Driving awareness, word of mouth and downloads for new mobile phone apps is no small endeavor. The number of mobile app innovations have exploded since Apple’s release of the iPhone, as evidenced by the more than 500,000 apps ready to be downloaded at Apple’s online App Store.
This infiltration of mobile phone apps had the team at Communiqué PR considering the different ways to generate editorial coverage and drive word of mouth for a new app in today’s competitive media landscape. What PR efforts will be most effective in encouraging people to download and use an app over others? How do you get journalists to pay attention to any app when they are being bombarded with requests to write about a host of other products and services?
At Communique PR, we believe there are five essential best practices surrounding successful PR for mobile apps:
1.Remember – differentiation is critical: According to the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), “There was a time when having an app was a press-worthy development.” Today, unless the app presents a revolutionary idea, attention should be focused on a unique aspect of an existing category.
Ask yourself some deep-thinking questions: How can you demonstrate that your application is truly different? What features or benefits does your app have that competitors don’t have?
It will be an uphill battle to market your app if you are only making incremental improvements or if you are entering a crowded category. For instance, consider the health and nutrition tracker apps. Today, there are dozens of apps such as Weight Watchers Mobile, Nutrisystem and MyFitnessPal for tracking weight, calories, exercise and more. To be successful in raising awareness and driving downloads for a new mobile weight-management application, it is vital to show how it is significantly better or different than apps already on the market.
2. Make your app newsworthy: A variety of elements determine the newsworthiness of an announcement. As we point out in an earlier blog post titled, Is Your News Really Newsworthy?, the number of people affected by a story heightens its significance.
Additionally, think about who your target audience is and ask yourself who would care about your app. This is the number one question editors and journalists ask themselves. Think through how your product will resonate with others and whether it’ll be relevant in the fast paced news world.
3. Consider marketing platforms: Marketing platform solutions such as Flurry’s AppCircle program, TapJoy and W3i integrate their clients’ apps with large user networks. Their databases focus on keeping your app ahead of competitors and in the hands of users, helping your app become profitable and popular. TapJoy claims it has more than 200 million mobile customers and W3i asserts they have successfully connected nearly 700,000,000 apps to users.
According to CNET news, breaking into the top 25 lists can dramatically increase downloads and purchases. Consider leveraging one of these platforms to reap such benefits.
4. Define metrics: Generating press associated with an app is incomplete without data. The MMA’s A Brand Marketer’s Guide to the Mobile Web and Mobile Apps claims, “Measurement should reflect the strategy of the mobile initiative goals.” Before releasing an app, establish desired performance metrics. Two possible ways to track progress are engagement and usage.
For any app on the market, a primary form of measuring engagement is the number of downloads. However, be sure to define projected usage time and desired activity. One download for example, does not confirm if a customer is using the application. Tools such as Google Analytics, Flurry and Adobe SiteCatalyst can tag usage and measure activity. A successful marketer must understand whether customers are continuing to engage with the app.
5. Anticipate the costs: Be prepared to adequately fund your program. Driving meaningful media results for an app entering an already saturated market often can be both time consuming and expensive. Financially speaking, ensure the ends will justify the means.
When strategizing marketing for a mobile app, think about these tips.
Filed under: Execution, Planning, Positioning, PR trends, Strategy, Tech Industry
1 Comment
London PR |
Your points are important, especially regarding differentiation.