Ways to promote mobile applications
There are many ways to promote mobile applications, but which of them will be most effective for the developer can be understood only through trial and error. Applead decided to share its experience in this matter. Today, there are more than enough applications in the markets and many of them use the same proven channels.
Before drawing up your promotion plan, which should include at least two components, you need to answer a few questions:
1) What is the quality of the application?
2) Who is the application aimed at, the target audience (this question had to be asked before starting development)
3) Who are the main competitors?
By answering these questions, you can clearly determine the path of promotion of the mobile application.
The following channels can be used for promotion:
We will analyze each of them and determine all the pros and cons.
Offline advertising includes TV advertising, posters, billboards, print media and other methods that are not connected to the Internet. For Russia and Ukraine, advertising posters in public transport or flyers with a QR code are relevant, so to speak, “cheap and cheerful.” Advertising on TV is expensive, and therefore rare.
Who is it for?
If we talk about TV advertising, then this option is suitable for applications that do not have a narrow target audience, which have already taken their place in the market. It is worth noting that the method is expensive and you can use it provided that the application has not just been uploaded to the Play Market or App Store. Otherwise, it will be unreasonably expensive and ineffective.
For example, in the United States, during the show of the final match of the national football league, Clash of Clans commercials were broadcast. The result met expectations, but the cost was more than $ 9 million.
Transport posters, flyers, and other similar options - for applications with a wide target audience.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• Maintaining the image
“Against”
• High cost (about TV)
• Identification of results (it is difficult to determine how many installations followed about TV advertising)
• At the initial stage, low efficiency (about TV advertising)
Contextual advertising is the setting and display of ads in the advertising networks Yandex and Google. A feature of the method is that advertisements will be shown only to interested users. All this subject to the correct setting and determination of the interests of the target audience.
“For”
• An advertisement is shown only to an interested audience
• High conversion rate if properly configured
• Payment for conversions
“Against”
• High competition for impressions due to the fact that advertisers from related areas place a higher bid per impression
• Balance between cost and effectiveness
• If you erroneously determine the interests of the target audience and the audience itself, the effect will be at zero
A method that allows you to customize the impressions as accurately as possible and which are aimed exclusively at the target audience. The main thing is to identify this very target audience. With a quality analysis and tuning, the result will live up to expectations. You can set up ads in VK through myTarget, and for Instagram and FB via a Facebook page.
“For”
• In social networks, there is the necessary amount of user data that helps to filter out excess and select all the necessary indicators
• The ad is displayed only for target users
• Payment for clicks and not impressions
• People spend 70% of the time on social networks
“Against”
• If the settings are poor, ads will be displayed to disinterested users, and this is a drain on the budget.
A popular method for promoting mobile applications. The main thing in this business is to correctly identify the communities in which you want to advertise. Groups should be thematic or entertaining and reach a wide audience. Depending on the subject of the application, age limits and interests of the audience. You can create your own community and lead it, expanding, adding interesting information or useful content.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• Accessibility
“Against”
• The cost of a post in some communities is unreasonably high
• It takes a lot of time and effort to introduce your own community
Many people consider the press release an obsolete method, but still it exists. And it is worth mentioning it. You can also do the press release yourself. The main thing here is to determine the list of publications to whom it is necessary to send. Highlight the main advantages and put it beautifully.
“For”
• Low cost of the method
• Availability of
“Cons”
• Not in line with current trends
• Not for everyone
This method is suitable only for applications that have any features that will be of interest to the user. And which ones you can hook.
