kinvey how to market your ios app

8/19/2019 Kinvey How to Market your iOS App

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How to

Market Your iOS App:THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO

APP STORE SUCCESS

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Table of Contents

Introduction

The FundamentalsA quality app: The path to getting featured by Apple

Pre-launch Hype: Success starts early

Push: The importance of media and how to get coverage

2

4

7

10

14

Optimize: Prepping for the App Store “shelves”20

Final Thoughts25


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Introduction

1

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There's something special about building a product that can be used

by over 500 million people across the world.

When creating an iPhone or iPad application, it is your opportunity to

do just that – reach a massive customer base that only continues togrow. However, where opportunity exists, competition soon follows,

and the Apple App Store is no exception.

As of September 2012, there were over 700,000 iPhone and iPad apps

in the App Store. This is an astounding number considering there were

just 500 apps when the App Store opened in 2008. In fact, it's

estimated that the App Store

Review Team receives over 1,000app submissions daily. More-

over, 90 percent of the apps in

the Apple App Store are down-

loaded each month.

Of course, that 90 percent figure

includes many apps that are

downloaded very few times. A

single download doesn't make a

business, nor does it mean

success. So how can developers

market their apps to reach more potential customers?

While there’s no universal formula behind a “hit” app, there are proven

techniques that increase the odds of an app being successful. Just lookat mobile developers like tap tap tap and Real Mac Software –

they've been able to turn out multiple App Store “hits” because they

not only build compelling apps, but they also know how to expose

them to a wide audience.

This book will detail many proven app-marketing techniques to help

you get your app the attention it deserves.

2HOW TO MARKET YOUR iOS APP: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO APP STORE SUCCESS

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The Fundamentals

2



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4

The app store isn’t your only marketing channel. Seeing your app

in the App Store may be an awesome feeling, but just because it’s

there, doesn't mean that anyone else will discover it. You should not

rely on the App Store to be the sole driver of traffic to your app.

Successful apps, like most successful products, require a mix ofmarketing channels – a combination that reaches an audience wide

enough to give your app the exposure it needs to build and sustain

momentum.

Building a website, conducting

email marketing, and leveraging

social media channels to funnel

prospective customers to your AppStore listing are important compo-

nents in mobile marketing. Hoping

to be found, on the other hand,

isn’t a viable strategy.

Start early and get ahead.

Building interest in your app should

begin the moment you come up

with a viable idea for the product. Don't wait until you're in the App

Store to come up with a promotional plan. Instead parallel track your

vision for how the app will get built and how it will get discovered.

Creating an app is a journey, and every app is competing for limited

“real estate” in the App Store and on the user’s device. The App Store

Charts showcase only what Apple thinks will sell. Familiarizing yourselfwith Apple’s preferences ahead of time will give you the best chance at

separating yourself from the hundreds of thousands of other apps

vying for the consumers’ attention.

Invest in quality design. Design is key to App Store success. This

doesn't just mean how the app looks, but also how it functions.

If you look through the top apps in each category, the majority have a

carefully executed UX – one designed to help users understand whatthe app does and how easy it is to do it.

HOW TO MARKET YOUR iOS APP: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO APP STORE SUCCESS



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A Quality App:The Path to Getting

Featured by Apple

3



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The best marketing begins with a

high quality product. Apple is

ultimately a meritocracy. If your

app is poor, it's unlikely that it will

be a “hit.” Crafting a quality app ischallenging, but when you make

an awesome product, marketing

begins to fall into place.

Keep it simple. Shoot to build an

app that solves a specific problem

in an efficient and beautiful way.

It may seem like there's an app foreverything, but there is room for major improvements in certain

categories. For instance, there were over 6,000 to-do list apps in the

App Store before Clear came along and grabbed the lion's share of

attention in the category.

What did Clear do right? It turned a rote to-do list into something fun.

