Apps have fast become an essential aspect driving small business growth, and reports show that nearly half of all businesses now have an app, with one third planning to invest in app development in the future in a bid to meet evolving customer need and expectation. However, it’s important to remember that app development is only the first stage in incorporating mobile technology into your business model. Simply having a business app won’t automatically bring benefits… it’s what you do with it that counts.
Business app promotion
For a business app to bring value, it is imperative that clients are onboard, and the starting point for achieving this is promoting the app and getting it in front of the right eyes, at the right time. Of course, this isn’t such a big deal for major corporations, but it is something that can prove to be challenging for small businesses with limited budgets.
So just how can businesses promote an app on a limited budget?
The solution is to meet your audience where they are: on mobile. If you’re promoting a mobile app, it makes sense to use mobile channels as a way to not only advertise your app but also significantly increase click through rates and the number of downloads.
1. Email
59% of all emails are opened on mobile devices; more than the amount opened on desktop or on webmail clients. This makes email one of the best ways to reach your audience and introduce your new app. Email communications may be a more traditional way of doing things, but they’re also remarkably low cost and offer an efficient, budget-friendly way of targeting all customer segments simultaneously.
2. Social media accounts
Again, mobile is the preferred choice for social media, and it has been reported that social media use through mobile has surpassed desktop usage for the first time. Social media can be a very low cost method of promotion, utilising channels that already play a role in your marketing campaigns. To keep the costs down, it is recommended to share the same message through multiple networks, which also retains consistency.
3. Website content
It’s well worth conducting an analysis of your site traffic to determine what percentage of visits come from mobile. If you’re receiving a significant portion of mobile traffic, your website can be an excellent place to promote an app, directing this traffic to the appropriate app store and download page. Creation of optimised content introducing your app, exploring the benefits, and demonstrating how to use can be very effective.
4. Guest posting
If you’re already working with an in-house or outsourced content writing team creating articles and blog posts for your own website, then it can be very cost effective to utilise these existing sources further to identify guest posting opportunities and generate new content for alternative websites. Guest posting enables you to expand your reach beyond your own audience pool, getting your app in front of more potential users.
5. App store optimisation
When creating promotional content for your own website, or for guest posting opportunities, optimisation is essential, yet many businesses overlook this aspect when creating content for the relevant app stores. It’s important not to let your app become lost amongst competing apps. Instead, incorporate keywords, produce descriptive text, and add clear images to make your app visible in its category and boost awareness.
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