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welcome.
January 2015
HOW TO MARKET
YOUR APP ON A
SHOESTRING BUDGET
www.bigideasmachine.com
Whilst  many  people  assume  app  marke2ng  begins  and  ends  with  ge7ng  
the  media  to  write  about  an  app,  the  reality  is  that  it’s  just  a  small  part  of  
a  much  bigger  process.    
The  truth  is  that  marke2ng  apps  may  not  require  super-­‐secret  skills,  but  
it  does  take  huge  amounts  of  2me  and  effort  -­‐  something  that  a  lot  of  
developers  simply  don’t  have.  ‘App  Marke2ng’  is  a  big,  messy  label  that  
can  cover  many  different  areas.    
We’ve  tried  to  condense  the  best  and  most  useful  2ps  we’ve  added  to  
our  own  arsenal,  so  that  you  too  can  become  an  app  marke2ng  expert.  
cheers! the Big Ideas Machine team
In  today’s  era  of  self-­‐published  mobile  
games  and  apps,  success  stories  like  Tiny  
Wings,  Flappy  Birds,  Crossy  Road  and  
many  others  paint  a  roman2c  picture  of  
small  bedroom  coders  finding  untold  
riches  armed  with  a  simple  idea  and  some  
good  luck.    
The  truth  is  that  breakout  mega  hits  like  
Tiny  Wings  are  incredibly  rare,  and  that  
the  success  of  an  app  relies  largely  on  hard  
work  plus  a  large  dose  of  good  fortune.  
unfortunately,  in  the  increasingly  
sophis3cated  world  of  app  marke3ng,  hope  
no  longer  cons3tutes  a  strategy  when  you’re  
up  against  millions  of  other  apps.    
Just  to  drive  home  how  liNle  
prepared  most  app  developers  are  
when  launching  their  apps,  a  2013  
survey  of  over  1,000  app  developers  
by  mobile  adver2sing  network  
Appflood  found  that  over  80%  of  
small  developers  and  40%  of  medium  
and  large  developers  had  allocated  
$5,000  or  less  for  marke2ng.    
When  apps  in  the  most  compe22ve  
categories  such  as  mobile  games  can  
cost  upwards  of  $150,000  to  
develop,  $5,000  is  a  2ny  amount  -­‐  
hugely  dispropor2onate  to  the  cost  
of  ge7ng  the  app  built.  
Let’s  be  blunt  -­‐  there’s  a  huge  amount  of  crap  on  the  app  stores,  
so  your  first  aim  should  be  to  not  add  to  it.  There’s  just  no  good  
reason  to  create  a  terrible  app!  Customers  won’t  want  it  -­‐  if  they  
try  it  then  they’ll  just  give  it  a  terrible  review  before  uninstalling  
it  -­‐  journalists  won’t  even  bother  reviewing  it,  and  if  they  do  then  
they’ll  pan  it.  
    
Worst  of  all,  you’ll  be  robbing  yourself  of  the  top  prize  -­‐  app  
store  promo2on.  What  most  developers  really  want  is  for  Apple  
or  Google  to  feature  them  -­‐  and  you  sure  as  hell  aren’t  going  to  
get  featured  if  your  app  is  terrible.  
QUALITY, QUALITY AND MORE QUALITY
Stats  from  app  analy2cs  firm  Flurry  clearly  demonstrate  the  challenge  of  customer  reten2on,  which  is  
closely  linked  to  app  quality.  This  chart  shows  the  percentage  of  customers  that  con2nue  using  an  app  
a^er  the  ini2al  install.  From  the  ini2al  total  of  users  installing  the  app  in  month  zero,  a^er  three  months  
only  24%  of  them  are  s2ll  using  the  app.  A^er  6  months,  this  percentage  shrinks  to  14%,  and  by  12  
months  only  4%  are  le^.
Research  from  Localy2cs  found  that  roughly  a  quarter  of  apps  were  abandoned  a^er  a  single  use,  and  
the  number  of  apps  that  are  opened  11  or  more  2mes  stands  at  a  mere  34%.  
The  most  important  thing  in  defining  what  makes  a  quality  app  is  to  benchmark  the  compe22on.  Spend  
some  2me  looking  at  the  category  you’re  going  to  be  targe2ng,  take  some  2me  to  play  around  with  
other  apps,  and  look  around  at  what  the  users  and  the  review  sites  are  saying.  
A  problem  we  see  2me  and  2me  again  is  that  many  developers  are  too  close  to  their  apps  and  simply  
can’t  see  the  wood  for  the  trees  and  tell  objec2vely  if  it’s  good  or  not.  So  the  first  thing  to  do  is  get  
feedback  from  friends  and  family,  and  giving  out  beta  builds  via  your  iTunes  Connect  account  or  Hockey  
App  will  go  a  long  way  to  helping  you  get  some  honest  feedback.  
It’s an age old cliché, but
knowledge really is power
Whatever  you  do,  don’t  rely  on  the  app  stores  as  some  kind  
of  beta  tes2ng  and  feedback  mechanism.    
Firstly  the  app  store  owners  -­‐  especially  Apple  -­‐  don’t  like  you  
doing  it.  Secondly,  never  bank  on  ge7ng  any  kind  of  
meaningful  feedback  from  user  comments;  of  customers  that  
try  your  app,  only  a  2ny  percentage  of  them  will  ever  be  
bothered  to  leave  feedback,  and  those  that  do  are  not  going  
to  give  you  any  kind  of  quality  feedback.    
“Terrible  app,  uninstalled  it  immediately”  accompanied  by  one  
star  does  nothing  at  all  to  tell  you  specifically  why  a  customer  
uninstalled  your  app.  
If  your  app  is  a  quality  one,  then  reviewers  will  actually  be  
interested  in  it.  Reviewers  see  hundreds  of  new  apps  of  
varying  quality  a  week,  so  for  every  100  apps  they  review  it’s  
likely  that  only  one  or  two  are  actually  worth  someone’s  
money.    
So  before  you  release  your  app  into  the  big  wide  world,  spend  
some  2me  looking  at  the  category  you’re  going  to  be  
launching  it  into,  take  some  2me  to  play  around  with  other  
apps  and  look  around  at  what  the  users  and  the  review  sites  
are  saying  about  the  compe22on.    
If  you’re  able  to  clearly  express  to  customers  and  reviewers  
why  your  app  is  genuinely  different  and  why  it’s  worth  some  
of  their  hard  earned  cash  then  you’re  already  one  step  ahead  
of  the  compe22on.  
reviewers see
hundreds of new apps
of varying quality a
week, so for every 100
apps they review it’s
likely that only one or
two are actually worth
someone’s money”
“
Even  with  the  best  planning,  there  will  be  surprises  and  
uncertain2es;  but  in  such  a  compe22ve  industry,  you  absolutely  
cannot  spend  2me  and  money  building  an  app  without  having  a  
detailed  strategy  for  (hopefully)  success.    
Research  from  VisionMobile  has  shown  that  fewer  than  50%  of  
developers  manage  to  stay  above  the  ‘app  poverty  line’  -­‐  that  is,  
earning  more  than  $500  per  month  -­‐  and  a  staggering  83%  of  the  
apps  on  Apple’s  App  store  don’t  even  make  it  into  the  top  300  in  
a  category.    
These  have  been  called  ‘zombie  apps’,  languishing  in  app  store  
purgatory,  forever  undiscovered  and  undiscoverable.  
HAVE A PLAN OF HOW TO
GET YOUR APP NOTICED
having an attitude of
‘if we built it, they
will come’ is pretty
much a guaranteed
recipe for failure.”
“
build yourself a strategy checklist
What’s  my  social  media  strategy?    
What’s  my  marke2ng  strategy  and  2meframe?    
What’s  my  business  model  for  genera2ng  profit?    
What’s  my  development/  marke2ng/adver2sing  
budget?    
How  will  I  reach  out  to  the  media?    
What  is  the  USP  (Unique  Selling  Point)  of  my  app?    
How  will  I  posi2on  my  app  against  the  compe22on?    
What’s  my  tes2ng  and  customer  research  strategy?  
How  am  I  going  to  pitch  my  app  to  the  media?  
Will  my  app  be  freemium,  premium  or  a  combina2on?  
How  am  I  going  to  get  my  video  produced?  
What’s  my  pre-­‐launch  hype-­‐  building  strategy?  
How  do  I  showcase  my  app  to  Apple  and  Google?  
How  do  I  fill  the  acquisi2on  funnel?    
What’s  my  localisa2on  strategy?    
What’s  my  update  roadmap?    
build yourself a strategy checklist
One  way  to  create  a  strategy  for  your  app  development  and  launch  is  to  create  a  checklist  of  ques2ons,  and  
find  answers  to  them.  Here  are  just  a  few  you  should  be  considering:    
wElCoMe tO ThE ApP StOrE FuNnEl
The  best  way  to  explain  the  fundamentals  of  app  
marke2ng  is  to  visualise  the  journey  that  people  
take  when  they  browse  an  app  store.    
Star2ng  at  the  top  of  the  funnel,  you  have  the  
point  where  people  first  visit  the  store.  They  could  
be  ac2vely  looking  for  a  par2cular  app,  or  just  
browsing  what’s  new.  The  important  point  is  that  
from  this  point  forward,  every  poten2al  customer  
for  your  app  will  make  decisions  that  will  diminish  
the  chance  of  them  installing  and  using  it.  The  user  
acquisi2on  funnel  is  a  bit  like  a  bucket  full  of  holes,  
so  you’ve  got  to  minimise  the  leakage  at  every  
stage.    
There’s  no  point  in  focusing  all  your  efforts  on  just  
one  aspect  of  the  app  store  experience;  success  
comes  from  the  way  all  the  stages  fit  together  as  a  
whole.  
Different  stages  of  the  funnel  can  also  be  
op2mised  in  different  ways.  For  example,  lots  of  
successful  app  developers  regularly  experiment  
with  their  app  store  icons,  or  even  use  different  
icons  on  different  stores  as  a  kind  of  A/B  tes2ng.  
Changes  that  deliver  an  improvement  in  discovery  
and  engagement  can  then  be  incorporated,  with  
each  small  incremental  improvement  adding  to  the  
overall  presenta2on  of  the  app.  
The  app  store  is  a  place  crammed  full  of  shiny  
things  that  will  distract  your  poten2al  customers  
every  single  second  they  are  there.  By  
understanding  the  different  stages  of  the  funnel,  
you  can  refine  and  monitor  each  point  at  which  
consumers  make  a  decision  in  order  to  maximise  
the  installs  you  generate.    
The  way  your  app  is  presented  on  the  store  is  o^en  known  as  ASO  -­‐  App  
Store  Op2misa2on  -­‐  and  concerns  the  overall  impression  your  app  
creates.    
Think  of  it  in  terms  of  a  shop  window  display,  with  you  wan2ng  to  make  
enough  of  an  impact  to  get  consumers  through  the  door.  App  stores  are  
no  different;  the  combina2on  of  the  look  and  feel  of  your  app,  plus  how  
interes2ng,  fun  or  useful  it  seems  is  the  key  to  grabbing  the  aNen2on  of  
people  browsing  yours  and  other  developers’  apps.  
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
COUNT - SOME ASO TIPS
The  name  and  icon  you  choose  can  literally  make  or  break  your  app,  
as  they  are  probably  the  main  thing  that  people  rely  on  when  
browsing.  Both  of  these  (plus  the  amount  of  stars  your  app  has)  will  
ul2mately  govern  whether  a  user  ever  clicks  through  and  decides  to  
take  your  app  for  a  spin.    
So  it’s  really  worth  taking  2me  to  refine  your  icon.  Take  a  look  at