It overwhelmed the market with simplicity. Partly because of Clear's

intuitive design, the app was also featured by Apple and jumped to the

top of the App Store charts.

What's your edge? Identify your app’s “unfair advantage” early. How

will it differ from similar apps? Does it have a killer feature? A radically

different UX? Is integration its “secret sauce”? Whatever it is, build that

utility first and cut features that distract from your advantage. “More”

isn’t necessarily better when it comes to mobile apps. Allegedly,Tumblr CEO David Karp requires that for every feature added one

must be removed. He understands that “feature creep” often corrodes

the user’s experience.

When Instagram first started, it was a location-based social network

packed with a whole bunch of features. As a result, the app didn't take

off the way the company wanted it to. Yet when they pared it down to

its core – making it simple to create and share beautiful photos –Instagram took off.

The value Instagram provided – making everyone feel like a photogra-

pher – was what attracted their initial customer base. This led to more


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear/id493136154?mt=8https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear/id493136154?mt=8https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear/id493136154?mt=8http://www.kinvey.com/https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear/id493136154?mt=8


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photos being created, and ultimately the opportunity for a full-blown

social network revolving around photos to be born.

Focus on the core utility that your app provides to your customers first

and keep your feature set to a minimum.

Invest in good design. There's no question that design is a core pillar

to App Store success. Apple is synonymous with exceptional design

and it is a huge part of what has made the company one of the most

profitable organizations in the world. Keep in mind that good design is

more than interface deep. Good design permeates all levels of an app.

As Steve Jobs said, "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like.

Design is how it works."

In other words, allocate a large portion

of your time to get the flow, signup

steps, and transitions right for each

screen in your app. Ensure that it's

crystal clear for your customers to

understand what they should do next.

If you have a background in mobile

design, awesome. If not, consider

investing in a professional mobile

designer. It may be an up-front

expense, but the return on quality

design is significant.

Getting featured. One way to increase your app’s chances of being

featured in the App Store is for it to use elements from Apple's latest

OS and/or hardware releases. Featuring apps that have integrated

with Apple's most recent OS or hardware is in the company’s best

interest. For instance, when Apple released iCloud, apps that

integrated with Apple’s personal cloud service enjoyed special atten-

tion. Stay informed on Apple’s latest updates and consider making use

of them in your app.

click to tweet

“Design is not just

what it looks and

feels like. Design is

how it works.” –Steve Jobs


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Pre-Launch Hype:Success Starts Early

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Think about how Mailbox launched.

The app achieved months of hype

created through multiple marketing

channels: social media, blogger

previews, even a dose of gamifica-tion (pre-registrants were told how

many people were in front of them

and behind them “in line” for the

download). Mailbox proved you don’t

need an Apple-like budget to create

an Apple-like launch. You need a

great product, a multi-channel

mindset, and a bit of moxie. You alsoneed to think ascreatively about marketing as you did for the app

itself. Mailbox’s gamification triggered the lion’s share of its social

media exposure – and the app wasn’t even in general availability yet.

The current App Store ranking algorithm places a disproportionate

weight on the first four days an app is in the App Store. Time matters.

You have a very short period of time to generate the groundswell of

interest needed to boost your app’s placement to the top of the

charts. By starting to build up interest before your app is accepted to

the App Store, you'll have a running start while your competition is

flat-footed.

Get a website. From the moment you begin to develop your app,

build a landing page to collect emails – even if it only features an email

signup box and a simple description of your concept. Your landingpage can later evolve into a website that will serve as the hub of your

marketing efforts, giving you a channel to reach and inform customers

outside of the App Store walls.

Use a hype-generating tactic. It’s noisy out there, and getting noticed

is becoming increasingly difficult. Many successful apps have turned

their community members into thousands of individual marketing

channels. In other words, they found unconventional ways to createhype in advance of their app’s release.

Here are some examples:

1. Limit supply to create a sense of scarcity and privilege

among those who successfully register.


