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welcome. January 2015
HOW TO MARKET YOUR APP ON A
SHOESTRING BUDGET
www.bigideasmachine.com
Whilst many people assume app marke2ng begins and ends with ge7ng the media to write about an app, the reality is that it’s just a small part of a much bigger process.
The truth is that marke2ng apps may not require super-‐secret skills, but it does take huge amounts of 2me and effort -‐ something that a lot of developers simply don’t have. ‘App Marke2ng’ is a big, messy label that can cover many different areas.
We’ve tried to condense the best and most useful 2ps we’ve added to our own arsenal, so that you too can become an app marke2ng expert.
cheers! the Big Ideas Machine team
In today’s era of self-‐published mobile games and apps, success stories like Tiny Wings, Flappy Birds, Crossy Road and many others paint a roman2c picture of small bedroom coders finding untold riches armed with a simple idea and some good luck.
The truth is that breakout mega hits like Tiny Wings are incredibly rare, and that the success of an app relies largely on hard work plus a large dose of good fortune.
unfortunately, in the increasingly sophis3cated world of app marke3ng, hope no longer cons3tutes a strategy when you’re up against millions of other apps.
Just to drive home how liNle prepared most app developers are when launching their apps, a 2013 survey of over 1,000 app developers by mobile adver2sing network Appflood found that over 80% of small developers and 40% of medium and large developers had allocated $5,000 or less for marke2ng.
When apps in the most compe22ve categories such as mobile games can cost upwards of $150,000 to develop, $5,000 is a 2ny amount -‐ hugely dispropor2onate to the cost of ge7ng the app built.
Let’s be blunt -‐ there’s a huge amount of crap on the app stores, so your first aim should be to not add to it. There’s just no good reason to create a terrible app! Customers won’t want it -‐ if they try it then they’ll just give it a terrible review before uninstalling it -‐ journalists won’t even bother reviewing it, and if they do then they’ll pan it. Worst of all, you’ll be robbing yourself of the top prize -‐ app store promo2on. What most developers really want is for Apple or Google to feature them -‐ and you sure as hell aren’t going to get featured if your app is terrible.
QUALITY, QUALITY AND MORE QUALITY
Stats from app analy2cs firm Flurry clearly demonstrate the challenge of customer reten2on, which is closely linked to app quality. This chart shows the percentage of customers that con2nue using an app a^er the ini2al install. From the ini2al total of users installing the app in month zero, a^er three months only 24% of them are s2ll using the app. A^er 6 months, this percentage shrinks to 14%, and by 12 months only 4% are le^.
Research from Localy2cs found that roughly a quarter of apps were abandoned a^er a single use, and the number of apps that are opened 11 or more 2mes stands at a mere 34%.
The most important thing in defining what makes a quality app is to benchmark the compe22on. Spend some 2me looking at the category you’re going to be targe2ng, take some 2me to play around with other apps, and look around at what the users and the review sites are saying.
A problem we see 2me and 2me again is that many developers are too close to their apps and simply can’t see the wood for the trees and tell objec2vely if it’s good or not. So the first thing to do is get feedback from friends and family, and giving out beta builds via your iTunes Connect account or Hockey App will go a long way to helping you get some honest feedback.
It’s an age old cliché, but knowledge really is power
Whatever you do, don’t rely on the app stores as some kind of beta tes2ng and feedback mechanism.
Firstly the app store owners -‐ especially Apple -‐ don’t like you doing it. Secondly, never bank on ge7ng any kind of meaningful feedback from user comments; of customers that try your app, only a 2ny percentage of them will ever be bothered to leave feedback, and those that do are not going to give you any kind of quality feedback.
“Terrible app, uninstalled it immediately” accompanied by one star does nothing at all to tell you specifically why a customer uninstalled your app.
If your app is a quality one, then reviewers will actually be interested in it. Reviewers see hundreds of new apps of varying quality a week, so for every 100 apps they review it’s likely that only one or two are actually worth someone’s money.
So before you release your app into the big wide world, spend some 2me looking at the category you’re going to be launching it into, take some 2me to play around with other apps and look around at what the users and the review sites are saying about the compe22on.
