Exceptional apps sell on their own, right? Wrong. An app is only as successful as its marketing campaign. In an effort to help our developers increase app visibility, we’ve created this developer marketing kit. The kit overviews a marketing strategy beginning with your initial app concept and continuing through development, launch and post-launch stages. This kit represents the best techniques and tips we’ve come across, but we’re sure there are more out there. Feel free to share your best methods and secrets of success in the comments section. We will update the kit as more resources and tips arise.

• Phase 1: Create the strategy to market your apps


• Phase II: Preparing for the launch of your app


• Phase III: Launch Your App


• Phase IV: Post-Launch

Phase I: Create the strategy to market your apps

The goal of Phase I is to determine your app’s target audience and ensure that you are designing your app to cater to them. If you don’t know what they like, you won’t know how to market your app.

• Conduct marketing research and know your target audience
  • You will have more chances to succeed if you can research competitive apps across different app stores before you work on your own app. List the top 5 competing apps, their price, monetization model and read your competing app’s comments and reviews carefully.
  • Understand who and where your customers are. Your app may appeal to a particular demographic with specific content consumption preferences. If you can’t memorize the top 5 most influential blogs, groups, forums or websites they are visiting, chances are you will have a very hard time reaching them.
• Determine the appearance of your app
  • Choose a good, short and descriptive app name. A well-chosen app name can become a source of additional traffic and downloads.
• Determine the monetization strategy
  • Monetizing your apps is obviously important. You can choose to make your app free or paid. For the free app, you can monetize your apps through in-app purchasing such as in-app advertising, in-app upgrade or content subscription.
  • Get familiar with the alternative monetization options available to you and evaluate their pros and cons. Choose one or a combination of them.
• Determine app promotion tactics and channels that you’d like to use. Make sure selected channels align with your consumer’s preferred channels. Options include:
  • Website portal development: create your own Web site to market your company and your apps.
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): enabling your web site to become more visible in search engine results by labeling key words. This method is unpaid.
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM): maximizing the number of visitors to a Web site by enabling your Web site to be listed higher on search engine sites. This method is paid.
  • Social media marketing: using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to enable engagement and discussion of your app.
  • Online video creation: showing videos of your app and/or company to consumers via YouTube, or other sites.
  • Print collateral development: developing printed marketing materials such as flyers, coupons and posters.
  • E- mail marketing: marketing your app via email to a target set of consumers.
• Determine success metrics to measure your apps’ success. The number of downloads is not the only indicator you need to track to measure your apps. There are some other metrics you may need to identify.
  • Total Downloads – count of the times your app was downloaded from an app store.
  • App Users – number of unique application users over a period of time. Shows how many people actually use the application after downloading.
  • Active User Rate – ratio of the number of app users to the total number of downloads. This helps you understand if you gaining or losing your audience over time.
  • New Users – count of the number of users that first used your app during a period of time. This is a useful metric in comparison with active user rate to see if you are staying ahead of the customer attrition curve.
  • Frequency of visit – ratio of the number of visits to the number of users over a period of time. This shows, on average, how often your app is being used and can be used to gauge user loyalty.
  • Depth of visit – number of screens viewed on average compared to the number of visits. Together with duration, this metric gives you insight into how engaged your customers are with your app.
  • Duration - the average amount of time spent in the application.

  By the end of Phase I, you should have your basic marketing strategy completed, including developing an app that aligns with your target audience, and isolating marketing strategies and metrics to implement in future steps.

  
  Phase II: Preparing for the launch of your app

  This phase is all about setting your app up for marketing success. Great plans aren’t developed and launched within a week of your apps’ download availability. They take time to bake. This section enables you to get your marketing techniques prepared.