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Connect.me allowed new signups to reserve their username.

This simple tactic generated roughly 20,000 sign-ups before

the website went live.

2. Use an invite-only and referral system

Mailbox created an invite-only program that granted access

to a limited number of people at a time. This helped the app

generate media coverage from most major technology publi-

cations and created hype on Twitter from influential members

of the mobile community.

Share your story. Storytelling is

one of the best ways to connect

with people on a deeper emo-

tional level. Research shows that

our brains become more active

when we hear a narrative versus

read a list of bullet points. Think

about why you decided to build

your app in the first place. Tell

this story on your website when

you speak to customers, partners,

and the media to help them identify with your project. Personal

motivation app Everest fostered a powerful sense of emotion on its

website by highlighting the aspirations of members of its community.

As you're creating your app, build momentum by sharing elementslike:

• A demo video

• Photos of your team

• Real life profiles of users (even beta users)

• Sketches of app designs in the works

Where to tell your story:

1. Setup a blog


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Use a blog as your central story-telling channel.

2. Setup your social channels

Create a Facebook and Twitter account for your app and use

them as channels to share your progress. Think of Facebook

and Twitter as vehicles to distribute your story, with an emph-

asis on the people behind your app. Remember that nobody

befriends a logo. People turn to social media to engage with

other people. Be sure your team enjoys your social media

spotlight.

Even while you're deep in developing your app, don't neglect updatingyour followers with what you're working on or what will be coming

soon. These are powerful ways to keep your audience engaged.




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Push: The Importance of Mediaand How to Get Coverage

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Getting press coverage is challeng-

ing, but the payoff can be huge. If

the “right” reporters or bloggers

write about your app, you stand togain a huge amount of registra-

tions or downloads in a short

period of time. This success alone

can catapult your app up the App

Store charts. If you accept pre-

registrations, then you may want

to give journalists a preview of

your app. Let them use a late stage beta. Permit them to write about it

ahead of time, provided, of course, your landing page has the means

to capture the email addresses of those who wish to sign-up for your

release. Alternatively, you can preview the app to several reporters,

and ask that they all hold off writing until launch. If you follow this

tactic, be sure to build in no more than a week between preview and

launch. The more time that passes the more likely it is that (a.) some-

one breaks the embargo (this will disrupt the relationships you aretrying to build with the reporters), or (b.) the reporters who have tried

your product forget about it or lose interest in reporting on it.

What you'll need to prepare to get press coverage:

Make a demo video. A demo video is an important piece of content

to include when you're reaching out for press coverage. An app

without a demo video is like a movie without a trailer. Demo videoshelp people understand what your app does, convert website visitors

into customers, and give the press content to share with their audi-

ence.

If done right, a trailer video can lead to increased conversions when

added to your website and improve the chances of the press covering

your story.




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Write your press releaseand assemble your press kit

Your press release and press kit will be given to journalistsafter they express initial interest in your story. Here’s what you should include in your press release:

Basics • App Name

• App Store Link: (to be updated on launch day) • Category: (i.e. Music, Productivity, etc.) • About: A clear, concise (3-4 paragraphs max.) story

of what your app does and what makes it unique, how your app came to be, or what problem it solves

Links • Demo Video • Website

• Twitter • Facebook

Contact Info • Your Name • Your Email • Your Personal Twitter • Your Phone Number

Once you’ve written your press release, you should include it within your press kit along with:

• App icon Images (include pixel sizes: 56x56, 114x114,256x256, 512x512)

• Screenshots • Marketing Images • Team Photos




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Target the right journalist. App review and press sites are not

created equal. Some will convert much better than others and certain

journalists will be much more interested in your app. It’s important to

identify journalists that fit your app’s industry.

One way to find targeted leads:

1. Go to alexa.com

2. Search for one of your competitor’s websites

3. Click “Sites Linking In”

This strategy helps you identifywhich journalists covered one of

your competitors or a company in

your industry, which means they

will probably be more interested

in hearing about your app.