your  compe2tors  as  well  as  understand  current  design  trends  (flat  
versus  3D,  skeuomorphic,  etc).  It’s  also  worth  taking  a  look  at  
Google’s  material  design  guidelines  as  it  will  o^en  prefer  apps  that  
adhere  to  its  latest  aesthe2c.  When  it  comes  to  great  icon  design,  we  
really  like  the  2ps  and  examples  at  www.pixelresort.com  
NAME
AND ICON
the bottom line: imperfect app names force shoppers to work harder,
and that will mean fewer downloads. for all of the time you put into
developing the app, isn’t the name worth the added effort?” Interbrand“
You  don’t  need  to  be  a  modern  day  Shakespeare,  but  ge7ng  a  
professional  to  write  your  marke2ng  copy  can  make  a  world  of  difference.    
Think  about  how  your  app  descrip2on  will  look  on  the  app  storeS:  have  
you  packed  the  biggest  punch  possible  into  your  text,  making  the  reader  
really  want  to  click  on  ‘more’  to  read  on?    
And  don’t  forget  that  your  app  descrip2on  is  a  living  thing.  As  you  get  
more  posi2ve  reviews,  more  comments  and  add  more  features,  you’ll  
want  to  anchor  a  lot  of  these  at  the  beginning  of  the  descrip2on  for  
added  impact.  The  app  descrip2on  is  a  sales  tool  for  you  to  persuade  
someone  to  try  your  app,  so  if  you  can  let  them  know  that  you’ve  got  a  
great  review,  been  lucky  enough  to  have  a  million  downloads  or  have  just  
added  some  new  features  then  it  can  make  all  the  difference.  
APP
DESCRIPTION
translate your description into English, French, Italian, German, Spanish
and Portuguese. Why? Because being in a local language increases your
chance of sales“
We’re  going  to  assume  that  you’ve  already  made  an  app  that  looks  great.  
However,  it  never  ceases  to  amaze  us  how  many  developers  simply  don’t  
do  their  apps  jus2ce  when  it  comes  to  selec2ng  screenshots.    
All  screenshots  should  show  your  app  off  in  the  best  possible  light,  as  well  
as  show  a  good  breadth  of  content  or  features.  If  it’s  a  game,  make  sure  
that  you’ve  captured  screenshots  across  the  en2re  game,  and  not  just  the  
first  ten  minutes;  if  there  are  100  levels  in  the  game,  then  show  off  the  
best  looking  ones.    
And  if  you  are  going  to  be  using  the  screenshots  on  the  app  stores,  it’s  
useful  to  overlay  some  text  that  helps  explain  what  the  screenshot  is  
showing,  such  as  key  features  or  the  unique  selling  points  of  the  app.    
SCREEN
- SHOTS
HOT TIP: If your game works best in landscape view, don’t worry: people
will happily turn their phones on the side to look at screenshots if you
upload images in landscape orientation rather than portrait.
Ensure  that  you  use  a  proper  keywords  tool  for  the  App  Store.  For  iOS  
there  are  several  paid  ones  such  as  Appcodes  and  Searchman.  App  Annie  
also  has  a  free  keywords  research  tool  you  can  use.  For  Google  Play  it’s  
less  straighporward,  but  the  2tle  should  carry  a  keyword,  and  the  main  
app  descrip2on  should  include  words  or  phrases  you  want  associated  
with  your  app  when  people  search  for  it.  
    
Both  Apple  and  Google  have  added  the  ability  to  include  video  trailers  to  
your  app  page  -­‐  so  use  it!  We’re  constantly  shocked  by  how  many  pages  
don’t  include  video.  Why  on  earth  would  you  be  given  a  free  promo2onal  
slot  and  ignore  it?  On  the  App  Store  videos  are  limited  to  30  seconds  and  
you  can  only  show  in-­‐app  footage,  whereas  on  Google  Play  you  can  preNy  
much  show  what  you  want.  
KEYWORDS
& VIDEO
HOT TIP: If you do put a video on Google Play then use a unique link from
YouTube rather than embed the video directly, as this way you can see how
many unique views you are getting versus pageviews and downloads. This all
helps with your conversion rate calculations.
Sadly,  there’s  no  way  to  cheat  this  part  -­‐  it  only  comes  from  crea2ng

an  app  which  is  good  enough  to  mo2vate  people  to  rate  it  4  or  5  stars.  
Some2mes,  app  updates  can  include  bugs  that  get  missed  by  tes2ng,

so  whenever  you  change  or  update  your  app,  keep  an  eagle  eye  on  the  
reviews  as  o^en  people  will  be  very  vocal  about  problems  -­‐  and  you  need  
to  fix  them  quickly  if  you  don’t  want  your  overall  review  score  to  drop.    
We  also  see  a  lot  of  new  apps  that  don’t  have  any  reviews  at  all.  Because  
recommenda2on  and  word  of  mouth  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  
influences  on  purchasing  decisions,  it  is  a  common  reac2on  to  think

that  an  app  with  no  posi2ve  reviews  must  not  be  good.  A  lack  of  reviews  
can  create  a  nega2ve  response,  which  in  turn  makes  it  even  harder  to  
encourage  people  to  leave  posi2ve  reviews.  You  only  need  to  reach  a  
small  but  cri2cal  mass  of  reviews  before  they  will  be  shown,  so  
encourage  users  of  your  app  to  leave  reviews.  
positive
reviews
Before  you  approach  any  press  with  informa2on  
about  your  app  it’s  essen2al  to  understand  what  
they  are  looking  for  -­‐  otherwise  your  pitch  has  a  
beNer  than  good  chance  of  falling  on  deaf  ears.  
    