  • 5 Months Out
    • Add social media features to your app: Adding social sharing buttons is usually a simple and effective way to boost traffic and drive downloads. It allows you to easily encourage more people to talk about and share your app through social media and email.
    • Develop a Twitter* presence
    • Sign-up and create a profile. You need to determine the presence you will have on Twitter. Some developers use their personal identities, while some create accounts specifically for their app. You may also consider whether you will launch more apps in the future. To create an account, visit www.twitter.com.
    • Follow your customers and influencers. You should follow the customers you previously identified in Phase I. Don’t stop following them if they don’t follow you back.
    • Re-tweeting. Repeating tweets may seem like spamming, but it is a marketing technique used by many twitter users. Repeating tweets helps increase the visibility of the tweet.
    • Use hashtags in your tweets. The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. For example, if your app is a space/alien game, you may want to use #spacegame or #space #app in your tweets. Consumers interested in either of those topics will be able to easily search and locate your tweets.
    • Monitor conversations about your company or brand. Twitter has a search engine that lets you monitor what people are saying about any person, company or brand. You can subscribe to these searches by RSS to keep yourself updated.
    • Tracking statistics through a link shortening & tracking service such as Bit.ly*. You may not be far enough into development to tweet pictures of your app, but it’s important to be aware of metric tracking for further usage. Create an account through www.bit.ly.com. Bit.ly allows you to input a URL and produces a shortened version that tracks clicks. Once you tweet, you’ll be able to log back into your Bit.ly account and determine how many people have clicked on the link within your tweet.
    • Develop a Facebook* fan page
    • Visit this URL www.facebook.com/pages/create.php.
    • Decide what the best category is for your business.
    • Enter your business/product/brand name and click "Create Page".
    • Description and logo. You can enter a short description of your business and a website address. This is in the "Add Information To This Page" area. Later when you create your app’s logo, you can upload it as the page’s image. You may also use your company’s logo.
    • Click on your business name in the top left corner (it's a hyperlink) and then click "publish this page".
    • Finally, from your new profile page, click "Add to my products". This way, you become the first "fan" of your business.
    • Develop a YouTube* account.
    • Create videos. Think about what your clients would be interested in learning more about your app and brands.
    • Create your YouTube Channel by visiting www.youtube.com/ "> www.youtube.com and upload the videos that you produce. When you’ve completed this step, all of the video you upload will be displayed within the same channel.
    • Share your vides: Now that your videos are uploaded to YouTube, sharing what you have created is fast and easy. Share your videos on your Facebook and Twitter walls.
    • Consider more social media platforms to increase the online presence of your brand. Social media marketing is an effective way to help you increase your web traffic, build your app brand awareness and drive the customer engagement. Social media platforms you may consider are
    • Wikipedia: collaborative, non-profit encyclopedia Web site
    • SlideShare: online slide hosting service. Upload PDFs, PowerPoints, and more
    • LinkedIn: business-oriented social networking site.
    • Digg: social news Web site.
    • Reddit: social news Web site.
    • Technorati: blog search engine.
  • 3 Months Out
    • Develop branding assets and graphics to further promote your app.
    • Icons: Strong icons possess an obvious memory queue. They display a bold, clear image using high contrasting colors. Only one image is displayed.
      Tips and Tricks:
    • Icons: Miss-use of shine: Shine adds a nice 3-dimnetional feel, but it can make icons appear dingy and grey versus exciting and memorable.
    • Writing: Icons are designed to be small. Adding text to your icon can be messy and often bring frustration to the reader because they cannot read the copy. If your grandparent couldn’t read it with their naked eye, don’t include it.
    • Color Wheel: Stuck on colors? Search “color wheel” and use two colors from opposite sides of the color wheel. This ensures that you are using high-contrast colors.
    • Screen Shots: A picture is worth a thousand words. This is your opportunity to show what your app is and does. Aside from being used to showcase your app in the Intel AppUpSM center, screen shots will be used to promote your app anywhere else you choose, so design them wisely.
      Tips and Tricks:
    • The Intel AppUp center allows you to use up to 5 screen shots. Take advantage of this opportunity to further showcase your app and use all 5.
    • Sizing: create larger, higher-resolution images so your consumer gains a sense of quality.
    • Marketing text: marketing text can be used in your screen shots, so long as it is done in a tasteful, compelling manner. Make marketing text match the same look and feel that your app displays. Use contrasting colors, and use direct language to share information. If you choose to do this, make sure and include 2-3 images without marketing text.
    • Create a Web site to discuss and market your company, app and future apps. Your Web site should be an extension of your app itself so the consumer feels as though they’ve stepped into the app. Design your web site to be clean and use contrasting colors to increase attraction.
    • Features: We recommend you include the following sections on your Web site:
    • Home page with a mini news feed or announcements section.
    • About us: this page should share information about your company and the people who make up your company, even if it’s just yourself.
    • App page: if you only have one app, this page isn’t needed. If you have multiple apps, create this page so the user can examine all apps. This page can always be added later.
