6 Tips To Market Your App For FREE In 2019

More than 2.8B people are predicted to own a smartphone by 2020. Apps are being released on the App Store or Google Play Store every single day and this growth is showing no signs of slowing down.

However, all of this competition makes it difficult to get apps downloaded. Not all app companies will have a huge marketing budget so it’s vital to make the most out of the resources available.

Here are 6 tips to market your app for free in 2019.

1. Know Your Demographic

This app marketing tip is short but essential.

Users are critical to app businesses. Without them, it’s impossible to make money from your app, regardless of how well it actually works.

Dedicate a lot of your time to getting to know your target demographic. Some of the key metrics you must know about your customers are their:

• Age
• Location
• Online behavior

You must also know the type of content your target audience responds to best. It should aim to attract their attention and inspire them to take action.

2. Make Sure you Prepare for Viral Growth During the app Development Phase

According to ComboApp, the most meaningful mobile app strategies actually occur during the development phase. At this stage, there are a bunch of clever strategies you can deploy at a code level to ensure the app will become viral when you actually start getting users down the line.

For example, Apple’s App Store has an option to pre-order apps, so if you’re planning to launch the app, say in three months’ time, people can still download it. Then, when you do finally launch, the app will automatically be downloaded onto the user’s device. Pre-ordered downloads provide great opening week download figures, giving you a boost in the app store’s rankings. We will talk more about other ways to rank in an app store shortly.

Secondly, you should enable pop-ups within your app which can be invoked every time you have an update (in effect, forcing users to update to the latest version or else they cannot continue using your app). The reality is that once you launch an app, you will learn a LOT from your users and make changes to the app, and re-deploy. But users are horrible at keeping their apps up to date, especially on iOS. So having this feature enabled will help ensure users know you’ve made improvements based on their feedback and force everyone to be on the latest version of the app.

Third, you should consider creating a native pop-up to encourage users to rate the app. App ratings are crucial to getting more people interested in your app. But if you don’t develop a way to encourage app reviews before launch, you’re going to miss out on turning your app into a viral product.

3. App Store Optimization (ASO)

App store optimization (ASO) is about increasing your app’s visibility for each of the two main app stores (App Store and Google Play). Both rank relevant and popular apps at the top of search queries. As an app developer, you want to be one of those top-ranked apps.

First, you need to select keywords that best describe your app. This will help app stores categorize them correctly. The more relevant the keyword, the higher you will rank. Your app must also contain high-quality images and videos designed to attract new downloads.

Ensure that the app has been thoroughly tested for bugs. As crazy as it sounds, there are a lot of apps that are unfinished and full of bugs and glitches. If your app works well, it will rank high.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on Your App’s Site

Search engines like Google aim to provide users with the most relevant content based on the keywords they search for. Search engine optimization (SEO) is about creating high-quality content for Google to rank, bringing in more leads and sales.

Many app owners focus all their effort on building their mobile app and mistakenly think users will simply come and use it when it’s life. But the reality is that any app is doomed to fail if it doesn’t generate enough buzz after launch. In addition, users search for apps like yours every day online without even knowing the name of their product.

This means one simple thing. Every app owner should consider building a website to market and promote their app. Why? Because your app store listing cannot rank in Google. So, according to Digital Authority Partners, if you want people to find your app organically, you need to rank for the search terms your future users will search online.  

For app developers, your website should focus on directing website traffic to your app’s download page in app stores. To climb Google’s rankings, there is one free marketing tactic you must take advantage of link-building.

Building links on other websites that redirect back to your own creates authority in your industry. Google likes to display authoritative content and will rank your app high on its results pages. Ensure your anchor text is well-written and linked back to the keyword you want to be ranked for. Guest posts, infographics, and interviews are examples of link-worthy and shareable content.

Also ensure that your site’s meta description and metadata, including alt tags, are relevant to the website and page respectively. Remove any broken links and install page redirects to any pages that have had their URL changed. You can find plugins for free that will do this for you.

Here’s a tangible example: AIVA is an artificial intelligence social app that allows users to match with other users to go on dates, network, or attend events. Their website talks about the app concept, how it works, the founders, and more. This is exactly why EVERY app maker should consider investing in a web presence.

5. Content Marketing

This next free app marketing tip is to utilize content marketing. Content marketing provides valuable information to your viewers to increase brand awareness, authority, and trust within your industry. 

Create at least one of the following types of content:

• Articles and blog posts
• Videos and podcasts
• Newsletters
• PDF downloads such as eBooks

Content marketing is one of the most effective free marketing strategies around, with 60% of all marketers creating at least one piece of content a day. Content also lets you frequently engage with your potential app users and enhance your business’s trustworthiness.

Always include call-to-actions in content that involve your app to encourage more downloads. Share content across your social platforms. This increases the chances of being picked up by journalists, influencers, and media outlets for further exposure.

6. Influencer Marketing

The final way to market an app in 2019 is by influencer marketing. It’s a technique that uses the relationship between authoritative figures in a particular industry and their audience. When trusted figures vouch for your app, the results can be much more effective than regular social shares.

When it comes to choosing an influencer, don’t get too caught up in the number of followers they have. What’s more important is how the audience engages with the influencer. Someone with 1K dedicated followers is far more valuable to you than someone with 10K non-responsive followers.

Ensure that you engage with their audience and with the influencers themselves to show that you are an active member of the community. They will be far more likely to do business with you if they actually know you.