If you’re able to clearly express to customers and reviewers why your app is genuinely different and why it’s worth some of their hard earned cash then you’re already one step ahead of the compe22on.
reviewers see hundreds of new apps of varying quality a week, so for every 100 apps they review it’s likely that only one or two are actually worth someone’s money”
“
Even with the best planning, there will be surprises and uncertain2es; but in such a compe22ve industry, you absolutely cannot spend 2me and money building an app without having a detailed strategy for (hopefully) success.
Research from VisionMobile has shown that fewer than 50% of developers manage to stay above the ‘app poverty line’ -‐ that is, earning more than $500 per month -‐ and a staggering 83% of the apps on Apple’s App store don’t even make it into the top 300 in a category.
These have been called ‘zombie apps’, languishing in app store purgatory, forever undiscovered and undiscoverable.
HAVE A PLAN OF HOW TO GET YOUR APP NOTICED
having an attitude of ‘if we built it, they will come’ is pretty much a guaranteed recipe for failure.”
“
build yourself a strategy checklist
What’s my social media strategy?
What’s my marke2ng strategy and 2meframe?
What’s my business model for genera2ng profit?
What’s my development/ marke2ng/adver2sing budget?
How will I reach out to the media?
What is the USP (Unique Selling Point) of my app?
How will I posi2on my app against the compe22on?
What’s my tes2ng and customer research strategy?
How am I going to pitch my app to the media?
Will my app be freemium, premium or a combina2on?
How am I going to get my video produced?
What’s my pre-‐launch hype-‐ building strategy?
How do I showcase my app to Apple and Google?
How do I fill the acquisi2on funnel?
What’s my localisa2on strategy?
What’s my update roadmap?
build yourself a strategy checklistOne way to create a strategy for your app development and launch is to create a checklist of ques2ons, and find answers to them. Here are just a few you should be considering:
wElCoMe tO ThE ApP StOrE FuNnEl
The best way to explain the fundamentals of app marke2ng is to visualise the journey that people take when they browse an app store.
Star2ng at the top of the funnel, you have the point where people first visit the store. They could be ac2vely looking for a par2cular app, or just browsing what’s new. The important point is that from this point forward, every poten2al customer for your app will make decisions that will diminish the chance of them installing and using it. The user acquisi2on funnel is a bit like a bucket full of holes, so you’ve got to minimise the leakage at every stage.
There’s no point in focusing all your efforts on just one aspect of the app store experience; success comes from the way all the stages fit together as a whole.
Different stages of the funnel can also be op2mised in different ways. For example, lots of successful app developers regularly experiment with their app store icons, or even use different icons on different stores as a kind of A/B tes2ng. Changes that deliver an improvement in discovery and engagement can then be incorporated, with each small incremental improvement adding to the overall presenta2on of the app.
The app store is a place crammed full of shiny things that will distract your poten2al customers every single second they are there. By understanding the different stages of the funnel, you can refine and monitor each point at which consumers make a decision in order to maximise the installs you generate.
The way your app is presented on the store is o^en known as ASO -‐ App Store Op2misa2on -‐ and concerns the overall impression your app creates.
Think of it in terms of a shop window display, with you wan2ng to make enough of an impact to get consumers through the door. App stores are no different; the combina2on of the look and feel of your app, plus how interes2ng, fun or useful it seems is the key to grabbing the aNen2on of people browsing yours and other developers’ apps.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT - SOME ASO TIPS
The name and icon you choose can literally make or break your app, as they are probably the main thing that people rely on when browsing. Both of these (plus the amount of stars your app has) will ul2mately govern whether a user ever clicks through and decides to take your app for a spin.
So it’s really worth taking 2me to refine your icon. Take a look atyour compe2tors as well as understand current design trends (flat versus 3D, skeuomorphic, etc). It’s also worth taking a look at Google’s material design guidelines as it will o^en prefer apps that adhere to its latest aesthe2c. When it comes to great icon design, we really like the 2ps and examples at www.pixelresort.com
NAME AND ICON
the bottom line: imperfect app names force shoppers to work harder, and that will mean fewer downloads. for all of the time you put into developing the app, isn’t the name worth the added effort?” Interbrand“
You don’t need to be a modern day Shakespeare, but ge7ng a professional to write your marke2ng copy can make a world of difference.