    • Blog page featuring your most recent blog and allowing consumers to access previous blogs. Users should be able to comment at the bottom of each blog.
    • Email sign-up: allow consumers to enter their email address and receive feature newsletters – small summaries of the month’s content.
    • Beta tester sign-up: it’s key to allow your consumers to test your app and provide feedback. This enables you to truly develop your app for your end consumer. Allow consumers to sign up for beta testing on your site.
    • Connect: Let consumers leave general comments about your app and web site. You should also enable them to share compelling content and follow your social media accounts.
    • TweetDeck* Introduction
    • Download TweetDeck* by visiting www.TweetDeck.com.
    • Communication strategy: your consumers aren’t all located in your time zone. Chances are they’re located worldwide. To successfully communicate to them you need to schedule tweets around the clock – even when you might be sleeping. Plan to have roughly 3 tweets syndicate per day – this won’t spam your followers, but it will still be enough to show your active presence.
    • Scheduling tweets: TweetDeck allows users to schedule tweets to launch when they are not available to physically tweet. Simply input your text into the tweet line. Instead of selecting “send”, choose the clock button located just to the right of send. Next, select the date and time that you’d like to launch and choose “set time.” If you select the wrong time, you can always scroll to your “scheduled updates” column, hover over the incorrect tweet, edit and choose a new launch time.
    • Tweet templates: Below are a few tweet templates to reference if you’re having a hard time getting started. Fill in the blanks with words that relate to your app. Remember, tweets cannot be more than 140 characters, including any bit.ly links, and should include keywords that you identified in II.1 “Developing a Twitter Presence.”
    • “Attention _____ (desired audience – game enthusiasts, gardeners, sports addicts, etc.)! We are officially on the road to launching _______(name of app) a ______ (short description i.e. scores timeline to bring you up-to-the-second game updates). Stay tuned. #AppUp”
    • “We just added ____(new feature i.e. High school sports tracking) to ____ (name of app). _____ (insert question i.e. “what school are you most excited to follow?”) #AppUp”
    • “ We’re investigating new levels to add to _____ (name of app). What setting would you most prefer? _____ (list options such as jungle, snowy mountain, desert, city, etc.). #AppUp”
  • 1 Month Out
    • Continue your social media presence: Now that you’re nearing the completion of your app, be more aggressive with your social media presence. Tweet a countdown to your app’s availability and post a countdown on your Facebook page. Share new snapshots and information every week through all accounts, including your Web page, to really get your audience excited.
    • Blog topics: the following are great blog ideas to get your writing started. Remember to share each blog through your social media accounts.
    • Screenshots: Share screen shots of one of your favorite levels. Ask the audience what they like about the level description and screenshots and what they don’t like. You should also ask them to share their favorite level from any game with you.
    • Character ideas: If you’re developing a new character for your game, take a few snapshots of potential characters and write a blog about them. You can ask developers to vote in the comments section and share which characters they prefer.
    • Music samples: Are you making your own music? If you are, you can write a blog about the score and share your inspiration. Also consider sharing actions in the app that connect to the music and ask the audience what resonates with them. Also ask them what their favorite all-time app music score is.
    • Development issues. Many developers generate interest in their apps by sharing details of the development process. From sharing code tips and tricks to advising others, generating good will in the developer community can help spread the word about your app in development.
    • Sneak peek videos: Uploading mini videos of scenes (10-30 seconds each) is a great way to stimulate excitement. It enables the consumer to gain a sense of your video and increases their desire to see more.
      Tips and Trick:
    • Title Shot: the first screen should be a title screen showing the name of your app and company. It can have a short 2-5 word description such as “Sneak Peek,” “Level 2 Preview,” etc. You can also include your graphic.
    • Action: this is the bulk of the video and should show action by capturing an actual level or function of the app. Make sure the video is clear. You can record your voice explaining the level, or, if you feel the level is self-explanatory, play a bit of your music score instead.
    • Closing Shot: Use either an image of your app, or the App Icon for the closing shot. Make sure and include the app’s name and your company, as well as text such as “Coming to the Intel AppUp center soon”. You should also include the On Intel AppUp identifier to signify the app’s soon-to-be availability.
    • Remember to upload your video to YouTube and share through your social media accounts.
    • Beta Testing
    • Tweet to the rescue: A great way to expand your audience for beta testing it to tweet. Use this template, or a variation of your own:
      “Beta testers wanted! Test ____ (app name) and receive a free download code! DM me your email.” (DM refers to “Direct Message” and enables the developer to privately message you their email address rather than sharing with everyone.”
    • Post a beta testers wanted request on other forums to extend your beta testing audience.
    • Incentive: If your app will be a paid app, consider offering a promotional code that will allow the user to download the app for free once it’s available in the Intel AppUp center
    • Newsletter/email
    • Repurpose and content from your blog and send it to your communication list. You should include a title for each piece of content and a short description. Include a small image as well. Newsletters/emails should not be sent out more than one time per week. Most are sent out once a month.