The “Sites Linking In” list created

by Alexa shows the top 100 sites

with inbound links to the app and

helps you find the most reputable

sites that covered one of your

competitors or companies in your industry.

Create a Google Spreadsheet of these writers that includes:

• Name

• Contact Email

• Link to the article they’ve written in the past that relates to

your app

Check out Muck Rack, a comprehensive database of journalists. It’s

significantly less expensive than other similar PR services, and it

includes the reporters’ social media identities, which makes it easier to

contact them in more social environments.


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Pitching the press

Make sure to keep your email message short and to the point.Journalists are very busy and many receive hundreds of pitchesa day. Here’s a pitch email example that helped us get presscoverage: Subject

Hi – Launch story for a new app

that

Body

Hey ,

A while back you wrote an interesting piece about

and how it .

.

Our app, , is building a

.

We’re launching in the App Store on .

Do you think this could be an interesting story for

your readers?

Thanks,

Author’s first name

Secret sauce or unique value of your app

Author’s first name

An app similar to yours or maybe a piece the author wrote about your space

Something interesting from that article

Unique value of your app

Your first name

Your opinion or write a sentence about how this relates to your app

Your app name

Your launch day




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Be sure to customize this pitch according to what the reporter wrote.

And be doubly certain you have actually read the journalist’s articles.

Honesty is key when interacting with the press.

Begin this process at least a month prior to your launch or releaseupdate and don't look at getting press as a one-time thing. Building

relationships with journalists for the long-term can help you get

additional exposure on future releases of your app and sustain

growth.

The most important thing to do is be mindful about the journalist’s

readers. Make sure to structure your app's story differently for each

writer based on past content they've written and the publication’s

particular niche.




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Optimize: Prepping forthe App Store “Shelves”

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Searching the App Store still remains the number one way people find

mobile apps, so it's important that your listing is formatted to gain as

much exposure from App Store search as possible.

Much like Google's search engine, the App Store has an algorithm that

ranks apps for different search terms. Preparing your app listing to be

optimized in the App Store can result in a marked increase in down-

loads.

The goal of App Store Optimiza-

tion is to get your app to rank

higher than its competitors for

specific keywords that people

search in the App Store.

In order to rank well in the App

Store, focus on these 3 steps:

1. Identify the right keywords

Over 80 percent of App Store

searches are related to the

function an app does, not the

app’s name. Use Google Key-

word Tool and apply a filter to

your search to show keywordideas and statistics for “all

mobile devices.” Applying this

filter helps you find keywords that people are searching Google for

when using mobile devices.

Look for relatively low competition, high volume keywords and/or

keyword phrases (two to three keywords linked together). Don't try

and compete against popular apps for their same keywords. Instead,optimize for longer keyword phrases that have lower competition, but

high search volume.

Although it remains some-

what of a mystery, it has

been reported that the App

Store algorithm takes intoaccount four main factors to

determine an app's ranking:

1. Keywords in yourapp title

2. Keyword frequencyin your app description

3. Number of down-

loads over time

4. App Store ratings

App Store Ranking Factors


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2. Include keywords in your app name, description, and keywords field

App Store search results currently only display one app at a time,

which means most people won't look past the first five to ten searchresults, thus people are more likely to search for longer keyword

phrases to get better results.

App name. Your App Store name is the main text people will see once

they've found your app. It is also the text that affects how your app

ranks in the App Store the most. Narrow your list of keywords down to

a couple of the most important and try to incorporate them in your

App Store name. In other words, competing on keyword phrases like"transit maps" versus just "maps" can

help make it easier for customers to

find your app.

For example, the Flixster app is called

"Movies by Flixster with Rotten Toma-

toes." This title contains multiple

keywords, "Movies" "Rotten Toma-

toes" and "Flixster" to improve App

Store search discoverability. This is

much better than simply naming the

app "Flixster."

