The Easy, Complete, Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your iPhone/iPad Apps! There are huge profits to be made in selling iPhone and iPad apps! But with more than 180,000 + apps now available, just getting your app into the App Store is no longer enough. You need to market it effectively. Dont know much about marketing? Dont worry: This book gives you all the tools youll need. Top iPhone and iPad apps marketing consultant Jeffrey Hughes walks you through building a winning marketing plan, positioning highly competitive apps, choosing your message, building buzz, and connecting with people wholl actually buy your app. With plenty of examples and screen shots, this book makes iPhone and iPad apps marketing easy!
Youll Learn How To * Identify your apps unique value, target audience, and total message* Understand the App Stores dynamics and choose the right strategy to cut through clutter* Set the right price for your app* Get App Store and third-party reviewers to recommend your apps* Write effective press releases for your apps and time your publicity for maximum effectiveness* Blog about your app and get the attention of influential bloggers* Use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to generate word-of-mouth buzz* Use promotions and cross-marketing, just like professional marketers do* Build an audience that will buy your next app, too!
Introduction 1 Part I: Your Marketing Message 4 Part II: Delivering Your Message 4 Part III: Pricing Your iPhone/iPad App 5 Part IV: Implement a Marketing Plan/Launch Your App 6 1 Your iPhone and iPad App Marketing Strategy: Grand Slam or Base Hits? 9 Weve Seen This Movie Before 10 The Big Win--Grand Slam 14 The Steady Win--Base Hits 17 The No Win--Strikeout 19 Benefits/Drawbacks of the Big Win and Steady Win Strategies 21 2 What Makes a Winning iPhone/iPad App? 25 Build Something Unique 26 Deliver New Features 28 Tie Your App into Trends and News 30 Tie into Seasons and Holidays 32 Tie Your App to Part of a Wider Solution 32 Apps Created from Other Platforms 33 3 Identifying Your Apps Unique Value 37 The Four Questions 39 Who Are Your Competitors? 40 What Are the Key Features of Your iPhone/iPad App? 48 What Are the Benefits of Your iPhone/iPad App? 49 Whats Unique about Your App? 49 4 Identifying Your Target Audience 55 Refining Your Audience 57 Segmenting Your Market 57 Targeting Your Market 63 5 Building Your Apps Total Message 67 Choose an Effective App Name 70 Basic App Naming 73 Get Creative 74 Search for Synonyms 75 Use Google to Help 75 Select and Test Your App Names 76 App Store Text: Lighten It Up 76 Make Graphics Your Focal Point 78 Make Your Apps Icon Jump 79 Build a Simple, Clean Product Website 81 Who Is Your Audience? 81 Developing Great Web Copy 82 Make Your Content Usable 83 Strive for Immediate Positive Reviews 83 6 Electronic Word of Mouth 87 Positive External Reviews 90 Coordinated Marketing Effort 92 Generating Demand 93 Reaching Interested Buyers 94 Choosing the Right Delivery Methods 94 Three Key Areas 95 Direct Marketing for Your App 95 Direct Mail 95 Email 96 Promoting Your App 98 Your App in Traditional Media (Newspapers, Radio, TV) 98 Advertising Your Apps 101 Paid Search 103 Online Advertising 105 Building a Community 105 7 Using Social Media in Your App Marketing 109 Selecting Your Social Media Tools 112 Using Facebook 113 Your Facebook Marketing Objectives 113 Using Twitter 115 Using Blogs 117 Using RSS 119 Using LinkedIn 119 Using YouTube 120 Video Basics 121 8 Timing Your Marketing Activities 123 App Buying Cycles 124 Is Your App Seasonal? 125 Hitting the Grand Slam 126 Timing the Launch of Your App 128 Submitting Your App for Review 129 9 Getting the Word Out About Your Apps 131 When to Write a Press Release 132 Do You Have What It Takes? 