January 12, 2015 at 17:10Free application promotion + results
Hello reader!
Today I want to talk about some ways of free promotion and how to make them more effective. And I will do this using one of my applications as an example: Contact HD Widgets . It was on it that all the promotion approaches described below were tested.
Retreat
My name is Makeev Dmitry and at the moment I work as an Android developer at Ciklum.
Since I started my career as an Android programmer back in 2011, I began to be interested in the possibility of creating my own projects and making money on them. At the moment, I have 3 existing projects, in the process of development and promotion of which I figured out some of the nuances and pitfalls of free swimming, which I will talk about in this and subsequent articles.
From my previous publications, I want to recommend an article entitled “ How I haven’t slept for a year or creating a social Android application ”, in which I described my first experience in promoting my own product.
1) Getting into the tops : top paid, top free, best sellers, new paid, new free ... The list of tops for different countries is not the same. Once in the top (not lower than 50th place), additional traffic will come to your application and the higher the position, the more traffic. For a free application, getting into the tops provides the number of daily installations, for a paid one - daily income. Read more about this here .
2) Search Google Play . By optimizing the icon, name and description in the market, you can attract additional traffic. Analyze competitors. Experiment.
3) Forums: creating topics, answers to user questions. For me, the forum is a convenient way to quickly and efficiently communicate with users for the operational implementation of new functionality and fix application errors.
4) Reviews on the sites : sending letters with a request to review. The effectiveness of this method depends on many factors, such as: the interest of the idea and implementation of the application, the availability of the finished review text, the desire and mood of the administration. Nevertheless, it’s worth a try.
5) Advertising in other applications, cross-advertising . All services have the same general principle: “The more impressions you make of someone else’s ad, the more your app’s ad will show.” Make advertising in your application effective and not annoying.
At the moment, the most common are the following services: TapJoy, ChartBoost, AppFlood, TapForTap
6) Social networks : Facebook, VKontakte, Google+, YouTube, Twitter.
The main advantage of social networks is the ease in disseminating information among friends, colleagues, relatives with a certain level of trust.
Banner advertising in the social. Networks, as practice shows, are ineffective and also require significant costs.
Usually social. Networks offer for each project to create a separate group (page). I believe that it is more expedient to use and promote your personal page as a person and developer. In this case, not only the trust and responsiveness of users is higher, but also the desire to join a group (add you as a friend).
To attract attention outside your page, you can use posting in other open Android communities. The main thing is to be careful and not violate their rules.
1) Translate applications into more languages . I usually translate the description on Google Play into: English, Arabic, Dutch, Greek, Danish, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, German, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, French, Hindi, Czech, Swedish, Japanese .
The interface, at the moment, is translated into: English, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and French providing a sufficiently large audience. In almost every new update, I add a new language, which gives prerequisites for further growth.
The button “Help with translation into the native language” turned out to be convenient and useful by clicking on which the creators of the application receive a letter indicating the language into which the user is ready to help translate the application. After that, the user is sent a file for translation. So, by the efforts of the users themselves, the application was translated into German, French and Italian.
2) Please users with new updates and improvements as often as possible. I recommend doing this every 5 days. During this time, most errors and shortcomings will appear, but they will not have time to forget about the application. After installing the application, your main goal is to retain the user.
3) Make the Google Play page presentable .
The icon should be clear and understandable, as well as stand out from the crowd.
The first two sentences of the description should convince the future user that this is exactly what he was looking for. The description should be easy to read and beautifully designed, highlighting key points in bold.
Creating a demo video is also required. I believe that the main goal of the video is to intrigue the user, to show him something unusual, unexpected. If you succeed, then consider that the installation is in your pocket.
4) Keep the app ratingat a level not lower than 3.8. Applications with a rating below are usually ignored by users as unfinished or not working. Non-free services are usually used to increase the rating. On average, it will cost $ 0.5 - $ 2 for one rating and a positive comment.
5) Pay maximum attention and time to constructive comments and criticism of users in Google Play, forums, social. networks. Chat with your users.
1) The Google Play page is brought to a decent look. Optimized for search.
2) Added banner ads to the previous application with a similar theme.
3) Created topics on the four most popular forums.
4) Letters were sent to all well-known domestic and foreign website editors.
5) Each update is accompanied by posts in the social. networks.
6) Posts are posted in open, similar in theme, groups.
1) Top 25 new free ones in the Widgets category. Thanks to this position, almost the entire month, the application received 300-500 installations. On April 2, the application disappeared from this top, which significantly affected the installation schedule.
2) $ 930 - income per month.
(daily profit schedule)
(daily free install version graph)
1) Communicate as closely as possible with users in the initial stages.
2) Talk about the application wherever possible.
3) Release updates more often.
4) The application should be 100% ready
5) Conduct final testing of the application with people who really need it.
1) Find a way out to Chinese and Japanese audiences.
2) Increase income to $ 2000 per month.
PS If you have any questions or suggestions, write them in the comments or to me personally. I will answer with pleasure.
1) How I haven’t slept for a year or creating a social Android application
2) Promotion of Android applications, ratings and ranking in Google Play tops
Today I want to talk about some ways of free promotion and how to make them more effective. And I will do this using one of my applications as an example: Contact HD Widgets . It was on it that all the promotion approaches described below were tested.