Think about how your app descrip2on will look on the app storeS: have you packed the biggest punch possible into your text, making the reader really want to click on ‘more’ to read on?
And don’t forget that your app descrip2on is a living thing. As you get more posi2ve reviews, more comments and add more features, you’ll want to anchor a lot of these at the beginning of the descrip2on for added impact. The app descrip2on is a sales tool for you to persuade someone to try your app, so if you can let them know that you’ve got a great review, been lucky enough to have a million downloads or have just added some new features then it can make all the difference.
APP DESCRIPTION
translate your description into English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Why? Because being in a local language increases your chance of sales“
We’re going to assume that you’ve already made an app that looks great. However, it never ceases to amaze us how many developers simply don’t do their apps jus2ce when it comes to selec2ng screenshots.
All screenshots should show your app off in the best possible light, as well as show a good breadth of content or features. If it’s a game, make sure that you’ve captured screenshots across the en2re game, and not just the first ten minutes; if there are 100 levels in the game, then show off the best looking ones.
And if you are going to be using the screenshots on the app stores, it’s useful to overlay some text that helps explain what the screenshot is showing, such as key features or the unique selling points of the app.
SCREEN - SHOTS
HOT TIP: If your game works best in landscape view, don’t worry: people will happily turn their phones on the side to look at screenshots if you upload images in landscape orientation rather than portrait.
Ensure that you use a proper keywords tool for the App Store. For iOS there are several paid ones such as Appcodes and Searchman. App Annie also has a free keywords research tool you can use. For Google Play it’s less straighporward, but the 2tle should carry a keyword, and the main app descrip2on should include words or phrases you want associated with your app when people search for it. Both Apple and Google have added the ability to include video trailers to your app page -‐ so use it! We’re constantly shocked by how many pages don’t include video. Why on earth would you be given a free promo2onal slot and ignore it? On the App Store videos are limited to 30 seconds and you can only show in-‐app footage, whereas on Google Play you can preNy much show what you want.
KEYWORDS & VIDEO
HOT TIP: If you do put a video on Google Play then use a unique link from YouTube rather than embed the video directly, as this way you can see how many unique views you are getting versus pageviews and downloads. This all helps with your conversion rate calculations.
Sadly, there’s no way to cheat this part -‐ it only comes from crea2ngan app which is good enough to mo2vate people to rate it 4 or 5 stars.
Some2mes, app updates can include bugs that get missed by tes2ng,so whenever you change or update your app, keep an eagle eye on the reviews as o^en people will be very vocal about problems -‐ and you need to fix them quickly if you don’t want your overall review score to drop.
We also see a lot of new apps that don’t have any reviews at all. Because recommenda2on and word of mouth is one of the most powerful influences on purchasing decisions, it is a common reac2on to thinkthat an app with no posi2ve reviews must not be good. A lack of reviews can create a nega2ve response, which in turn makes it even harder to encourage people to leave posi2ve reviews. You only need to reach a small but cri2cal mass of reviews before they will be shown, so encourage users of your app to leave reviews.
positive reviews
Before you approach any press with informa2on about your app it’s essen2al to understand what they are looking for -‐ otherwise your pitch has a beNer than good chance of falling on deaf ears. Luckily for you, this job is a whole lot easier since we created the first ever survey of app reviewers, and it’s free to download from our website www.bigideasmachine.com. The next few slides cover a few of the essen2al insights and 2ps.
GIVE THE MEDIA WHAT THEY WANT
journalists reject a pitch is because the sender has an ‘inability to concisely explain the app’s features in the pitch email’. You should be able to state clearly what your app is, what is does and why it’s different or unique -‐ and do it in just a few sentences.
Remember, an app reviewer will likely see hundreds of apps and be able to automa2cally benchmark yours against others that they have tried just from your ini2al pitch. If you can’t clearly and concisely explain your app and its best selling points, then you need to seriously rethink your approach.
