free ride for first time users, then don’t follow up by giving discounts. Most importantly, don’t put all the eggs in one basket. Some users may connect through a video others may connect through social media, so diversifying the content is necessary and make sure that app reviewers have an easy access. A good app is a perfect balance of different approaches with dynamic strategy and continuous optimisations.
And if you need further help in improving your app rankings read more on how to work on post App launch marketing strategies.