Reviews allow the user to understand whether he needs this application or not. There are tons of resources that specialize in this. It is important to understand which of them can lead more users. It is also important what quality the application itself is. Since a beautiful description will not be able to help a conventional calculator. Text reviews are accompanied by colorful screenshots and pictures.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• Long-term effect (after publication, the review remains on the resource, new users come even after a while)
• If the application is interesting to the editor, the review can be posted for free
“Cons”
• If the review will display only flaws or not all will be shown virtues
Reviews on youtube as well as in electronic resources have a high degree of efficiency. The more interesting the application, the game, the more users download it after viewing the review. It is very important here that during the review all the pluses are shown, and the minuses are minimized.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• 99% of the target audience (channels that specialize in game and application reviews are mostly subscribed to by those who are interested in it, exceptions are special applications whose audience should be searched on thematic channels)
• High performance
“ Against ”
• High cost on some channels
• It is important to correctly determine the resource, the channel for placement, depending on the application theme, sometimes it can be difficult
CPI (cost per install) - payment for installation. CPI networks are an affiliate network, which can include thematic sites, communities on social networks, etc. The point is that the customer pays for the networks directly for unmotivated installations. CPI network takes responsibility for the quality of traffic. Initially, it is important to set a clear technical task for which installations payment will be made and for which not. The customer, if traffic does not suit him, may not pay for it, but this has its own characteristics.
“For”
• Payment for installation only
• Unmotivated traffic
“Against”
• Options for mixing motivated traffic are possible
9. Motivated traffic
Motivated traffic is the installation of an application for a fee. There are special services that help you purchase the necessary number of installations, for example CashPump. You can distribute settings by day and time. Such settings help you quickly get into the TOP.
“For”
• Low cost of traffic
• Fast getting into the TOP
“Cons”
• Outflow of users who were attracted by this method
The most popular methods from the above are:
• Motivated traffic
• Reviews on thematic resources
• Reviews on youtube channels
• Social networks
Each of the methods must be mixed with the others. Not one of the methods alone will not give the results that can be obtained by combining the efforts of several.
A symbiosis of motivated traffic and visibility on several youtube channels can give a good result. Motivated traffic will quickly lead to the TOP, thereby attracting organic installations, and reviews will attract organics, users who are the target audience of the application and are interested in it. If an outflow can be expected from motivated users, then those that came organically through reviews will balance the total number of users.
Whichever method you choose, it is important to understand what it can give you in return, what you lose and what gains. Remember about the features of the application and its theme.
Before drawing up your promotion plan, which should include at least two components, you need to answer a few questions:
1) What is the quality of the application?
2) Who is the application aimed at, the target audience (this question had to be asked before starting development)
3) Who are the main competitors?
By answering these questions, you can clearly determine the path of promotion of the mobile application.
The following channels can be used for promotion:
1. Offline advertising
2. Contextual advertising
3. Targeted advertising in social. networks
4. Social networks
5. Press releases
6. Reviews on thematic resources
7. Reviews on youtube channels
8. CPI networks
9. Motivated traffic
We will analyze each of them and determine all the pros and cons.
1. Offline advertising
Offline advertising includes TV advertising, posters, billboards, print media and other methods that are not connected to the Internet. For Russia and Ukraine, advertising posters in public transport or flyers with a QR code are relevant, so to speak, “cheap and cheerful.” Advertising on TV is expensive, and therefore rare.
Who is it for?
If we talk about TV advertising, then this option is suitable for applications that do not have a narrow target audience, which have already taken their place in the market. It is worth noting that the method is expensive and you can use it provided that the application has not just been uploaded to the Play Market or App Store. Otherwise, it will be unreasonably expensive and ineffective.
For example, in the United States, during the show of the final match of the national football league, Clash of Clans commercials were broadcast. The result met expectations, but the cost was more than $ 9 million.
Transport posters, flyers, and other similar options - for applications with a wide target audience.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• Maintaining the image
“Against”
• High cost (about TV)
• Identification of results (it is difficult to determine how many installations followed about TV advertising)
• At the initial stage, low efficiency (about TV advertising)
2. Contextual advertising
Contextual advertising is the setting and display of ads in the advertising networks Yandex and Google. A feature of the method is that advertisements will be shown only to interested users. All this subject to the correct setting and determination of the interests of the target audience.
“For”
• An advertisement is shown only to an interested audience
• High conversion rate if properly configured
• Payment for conversions
“Against”
• High competition for impressions due to the fact that advertisers from related areas place a higher bid per impression
• Balance between cost and effectiveness
• If you erroneously determine the interests of the target audience and the audience itself, the effect will be at zero
3. Targeted advertising on social networks
A method that allows you to customize the impressions as accurately as possible and which are aimed exclusively at the target audience. The main thing is to identify this very target audience. With a quality analysis and tuning, the result will live up to expectations. You can set up ads in VK through myTarget, and for Instagram and FB via a Facebook page.