Luckily  for  you,  this  job  is  a  whole  lot  easier  since  
we  created  the  first  ever  survey  of  app  reviewers,  
and  it’s  free  to  download  from  our  website  
www.bigideasmachine.com.  The  next  few  slides  
cover  a  few  of  the  essen2al  insights  and  2ps.  
GIVE THE MEDIA
WHAT THEY WANT
journalists  reject  a  pitch  is  because  the  sender  has  
an  ‘inability  to  concisely  explain  the  app’s  features  
in  the  pitch  email’.  You  should  be  able  to  state  
clearly  what  your  app  is,  what  is  does  and  why  it’s  
different  or  unique  -­‐  and  do  it  in  just  a  few  
sentences.    
Remember,  an  app  reviewer  will  likely  see  
hundreds  of  apps  and  be  able  to  automa2cally  
benchmark  yours  against  others  that  they  have  
tried  just  from  your  ini2al  pitch.  If  you  can’t  clearly  
and  concisely  explain  your  app  and  its  best  selling  
points,  then  you  need  to  seriously  rethink  your  
approach.  
If  you’re  going  to  approach  a  journalist  to  review  
your  app  then  you’ve  literally  seconds  in  which  to  
grab  their  aNen2on.  Some  receive  up  to  50

app  pitches  a  day  -­‐  a  staggering  13,000  a  year!    
Unfortunately  for  you,  over  40%  of  journalists  we  
asked  said  they  reviewed  fewer  than  10%  of  the  
apps  they  were  pitched.  Overall,  some  70%  of  
journalists  said  they  write  about  fewer  than  30%  
of  the  apps  they  see  –  giving  the  average  app  a  
less  than  one-­‐in-­‐  three  chance  of  ge7ng  coverage.  
According  to  our  survey,  one  of  the  main  reasons
BE CLEAR & CONCISE
over 40% of journalists we asked said they reviewed fewer than 10% of
the apps they were pitched”
“
CLEAR CONCISE
“You have two second to impress me, so make
them count. This means a strong first
sentence and screens or video. Give me
something to look at, and if you can’t do
that, you’d better be damned sure to hook me
with some well written copy that doesn’t
feel desperate, apologetic, or rambly. You
know why I should be covering your game, so
don’t pussyfoot around.”
Jim Squires
editor-in-Chief, Gamezebo
Journalists  are  actually  real  people  w
ho  like  to  
be  approached  in  a  friendly  and  genuine  m
anner.  
You  don’t  need  to  be  w
acky,  preten2ous  or  ‘out  
there’  for  them
  to  respond  to  you.    
Just  be  yourself,  w
rite  a  clear  and  concise  pitch,  
and  you  w
ill  increase  your  chances  of  them
  
responding.  D
on’t  just  cut  and  paste  a  press  
release,  actually  take  som
e  2m
e  to  say  w
hy  the  
app  is  w
orth  a  look  via  a  few
  bullet  points.  
We  can’t  stress  enough  how  important  it  is  for

you  to  send  the  right  pitch  to  the  right  website.  In  
our  survey,  almost  60%  said  that  the  main  reason  
they  reject  an  app  for  review  is  simply  because  it’s  
not  relevant  for  their  readership.    
There’s  no  point  sending  generic  emails  to  every  
journalist  you  can  find  in  the  hope  of  ge7ng  a  
response,  or  offering  an  iOS  app  for  review  to  an  
Android  site.  This  kind  of  mass  spamming  and  
irrelevance  gets  you  nowhere.  BeNer  to  focus  on  
the  best  sites  and  sending  personalised  and  
tailored  emails  than  spamming  500  busy  
journalists  with  something  star2ng  “to  whom  it  
may  concern.”  
BE RELEVANT
BE
g
en
u
in
e
“Think about what makes your game
unique and how that could be turned
into an interesting headline.
Research the sites that you most
want to cover your game. Figure out
the perfect person on staff to cover
your game, and send it directly to
them instead of a generic address.”
Mark Brown
Editor, Pocketgamer
“Think about what makes your game
unique and how that could be turned
into an interesting headline.
Research the sites that you most
want to cover your game. Figure out
the perfect person on staff to cover
your game, and send it directly to
them instead of a generic address.”
Remember,  it’s  up  to  you  to  give  journalists  
everything  they  need  in  order  to  review  
your  app,  and  to  make  it  as  quick  and  easy  
as  possible.  If  you  have  an  iOS  app  then  you  
may  also  choose  to  give  them  a  promo  code  
so  they  can  just  get  the  app  and  try  it.  You  
might  want  to  limit  alloca2ng  promo  codes  
to  the  top  20  reviewers  as  you’ll  have  a  
limited  amount  that  you  can  use.  
Because  journalists  have  very  liNle  2me  to  make

a  decision  you  can  help  them  out  by  sending  good  
screenshots  of  your  app.  Embed  the  screenshots  in  
the  body  of  the  mail  -­‐  so  they  are  instantly  
viewable,  and  also  because  emails  with  
aNachments  o^en  go  into  spam  filters  -­‐  and  put  a  
link  to  a  Dropbox  or  Google  Drive  folder  if  you  
have  more  screens  you’d  like  to  share.    
A  video  is  essen2al  to  really  give  someone  a  
flavour  of  your  app.  There’s  no  need  for  anything  
too  amazing  or  flashy;  a  30-­‐60  second  video  on  
YouTube  can  really  help  them  see  what  your  app  is  
about  and  if  it  worth  reviewing.  Remember  to  flash  
up  some  key  features  on  the  screen  to  guide  the  
viewer  as  to  the  app’s  unique  selling  points.    
BE visual
BE helpful
“More media is always better - Images,
YouTube links, a website, animated .gifs
embedded in the email (.gifs are actually a
*great* way to get attention, at least
initially), etc. If they have to work to find
out what your project looks like there’s a
very good chance they simply won’t bother.”
Rob Rich, Editor-in-Chief, 148 Apps
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
qualityquality
Journalists  don’t  like  to  be  bugged,  
badgered  or  chased  -­‐  they  are  busy  
people!  If  you  send  a  mail  and  don’t  hear  
back,  then  chances  are  they  are  not  
interested  -­‐  so  don’t  keep  emailing.    
The  media  hate  to  receive  mul2ple  emails  
about  your  app;  journalists  either  want  to  
know  more/review  your  app  or  will  simply  
not  saying  anything.  They  don’t  have  2me  
to  issue  polite  apologies  and  rejec2ons.  
We’ve  already  covered  this  off  earlier  so  you  
preNy  much  get  that  quality  is  the  #1  thing  
we  tell  people  all  the  2me.  Your  app  has  to  
look  great,  work  well  and  do  something  
really  well  or  genuinely  new.  There  are  just  
too  many  other  apps  out  there  for  reviewers  
to  even  consider  an  app  that’s  got  bugs  or  
hasn’t  been  really  well  designed  and  polished  
-­‐  so  before  you  pitch  it,  make  sure  you’ve  got  
feedback  from  friends  and  colleagues,  and  
also  that  you’ve  benchmarked  against  other  
apps  out  there.  You  can  be  sure  that  if  your  
app  has  any  obvious  faults,  a  journalist  will  
quickly  spot  them.    
BE
PATIENT
of apps they are pitched
40%of journalists
we polled review
fewer than
more than
10%
58%of app reviewers
commonly reject
apps for not
being relevant;
42%because they are
poorly explained
Let’s  be  brutally  honest:  ge3ng  
your  app  reviewed  rarely  leads  
directly  to  massive  volumes  of  
installs.  Media  coverage  is  a  part  of  
building  long-­‐term  awareness  for  
your  app  and  your  brand  -­‐  alongside  
social  media  and  other  marke?ng  
tac?cs.    
spread the word
There  are  two  different  objec2ves  when  reaching  out  to  the  media  about  your  app;  trying  to  get  it  
reviewed,  and  crea2ng  buzz  and  awareness.  These  may  sound  like  the  same  thing,  but  o^en  it  means  
speaking  to  completely  different  people.  
And  remember,  you  don’t  have  to  wait  un2l  an  app  has  launched  to  begin  promo2ng  it.  Depending  on  what  
your  app  is,  some2mes  it’s  a  good  idea  to  send  out  a  preview  pitch  or  press  release  with  some  screenshots  
a  few  weeks  before  the  actual  launch  or  even  offer  media  the  chance  to  preview  it.    
news sites & blogs
There  are  many  news  sites  that  could  feature  your  app.  
Some  may  be  plaporm-­‐specific  and  cover  either  Android  or  
iOS  apps,  whilst  others  may  target  hobbies  and  interests  
outside  of  mobile  such  as  movies,  games,  lifestyle,  sports  
etc.    
As  well  as  general  news  sites,  it  can  also  be  really  good  to  
target  specialist  blogs  that  may  be  relevant  to  your  app.  
newswires
Paying  to  post  your  news  on  a  newswire  can  be  really  good  
for  search  engine  op2misa2on  as  well  as  giving  your  app  
the  chance  of  being  no2ced  by  journalists.  Lots  of  sites  
take  their  news  from  an  RSS  feed  direct  from  newswires.  
Some  good  news  wires  are  Realwire  or  PRWeb  and  if  you  
want  an  iOS  specific  newswire  that’s  very  cost  effec2ve  
then  you  can  try  prMac.  GamesPress  is  also  essen2al  for  
games  and  has  a  free  op2on  to  post  your  news.
forums
Forums  and  sites  like  Reddit  are  a  great  place  to  get  in  with  
the  grassroots  of  a  community.  If  you  have  the  2me  there  
are  masses  of  special  interest  forums  that  probably  2e  into  
your  app,  but  beware  -­‐  the  people  who  use  forums  can  be  
very  vocal  and  don’t  take  well  to  spam  and  hardcore  
marke2ng  messages.  Don’t  go  into  forums  and  start  
pos2ng  promo2onal  messages  willy-­‐nilly  otherwise  you  
could  receive  some  nasty  responses  from  the  more  
dedicated  members  of  the  community.    
don’t forget your own marketing
channels
This  largely  applies  to  established  businesses,  but  we  see  
far  too  many  companies  create  an  app  and  forget  that  they  
have  a  lot  of  available  channels  they  can  u2lise  to  spread  
the  word.  Most  companies  have  a  lot  of  marke2ng  
channels  including  websites,  TwiNer  and  Facebook  pages,  
newsleNers  and  a  plethora  of  other  channels  they  can  draw  
on  to  spread  the  word.    
“Treat us like human beings. Too
often, the pitching and press release
process feels cold and inhuman,
especially when trawling through
dozens and dozens of potential games
on a daily basis. If you treat us kindly
and with some respect, you’ll get it in
return. You’ll be more likely to get
responses from us. And we’ll pay more
attention to you in the future.”
.”    
Carter  Dotson,  Writer,  Touch  Arcade
“ ““Having a small budget (or even none)
for marketing an app means that you
need to get creative in many ways. You
probably won’t be able to make a lot of
custom artwork so try to focus on high
quality screenshots....being creative
also means that almost every
marketing idea is a good one as long as
you are able to implement it. Don’t be
afraid of your unique ideas!”
Marcin  Traczyk,  PR  Specialist,    
Tequila  Games  
realise your own potential - create
some great content marketing
In  fact,  you  can  create  great  
content  for  liNle  or  no  money  that  
helps  your  app  get  no2ced.  You  
can  then  use  this  content  to  
engage  with  customers  through  
the  many  different  channels  at  
your  disposal.  Here’s  a  few  
examples  of  content  that  you  can  
create  to  support  your  app  
launch.    
If  you’re  a  developer  then  you  likely  don’t  realise  
that  you’re  si3ng  on  a  goldmine  of  content  which  
can  be  used  for  marke?ng  your  app.  
videos
Customers  love  videos  as  they  are  so  easily  diges2ble  and  
really  convey  your  app’s  strengths.  We’ve  already  spoken  
about  the  benefit  of  having  a  video,  but  there  are  lots  of  
different  styles  and  approaches,  beyond  the  simple  app  trailer:    
making of/behind the scenes video  -­‐  a  series  looking  at  
different  aspects  of  your  app  and  how  it  was  made.  If  it’s  a  
game  then  this  could  be  artwork,  sound,  gameplay,  features  
and  more.    
featurettes  -­‐  a  series  of  short  movies  looking  at  key  facets  
of  the  app  itself.  These  can

