Mobile app marketing guide – ASO, PPC, Tips & Tricks

Having yourself a mobile app is one thing, having a popular, visible and used application is quite another. It’s obvious your product is the next mobile bestseller, but if you don’t put it on the market the right way, you might get unpleasantly surprised. The multitude of mobile apps and diverse competition make it hard to shine, especially without the right plan how to announce its existence to the world.

Table of contents

1. Comprehensive introduction to ASO, Google Ads and other techniques
   – App Store Optimization is first step to mobile app marketing
   – Take advantage of ASO tools
2. How to promote a mobile app with Google Ads
3. App marketing Tips & Tricks
   – Social media in mobile app marketing strategy
   – Content marketing strategy for an app
4. Conclusion

Comprehensive introduction to ASO, Google Ads and other techniques

We’d like to share a few tips & tricks on how to NOT get your app buried on the bottom of app stores and how to make it stand out or set it on a path to glory. Internet is a fickle friend, and one day your path to success may be through ASO – optimisation of your app in a store. Another day the name of the game could be Google Ads. Popularity of various marketing techniques changes with time, so it’s good to keep up with the latest. App marketing encompasses everything from ASO, through Google Ads and its’ campaigns, to social media and content marketing. Try to hire not only a development but also mobile app marketing agency at once.

App Store Optimization is first step to mobile app marketing

When putting a new app in store like Google Play, you add it to the multitude of other apps. The amount of mobile apps in stores is huge, and the chance of it being noticed and downloaded is in fact minimal. If you’re familiar with the term SEO – optimising your website so it shows up as high as possible in organic search results, then App Store Optimization is basically the same technique for mobile apps. Websites, apps – we all want to rank as high as we can.

Where to start optimization

So, your app needs a few things done to give it a good kickstart in a store. With a bit of work, you will give it a fair chance to be noticed. The apps name, description, keywords, graphics – all these influence the mobile apps position.

Start with asking yourself how your potential app users could be looking for product like yours. What keywords and phrases are most relevant? Based on that you can create a list of keywords and invent a relevant name for it. App stores usually allow at least 30 characters for app title, make sure you use them – add a short slogan to the name using some of the keywords. Next you prepare a description of the app – what it is, what it does, whom it benefits. Although the text should contain keywords and phrases, it should also be interesting and engaging to a potential user. Covering both these will ensure that you appeal to both people – users and machines  – algorithms deciding how to list search results.

The mechanisms Google and Apple use to position the apps are not fully explained. We do know which bits are important and that not all depends on the apps owner. Search ranking is influenced  by less obvious factors like: positive/negative reviews, updates, number of app downloads, installs and many others.

Take advantage of ASO tools

Professional mobile marketing agencies use sophisticated (and expensive) tools to track the positioning of your app. If you’re thinking of proper marketing for your product, it would be advisable to turn to pros, at least for the initial launch and mobile app marketing strategy. If done right this should prove a good investment in your apps success.  We prepared a list of tools that are useful:

• App Annie
• Tune
• AppTopia
• TheTool
• ASODesk
• Gummicube
• MobileAction
• AppTweak
• SearchMan
• SensorTower
• KeywordTool
• MetricsCat
• AppRankCorner
• AppFollow
• Appfigures
• TestNest
• Applyzer
• Reflection.io

Your app will be competing to be noticed from the very beginning, so you will want to do your best for its future. Since you found the perfect software house to make it, and gave it all you got to see it through to completion, now it’s time for that little extra effort to make it really shine. The moment of publishing your app is just as important as the process of creating it.

How to promote a mobile app with Google Ads

Now your app is in a store, optimized for visibility and appealing to potential users. Not satisfied yet? Of course not. You need more downloads, app users, popularity, the lot. Your app deserves to be noticed, after all it’s the best you can get.

There are many ways to get it there. App marketing strategies and product’s PR techniques vary in effectiveness, and it’s good to start with quick, reasonably priced and efficient ways of performance marketing.

You’ve probably heard about Google Ads. All the google search results tagged ‘’ad’’ are exactly that. Google Ads are used around the world and most searches will result in an ad or two on top of the list. Google Ads actually enables app promotion as one of its services. When using apps on your mobile device you often see ads of other products (apps, games etc..) within the tool you’re using.

Google Ads allows you to create an advertising campaign promoting your app. It’s easy to set up, inexpensive and designed to target your potential customers. All you need is relevant content, campaign name, assign budget, duration and area of visibility and voila, your campaign is ready. Now you can sit back and enjoy the influx of new users of your app.

App marketing Tips & Tricks

To become popular in this day and age, an ad campaign and a nice description of your mobile app is not enough. Getting through to today’s generation of target users is all about connecting, establishing a relation. It’s not just about a product. It’s about the story that brings people together. The more people you engage in your idea, the better the chance they will share their feelings about what you’re offering. The better you communicate with them and address their feedback, the more they will feel like a part of something rather than customers among the aisles.

Social media in mobile app marketing strategy

Make your product visible and alive in social media. Talk about it, answer questions, address negative feedback and admit your mistakes, be authentic. Rather than deleting negative comments, which never really works, use them to adjust your product and show the users that their feedback is important and valuable. Make them part of the story. People who feel they belong are the best advertisers you can find. Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool.

The world of marketing changes quickly and if you don’t take good care of your users’ needs , they’re just clicks away from turning to your competition. You must strive to stand out, find your own way, be part of the community you target. All this will be hard to achieve without a solid product and strategy.

Content marketing strategy for an app

Content marketing is another way to go. Interesting articles and stories published on your app’s dedicated website, that make you stand out from competition will work in your favor. Same goes to publishing in popular external portal and forums. If your content is valuable they will promote your mobile app to a much wider audience than your own site. Popular portals’ exposure is much greater than that of new dedicated websites’.

Conclusion

If you have any doubts or run into difficulties – consider consulting a mobile marketing specialist. If you’re unsure of a process, or just lack inspiration to create good content – there are professionals to advise or simply do it for you (and for money). Most importantly – don’t give up! If you know you’re product is good and you believe in it, make sure you communicate it like that. It’s not exactly an easy road, but the satisfaction when looking at the effects of your hard work is priceless.

Make your app shine!
Be visible – put your app out there!