How to Promote an App: the List of 10 Steps to Take

People use apps frequently. Businesses can benefit from this process. We have already told you about this, as well. This is the blog post for those who have already built an app and are ready to introduce it to the world via the most popular platforms, or otherwise.

No app development starts today without a proper business analysis. So there is at least some rough idea on how to promote an app. You’ve marketed the app to the target audience, but there is still a decent chance that it will get lost among the competitors.

You’re up to showing an app to the end-users and explaining to them why they can’t live without it, and how it is beneficial to them.

Such a simple action would require immense effort nonetheless. To make it easier for you, we decided to list up a number of actions about how to promote an app. They will help you introduce your app to the world more efficiently.

We could’ve named at least one of the sections of this blog post “How to promote an app on social media” as these days this is the most demanded way of making your application possible, but we decided to give some general pieces of advice independently.

The list is in no specific order. That way, you can grasp a random idea and try incorporating it into your marketing strategy (we sincerely hope that you have one up and running).

How to promote a new medical app: first steps

Study and talk to your prospective users. Find out their pain points you are going to solve with your app. This will give you the confidence about your next steps and the whole development process.

In return, you can provide the users with access to the beta version or discounts they can use after the app release. This is how you can start marketing your app even before it is released.

HBO series “Silicon Valley” has a perfect example of some apps not getting the right audience to use their apps: at some point, only 12-year-old girls using what was meant to be a tool for serious software engineers.

ASO is a must

ASO is an app promotion in App Store and Google Play. Here, like in SEO, the main focus is on keywords, relevance, and descriptions. Your app description is important because it will bring you users that search for the apps like yours. Nielsen states that 63 percent of smartphone users used to search in the app stores to find new apps.

This direction evolves. There are more new tools for app visibility. Features (Stories in App Store) create a great level of visibility. Spots for “features” are limited, and you have to persuade editorial teams to pick your app.

However, it is real if your app is bug-free and uses the latest technologies. It also must have great user metrics and should fit into a topic that the editorial teams want to emphasize.

If you get into top charts that present the most popular or most successful apps in general or in a specific category.
A lot of downloads or enormous revenues are necessary. In short, the rich get rich.

Your app might get into search results for relevant keywords. Search is the easiest way to generate visibility. You neither need a track record of success nor are you dependent on the editorial teams’ goodwill. All you need is knowing and using algorithms — or partnering with an SEO agency — to get visible there.

Learn your target audience’s interests

Define what troubles your app shoots and in what cases your prospect users may need it. This will give you an idea about how they will search for your app as a solution. After that, you can gather a number of keywords you can promote your app for in Google Search and Display networks. ASO, SEO works here, too.

The link to our app can appear on the Google search result page for the keyword “best apps for reviews”.

In such a way, you will learn your target audience even better and find the resources your future users mostly read. These ones are the perfect places to get exposure.

Try using bloggers and influencers

After you determined the relevant resources, reach out their owners. Tell them how your app is going to improve specific industries. Who knows, maybe they will not only write a review about your product but will become your loyal users.

Influencers are another channel of your app promotion. Influencers, or in other words top-minders, are mostly bloggers who have a wide audience and can influence its engagement and buying decisions.

Reviews and word of mouth are perhaps the most powerful ways to attract more users. The influencer’s review is a great way to start generating more and more of reviews.

Use inner channels and testimonials

Do not forget about the inner channels you can use to get more users. Let them know about your app through the website and the official company’s blog.

Your users will get to know that you care about them and want to make communication with them even more convenient.

Remember about app review sites. They have quite impressive numbers of monthly visitors. Consider them as another resource of future users:

Our list is even more extensive — contact us to get the complete one.

Apply for awards

We are more than sure that you believe in your app and consider it as one of the market leaders, or the only one. Why not prove that? Apply for the Awards for the best UI, UX, or app billing solution.

If you are on the list, it is another newsworthy event to tell everybody about.

Encourage your users

People need encouragement to become app users. Offer special discounts and deals for those who installed the app. This does work well for the installs, however, it can’t make your users stay. Be useful, and they’ll love you.

Get your medical app socialized

Don’t be shy, be social. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter are extremely efficient when it comes to app promotion. App advertising in these social networks will boost user engagement.

These ten steps need a lot of time and effort, but they will help your future users find your app.

Conclusion

What is the most important point among all the listed above? Always listen to your current users. They can provide tremendous insights.

Some might share a similar story, and you might just find the most lucrative marketing channel within your current user base.

AboutAndrei Kasyanau

As CEO at Glorium Technologies, I help tech startups bolster their teams with agile product development services on demand. Our custom development can reduce time to market by up to 30% with 40% in savings compared to in-house teams.