Retreat
My name is Makeev Dmitry and at the moment I work as an Android developer at Ciklum.
Since I started my career as an Android programmer back in 2011, I began to be interested in the possibility of creating my own projects and making money on them. At the moment, I have 3 existing projects, in the process of development and promotion of which I figured out some of the nuances and pitfalls of free swimming, which I will talk about in this and subsequent articles.
From my previous publications, I want to recommend an article entitled “ How I haven’t slept for a year or creating a social Android application ”, in which I described my first experience in promoting my own product.
Let's start with free promotion methods:
1) Getting into the tops : top paid, top free, best sellers, new paid, new free ... The list of tops for different countries is not the same. Once in the top (not lower than 50th place), additional traffic will come to your application and the higher the position, the more traffic. For a free application, getting into the tops provides the number of daily installations, for a paid one - daily income. Read more about this here .
2) Search Google Play . By optimizing the icon, name and description in the market, you can attract additional traffic. Analyze competitors. Experiment.
3) Forums: creating topics, answers to user questions. For me, the forum is a convenient way to quickly and efficiently communicate with users for the operational implementation of new functionality and fix application errors.
4) Reviews on the sites : sending letters with a request to review. The effectiveness of this method depends on many factors, such as: the interest of the idea and implementation of the application, the availability of the finished review text, the desire and mood of the administration. Nevertheless, it’s worth a try.
5) Advertising in other applications, cross-advertising . All services have the same general principle: “The more impressions you make of someone else’s ad, the more your app’s ad will show.” Make advertising in your application effective and not annoying.
At the moment, the most common are the following services: TapJoy, ChartBoost, AppFlood, TapForTap
6) Social networks : Facebook, VKontakte, Google+, YouTube, Twitter.
The main advantage of social networks is the ease in disseminating information among friends, colleagues, relatives with a certain level of trust.
Banner advertising in the social. Networks, as practice shows, are ineffective and also require significant costs.
Usually social. Networks offer for each project to create a separate group (page). I believe that it is more expedient to use and promote your personal page as a person and developer. In this case, not only the trust and responsiveness of users is higher, but also the desire to join a group (add you as a friend).
To attract attention outside your page, you can use posting in other open Android communities. The main thing is to be careful and not violate their rules.
Efficiency Improvement:
1) Translate applications into more languages . I usually translate the description on Google Play into: English, Arabic, Dutch, Greek, Danish, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, German, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, French, Hindi, Czech, Swedish, Japanese .
The interface, at the moment, is translated into: English, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and French providing a sufficiently large audience. In almost every new update, I add a new language, which gives prerequisites for further growth.
The button “Help with translation into the native language” turned out to be convenient and useful by clicking on which the creators of the application receive a letter indicating the language into which the user is ready to help translate the application. After that, the user is sent a file for translation. So, by the efforts of the users themselves, the application was translated into German, French and Italian.
2) Please users with new updates and improvements as often as possible. I recommend doing this every 5 days. During this time, most errors and shortcomings will appear, but they will not have time to forget about the application. After installing the application, your main goal is to retain the user.
3) Make the Google Play page presentable .
The icon should be clear and understandable, as well as stand out from the crowd.
The first two sentences of the description should convince the future user that this is exactly what he was looking for. The description should be easy to read and beautifully designed, highlighting key points in bold.
Creating a demo video is also required. I believe that the main goal of the video is to intrigue the user, to show him something unusual, unexpected. If you succeed, then consider that the installation is in your pocket.
4) Keep the app ratingat a level not lower than 3.8. Applications with a rating below are usually ignored by users as unfinished or not working. Non-free services are usually used to increase the rating. On average, it will cost $ 0.5 - $ 2 for one rating and a positive comment.
5) Pay maximum attention and time to constructive comments and criticism of users in Google Play, forums, social. networks. Chat with your users.
Promotion options used:
1) The Google Play page is brought to a decent look. Optimized for search.
2) Added banner ads to the previous application with a similar theme.
3) Created topics on the four most popular forums.
4) Letters were sent to all well-known domestic and foreign website editors.
5) Each update is accompanied by posts in the social. networks.
6) Posts are posted in open, similar in theme, groups.
Results:
1) Top 25 new free ones in the Widgets category. Thanks to this position, almost the entire month, the application received 300-500 installations. On April 2, the application disappeared from this top, which significantly affected the installation schedule.
2) $ 930 - income per month.
(daily profit schedule)
(daily free install version graph)
Advice:
1) Communicate as closely as possible with users in the initial stages.
2) Talk about the application wherever possible.
3) Release updates more often.
4) The application should be 100% ready
5) Conduct final testing of the application with people who really need it.
Future goals:
1) Find a way out to Chinese and Japanese audiences.
2) Increase income to $ 2000 per month.
PS If you have any questions or suggestions, write them in the comments or to me personally. I will answer with pleasure.
Literature:
1) How I haven’t slept for a year or creating a social Android application
2) Promotion of Android applications, ratings and ranking in Google Play tops