If you’re going to approach a journalist to review your app then you’ve literally seconds in which to grab their aNen2on. Some receive up to 50app pitches a day -‐ a staggering 13,000 a year!
Unfortunately for you, over 40% of journalists we asked said they reviewed fewer than 10% of the apps they were pitched. Overall, some 70% of journalists said they write about fewer than 30% of the apps they see – giving the average app a less than one-‐in-‐ three chance of ge7ng coverage.
According to our survey, one of the main reasons
BE CLEAR & CONCISE
over 40% of journalists we asked said they reviewed fewer than 10% of the apps they were pitched”“
CLEAR CONCISE
“You have two second to impress me, so make them count. This means a strong first sentence and screens or video. Give me something to look at, and if you can’t do that, you’d better be damned sure to hook me with some well written copy that doesn’t feel desperate, apologetic, or rambly. You know why I should be covering your game, so don’t pussyfoot around.”
Jim Squires editor-in-Chief, Gamezebo
Journalists are actually real people who like to
be approached in a friendly and genuine m
anner.
You don’t need to be w
acky, preten2ous or ‘out
there’ for them to respond to you.
Just be yourself, write a clear and concise pitch,
and you will increase your chances of th
em
responding. Don’t just cut and paste a press
release, actually take some 2me to say w
hy the
app is worth a look via a few bullet points.
We can’t stress enough how important it is foryou to send the right pitch to the right website. In our survey, almost 60% said that the main reason they reject an app for review is simply because it’s not relevant for their readership.
There’s no point sending generic emails to every journalist you can find in the hope of ge7ng a response, or offering an iOS app for review to an Android site. This kind of mass spamming and irrelevance gets you nowhere. BeNer to focus on the best sites and sending personalised and tailored emails than spamming 500 busy journalists with something star2ng “to whom it may concern.”
BE RELEVANT
BE gen
uin
e
“Think about what makes your game
unique and how that could be turned
into an interesting headline.
Research the sites that you most
want to cover your game. Figure out
the perfect person on staff to cover
your game, and send it directly to
them instead of a generic address.”
Mark Brown
Editor, Pocketgamer
“Think about what makes your game
unique and how that could be turned
into an interesting headline.
Research the sites that you most
want to cover your game. Figure out
the perfect person on staff to cover
your game, and send it directly to
them instead of a generic address.”
Remember, it’s up to you to give journalists everything they need in order to review your app, and to make it as quick and easy as possible. If you have an iOS app then you may also choose to give them a promo code so they can just get the app and try it. You might want to limit alloca2ng promo codes to the top 20 reviewers as you’ll have a limited amount that you can use.
Because journalists have very liNle 2me to makea decision you can help them out by sending good screenshots of your app. Embed the screenshots in the body of the mail -‐ so they are instantly viewable, and also because emails with aNachments o^en go into spam filters -‐ and put a link to a Dropbox or Google Drive folder if you have more screens you’d like to share.
A video is essen2al to really give someone a flavour of your app. There’s no need for anything too amazing or flashy; a 30-‐60 second video on YouTube can really help them see what your app is about and if it worth reviewing. Remember to flash up some key features on the screen to guide the viewer as to the app’s unique selling points.
BE visualBE helpful
“More media is always better - Images, YouTube links, a website, animated .gifs embedded in the email (.gifs are actually a
*great* way to get attention, at least initially), etc. If they have to work to find
out what your project looks like there’s a
very good chance they simply won’t bother.” Rob Rich, Editor-in-Chief, 148 Apps
qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality
Journalists don’t like to be bugged, badgered or chased -‐ they are busy people! If you send a mail and don’t hear back, then chances are they are not interested -‐ so don’t keep emailing.
The media hate to receive mul2ple emails about your app; journalists either want to know more/review your app or will simply not saying anything. They don’t have 2me to issue polite apologies and rejec2ons.