be  1-­‐2  minutes  long  with  a  voiceover.    
preview and launch trailers -­‐  preNy  obvious  really,  but  
should  be  no  more  than  one  minute  long.  
strategy videos -­‐  great  for  games.  These  can  be  captured  
via  screencasts  from  the  developer  with  narra2on  on  key  
levels  or  aspects  of  the  game,  or  could  even  be  a  walkthrough  
or  2ps  and  tricks  to  win.  
live twitch events  -­‐  Twitch  can  be  an  exci2ng  way  to  
engage  with  customers.  Just  look  at  the  engagement

Bossa  Studios  had  for  their  quirky  2tle  Surgeon  Simulator  
thanks  to  their  Twitch  channel.  
developer diaries
Customers  are  o^en  fascinated  by  how  an  app  is  made  and  
will  gladly  read  blogs/diaries  to  follow  progress.  Why  not  write  
your  own,  sharing  photos,  video,  and  really  ge7ng  your  fans  
involved?    
artwork    
Customers  o^en  like  to  see  concept  art  which  you  may  have  a  
lot  of  and  can  easily  trickle  out  via  social  media  and  blog  
posts.  Artwork  made  into  a  limited  edi2on  signed  print  is  also  
great  for  compe22ons  and  giveaways.    
guides, walkthroughs and wikis
Did  you  know  that  strategy  guides  and  walkthroughs  are  a  
major  driver  of  traffic  to  game  review  sites?  No  one  knows  
your  game  beNer  than  you,  so  crea2ng  strategy  guides  or  a  
walkthroughs  can  be  a  great  way  to  engage  with  interested  
customers.  These  can  be  printed  or  video  form.  If  you  have  a  
complex  product  or  game  then  crea2ng  a  wiki  and  even  
involving  the  community  in  helping  shape  it  can  be  a  great  
way  of  both  crea2ng  content  and  also  engaging  with  fans  on  a  
grassroots  level.    
“A video showing gameplay is
always hugely helpful in the initial
filtering process: a chance to see a
game in motion with just one click
and 10-20 seconds viewing can be
the key to standing out in a
crowded inbox.”.”    
Stuart  Dredge,  technology  reporter,    
The  Guardian
“ ““Don’t just blindly send emails -
make connections, use Twitter to
connect. Talk with a few
journalists whose work you like via
Twitter, then once you are ready
to hype your game you are more
likely to get a response if they
know of you. Whatever you do,
make it personal. ”
Jeff  ScoE,  Editor,  Slide  to  Play
get into the mindset of your customers
The  more  you  know  about  your  app,  how  it’s  
performing  and  what  people  are  actually  doing  with  
it,  then  the  more  you  can  keep  refining  both  it  and  
your  app  marke2ng  strategy.    
There  are  some  excellent  free  tools  for  doing  this,  
plus  Social  media  is  also  a  great  way  to  gain  insight  
into  what  customers  want  and  to  engage  in  a  
dialogue.

You  can  also  use  your  app  store  pages  to  invite  
customers  to  follow  you  on  TwiNer  and  Facebook  
and  to  leave  comments  which  you  can  respond  to.  
HOT TIP: Google and Apple make it easy for youto monitor your app pages. Apple
offers its own app analytics via iTunes Connect, and you are already able to integrate
your Google Play page with Google Analytics to understand that conversion funnel.
“Build relationships with other developers
who have a user base, allowing you to do
impression exchanges. Promotion in your
games in exchange for promotion in
theirs.
Maintain an active social media presence,
and a website with playable demos or
browser version of your game. Distribute
branded flash versions to free2play games
portals – we reach 100K new users per
month through other websites for free.”
Paul  Collins,  Managing  Director,  SGck  Sports
“ “It’s obviously impossible to
guarantee, but make your app
remarkable in some way - make
it stand out, and then somehow
find a way of getting it in front
of someone with a contact at the
App Store or Google Play”
Charles  Chapman,    Director,    
First  Touch  Games  
“
Once  you’ve  launched  your  app  it  doesn’t  end  there.  You’re  bound  to  have  some  more  updates  as  2me  
goes  on,  and  these  are  great  opportuni2es  to  keep  interest  in  your  apps  fresh  and  aNract  new  
customers.  The  hints  and  2ps  in  this  guide  are  just  the  2p  of  the  iceberg:  promo2ng  an  app  is  not  a  dark  
art,  it’s  just  something  that  requires  investment  of  2me  and  resources  if  it  is  to  be  done  well.    
The  sheer  volume  of  places  that  review  or  discuss  apps  is  growing  exponen2ally,  requiring  close  
monitoring  if  they  are  to  be  incorporated  into  a  successful  app  promo2on  program.  If  you  factor  in  the  
emergence  of  more  and  more  app  stores  then  this  can  seem  like  an  overwhelming  task.    
We  hope  that  you’ve  found  this  guide  useful  and  if  you  have  any  ques2ons  or  need  more  help  then  we’ll  
be  only  too  happy  to  lend  a  hand.    
some parting thoughts….
promoting an app is not a dark art, it’s just something that requires
investment of time and resources.”
“
We  are  Big  Ideas  Machine  and  we  love  all  things  mobile.  
We  market  apps  and  games  as  well  as  help  technology  
companies  with  their  PR,  marke?ng,  social  content  and  
launch  strategies.    
about  us  
App  marke2ng  is  one  of  the  things  we’re  best  at.  Not  only  
do  we  work  with  great  developers  old  and  new,  but  we’ve  
also  been  app  developers  ourselves  -­‐  so  we  really  can  walk  
the  walk.  
We  believe  that  our  experience  and  specialist  knowledge  
around  apps,  mobile  games  and  the  wider  app  ecosystem  
sets  us  apart  from  other  agencies  -­‐  and  offers  an  effec2ve  
way  of  self-­‐publishing  your  app.  
Get  in  touch  and  find  out  
how  we  can  help  with  your  
PR,  marke?ng  or  app  launch.    
hello@bigideasmachine.com  
www.bigideasmachine.com  
@bigideasmachine  