Your app name can be between up to

255 characters but Apple recommendsthat you try to keep it to fewer than 35

characters to display optimally on the App Store for iPhone.

App description. The first line you write of your App Store description

is what App Store browsers see without having to click "more" when

they visit your app listing in the App Store. Most people shopping for

apps won't read your full description anyway, so try and pique their

interest with your first sentence.

If you receive any notable reviews from press or design awards make

sure to mention them in your App Store description as well. These

20

click to tweet

“Your App Store

name is the text

that affects how

your app ranksin the App Store

the most.”


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accolades and reviews can increase the chances of converting an App

Store browser into a customer.

The full length of your App Store description can be as long as you like,

but the first few lines should tell what your app does and how it worksin about the length of a tweet.

Keywords. When you list your app in the App Store, there's a field

where you can list all of your keywords. You're allowed to put a maxi-

mum of 100 characters.

Optimize this listing by:

1. Looking for longer keyword phrases (2-3 keywords linked

together) that are less com-

petitive and could be used to

describe your app's function

2. Adding as many keywords

as possible in the keywords

field

3. Not using spaces when

listing your keywords. Use

"flixster,movies" not "flixster,

movies"

3. Convert App Store views into

downloads with beauty

The icon. Pixel for pixel, your app icon will be the most important

thing you will design. In terms of size, it's a small part of the overall

design work that you'll be doing but it represents everything about

your app - attention to detail, quality, and creativity. It's also the main

visual that App Store browsers and your customers will use to identify

your app.

A useful way to test if your icon stands out is to compare it against

your competitors. Someone should easily be able to get a sense of

what your app does simply by viewing the icon.

21

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Think of the App Store as filled with window shoppers, who are easily

swayed to move on to the next store down the road. Make sure your

icon not only pops, but helps people understand exactly what your

app does.

Screenshots. Once prospects have clicked on your App Store listing,

they will go to a more detailed page that shows your app's description

and screenshots. The reality is most people may only read the first line

of your app description before scrolling down to look at your screen-

shots.

Make sure that you're showing off the best aspects of your app. A

good test would be to see if someone can tell exactly what your app

does and how benefits them simply by looking at your screenshots.




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Final Thoughts

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24

Although it may seem mature, the App Store is still in its early days.

A massive opportunity exists for those who understand its inner-workings, regardless of how many apps they’ve developed in the past.

The mobile industry is literally the fastest growing industry in history,

so it's important that you keep pushing your app forward. Listen to

input from your customers and use your instincts to stay on top of

your market.

Finally, remember that you should not

simply rely on the App Store as your

core marketing channel. Using a

combination of channels like your own

website, a blog, and social media as

vehicles for your app’s story is an

instrumental piece in turning your app

into a success.

Although there are challenges, and

not all apps will be mega-hits like

Instagram or Angry Birds, the App

Store gives you access to one of the

largest, most fruitful marketplaces

in the world.

“Remember that

you should not

simply rely on the

App Store as your

core marketing

channel. Using

a combination ofchannels is an

instrumental

piece in turning

your app into

a success.”


click to tweet

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Build your backend todayBuild your backend today

What is Kinvey? Kinvey makes a fully-featured Backend as a

Service solution, offering 3rd party data integrations, multi-plat-

form support, push notifications, and custom business logic on a

platform where it's free to get started and you only pay when your

app is successful.

Designed by

Miguel Gaydosh

Project Manager

Kelly Rice

Written by

Mikael Cho

Mikael is the co-founder of ooomf,

where the most talented mobile & web

creators connect with projects they love.

Mikael writes more posts on product

marketing and psychology over on the

ooomf blog. Hit him on Twitter

@mikaelcho anytime.


ooomf is the world's first marketplace where handpicked, talented

mobile & web creators connect with and work on projects they love.

Request an invite or submit your project.
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