App Marketing Guide For Startups And Small Businesses Launching A New App

You have an idea for an app that you think could do well in the marketplace. But how will you know if your app idea will go viral—or fall flat? 

Marketing your idea for a new app is the key to understanding how it will be welcomed by users. By gathering information, you can further develop your idea so that by the time you launch, you’ll know you’re creating an app more likely to work. 

Read on for marketing tips for launching a new app. 

Work With ASO For Keywords 

Making a successful app relies heavily on app search optimization or ASO. You’ll want to optimize your app’s name, title, and subtitle to reach your most high-value clients, i.e., the people who are most likely to purchase your app’s highest offer. 

Think about who these people are and what they would be searching for to find an app like yours. Come up with 5-10 potential keyword phrases and put them in the App Store and Google Play to see what kind of apps come up. If you think yours fits—and stands out as a top contender among the competition—then you’ve got yourself a good idea. 

A/B Test Your Way To Success

With those keywords in mind, you can begin A/B testing these keyword phrases to see which ones your ideal audience is engaging with the most. Using your two best keyword phrases, utilize your list to send out information about your potential idea to see how it will be received. 

Learn About Customers 

In order to make sure your idea is spot on, you have to learn about the customers you’re trying to reach. Target market research is an effective tool to identify who your customers are and what they want out of an app like yours. 

For example, at Zutobi we researched common struggles that driving students faced and used that information to design an app that makes studying easier. After realizing many students had a hard time retaining the rules of the road, we developed some practice questions that made the information easier to understand and remember.

It also helps to think about the problem your app is solving or the different ways it will make your customer’s lives easier or more enjoyable. 

Look For Incentives 

Incentives are excellent tools for getting customers to promote your app. You can offer freebies, giveaways, or discounts in exchange for the user sharing the app on their social media accounts or even referring a friend to sign up. 

Incentives in your app can also motivate people to keep coming back and using the app. For example, you can offer prizes or giveaways for using the app a certain number of days a row. You could also set up push notifications that encourage users to log in and use the app. 

When creating incentives, think about the overall goal the customer has and the problem they’re trying to solve with your app. Use that end goal to create little incentives that keep them on track to getting closer to what they ultimately want. 

Learn About Marketing

When launching an app, it helps to have a better understanding of the basics of marketing. Spend some time reading books and articles, watching videos, and taking courses to learn the things that motivate people to buy—and how you can tap into them. 

Don’t Develop What YOU Want

It seems counterintuitive as you’re the one creating the app, but an app’s success relies solely on how many people download and use it. So don’t develop an app that you want to develop. Develop an app that your customers want. 

That simple mindset shift can save you from launching an app that will surely flop because not enough people are interested. 

Develop An App That Can Handle Growth

While the beginning stages of app launching are focused on the initial reaction and interest, it’s also important to think long term. You don’t have to have a five-year plan or all the details ironed out, but your app should have the possibility of growth. 

This means the ability to add new services or features, develop off-shoots of the initial idea, and handle a large number of users. 

Provide Value

This is the most important key in app development. People are busy, and they’re less and less available for anything that wastes their time. So if you want your app to succeed, you’ve got to make sure that you’re providing real value. 

Real value is considered something that A) makes people money, B) saves people time, or C) improves an area of their life in some way. So if your app doesn’t do one of those things, it might be time to close the book on that idea and brainstorm something new. For instance, we made sure that the information we presented to our audience was valuable and helpful to them as they studied for their learners test. 

And as your app develops and grows, make sure that you’re continuing to think of new ways to bring your customers value. That’s how you’ll hold their interest and engagement in the long run. 

Have Fun Along The Way

And finally, remember that the process of bringing ideas to reality is supposed to be a fun one. So while it’s important to hammer out your idea and make sure it’s worth pursuing, it’s just as crucial to make sure that you’re enjoying the ride. Otherwise, why do it?

Tim Waldenback is the co-founder of Zutobi Drivers Ed, a gamified e-learning platform focused on online drivers education to help teens get their license.