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Marketing your app on a shoestring - tips on PR, marketing, ASO and self-publishing

  • 1. welcome. January 2015 HOW TO MARKET YOUR APP ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET www.bigideasmachine.com
  • 2. Whilst  many  people  assume  app  marke2ng  begins  and  ends  with  ge7ng   the  media  to  write  about  an  app,  the  reality  is  that  it’s  just  a  small  part  of   a  much  bigger  process.     The  truth  is  that  marke2ng  apps  may  not  require  super-­‐secret  skills,  but   it  does  take  huge  amounts  of  2me  and  effort  -­‐  something  that  a  lot  of   developers  simply  don’t  have.  ‘App  Marke2ng’  is  a  big,  messy  label  that   can  cover  many  different  areas.     We’ve  tried  to  condense  the  best  and  most  useful  2ps  we’ve  added  to   our  own  arsenal,  so  that  you  too  can  become  an  app  marke2ng  expert.   cheers! the Big Ideas Machine team
  • 3. In  today’s  era  of  self-­‐published  mobile   games  and  apps,  success  stories  like  Tiny   Wings,  Flappy  Birds,  Crossy  Road  and   many  others  paint  a  roman2c  picture  of   small  bedroom  coders  finding  untold   riches  armed  with  a  simple  idea  and  some   good  luck.     The  truth  is  that  breakout  mega  hits  like   Tiny  Wings  are  incredibly  rare,  and  that   the  success  of  an  app  relies  largely  on  hard   work  plus  a  large  dose  of  good  fortune.   unfortunately,  in  the  increasingly   sophis3cated  world  of  app  marke3ng,  hope   no  longer  cons3tutes  a  strategy  when  you’re   up  against  millions  of  other  apps.    
  • 4. Just  to  drive  home  how  liNle   prepared  most  app  developers  are   when  launching  their  apps,  a  2013   survey  of  over  1,000  app  developers   by  mobile  adver2sing  network   Appflood  found  that  over  80%  of   small  developers  and  40%  of  medium   and  large  developers  had  allocated   $5,000  or  less  for  marke2ng.     When  apps  in  the  most  compe22ve   categories  such  as  mobile  games  can   cost  upwards  of  $150,000  to   develop,  $5,000  is  a  2ny  amount  -­‐   hugely  dispropor2onate  to  the  cost   of  ge7ng  the  app  built.  
  • 5. Let’s  be  blunt  -­‐  there’s  a  huge  amount  of  crap  on  the  app  stores,   so  your  first  aim  should  be  to  not  add  to  it.  There’s  just  no  good   reason  to  create  a  terrible  app!  Customers  won’t  want  it  -­‐  if  they   try  it  then  they’ll  just  give  it  a  terrible  review  before  uninstalling   it  -­‐  journalists  won’t  even  bother  reviewing  it,  and  if  they  do  then   they’ll  pan  it.       Worst  of  all,  you’ll  be  robbing  yourself  of  the  top  prize  -­‐  app   store  promo2on.  What  most  developers  really  want  is  for  Apple   or  Google  to  feature  them  -­‐  and  you  sure  as  hell  aren’t  going  to   get  featured  if  your  app  is  terrible.   QUALITY, QUALITY AND MORE QUALITY
  • 6. Stats  from  app  analy2cs  firm  Flurry  clearly  demonstrate  the  challenge  of  customer  reten2on,  which  is   closely  linked  to  app  quality.  This  chart  shows  the  percentage  of  customers  that  con2nue  using  an  app   a^er  the  ini2al  install.  From  the  ini2al  total  of  users  installing  the  app  in  month  zero,  a^er  three  months   only  24%  of  them  are  s2ll  using  the  app.  A^er  6  months,  this  percentage  shrinks  to  14%,  and  by  12   months  only  4%  are  le^.
  • 7. Research  from  Localy2cs  found  that  roughly  a  quarter  of  apps  were  abandoned  a^er  a  single  use,  and   the  number  of  apps  that  are  opened  11  or  more  2mes  stands  at  a  mere  34%.  
  • 8. The  most  important  thing  in  defining  what  makes  a  quality  app  is  to  benchmark  the  compe22on.  Spend   some  2me  looking  at  the  category  you’re  going  to  be  targe2ng,  take  some  2me  to  play  around  with   other  apps,  and  look  around  at  what  the  users  and  the  review  sites  are  saying.   A  problem  we  see  2me  and  2me  again  is  that  many  developers  are  too  close  to  their  apps  and  simply   can’t  see  the  wood  for  the  trees  and  tell  objec2vely  if  it’s  good  or  not.  So  the  first  thing  to  do  is  get   feedback  from  friends  and  family,  and  giving  out  beta  builds  via  your  iTunes  Connect  account  or  Hockey   App  will  go  a  long  way  to  helping  you  get  some  honest  feedback.   It’s an age old cliché, but knowledge really is power
  • 9. Whatever  you  do,  don’t  rely  on  the  app  stores  as  some  kind   of  beta  tes2ng  and  feedback  mechanism.     Firstly  the  app  store  owners  -­‐  especially  Apple  -­‐  don’t  like  you   doing  it.  Secondly,  never  bank  on  ge7ng  any  kind  of   meaningful  feedback  from  user  comments;  of  customers  that   try  your  app,  only  a  2ny  percentage  of  them  will  ever  be   bothered  to  leave  feedback,  and  those  that  do  are  not  going   to  give  you  any  kind  of  quality  feedback.     “Terrible  app,  uninstalled  it  immediately”  accompanied  by  one   star  does  nothing  at  all  to  tell  you  specifically  why  a  customer   uninstalled  your  app.  
  • 10. If  your  app  is  a  quality  one,  then  reviewers  will  actually  be   interested  in  it.  Reviewers  see  hundreds  of  new  apps  of   varying  quality  a  week,  so  for  every  100  apps  they  review  it’s   likely  that  only  one  or  two  are  actually  worth  someone’s   money.     So  before  you  release  your  app  into  the  big  wide  world,  spend   some  2me  looking  at  the  category  you’re  going  to  be   launching  it  into,  take  some  2me  to  play  around  with  other   apps  and  look  around  at  what  the  users  and  the  review  sites   are  saying  about  the  compe22on.     If  you’re  able  to  clearly  express  to  customers  and  reviewers   why  your  app  is  genuinely  different  and  why  it’s  worth  some   of  their  hard  earned  cash  then  you’re  already  one  step  ahead   of  the  compe22on.   reviewers see hundreds of new apps of varying quality a week, so for every 100 apps they review it’s likely that only one or two are actually worth someone’s money” “
  • 11. Even  with  the  best  planning,  there  will  be  surprises  and   uncertain2es;  but  in  such  a  compe22ve  industry,  you  absolutely   cannot  spend  2me  and  money  building  an  app  without  having  a   detailed  strategy  for  (hopefully)  success.     Research  from  VisionMobile  has  shown  that  fewer  than  50%  of   developers  manage  to  stay  above  the  ‘app  poverty  line’  -­‐  that  is,   earning  more  than  $500  per  month  -­‐  and  a  staggering  83%  of  the   apps  on  Apple’s  App  store  don’t  even  make  it  into  the  top  300  in   a  category.     These  have  been  called  ‘zombie  apps’,  languishing  in  app  store   purgatory,  forever  undiscovered  and  undiscoverable.   HAVE A PLAN OF HOW TO GET YOUR APP NOTICED having an attitude of ‘if we built it, they will come’ is pretty much a guaranteed recipe for failure.” “
  • 12. build yourself a strategy checklist What’s  my  social  media  strategy?     What’s  my  marke2ng  strategy  and  2meframe?     What’s  my  business  model  for  genera2ng  profit?     What’s  my  development/  marke2ng/adver2sing   budget?     How  will  I  reach  out  to  the  media?     What  is  the  USP  (Unique  Selling  Point)  of  my  app?     How  will  I  posi2on  my  app  against  the  compe22on?     What’s  my  tes2ng  and  customer  research  strategy?   How  am  I  going  to  pitch  my  app  to  the  media?   Will  my  app  be  freemium,  premium  or  a  combina2on?   How  am  I  going  to  get  my  video  produced?   What’s  my  pre-­‐launch  hype-­‐  building  strategy?   How  do  I  showcase  my  app  to  Apple  and  Google?   How  do  I  fill  the  acquisi2on  funnel?     What’s  my  localisa2on  strategy?     What’s  my  update  roadmap?     build yourself a strategy checklist One  way  to  create  a  strategy  for  your  app  development  and  launch  is  to  create  a  checklist  of  ques2ons,  and   find  answers  to  them.  Here  are  just  a  few  you  should  be  considering:    
