Designing a mobile app is probably one of the hardest aspects of a mobile marketing campaign. Most smaller businesses choose to avoid the mobile app route. After all, with hundreds of thousands of apps on the market, creating one that people will download and use consistently is difficult to say the least. Furthermore, designing a good app is expensive. However, a unique, well-designed app can make a business stand out from the rest. Unfortunately, many who do invest in designing a mobile app fail to promote it. Simply building it doesn’t ensure people will come (sorry Kevin Costner). Here are a few tips to market that mobile app you’ve put so much effort into creating.

Plan ahead

Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” And while he probably wasn’t talking about mobile app promotion, it’s still good advice. Before you even begin the process of designing your app you should also be preparing for the launch of that app.

Use existing marketing channels

If you’re already to the point of designing an app, chances are you’ve already done some other mobile marketing efforts. Use those existing mobile channels to reach your audience. Mobile is, after all, the best channel considering that your mobile app audience will be those with mobile devices. You can you use your mobile website, mobile banners, and SMS to promote your app to your existing customers.

The phone is a magic wand

When you think about it, smartphones are magical things. They serve as a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. A QR code of SMS code can essentially turn something physical, like a soda cup or print advertisement into a hyperlink to connect your audience with your mobile app.

Target wisely

Don’t waste your time and efforts marketing to people who most likely won’t be interested in your app. Do careful research about who will be most interested in your app and find ways to target that audience specifically. The more wisely you target, the more effective your marketing efforts will be.

Let your customers do the work

Don’t think that you have to do all of the promoting yourself. Social media is a great way to get your customers talking about your new mobile app. By making it easy for your customers to share your brand on social media, you allow your customers to do a lot of your marketing work for you.

Cross promoting

Finally, you can rely on other business in or related to your field to promote your app. Of course you’ll have to promote their app as well. Cross promotion is a great way for businesses to help each other out.

Source: adage.com/article/digitalnext/promote-mobile-app/293883/