10 Ways to Market Your Mobile App Without Spending Money

Imagine you’ve developed the world’s greatest mobile app. Without a doubt, it is the most amazing app that the world has ever seen. If people use this app, it will make their lives simpler, easier, and better. However, no one knows about your app. So how do you spread the word about the world’s greatest mobile app?

The easy answer is marketing and advertising. Yet these activities take a fair amount of expertise. Not only that, but they can also be expensive. Especially if your app is so revolutionary that it could create new markets or radically alter existing markets. So, how do you get the promotional support your app needs, if you’re a marketing amateur with limited financial resources?

I talked to several app marketing and app development companies and came up with tips to market apps. So based on our experience, here are 10 Ways to Market Your Mobile App.

1. Identify Your App’s Targeted Users

The very first step is figuring out who your targeted users are. Single young adults? Teenagers? Urbanites? Wine lovers? Farmers? By identifying the app’s targeted users, you can more easily identify things like:

●     the promotional messages

●     the best places to target your marketing

Because mobile apps are marketed almost exclusively to a digital audience, this makes do-it-yourself marketing much easier. And it allows you to take advantage of low-cost marketing or free techniques.

2. Launch an SEO-Optimized WordPress Website

Having an attractive, user-friendly, mobile-friendly website is a necessity. Thankfully, starting a website has never been easier. Anyone can create a website without knowing a single line of code. So, before launching your app, build a website which will become your app’s marketing and promotional base. By using WordPress along with a free or low-cost site template, you can create a great website. The main things to include are:

●     Photos and screenshots of your app

●     Descriptions of your app

●     News and other information about the app

Since WordPress is basically a blogging platform, use the blog function to keep people informed and to promote your app. Also, link to other blogs that your targeted users may read. On top of that, make sure to optimize your site for keywords, headings, page names, photos names, etc. If you’re not in the know about these specific things, there Google has many resources in its business section. Or, you can call us with questions, and we’ll be more than happy to chat with you.

3. Market on Twitter

Like Facebook, a free Twitter page can showcase your app. What’s more, Twitter is a great tool for identifying and connecting with a particular audience (or audiences) via hashtags. If you’re not familiar with hashtags, they are words or phrases preceded by the ‘#’ symbol (the hash or pound sign). Hashtags are a handy way for Twitter users to find info on specific topics and subjects. For example, if you are building an app related to pregnancy, you should use the hashtag related to pregnancy, healthcare and make your tweets. It can allow allow pregnant moms to view your tweets, you can also follow and message people who are tweeting with the same hash tag. It is a good way to market to targeted audience.

4. Promote on Facebook

Around the world, there are 2.38 billion Facebook users. Of course, you don’t need to reach all of them. But odds are, you want to reach as many people as you can. So why not start on Facebook? When used properly, the world’s largest social network can be a promotional tool, a community-building tool, and a customer relationship tool.

Creating a Facebook page for your app is free. Once created, link it to your website. On the page, post info about the app, news, updates, and other interesting tidbits. Use quizzes and polls to encourage interaction. Then, as people visit your page, ask them to ‘like’ your page. At the same time, you can pay to create Facebook ads. As your group of followers grows, use paid targeted ads and promotions to highlight important news or product updates.

Keep in mind that genuine, authentic content is best. Don’t look for fake ‘likes’ or post misleading claims about your app. Be real and be interactive. Lastly, don’t overwhelm people with information — it’s too easy for someone to ‘unlike’ or ‘unfollow’ your page.

5. Spread Message on Linkedin

One of the best ways to connect with professionals, entrepreneurs, and companies is through LinkedIn. By using this platform, you can target specific companies, organizations, students, and professionals. Furthermore, Linkedin also has Groups and Forums. Joining these lets you discover industry professionals and companies related to your mobile app. Groups on Linkedin are really helpful, you can easily make a post, image or even write about your App. You can also connect with professionals who have have interest in the are related to your app.

6. YouTube/Video Marketing

It’s no secret that people enjoy watching videos. In fact, if given the choice, many people will watch a video rather than read an article. Exploit this love of videos with promotional YouTube clips for your app. These days, you can make high-quality on your mobile device. What’s more, creating a YouTube account and posting videos is free. On the other hand, you can also hire pros to create promotional videos for your app.

With a few good YouTube videos, you can generate interest and buzz about your app. Also, your videos’ names and descriptions can help boost search engine traffic for your app. Be sure to refer to specific problems your app solve and its features. For example, if you create a new calendar app, the video title could be: New Calendar App Makes Life Easier. Whatever titles and descriptions you use, make sure to be specific.

7. Press Releases

Across the business landscape, press releases are a major way for companies and organizations to distribute news. Getting a well-written press release published will get your product in front of your targeted users. And it will help drive traffic to your website and improve search engine performance.

Start by writing a press release about your app which highlights its features and benefits as well as your business/company. As a rule, press releases shouldn’t be overly promotional. Instead of being an ad for your app, a press release should be factual and informative.

Once you’ve written the press release, send it to press release websites or various news sites. Some PR websites distribute press releases for free while some will charge a fee. A few of the more popular free sites are Newsbox, Pressreleaser, PRLog, Bignews, Pressbox, and Openpr. Other sites like PRweb and Newswire, charge a fee to publish press release (typically $100 — $500).

In addition, many news publications and websites want relevant content (not to mention free content) to publish. So send your press release to industry-specific newspapers, trade magazines, and websites. However, before sending your press release out, be sure it is well-written, mistake-free, and ready to publish.

8. Creative Visual Ideas

In addition to words and videos, creative graphics can showcase your app. Illustrations, inspirational images, infographics, or other creative devices grab people’s attention. Brainstorm for ideas that will connect and resonate with your targeted users.

After you create a graphic, post it on sites like Instagram and Pinterest. Although there’s no guarantee that your images and graphics will strike a chord with people, maybe you’ll get lucky and ‘go viral!’

9. List Your App on Listing Directories

App Listing Directories are another way to get your app in front of people. There are several directories where you can submit your app details to App.net, Hootsuite, Slack, and others. Once you find a few of these directories, submit details about your app (category, platform support, services, reviews, and more). Before submitting your app’s info, consult the directory’s terms and conditions to ensure it suits your app.

10. Solicit Users Reviews

Without a doubt, a product’s success often hinges on reviews. Great reviews can propel a product into the stratosphere while bad reviews can bury it. As people download and use your app, ask for honest reviews and rankings. In general, positive reviews helps to attract new users and boost app downloads. Yet don’t worry too much about negative reviews — use them to improve your app, fix bugs, and improve your customer service.

Get the Word Out About Your App!

Think you’ve got the world’s next biggest mobile app? Get the word out! Use these 10 Ways to Market Your Mobile App to let the world know how great it is!