  • 14. The  best  way  to  explain  the  fundamentals  of  app   marke2ng  is  to  visualise  the  journey  that  people   take  when  they  browse  an  app  store.     Star2ng  at  the  top  of  the  funnel,  you  have  the   point  where  people  first  visit  the  store.  They  could   be  ac2vely  looking  for  a  par2cular  app,  or  just   browsing  what’s  new.  The  important  point  is  that   from  this  point  forward,  every  poten2al  customer   for  your  app  will  make  decisions  that  will  diminish   the  chance  of  them  installing  and  using  it.  The  user   acquisi2on  funnel  is  a  bit  like  a  bucket  full  of  holes,   so  you’ve  got  to  minimise  the  leakage  at  every   stage.     There’s  no  point  in  focusing  all  your  efforts  on  just   one  aspect  of  the  app  store  experience;  success   comes  from  the  way  all  the  stages  fit  together  as  a   whole.   Different  stages  of  the  funnel  can  also  be   op2mised  in  different  ways.  For  example,  lots  of   successful  app  developers  regularly  experiment   with  their  app  store  icons,  or  even  use  different   icons  on  different  stores  as  a  kind  of  A/B  tes2ng.   Changes  that  deliver  an  improvement  in  discovery   and  engagement  can  then  be  incorporated,  with   each  small  incremental  improvement  adding  to  the   overall  presenta2on  of  the  app.   The  app  store  is  a  place  crammed  full  of  shiny   things  that  will  distract  your  poten2al  customers   every  single  second  they  are  there.  By   understanding  the  different  stages  of  the  funnel,   you  can  refine  and  monitor  each  point  at  which   consumers  make  a  decision  in  order  to  maximise   the  installs  you  generate.    
  • 15. The  way  your  app  is  presented  on  the  store  is  o^en  known  as  ASO  -­‐  App   Store  Op2misa2on  -­‐  and  concerns  the  overall  impression  your  app   creates.     Think  of  it  in  terms  of  a  shop  window  display,  with  you  wan2ng  to  make   enough  of  an  impact  to  get  consumers  through  the  door.  App  stores  are   no  different;  the  combina2on  of  the  look  and  feel  of  your  app,  plus  how   interes2ng,  fun  or  useful  it  seems  is  the  key  to  grabbing  the  aNen2on  of   people  browsing  yours  and  other  developers’  apps.   FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT - SOME ASO TIPS
  • 16. The  name  and  icon  you  choose  can  literally  make  or  break  your  app,   as  they  are  probably  the  main  thing  that  people  rely  on  when   browsing.  Both  of  these  (plus  the  amount  of  stars  your  app  has)  will   ul2mately  govern  whether  a  user  ever  clicks  through  and  decides  to   take  your  app  for  a  spin.     So  it’s  really  worth  taking  2me  to  refine  your  icon.  Take  a  look  at
 your  compe2tors  as  well  as  understand  current  design  trends  (flat   versus  3D,  skeuomorphic,  etc).  It’s  also  worth  taking  a  look  at   Google’s  material  design  guidelines  as  it  will  o^en  prefer  apps  that   adhere  to  its  latest  aesthe2c.  When  it  comes  to  great  icon  design,  we   really  like  the  2ps  and  examples  at  www.pixelresort.com   NAME AND ICON the bottom line: imperfect app names force shoppers to work harder, and that will mean fewer downloads. for all of the time you put into developing the app, isn’t the name worth the added effort?” Interbrand“
  • 17. You  don’t  need  to  be  a  modern  day  Shakespeare,  but  ge7ng  a   professional  to  write  your  marke2ng  copy  can  make  a  world  of  difference.     Think  about  how  your  app  descrip2on  will  look  on  the  app  storeS:  have   you  packed  the  biggest  punch  possible  into  your  text,  making  the  reader   really  want  to  click  on  ‘more’  to  read  on?     And  don’t  forget  that  your  app  descrip2on  is  a  living  thing.  As  you  get   more  posi2ve  reviews,  more  comments  and  add  more  features,  you’ll   want  to  anchor  a  lot  of  these  at  the  beginning  of  the  descrip2on  for   added  impact.  The  app  descrip2on  is  a  sales  tool  for  you  to  persuade   someone  to  try  your  app,  so  if  you  can  let  them  know  that  you’ve  got  a   great  review,  been  lucky  enough  to  have  a  million  downloads  or  have  just   added  some  new  features  then  it  can  make  all  the  difference.   APP DESCRIPTION translate your description into English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Why? Because being in a local language increases your chance of sales“
  • 18. We’re  going  to  assume  that  you’ve  already  made  an  app  that  looks  great.   However,  it  never  ceases  to  amaze  us  how  many  developers  simply  don’t   do  their  apps  jus2ce  when  it  comes  to  selec2ng  screenshots.     All  screenshots  should  show  your  app  off  in  the  best  possible  light,  as  well   as  show  a  good  breadth  of  content  or  features.  If  it’s  a  game,  make  sure   that  you’ve  captured  screenshots  across  the  en2re  game,  and  not  just  the   first  ten  minutes;  if  there  are  100  levels  in  the  game,  then  show  off  the   best  looking  ones.     And  if  you  are  going  to  be  using  the  screenshots  on  the  app  stores,  it’s   useful  to  overlay  some  text  that  helps  explain  what  the  screenshot  is   showing,  such  as  key  features  or  the  unique  selling  points  of  the  app.     SCREEN - SHOTS HOT TIP: If your game works best in landscape view, don’t worry: people will happily turn their phones on the side to look at screenshots if you upload images in landscape orientation rather than portrait.
  • 19. Ensure  that  you  use  a  proper  keywords  tool  for  the  App  Store.  For  iOS   there  are  several  paid  ones  such  as  Appcodes  and  Searchman.  App  Annie   also  has  a  free  keywords  research  tool  you  can  use.  For  Google  Play  it’s   less  straighporward,  but  the  2tle  should  carry  a  keyword,  and  the  main   app  descrip2on  should  include  words  or  phrases  you  want  associated   with  your  app  when  people  search  for  it.       Both  Apple  and  Google  have  added  the  ability  to  include  video  trailers  to   your  app  page  -­‐  so  use  it!  We’re  constantly  shocked  by  how  many  pages   don’t  include  video.  Why  on  earth  would  you  be  given  a  free  promo2onal   slot  and  ignore  it?  On  the  App  Store  videos  are  limited  to  30  seconds  and   you  can  only  show  in-­‐app  footage,  whereas  on  Google  Play  you  can  preNy   much  show  what  you  want.   KEYWORDS & VIDEO HOT TIP: If you do put a video on Google Play then use a unique link from YouTube rather than embed the video directly, as this way you can see how many unique views you are getting versus pageviews and downloads. This all helps with your conversion rate calculations.
  • 20. Sadly,  there’s  no  way  to  cheat  this  part  -­‐  it  only  comes  from  crea2ng
 an  app  which  is  good  enough  to  mo2vate  people  to  rate  it  4  or  5  stars.   Some2mes,  app  updates  can  include  bugs  that  get  missed  by  tes2ng,
 so  whenever  you  change  or  update  your  app,  keep  an  eagle  eye  on  the   reviews  as  o^en  people  will  be  very  vocal  about  problems  -­‐  and  you  need   to  fix  them  quickly  if  you  don’t  want  your  overall  review  score  to  drop.     We  also  see  a  lot  of  new  apps  that  don’t  have  any  reviews  at  all.  Because   recommenda2on  and  word  of  mouth  is  one  of  the  most  powerful   influences  on  purchasing  decisions,  it  is  a  common  reac2on  to  think
 that  an  app  with  no  posi2ve  reviews  must  not  be  good.  A  lack  of  reviews   can  create  a  nega2ve  response,  which  in  turn  makes  it  even  harder  to   encourage  people  to  leave  posi2ve  reviews.  You  only  need  to  reach  a   small  but  cri2cal  mass  of  reviews  before  they  will  be  shown,  so   encourage  users  of  your  app  to  leave  reviews.   positive reviews
  • 21. Before  you  approach  any  press  with  informa2on   about  your  app  it’s  essen2al  to  understand  what   they  are  looking  for  -­‐  otherwise  your  pitch  has  a   beNer  than  good  chance  of  falling  on  deaf  ears.       Luckily  for  you,  this  job  is  a  whole  lot  easier  since   we  created  the  first  ever  survey  of  app  reviewers,   and  it’s  free  to  download  from  our  website   www.bigideasmachine.com.  The  next  few  slides   cover  a  few  of  the  essen2al  insights  and  2ps.   GIVE THE MEDIA WHAT THEY WANT
  • 22. journalists  reject  a  pitch  is  because  the  sender  has   an  ‘inability  to  concisely  explain  the  app’s  features   in  the  pitch  email’.  You  should  be  able  to  state   clearly  what  your  app  is,  what  is  does  and  why  it’s   different  or  unique  -­‐  and  do  it  in  just  a  few   sentences.     Remember,  an  app  reviewer  will  likely  see   hundreds  of  apps  and  be  able  to  automa2cally   benchmark  yours  against  others  that  they  have   tried  just  from  your  ini2al  pitch.  If  you  can’t  clearly   and  concisely  explain  your  app  and  its  best  selling   points,  then  you  need  to  seriously  rethink  your   approach.   If  you’re  going  to  approach  a  journalist  to  review   your  app  then  you’ve  literally  seconds  in  which  to   grab  their  aNen2on.  Some  receive  up  to  50
