Practical Marketing for the App Store -- Dave Verwer, Developer, Trainer and Consultant at Shiny Development (The Winter Nights: Mobile Games Conference 2014 http://www.wnconf.com/).

1. Practical Marketing on
the App Store.

3. Practical Marketing on
the App Store.

4. Why?
Source: http://www.superdataresearch.com/market-data/digital-game-user-acquisition-cost/

5. Idea &!
Design
Launch!! Post!
Launch
Pre!
Launch
Build!

6. Design
Build
Pre Launch
Launch
Post Launch
Marketing

7. Idea & Design.!

8. App Store Guidelines.

9. Monetisation of your
idea requires planning.

10. 92% of top
grossing
games are
freemium.

11. So, Freemium?
— Freemium is a valid, and successful
business model, but be careful.!
— Be cautious with IAPs that stall
gameplay or feel required to progress.!
— Keep your games primarily fun!

12. Example: Hearthstone.

13. Example: Hearthstone.

14. Example: Hearthstone.
— No artificial barriers. Buying IAPs is
helpful but far from necessary.!
— Items available for purchase can also
be earned without paying.!
— The game is fun to play with or
without IAPs.

15. Example: Hearthstone.
— No artificial barriers. Buying IAPs is
helpful but far from necessary.!
— Items available for purchase can also
be earned without paying.!
— The game is fun to play with or
without IAPs.

16. Market Research

17. Build.

18. Quality. Quality. Quality!

19. Devices and OS versions.

20. Devices and OS versions.

21. Source: https://developer.apple.com/support/appstore/
Devices and OS versions.
Earlier!
3%
iOS 6!
17%
iOS 7!
80%

22. Integrate well with iOS.
— Universal apps.!
— Game Centre - Leaderboards,
Achievements, Peer to Peer.!
— Game Controllers.

23. Tracking and Analytics.
Download Install Purchase

24. Pre Launch.

25. Building an audience.

26. Example: Monument Valley.

27. Example: Monument Valley.

28. Influential beta testers.
— Beta testers will come out of the
woodwork.!
— People who are engaging early will be
biased. Treat with a little caution.!
— Start researching bloggers & writers
in your target market and start a
conversation.

29. Working with Apple.
— Talk to Apple during development.!
— Make your app easy to feature.!
— Quality. Quality. Quality!

30. Launch!

31. App Review.

32. App Review.
— Common reasons for rejection:!
— Crashing!!
— Description doesn’t match product.!
— Network failures.!
— Trademark and copyright issues.

33. App Store Submission.
— Be in control of your App Store
account.!
— Think about metadata early in the
launch process.!
— Localise your metadata.

34. App Store Submission.

35. Screenshots.
— Screenshots are final when an app
version finishes in review.!
— Simple screenshots or real
photography?!
— Keep it simple and clean.

36. Press Release.
— It’s about the story!!
— Simple, clear, short.!
— Offer promo codes.!
— Provide a Press Kit.!
— You’ve got 30 seconds…

37. Create a Press Kit.
— Contact Details!!
— App Icon, Screenshots & Video.!
— Press Releases (all of them).!
— Company Profile, Portfolio, FAQ.!
— Allow download as a single zip file.

38. Example: Hearthstone.

39. Distributing Press
Releases.
— Research your reviewers.!
— Look for people interested in the
market you are aiming at.!
— Their followers will also be
interested in that market.

40. Distributing Press Releases.

41. Distributing Press Releases.

42. Working with Apple.
— appstorepromotion@apple.com!
— appoftheweek@apple.com

43. Post Launch.

44. Reviews.

45. Reviews.

46. What’s New?
“Bug fixes…”

47. What next?
— Keep going…!
— Repeat the marketing cycle for future
releases.!
— Keep engagement high with your
audience.

48. Thank You.
dave.verwer@shinydevelopment.com!
@daveverwer on Twitter
shinydevelopment.com!
iosdevweekly.com

49. Star by Dmitry Baranovskiy from The Noun Project!
http://thenounproject.com/term/star/5059/!
!
Moon by Ema Dimitrova from The Noun Project!
http://thenounproject.com/term/star/24804/!
!
Rocket by Jean-Philippe Cabaroc from The Noun Project!
http://thenounproject.com/term/star/7427/!
!
Truck by Carlos Ramos from The Noun Project!
http://thenounproject.com/term/star/14020/!
!
Thought Bubble by Mateo Zlatar from The Noun Project!
http://thenounproject.com/term/star/6417/!
!
Arrow by Jamison Wieser from The Noun Project!
http://thenounproject.com/term/star/5440/
Attribution and Thanks