In the third quarter of 2020 alone, Statista estimated there were over 36 billion app downloads across the global app stores. The fierce competition in the mobile app marketplace calls for an innovative approach to marketing and promotion.
Whether you’re planning your first launch or you’re looking to boost the number of downloads of an already-live mobile app, it’s important to take the right steps to encourage users to install your digital product.
Continue reading to discover a few promotion techniques to successfully boost your app downloads.
Create an App Icon That’s Instantly Recognisable
Considering the design of your app icon is key. Ensuring the mobile app icon is both eye-catching and instantly recognisable is an easy way to increase app downloads. Often, the icon is one of the first (if not the first) elements that attract a user.
Your app icon should reflect the app’s purpose or function coupled with appropriate design, brand imagery, and colours.
Continually Focus on Your User Base as it Changes and Grows
Mobile apps should never be seen as a one and done, but instead an ongoing development process that requires maintenance. Your mobile app should continue to solve your user’s problem, even as those problems change.
Over time, developers, or your users, might come up with different ways to expand your system functionalities or suggest new features to further ‘perfect’ the app. Continually developing your app will help to expand your user base and boost the number of downloads.
Promote Your App on Social Media
Another essential part of promoting a mobile app involves increasing your brand awareness. Be sure to cultivate a strong online presence across social media platforms. Alternatively, consider running a PR campaign to reach a variety of audiences on a local level.
Social media marketing doesn’t just involve announcing your app launch, upgrades and promotions. Instead, maximise reach by focusing your strategy on building an online persona aligned to your business values.
Create online campaigns that target your intended audience as well as potential users who may have interests that relate to your app’s purpose. Consistently use a tone that reflects your business and your app to attract the audience demographic that your app is intended for.
Show Images of Your App in Use
We’ve already mentioned how many mobile apps there are out there (the Apple store has almost 2 million apps alone!) . With all the options available, it can be easy for your customers to feel overwhelmed or miss your app altogether.
Include images of your app in use to show your users how it will be valuable to them. Go beyond just surface level interface images. Demonstrate to your users how your app works, highlight different use cases, and above all show how easy it is for everyone to use and access.
Create a Demo Video
As well as images that show users the value of your mobile app, consider creating short demo videos to highlight the key features. Demonstrations of your mobile app’s functionality shouldn’t be long or time-consuming for your audience. Give users a taste that sparks enough interest to encourage people to download.
At the end of your demo video, make sure to include a call to action where users can either download your app or find out more about specific functionalities.
Optimise Your New App for App Stores (ASO)
App store optimisation is an important technical step in improving your mobile app’s discoverability.
In short, ASO is needed to boost your app’s visibility and raise its rank in the marketplace. The higher your app ranks in app store search results, the more users will be able to find and then download your app.
Key Factors that Affect ASO
- The number of downloads your mobile app already has.
- Backlinks to relevant pages and targeted keywords in your app’s title and description in your app store page can influence your app’s ranking.
- User engagement and the total number of times users open your mobile app impact your app’s in-store performance.
- A higher retention rate of users impacts your app’s rank in an app store.
How to Optimise Your App for App Stores
Concise and catchy titles are always best, but your mobile app’s title and descriptions should also include language that allows your users to find your app. Include relevant keywords within the description, but avoid stuffing.
On top of that, the title and description must truly reflect the app’s purpose and exhibit all functions in a way that’s easy for your users to understand. Not only does clear language and images distinguish your app from your competitors, but it’s one of the ways to increase downloads.
Finally, the more positive reviews you gather, the higher number of downloads your app will receive. Positive social proof allows your mobile app to build trust and credibility among users.
Promote Referral Programs for Your App
In-app or promotional social media referral programs can be a powerful tool to encourage mobile app downloads. In fact, referral programs can be a great way to reach new customers, and convert them quickly. According to HubSpot, 71% of people are more likely to purchase when referred by social media.
Focusing on referring new users to your mobile app through social media promotion can help you increase user installs quickly, and will help in generating engagement.
Ask Your Existing Users for Reviews
Getting positive feedback almost always generates more app installs. Where app store algorithms are concerned, positive feedback doesn’t increase your app rankings, but it does boost credibility among users.
Mobile app users count on other app users’ opinions before installing an app. If you have negative, or even no, feedback, users may be discouraged from giving your app a chance. It’s best to motivate users to rate & review your app positively by sending push notifications at an appropriate time.
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