 app  pitches  a  day  -­‐  a  staggering  13,000  a  year!     Unfortunately  for  you,  over  40%  of  journalists  we   asked  said  they  reviewed  fewer  than  10%  of  the   apps  they  were  pitched.  Overall,  some  70%  of   journalists  said  they  write  about  fewer  than  30%   of  the  apps  they  see  –  giving  the  average  app  a   less  than  one-­‐in-­‐  three  chance  of  ge7ng  coverage.   According  to  our  survey,  one  of  the  main  reasons BE CLEAR & CONCISE over 40% of journalists we asked said they reviewed fewer than 10% of the apps they were pitched” “ CLEAR CONCISE
  • 23. “You have two second to impress me, so make them count. This means a strong first sentence and screens or video. Give me something to look at, and if you can’t do that, you’d better be damned sure to hook me with some well written copy that doesn’t feel desperate, apologetic, or rambly. You know why I should be covering your game, so don’t pussyfoot around.” Jim Squires editor-in-Chief, Gamezebo
  • 24. Journalists  are  actually  real  people  w ho  like  to   be  approached  in  a  friendly  and  genuine  m anner.   You  don’t  need  to  be  w acky,  preten2ous  or  ‘out   there’  for  them  to  respond  to  you.     Just  be  yourself,  w rite  a  clear  and  concise  pitch,   and  you  w ill  increase  your  chances  of  them   responding.  D on’t  just  cut  and  paste  a  press   release,  actually  take  som e  2m e  to  say  w hy  the   app  is  w orth  a  look  via  a  few  bullet  points.   We  can’t  stress  enough  how  important  it  is  for
 you  to  send  the  right  pitch  to  the  right  website.  In   our  survey,  almost  60%  said  that  the  main  reason   they  reject  an  app  for  review  is  simply  because  it’s   not  relevant  for  their  readership.     There’s  no  point  sending  generic  emails  to  every   journalist  you  can  find  in  the  hope  of  ge7ng  a   response,  or  offering  an  iOS  app  for  review  to  an   Android  site.  This  kind  of  mass  spamming  and   irrelevance  gets  you  nowhere.  BeNer  to  focus  on   the  best  sites  and  sending  personalised  and   tailored  emails  than  spamming  500  busy   journalists  with  something  star2ng  “to  whom  it   may  concern.”   BE RELEVANT BE g en u in e
  • 25. “Think about what makes your game unique and how that could be turned into an interesting headline. Research the sites that you most want to cover your game. Figure out the perfect person on staff to cover your game, and send it directly to them instead of a generic address.” Mark Brown Editor, Pocketgamer “Think about what makes your game unique and how that could be turned into an interesting headline. Research the sites that you most want to cover your game. Figure out the perfect person on staff to cover your game, and send it directly to them instead of a generic address.”
  • 26. Remember,  it’s  up  to  you  to  give  journalists   everything  they  need  in  order  to  review   your  app,  and  to  make  it  as  quick  and  easy   as  possible.  If  you  have  an  iOS  app  then  you   may  also  choose  to  give  them  a  promo  code   so  they  can  just  get  the  app  and  try  it.  You   might  want  to  limit  alloca2ng  promo  codes   to  the  top  20  reviewers  as  you’ll  have  a   limited  amount  that  you  can  use.   Because  journalists  have  very  liNle  2me  to  make
 a  decision  you  can  help  them  out  by  sending  good   screenshots  of  your  app.  Embed  the  screenshots  in   the  body  of  the  mail  -­‐  so  they  are  instantly   viewable,  and  also  because  emails  with   aNachments  o^en  go  into  spam  filters  -­‐  and  put  a   link  to  a  Dropbox  or  Google  Drive  folder  if  you   have  more  screens  you’d  like  to  share.     A  video  is  essen2al  to  really  give  someone  a   flavour  of  your  app.  There’s  no  need  for  anything   too  amazing  or  flashy;  a  30-­‐60  second  video  on   YouTube  can  really  help  them  see  what  your  app  is   about  and  if  it  worth  reviewing.  Remember  to  flash   up  some  key  features  on  the  screen  to  guide  the   viewer  as  to  the  app’s  unique  selling  points.     BE visual BE helpful
  • 27. “More media is always better - Images, YouTube links, a website, animated .gifs embedded in the email (.gifs are actually a *great* way to get attention, at least initially), etc. If they have to work to find out what your project looks like there’s a very good chance they simply won’t bother.” Rob Rich, Editor-in-Chief, 148 Apps
  • 28. qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality qualityquality Journalists  don’t  like  to  be  bugged,   badgered  or  chased  -­‐  they  are  busy   people!  If  you  send  a  mail  and  don’t  hear   back,  then  chances  are  they  are  not   interested  -­‐  so  don’t  keep  emailing.     The  media  hate  to  receive  mul2ple  emails   about  your  app;  journalists  either  want  to   know  more/review  your  app  or  will  simply   not  saying  anything.  They  don’t  have  2me   to  issue  polite  apologies  and  rejec2ons.   We’ve  already  covered  this  off  earlier  so  you   preNy  much  get  that  quality  is  the  #1  thing   we  tell  people  all  the  2me.  Your  app  has  to   look  great,  work  well  and  do  something   really  well  or  genuinely  new.  There  are  just   too  many  other  apps  out  there  for  reviewers   to  even  consider  an  app  that’s  got  bugs  or   hasn’t  been  really  well  designed  and  polished   -­‐  so  before  you  pitch  it,  make  sure  you’ve  got   feedback  from  friends  and  colleagues,  and   also  that  you’ve  benchmarked  against  other   apps  out  there.  You  can  be  sure  that  if  your   app  has  any  obvious  faults,  a  journalist  will   quickly  spot  them.     BE PATIENT
  • 29. of apps they are pitched 40%of journalists we polled review fewer than more than 10% 58%of app reviewers commonly reject apps for not being relevant; 42%because they are poorly explained
  • 30. Let’s  be  brutally  honest:  ge3ng   your  app  reviewed  rarely  leads   directly  to  massive  volumes  of   installs.  Media  coverage  is  a  part  of   building  long-­‐term  awareness  for   your  app  and  your  brand  -­‐  alongside   social  media  and  other  marke?ng   tac?cs.     spread the word There  are  two  different  objec2ves  when  reaching  out  to  the  media  about  your  app;  trying  to  get  it   reviewed,  and  crea2ng  buzz  and  awareness.  These  may  sound  like  the  same  thing,  but  o^en  it  means   speaking  to  completely  different  people.   And  remember,  you  don’t  have  to  wait  un2l  an  app  has  launched  to  begin  promo2ng  it.  Depending  on  what   your  app  is,  some2mes  it’s  a  good  idea  to  send  out  a  preview  pitch  or  press  release  with  some  screenshots   a  few  weeks  before  the  actual  launch  or  even  offer  media  the  chance  to  preview  it.    
  • 31. news sites & blogs There  are  many  news  sites  that  could  feature  your  app.   Some  may  be  plaporm-­‐specific  and  cover  either  Android  or   iOS  apps,  whilst  others  may  target  hobbies  and  interests   outside  of  mobile  such  as  movies,  games,  lifestyle,  sports   etc.     As  well  as  general  news  sites,  it  can  also  be  really  good  to   target  specialist  blogs  that  may  be  relevant  to  your  app.   newswires Paying  to  post  your  news  on  a  newswire  can  be  really  good   for  search  engine  op2misa2on  as  well  as  giving  your  app   the  chance  of  being  no2ced  by  journalists.  Lots  of  sites   take  their  news  from  an  RSS  feed  direct  from  newswires.   Some  good  news  wires  are  Realwire  or  PRWeb  and  if  you   want  an  iOS  specific  newswire  that’s  very  cost  effec2ve   then  you  can  try  prMac.  GamesPress  is  also  essen2al  for   games  and  has  a  free  op2on  to  post  your  news. forums Forums  and  sites  like  Reddit  are  a  great  place  to  get  in  with   the  grassroots  of  a  community.  If  you  have  the  2me  there   are  masses  of  special  interest  forums  that  probably  2e  into   your  app,  but  beware  -­‐  the  people  who  use  forums  can  be   very  vocal  and  don’t  take  well  to  spam  and  hardcore   marke2ng  messages.  Don’t  go  into  forums  and  start   pos2ng  promo2onal  messages  willy-­‐nilly  otherwise  you   could  receive  some  nasty  responses  from  the  more   dedicated  members  of  the  community.     don’t forget your own marketing channels This  largely  applies  to  established  businesses,  but  we  see   far  too  many  companies  create  an  app  and  forget  that  they   have  a  lot  of  available  channels  they  can  u2lise  to  spread   the  word.  Most  companies  have  a  lot  of  marke2ng   channels  including  websites,  TwiNer  and  Facebook  pages,   newsleNers  and  a  plethora  of  other  channels  they  can  draw   on  to  spread  the  word.    
