Invest in promoting an app is indispensable to ensure noted in the market for apps and thus power, reach our potential users. I know I repeat forever, but I am still surprised how 60% of the applications fail more than 1000 downloads per year. And I start from the premise that everyone s doing a good product (but why publish it, no?).
The product in this case is a fantastic app that adds value to the user or mobile, we solved a necessity. Having a good product, the only thing we need to avoid being among the 60% of apps that do not get 1000 downloads per year is promotion. And we’re not even fully aware of the importance of promotion.
1000 downloads per year is nothing. MyTaxi, one of the most popular applications for taxi ask your city has achieved 10 million downloads in the 6 countries where it operates since it was launched in 2009 in Hamburg.
The company, which began as a startup, was bought by Daimler in 2014. The key myTaxi has been its position that it has achieved through constant campaign to promote apps. MyTaxi campaigns are characterized by 360.
What are campaigns 360?
360 campaigns are those that focus holistically and encompass all possible channels. Are based on identifying who the user is and what are the best ways to reach him / her, no matter what to do have to use social networks, a food truck or, ads on TV.
My Taxi is one of the applications that I think is doing better in this respect. As far as user and potential user, I explain my trip and certainly will understand better.
An example of campaign 360
Traveling from Madrid to Barcelona AVE frequently and usually always in a hurry. The taxi is the best solution when you’re in a hurry (especially if the drivers manage to overcome traffic jams!). My relationship with the drivers was never very good and he had found many very picaresque and went round and round (since joining the Google Maps and had more controlled.
That is why we did not quite convince me to unburden this app but after several trips and find ads myTaxi Sants station in the seat opposite the AVE and the Atocha station, one day in the they gave me a discount to activate the app in the following month I went ahead and downloaded it.
My experience with taxi drivers myTaxi greatly improved. A taxi is super convenient: you do it without leaving home or office! I have not carry cash: I can pay with the app! The service is very good: the taxi drivers with whom I have always traveled helped me to have an enjoyable trip.
My experience does not end here. Boarding a taxi myTaxi it is an experience. If you are thirsty you are offered a bottle of water. They explain the developments that have. And even offer discounts for family and friends (thereby have achieved my whole family use the app!). And in the same cab you can see all the information in the app: in the back right are always their brochures you pick the ones you need.
The experience with this app is not only to “offline” level. In the timeline of Facebook I’ve seen some of your ads, and as satisfied user, I have recommended to friends.
In addition, within the same app, you will launching promotions in a timely manner (for example, 50% of trips) you encourage (or at least I encourage me) to get more taxis than I need.
With all this, as a user I realize that this app is in all channels through which I move:
In fact, the first contacts with the brand went through offline channels and gradually, I’ve had more digital contacts. These first contacts offline convinced me about the reliability of the brand and encouraged me to unburden the app and start using it. Do you have something similar happened with another app?
The key to promoting an app
In promoting two things we have to consider: planning and budgeting. Planning the launch and the various updates of our application is key, but so is having a budget to invest and help us get closer to our customers. The budget is the first thing to get. Development budget but also for the promotion. It is recommended to distribute the budget as follows:
- 30% of our budget on developing apps
- 70% of our budget on promoting an app
The budget is not something we have to get to the top and you’re done. Most startups are continually closing rounds of funding to continue in the anticipated levels of investment and thus to achieve its target for downloads and active users. In the promotional campaigns we focus especially on downloads without forgetting the experience, as does myTaxi.
How to invest in promotion is another big question. My recommendation: Do Your Best. Many applications / startups do not start if they have a minimum of 100,000 € for promoting an app. The truth is that less budget is difficult to get large downloads. On the other hand, if you have no budget paralyze you think it’s not a good choice.
A famous application for dating began as most startups films: in a garage. They had a budget but a lot of creativity and, above all, had very clear who they were going. Your username was an / a young man who likes to party to meet other young people.
What did they decide? Organize parties where the requirement to get out have the app installed. Being there, the future users started using the app as they were “in the mood” to meet more people (and who knows, future prince!).
With the holidays (offline actions) achieved downloads, users and much virality. It is but this that even if you have a tight budget, if you have creativity’m sure you can get to your user.
How to get more than 1,000 downloads per year?
If I were you I would mark this number as your first objective: 1,000 downloads in a year. If your application will have a good chance of surviving in the crowded and fierce market apps in which there are more than 1.5 million applications in each of the major markets (Android and iOS).
To get beyond this first goal first thing you need is budget (we have seen how much) and a basic knowledge of marketing and in the end, a mobile application is a product that we have to reach the user (or potential customer), inform the needs that suits you and make him love for you to download and use. These are the basics of marketing (reach the user and satisfy their needs) and in it we will focus. Do not forget these three principles:
- Study well where every euro you invest your budget.
- It is important to be quick and identify whether or not the channel used functions.
- Not paralyze you for not having adequate resources ideals.
To do this, we have to find where our potential user (in the digital world and the physical world). In mobile applications many have forgotten that our clients are people of flesh and blood. And many campaigns mainly focus on the digital world.
The digital world is a good way to get the user but not the only one. Know who the user is and where you can go look is very important to target. As more clearly what we have fewer resources (budget and time) are going to waste on the road. The following 10 questions will help you identify your potential user and know where you can find.
- What social networks do you use?
- What mobile applications used daily?
- Which pages are most visit?
- What bloggers next?
- Do you study or work?
- What do you do after leaving college / work?
- Where would you like to party?
- What festivals / concerts is not lost?
- What are your weekend plans (he stays at home, hiking, out to party, fail to be a foodie?
- What are their interests (fashion, technology, food)?
With all these questions we will get to know our users and we know what different channels used to create the campaign 360 of our application. The aim of this campaign is to impact our user the maximum possible channels, without making us heavy, of course! I hope my experience with different types myTaxi and inspire you to create great campaigns 360 in your mobile applications.