133 Writing Your Press Release 135 The Anatomy of a Press Release 136 Developing the Body Copy 140 Embedded Links 141 Attaching Multimedia to Your Press Release 142 Press Release Signature 143 Publishing and Distributing Your Press Release 144 When to Launch Your Press Release 145 10 Pricing Your App 147 Competing Against Free Apps 149 Be Found 150 Make Your App Better 150 Make Your App More Intuitive 151 Provide Better Graphics 151 Create Documentation 151 Offer Some Technical Support 151 Develop a Reputation for Customer Service 152 Go Viral 152 Some Pricing Misconceptions 152 Offer a Free Version of Your App 154 Setting Your Apps Price 155 11 Conducting an App Pricing Analysis 161 Cost/Benefit Analysis 162 Quantifying App Development Costs 163 Quantifying the Benefits 166 Performing a Cost/Benefit Comparison 167 Breakeven Analysis 168 Some Caveats 170 12 Selling Value over Price 171 Selling Value 173 Selling Quality 174 Selling Usefulness 175 Selling Return on Investment 175 Additional Thoughts on Selling Value 177 13 Breaking into the App Store Top 100 181 Develop a Great App 182 Beat Up Your App Mercilessly 183 Have Friends in High Places 184 Cross-Promote 185 Price It Right 186 Integrate Your App with Other Apps 186 Optimize Your Web and App Store Copy 187 Develop Your Brand and Promote It Like Crazy 188 Reach Out to Apple 189 14 Level the Playing Field with a Free App 191 Build a Paid App--Standalone 193 Build a Free App, Build a Following 194 Build a Paid App and a Free App at the Same Time 195 In-App Purchases 197 Free Apps with Ads 198 From Paid to Free 200 15 The App Pricing Roller Coaster 203 Raising Your Price 205 Lowering Your Price 205 Temporary Price Drops 208 Value-Add Sales 209 16 App Promotions and Cross-Selling 211 Promotional Marketing for iPhone/iPad Apps 212 Cross-Selling and Up-Selling 216 Up-Selling 220 17 Using iPhone/iPad Analytics 223 Analytics Components 224 Track Your Apps Sales 224 Track Your Apps Location 224 Track Your Apps Usage .225 Track Specific App Events 225 Measure App Interface Patterns 226 Top Analytics Vendors 226 Flurry/Pinch Media 226 Mobclix 228 Analytics and Privacy 229 Managing a Users Privacy Expectations 230 18 Why Have a Marketing Plan? 233 Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Have an App Marketing Plan 234 Focuses Your Target Market 235 Allocates Marketing Funds 235 Measures Your Progress 236 Provides a Roadmap for Growth 236 Helps You Obtain Funding 237 Coordinates Your App Launches 237 Sets Realistic Sales Targets 238 Evaluates Your Competitors 239 Sets Prices and Defines Promotions 240 Defines a Strong Value Proposition 240 19 Components of an App Marketing Plan 241 Marketing Goals and Objectives 243 Product Objectives 243 Your iPhone/iPad App Sales Objectives 243 Profit Objectives 244 Pricing Objectives 244 Market Analysis 244 Business Environment 245 Demographics 245 Competition 245 Consumer Analysis 246 Strengths,Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis 246 Strengths 246 Weaknesses 247 Opportunities 247 Threats 247 Marketing Focus 247 Your Apps Functionality 248 Promotions 248 Price 248 Financial Information 249 Marketing Calendar 249 20 Marketing Essentials 253 Write About Whats New and Exciting 254 Striking a Balance 254 21 25 Essential iPhone/iPad Marketing Activities 259 Delivering Your iPhone/iPad App to the World 260 Seek Reviews from Any Site That Matches Your Apps Category 260 Showcase Your App on the App Store 260 Use Press Releases Consistently 261 Market Through Email 261 Use Word of Mouth 261 Use Targeted Advertising 262 Use Analytics for Your Apps 262 iPhone/iPad Pricing and Promotions 262 Develop a Pricing Strategy 262 Promote from Ads Within Other Apps 263 App Product Website 263 Increase Your Website SEO 263 Let Visitors Market Your Site 264 Social Media Marketing 264 Promote Through YouTube 264 Promote Through LinkedIn 264 Promote Through Blogs 265 Create a Facebook Fan Page 265 Create Digg Articles and Videos 265 Visit Forums and Post Comments 266 Other App Marketing Activities 266 Create Trial and Paid App Versions 266 Secure App Launch Sponsorships 266 Continuously Improve Features 266 Collaborate with Other People 267 Seek Non-App Review Sites for Your App 267 Exchange Ad Space 267 Create an Icon Worth Remembering 268 Determine Your Apps Unique Value 268 22 Implementing Your Plan 269 Determine Goals for the Campaign--What Results Do You Hope to Achieve? 270 Establish Measurement Criteria 271 Gather Prospects to Target for Campaign 271 Tracking Results--Measuring Marketing ROI 272 Managing Your App Marketing Activities 273 23 iPhone/iPad Apps for Corporate Marketing 275 Is an iPhone/iPad App Right for Your Company? 276 Build an App to Extend/Reignite the Brand 278 Apps to Extend a Web-Based Products Use 279 NetSuite 282 Fidelity Investments 282 Woodforest Mobile Banking 283 Chipotle 283 Index 287