  • 32. “Treat us like human beings. Too often, the pitching and press release process feels cold and inhuman, especially when trawling through dozens and dozens of potential games on a daily basis. If you treat us kindly and with some respect, you’ll get it in return. You’ll be more likely to get responses from us. And we’ll pay more attention to you in the future.” .”     Carter  Dotson,  Writer,  Touch  Arcade “ ““Having a small budget (or even none) for marketing an app means that you need to get creative in many ways. You probably won’t be able to make a lot of custom artwork so try to focus on high quality screenshots....being creative also means that almost every marketing idea is a good one as long as you are able to implement it. Don’t be afraid of your unique ideas!” Marcin  Traczyk,  PR  Specialist,     Tequila  Games  
  • 33. realise your own potential - create some great content marketing In  fact,  you  can  create  great   content  for  liNle  or  no  money  that   helps  your  app  get  no2ced.  You   can  then  use  this  content  to   engage  with  customers  through   the  many  different  channels  at   your  disposal.  Here’s  a  few   examples  of  content  that  you  can   create  to  support  your  app   launch.     If  you’re  a  developer  then  you  likely  don’t  realise   that  you’re  si3ng  on  a  goldmine  of  content  which   can  be  used  for  marke?ng  your  app.  
  • 34. videos Customers  love  videos  as  they  are  so  easily  diges2ble  and   really  convey  your  app’s  strengths.  We’ve  already  spoken   about  the  benefit  of  having  a  video,  but  there  are  lots  of   different  styles  and  approaches,  beyond  the  simple  app  trailer:     making of/behind the scenes video  -­‐  a  series  looking  at   different  aspects  of  your  app  and  how  it  was  made.  If  it’s  a   game  then  this  could  be  artwork,  sound,  gameplay,  features   and  more.     featurettes  -­‐  a  series  of  short  movies  looking  at  key  facets   of  the  app  itself.  These  can
 be  1-­‐2  minutes  long  with  a  voiceover.     preview and launch trailers -­‐  preNy  obvious  really,  but   should  be  no  more  than  one  minute  long.   strategy videos -­‐  great  for  games.  These  can  be  captured   via  screencasts  from  the  developer  with  narra2on  on  key   levels  or  aspects  of  the  game,  or  could  even  be  a  walkthrough   or  2ps  and  tricks  to  win.   live twitch events  -­‐  Twitch  can  be  an  exci2ng  way  to   engage  with  customers.  Just  look  at  the  engagement
 Bossa  Studios  had  for  their  quirky  2tle  Surgeon  Simulator   thanks  to  their  Twitch  channel.   developer diaries Customers  are  o^en  fascinated  by  how  an  app  is  made  and   will  gladly  read  blogs/diaries  to  follow  progress.  Why  not  write   your  own,  sharing  photos,  video,  and  really  ge7ng  your  fans   involved?     artwork     Customers  o^en  like  to  see  concept  art  which  you  may  have  a   lot  of  and  can  easily  trickle  out  via  social  media  and  blog   posts.  Artwork  made  into  a  limited  edi2on  signed  print  is  also   great  for  compe22ons  and  giveaways.     guides, walkthroughs and wikis Did  you  know  that  strategy  guides  and  walkthroughs  are  a   major  driver  of  traffic  to  game  review  sites?  No  one  knows   your  game  beNer  than  you,  so  crea2ng  strategy  guides  or  a   walkthroughs  can  be  a  great  way  to  engage  with  interested   customers.  These  can  be  printed  or  video  form.  If  you  have  a   complex  product  or  game  then  crea2ng  a  wiki  and  even   involving  the  community  in  helping  shape  it  can  be  a  great   way  of  both  crea2ng  content  and  also  engaging  with  fans  on  a   grassroots  level.    
  • 35. “A video showing gameplay is always hugely helpful in the initial filtering process: a chance to see a game in motion with just one click and 10-20 seconds viewing can be the key to standing out in a crowded inbox.”.”     Stuart  Dredge,  technology  reporter,     The  Guardian “ ““Don’t just blindly send emails - make connections, use Twitter to connect. Talk with a few journalists whose work you like via Twitter, then once you are ready to hype your game you are more likely to get a response if they know of you. Whatever you do, make it personal. ” Jeff  ScoE,  Editor,  Slide  to  Play
  • 36. get into the mindset of your customers The  more  you  know  about  your  app,  how  it’s   performing  and  what  people  are  actually  doing  with   it,  then  the  more  you  can  keep  refining  both  it  and   your  app  marke2ng  strategy.     There  are  some  excellent  free  tools  for  doing  this,   plus  Social  media  is  also  a  great  way  to  gain  insight   into  what  customers  want  and  to  engage  in  a   dialogue.
 You  can  also  use  your  app  store  pages  to  invite   customers  to  follow  you  on  TwiNer  and  Facebook   and  to  leave  comments  which  you  can  respond  to.   HOT TIP: Google and Apple make it easy for youto monitor your app pages. Apple offers its own app analytics via iTunes Connect, and you are already able to integrate your Google Play page with Google Analytics to understand that conversion funnel.
  • 37. “Build relationships with other developers who have a user base, allowing you to do impression exchanges. Promotion in your games in exchange for promotion in theirs. Maintain an active social media presence, and a website with playable demos or browser version of your game. Distribute branded flash versions to free2play games portals – we reach 100K new users per month through other websites for free.” Paul  Collins,  Managing  Director,  SGck  Sports “ “It’s obviously impossible to guarantee, but make your app remarkable in some way - make it stand out, and then somehow find a way of getting it in front of someone with a contact at the App Store or Google Play” Charles  Chapman,    Director,     First  Touch  Games   “
  • 38. Once  you’ve  launched  your  app  it  doesn’t  end  there.  You’re  bound  to  have  some  more  updates  as  2me   goes  on,  and  these  are  great  opportuni2es  to  keep  interest  in  your  apps  fresh  and  aNract  new   customers.  The  hints  and  2ps  in  this  guide  are  just  the  2p  of  the  iceberg:  promo2ng  an  app  is  not  a  dark   art,  it’s  just  something  that  requires  investment  of  2me  and  resources  if  it  is  to  be  done  well.     The  sheer  volume  of  places  that  review  or  discuss  apps  is  growing  exponen2ally,  requiring  close   monitoring  if  they  are  to  be  incorporated  into  a  successful  app  promo2on  program.  If  you  factor  in  the   emergence  of  more  and  more  app  stores  then  this  can  seem  like  an  overwhelming  task.     We  hope  that  you’ve  found  this  guide  useful  and  if  you  have  any  ques2ons  or  need  more  help  then  we’ll   be  only  too  happy  to  lend  a  hand.     some parting thoughts…. promoting an app is not a dark art, it’s just something that requires investment of time and resources.” “
  • 39. We  are  Big  Ideas  Machine  and  we  love  all  things  mobile.   We  market  apps  and  games  as  well  as  help  technology   companies  with  their  PR,  marke?ng,  social  content  and   launch  strategies.     about  us   App  marke2ng  is  one  of  the  things  we’re  best  at.  Not  only   do  we  work  with  great  developers  old  and  new,  but  we’ve   also  been  app  developers  ourselves  -­‐  so  we  really  can  walk   the  walk.   We  believe  that  our  experience  and  specialist  knowledge   around  apps,  mobile  games  and  the  wider  app  ecosystem   sets  us  apart  from  other  agencies  -­‐  and  offers  an  effec2ve   way  of  self-­‐publishing  your  app.   Get  in  touch  and  find  out   how  we  can  help  with  your   PR,  marke?ng  or  app  launch.     hello@bigideasmachine.com   www.bigideasmachine.com   @bigideasmachine