Over 5,000 new apps are released everyday in the App Store and on average, a person has over 80 apps installed on their phone yet only consistently use nine (socialmediatoday.com).
By giving your fans more of what they crave in the app, you can stand out in this crowded market while keeping your fans hooked. Our mobile app marketing guide lays out your blueprint for success in today’s “appconomy.”
Here’s our guide to marketing and promoting your app (view as pdf).
App Promotion
In order to be successful, you need two things to happen:
You need fans to download the app
You need your fans to use the app -- we’ll get to this
one later in the document. A few tweets or Facebook posts are not enough to drive downloads. Use your existing website, fans and even players to promote the app. Build momentum for the app by teasing that it’s coming at least one to two weeks before it’s available. Waiting to promote the app
until it’s live is too late and appears as an after-thought; make your fans excited before the app hits the market.
Use your Website
Build a page on the team site dedicated to promoting the app. Include app screenshots, fan photos and app benefits on the page. Above the fold, include a button to download the app for both the App Store and Google Play, hyperlinked to each respective page. Include user testimonials and create and publish a video that features the team’s top athlete talking about the app and its benefits. Also include the App Store and Google Play icons in the universal footer of the site.
As part of pre-launch promotion, have users sign up for an email blast to be the first to know when the app is live. Include this call-to-action on the custom web page.
Think Mobile
When fans visit your team site from their mobile device, have a pop-up ad for the app display. Link this creative to the app store so the user can instantly download the app.
Spread the News
Use team newsletters and emails to promote the app to your fan base. Advertise exclusive content and app-only offers in the headline or above the fold for fans to quickly and easily see the promotion. When
featuring app-only content, deep link the content in the app vs. on the mobile or desktop version of the
site. This will prompt the user to download the app if not already installed on their phone.
Write and distribute a press release when the app is live. In the release, include app screenshots, the app icon, the app store description and app store links. Encourage the team and its athletes to share the news
with their networks, too.
University of Virginia’s official press release for its all new mobile app,
which includes app screenshots and top benefits.
Use your network
Ask the entire fan base to join you in promoting the app. Encourage fans to spread the news by making content and social posts fun, engaging and easy to share. Ask all those who work with the team, from the owners and coaches to the players, to promote the app.
Email Signatures
Use your own email signatures to promote the app; include a line of copy and a link to download the app at the bottom of your signature.
Shorten Links
When sharing the link to the app in either Google Play or the App Store, use short links as app store links are long, and can take up multiple lines in email or several characters in social media posts. This removes clutter and visually looks more appealing. Bitly offers this for free.
Advertising and Signage
Create collateral and signage to build awareness that the app is available for download. Include QR codes on printed signs throughout the entire venue that when scanned, take fans right to the app store to download the app.
Create digital ads that promote the app and share across all channels, including the main website and all social media channels. Use TV displays and other digital signage in the venue to promote the app, and have live announcements during the game.
Mid-level professional hockey team Kansas City Mavericks hang signage with QR codes throughout the venue to drive downloads on gameday.
Social Media
Be loud across all social platforms. Be social. Promote app content across all social channels to drive new app downloads. With each of these posts, include a link or call-to-action that takes fans straight to the store to download the app.
Teams should also update social media header images with content and visuals that promotes the app. Include a link to the app as part of the team or brand description.
USL team Phoenix Rising Instagram post.
University of Virginia’s download and enter-to-win campaign resulted in a 10 percent increase in registered app users.
Sam Doerr, Phoenix Rising Vice President, gives fans an incentive to download the app.
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