Mobile app marketing takes into consideration your users’ buying and customers’ lifecycle. You’ll market to them based on when they first hear about your app, after they become a user, through their developing loyalty, and after. Wherever they are, there’s an opportunity to promote something different.
Know the Funnel Stages
Essentially the funnel consists of when your audience downloads the app, when they act (such as buying something through the app or providing their email information), and through turning your app into a regular part of their day. This funnel can work forward and backward.
Downloading the App
The hardest part isn’t even this step; it’s the first. Getting people to know about and then download your app is the first bridge that you’ll have to cross. You can market your app in multiple channels – from social marketing, to contests, to search advertising. You can also market your app through other complementary apps and via app stores.
Getting Users to Activate the App
Sadly, users tend to avoid activation even after they’ve downloaded the app. If you want to market to them via the app, you need to get them to activate it.
There are many ways to encourage this. One way is to collect emails when they download the app so you can email training and encouragement to activate and use the app. You’ll be able to send push notifications and in-app messages, and you can even create a message center so your users can check messages anytime.
Turning Users into Loyal Fans
The best thing that can happen with your app is that it’s useful enough for your audience to use it all the time, or at least daily. When they do, you can send messages to them, deliver ads for new products, and more. You can boost retention, send discounts, offer special deals, send personalized messages, and send them updates when friends or family join too. The more you can make it feel like a community, the more loyal they’ll become.
When you create messages for your users, keep in mind how the message offers value to them. Know what action you want them to take so you can develop the most appropriate call to action. And never forget the importance of time, location, and user experience to develop loyalty and lifelong customers and buyers.
Getting started marketing with mobile apps may take a bit of learning. However, you can find people who are experts at not only developing apps that you want for your audience but also experts on in-app promotions and purchasing to help encourage your users to purchase more and use your app even more.