“For”
• In social networks, there is the necessary amount of user data that helps to filter out excess and select all the necessary indicators
• The ad is displayed only for target users
• Payment for clicks and not impressions
• People spend 70% of the time on social networks
“Against”
• If the settings are poor, ads will be displayed to disinterested users, and this is a drain on the budget.
4. Social networks
A popular method for promoting mobile applications. The main thing in this business is to correctly identify the communities in which you want to advertise. Groups should be thematic or entertaining and reach a wide audience. Depending on the subject of the application, age limits and interests of the audience. You can create your own community and lead it, expanding, adding interesting information or useful content.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• Accessibility
“Against”
• The cost of a post in some communities is unreasonably high
• It takes a lot of time and effort to introduce your own community
5. Press Releases
Many people consider the press release an obsolete method, but still it exists. And it is worth mentioning it. You can also do the press release yourself. The main thing here is to determine the list of publications to whom it is necessary to send. Highlight the main advantages and put it beautifully.
“For”
• Low cost of the method
• Availability of
“Cons”
• Not in line with current trends
• Not for everyone
This method is suitable only for applications that have any features that will be of interest to the user. And which ones you can hook.
6. Reviews on thematic resources
Reviews allow the user to understand whether he needs this application or not. There are tons of resources that specialize in this. It is important to understand which of them can lead more users. It is also important what quality the application itself is. Since a beautiful description will not be able to help a conventional calculator. Text reviews are accompanied by colorful screenshots and pictures.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• Long-term effect (after publication, the review remains on the resource, new users come even after a while)
• If the application is interesting to the editor, the review can be posted for free
“Cons”
• If the review will display only flaws or not all will be shown virtues
7. Reviews on youtube channels
Reviews on youtube as well as in electronic resources have a high degree of efficiency. The more interesting the application, the game, the more users download it after viewing the review. It is very important here that during the review all the pluses are shown, and the minuses are minimized.
“For”
• Wide audience reach
• 99% of the target audience (channels that specialize in game and application reviews are mostly subscribed to by those who are interested in it, exceptions are special applications whose audience should be searched on thematic channels)
• High performance
“ Against ”
• High cost on some channels
• It is important to correctly determine the resource, the channel for placement, depending on the application theme, sometimes it can be difficult
8. CPI network
CPI (cost per install) - payment for installation. CPI networks are an affiliate network, which can include thematic sites, communities on social networks, etc. The point is that the customer pays for the networks directly for unmotivated installations. CPI network takes responsibility for the quality of traffic. Initially, it is important to set a clear technical task for which installations payment will be made and for which not. The customer, if traffic does not suit him, may not pay for it, but this has its own characteristics.
“For”
• Payment for installation only
• Unmotivated traffic
“Against”
• Options for mixing motivated traffic are possible
9. Motivated traffic
Motivated traffic is the installation of an application for a fee. There are special services that help you purchase the necessary number of installations, for example CashPump. You can distribute settings by day and time. Such settings help you quickly get into the TOP.
“For”
• Low cost of traffic
• Fast getting into the TOP
“Cons”
• Outflow of users who were attracted by this method
The most popular methods from the above are:
• Motivated traffic
• Reviews on thematic resources
• Reviews on youtube channels
• Social networks
Each of the methods must be mixed with the others. Not one of the methods alone will not give the results that can be obtained by combining the efforts of several.
A symbiosis of motivated traffic and visibility on several youtube channels can give a good result. Motivated traffic will quickly lead to the TOP, thereby attracting organic installations, and reviews will attract organics, users who are the target audience of the application and are interested in it. If an outflow can be expected from motivated users, then those that came organically through reviews will balance the total number of users.
Whichever method you choose, it is important to understand what it can give you in return, what you lose and what gains. Remember about the features of the application and its theme.