  
  Phase III: Launch Your App

  This is it! The phase you’ve been working so hard toward! In this phase you’ll see your app get into the Intel AppUpSM center and increase consumer excitement by announce its availability to consumers worldwide.

  • Create a video of your app: this should be a longer video than the previous sneak peek videos you created.
  • If you’re short on time, you can combine multiple sneak peak videos into one by placing the center action sections of your videos back-to-back and updating the title and closing shots to indicate that the app is now available for download.
  • If you have time, expand your video by including testimonials, experiences and comments from testers. You can also invite your development team to share their personal experience developing the app and their favorite level or function of the app.
  • Place the video on your Web site, upload on the Intel AppUp developer program videos section, place in a blog on the Intel AppUp developer program site, and upload to your YouTube account. Remember to tweet the link to your video and post it on forums, etc.
  • On Intel AppUpSM Identifier – Make sure to include the On Intel AppUp Identifier [link] in any placements. The identifier tells the consumer where they need to go to download the app and links directly to the app’s www.appup.com link.
  • Track: begin tracking the metrics you previously defined in step 1.5.
  • Press Release: place a press release on your Web site’s announcements page and distribute to press, including local press. Your press release can be a short 2 paragraph announcement expressing excitement and sharing the game’s description. You can also write a press release detailing your experience developing the app and sharing a short biography about you and your company. Make sure to include snapshots, the On Intel AppUp Identifier, and share the release via social media.
  • Utilize media and consumer quotes from your Web page, app description and blog: By now, you should have received some great quotes about your game from beta testers and blog viewers. Pick the best quotes and integrate them into your tweets, blogs, press release and forum posts.

  
  Phase IV: Post-Launch

  Marketing isn’t over just because your launch is over. In this phase you’ll learn how to continue consumer excited by keeping the gates of marketing and engagement open.

  • It’s important to keep your marketing presence active after your launch. While marketing may die down slightly, you still need to actively maintain news sharing.
  • Special Event promotions: special events allow you to ramp up marketing in spurts so your consumers are reinvigorated and you find new consumers.
  • Contests: Ask trivia questions via Twitter about your app, or about topics your consumer would be interested in. The first 5 followers who respond with the correct answer get a promotional code for a free download.
  • Milestones: share reaching exciting milestones via social media and blogging such as your first 10 downloads, 100 downloads, 500 downloads, 1,000 downloads, etc.
  • Positive comments: as consumers and media members tweet, blogs or comments about your app positively, amplify it through social media.
  • Special week giveaways: draw attention and increase hype during special weeks such as the company’s anniversary or the app’s anniversary. Consider giving away promotional codes to those who amplify your announcements.
  • Version updates: All apps, no matter how amazing they are, require version updates. This is a great opportunity to review results from success metrics and feedback from users (comments on apps in the Intel AppUp center and feedback you’ve received through other means – polls, Twitter and blogs). Use all feedback as a method to determine what new features and improvements to make to your next version.
  • Remember to run each new version through beta testing using your growing base of testers.
  • Repeat the cycle of marketing your app to increase consumer excitement and anticipation. Begin at Phase II.3: 1 month out.

  This phase really never stops! If you release a new version of your app, you’ll probably want to revisit the above phases, using a subset of the techniques to drive interest and downloads in the update.

  Please keep in touch and let us know how it goes! We’d love to see what worked for you, what didn’t, and what other suggestions you have to help your fellow app developers.

  Good luck!

  -The Intel AppUp developer program marketing team