We’ve already covered this off earlier so you preNy much get that quality is the #1 thing we tell people all the 2me. Your app has to look great, work well and do something really well or genuinely new. There are just too many other apps out there for reviewers to even consider an app that’s got bugs or hasn’t been really well designed and polished -‐ so before you pitch it, make sure you’ve got feedback from friends and colleagues, and also that you’ve benchmarked against other apps out there. You can be sure that if your app has any obvious faults, a journalist will quickly spot them.
BE
PATIENT
of apps they are pitched
40%of journalists
we polled review fewer than
more than
10%
58%of app reviewers commonly reject
apps for not being relevant;
42%because they are poorly explained
Let’s be brutally honest: ge3ng your app reviewed rarely leads directly to massive volumes of installs. Media coverage is a part of building long-‐term awareness for your app and your brand -‐ alongside social media and other marke?ng tac?cs.
spread the word
There are two different objec2ves when reaching out to the media about your app; trying to get it reviewed, and crea2ng buzz and awareness. These may sound like the same thing, but o^en it means speaking to completely different people.
And remember, you don’t have to wait un2l an app has launched to begin promo2ng it. Depending on what your app is, some2mes it’s a good idea to send out a preview pitch or press release with some screenshots a few weeks before the actual launch or even offer media the chance to preview it.
news sites & blogs There are many news sites that could feature your app. Some may be plaporm-‐specific and cover either Android or iOS apps, whilst others may target hobbies and interests outside of mobile such as movies, games, lifestyle, sports etc.
As well as general news sites, it can also be really good to target specialist blogs that may be relevant to your app.
newswires Paying to post your news on a newswire can be really good for search engine op2misa2on as well as giving your app the chance of being no2ced by journalists. Lots of sites take their news from an RSS feed direct from newswires. Some good news wires are Realwire or PRWeb and if you want an iOS specific newswire that’s very cost effec2ve then you can try prMac. GamesPress is also essen2al for games and has a free op2on to post your news.
forums Forums and sites like Reddit are a great place to get in with the grassroots of a community. If you have the 2me there are masses of special interest forums that probably 2e into your app, but beware -‐ the people who use forums can be very vocal and don’t take well to spam and hardcore marke2ng messages. Don’t go into forums and start pos2ng promo2onal messages willy-‐nilly otherwise you could receive some nasty responses from the more dedicated members of the community.
don’t forget your own marketing channels This largely applies to established businesses, but we see far too many companies create an app and forget that they have a lot of available channels they can u2lise to spread the word. Most companies have a lot of marke2ng channels including websites, TwiNer and Facebook pages, newsleNers and a plethora of other channels they can draw on to spread the word.
“Treat us like human beings. Too often, the pitching and press release process feels cold and inhuman, especially when trawling through dozens and dozens of potential games on a daily basis. If you treat us kindly and with some respect, you’ll get it in return. You’ll be more likely to get responses from us. And we’ll pay more attention to you in the future.” .”
Carter Dotson, Writer, Touch Arcade
“ ““Having a small budget (or even none) for marketing an app means that you need to get creative in many ways. You probably won’t be able to make a lot of custom artwork so try to focus on high quality screenshots....being creative also means that almost every marketing idea is a good one as long as you are able to implement it. Don’t be afraid of your unique ideas!”
Marcin Traczyk, PR Specialist, Tequila Games
realise your own potential - create some great content marketing
In fact, you can create great content for liNle or no money that helps your app get no2ced. You can then use this content to engage with customers through the many different channels at your disposal. Here’s a few examples of content that you can create to support your app launch.
If you’re a developer then you likely don’t realise that you’re si3ng on a goldmine of content which can be used for marke?ng your app.
videos Customers love videos as they are so easily diges2ble and really convey your app’s strengths. We’ve already spoken about the benefit of having a video, but there are lots of different styles and approaches, beyond the simple app trailer: making of/behind the scenes video -‐ a series looking at different aspects of your app and how it was made. If it’s a game then this could be artwork, sound, gameplay, features and more. featurettes -‐ a series of short movies looking at key facets of the app itself. These canbe 1-‐2 minutes long with a voiceover. preview and launch trailers -‐ preNy obvious really, but should be no more than one minute long. strategy videos -‐ great for games. These can be captured via screencasts from the developer with narra2on on key levels or aspects of the game, or could even be a walkthrough or 2ps and tricks to win. live twitch events -‐ Twitch can be an exci2ng way to engage with customers. Just look at the engagementBossa Studios had for their quirky 2tle Surgeon Simulator thanks to their Twitch channel.
