All too often, mobile app marketing advice hinges exclusively on what a business ought to do in order to grow business. While such advice is extremely important, understanding what not to do can be just as valuable, if not more so.
Learning the marketing mistakes to avoid can mean the difference between a successful campaign and a failed one. To that end, here are some of the key mobile app marketing mistakes you need to avoid.
Avoid Creating an App without a Plan
If you have ever found yourself enthralled watching a great heist film from Hollywood, you know that all the tools in the world can’t help a heist that is poorly planned. The same principle holds true where mobile apps are concerned.
Never create a mobile app without first having a plan for that app. Understanding how you will market the app will guarantee that the app is targeted towards the right audience. This is crucial considering the brief window of time an app has to succeed on both Apple and Android devices.
Plan to market the app on your mobile-friendly website, social media channels and marketing campaigns. Additionally, encourage customer feedback. You can even do this with the app itself, prompting users who download the app to leave a positive review on the app store from which the app was downloaded.
Simply put, plan and create in tandem to avoid creating a fantastic app that falls through the cracks as a result of poor marketing.
Marketing an App without Conveying Its Value
Your app should be more than just a mobile website. Your app should provide a unique value to customers in a way that will engage them, drive interest and increase conversions and sales.
Your marketing should convey the value of your app, noting what sets it apart from your website and the apps of competitors (if applicable). Without telling a compelling narrative on why customers will love engaging with your app, it is doomed to fail.
You can create the best app in the world, but all of the that hard work will go unrewarded unless your marketing strategy is similarly compelling. Meet your audience where they are (social media, SMS, etc.) and speak to them in a language that will resonate. Additionally, provide some info on how to best use your app to ensure that ease of use is as seamless as possible for first-time app users.
By marketing in this way, your app will receive the attention and success it deserves.
When Marketing, Advertise Benefits Rather Than Features
The last thing you want your mobile marketing to do is read like a bullet point list of features.
For example, let’s take a popular app like Netflix, just to name an obvious example. When marketing such an app, you don’t need to inform potential app users about the nitty gritty technical details of playback resolution, buffering times and the like.
Instead, you would want to convey the benefits of the app, noting the vast array of streaming content that will satisfy any viewer. Other benefits worth mentioning would be the exclusive content that sets the app apart from competitors.
In short, drum up excitement by mentioning the vibrant benefits that make your app stand out instead of features that are best left for an FAQ or spec sheet on your mobile-friendly website. At the same time, it is also important that your mobile marketing does not oversell the app.
Overselling may lead to increased downloads initially, but the low reviews from jaded app users will harm the long-term vision for your app.
Focus on quality planning while accurately highlighting the unique benefits of your app, and you are well on your way towards mobile app marketing success.
About the Author:Â Sophorn Chhay
Sophorn is an inbound marketer specializing in attracting targeted visitors and generating sales qualified leads. Through Trumpia’s SMS and marketing automation solution he helps businesses and organizations communicate effectively with their customers or members. Trumpia is offering a free Mobile Marketing Success Kit so don’t forget to grab your free copy.