developer diaries Customers are o^en fascinated by how an app is made and will gladly read blogs/diaries to follow progress. Why not write your own, sharing photos, video, and really ge7ng your fans involved?
artwork Customers o^en like to see concept art which you may have a lot of and can easily trickle out via social media and blog posts. Artwork made into a limited edi2on signed print is also great for compe22ons and giveaways.
guides, walkthroughs and wikis Did you know that strategy guides and walkthroughs are a major driver of traffic to game review sites? No one knows your game beNer than you, so crea2ng strategy guides or a walkthroughs can be a great way to engage with interested customers. These can be printed or video form. If you have a complex product or game then crea2ng a wiki and even involving the community in helping shape it can be a great way of both crea2ng content and also engaging with fans on a grassroots level.
“A video showing gameplay is always hugely helpful in the initial filtering process: a chance to see a game in motion with just one click and 10-20 seconds viewing can be the key to standing out in a crowded inbox.” .”
Stuart Dredge, technology reporter, The Guardian
“ ““Don’t just blindly send emails - make connections, use Twitter to connect. Talk with a few journalists whose work you like via Twitter, then once you are ready to hype your game you are more likely to get a response if they know of you. Whatever you do, make it personal. ”
Jeff ScoE, Editor, Slide to Play
get into the mindset of your customersThe more you know about your app, how it’s performing and what people are actually doing with it, then the more you can keep refining both it and your app marke2ng strategy.
There are some excellent free tools for doing this, plus Social media is also a great way to gain insight into what customers want and to engage in a dialogue.
You can also use your app store pages to invite customers to follow you on TwiNer and Facebook and to leave comments which you can respond to.
HOT TIP: Google and Apple make it easy for youto monitor your app pages. Apple offers its own app analytics via iTunes Connect, and you are already able to integrate your Google Play page with Google Analytics to understand that conversion funnel.
“Build relationships with other developers who have a user base, allowing you to do impression exchanges. Promotion in your games in exchange for promotion in theirs. Maintain an active social media presence, and a website with playable demos or browser version of your game. Distribute branded flash versions to free2play games portals – we reach 100K new users per month through other websites for free.”
Paul Collins, Managing Director, SGck Sports
““It’s obviously impossible to guarantee, but make your app remarkable in some way - make it stand out, and then somehow find a way of getting it in front of someone with a contact at the App Store or Google Play”
Charles Chapman, Director, First Touch Games
“
Once you’ve launched your app it doesn’t end there. You’re bound to have some more updates as 2me goes on, and these are great opportuni2es to keep interest in your apps fresh and aNract new customers. The hints and 2ps in this guide are just the 2p of the iceberg: promo2ng an app is not a dark art, it’s just something that requires investment of 2me and resources if it is to be done well.
The sheer volume of places that review or discuss apps is growing exponen2ally, requiring close monitoring if they are to be incorporated into a successful app promo2on program. If you factor in the emergence of more and more app stores then this can seem like an overwhelming task.
We hope that you’ve found this guide useful and if you have any ques2ons or need more help then we’ll be only too happy to lend a hand.
some parting thoughts….
promoting an app is not a dark art, it’s just something that requires investment of time and resources.” “
We are Big Ideas Machine and we love all things mobile. We market apps and games as well as help technology companies with their PR, marke?ng, social content and launch strategies.
about us
App marke2ng is one of the things we’re best at. Not only do we work with great developers old and new, but we’ve also been app developers ourselves -‐ so we really can walk the walk.
We believe that our experience and specialist knowledge around apps, mobile games and the wider app ecosystem sets us apart from other agencies -‐ and offers an effec2ve way of self-‐publishing your app.
Get in touch and find out how we can help with your PR, marke?ng or app launch.
[email protected] www.bigideasmachine.com
@bigideasmachine
