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Android Apps Marketing: Secrets to Selling Your Android App
- By Jeffrey Hughes
- Published Sep 20, 2010 by Que. Part of the Que Biz-Tech series.
Book
- Sorry, this book is no longer in print.
Description
- Copyright 2011
- Edition: 1st
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-7897-4633-6
- ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-4633-7
The Easy, Complete, Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Android Apps!
There are huge profits to be made in selling Android apps! But with more than 70,000 apps now available, posting your app to the Android Market is no longer enough. You need to market your app effectively. Don’t know much about marketing? Don’t worry: This book gives you all the step-by-step help you’ll need. Top app marketing consultant Jeffrey Hughes walks you through building a winning marketing plan, crafting highly competitive apps, choosing your message, building buzz, and connecting with people who’ll actually buy your app. Packed with examples, this book makes Android apps marketing easy! You’ll learn how to
- Identify your app’s unique value, target audience, and total message
- Understand the Android Market’s dynamics
- Cut through clutter and get your app into the top selling categories
- Set the right price for your app and effectively sell its value
- Get reviewers to recommend your apps
- Write effective press releases
- Time your marketing and publicity for maximum effectiveness
- Blog about your app and get the attention of influential bloggers
- Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media to generate buzz
- Use promotions and cross-marketing just like professional marketers do
- Measure and improve your results with Android Analytics
- Generate a loyal audience that will buy your next app, too
- Earn steady revenue, build a brand, and make a real business out of app development
Extras
Related Articles
Build a Free App, Build a Business
Five Ways to Get Your App Noticed on the Android Market
How to Select the Best App Store for Your Android App
Pay Per Install: Does it Really Work?
The Android Market Is Finally Getting Real, Almost
Tips for App Success on the Android Market
Tracking Your App: Using Analytics to Track Your App’s Progress and Design a Better App
Understanding and Using In App Purchasing
Understanding Android's New Rating System
Understanding Google Android In-App Purchases
Using Facebook to Help Sell Your iPhone and Android Apps
What's New with the Android App Markets
Sample Content
Online Sample Chapter
Your Android App Marketing Strategy: Grand Slam or Base Hits?
Sample Pages
Download the sample pages (includes Chapter 1 and Index)
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: Your Marketing Message 4
Part II: Delivering Your Message 5
Part III: Pricing Your Android App 5
Part IV: Implement a Marketing Plan/Launch Your App 7
Conclusion 8
I YOUR MARKETING MESSAGE
1 Your Android App Marketing Strategy: Grand Slam or Base Hits? 9
We’ve Seen This Before 10
The Big Win--Grand Slam 12
The Steady Win--Base Hits 14
The No Win--Strikeout 16
Benefits/Drawbacks of the Big Win and Steady Win Strategies 18
Summary . 19
2 What Makes for a Winning App? 21
Build Something Unique 22
Deliver New Features 25
Tie Your App into Trends and News 26
Tie Your App into Seasons and Holidays 28
Tie Your App to Part of a Wider Solution 29
App Created from Other Platforms 30
Summary 31
3 Identifying Your App’s Unique Value 33
The Four Questions 35
Who Are Your Competitors? 36
Identifying Your Competition 38
Learning from Your Competition 41
What Are the Key Features of Your Android App? 43
What Are the Benefits of Your Android App? 44
What’s Unique About Your App? 45
Summary 47
4 Identifying Your Target Audience 49
Refining Your Audience 51
Segmenting Your Market 51
Picking Your Market Segment 56
Targeting Your Market 57
Summary 58
5 Building Your App’s Total Message 61
Choose an Effective App Name 65
Basic App Naming 66
Get Creative 68
Search for Synonyms 68
Use Google to Help 69
Select and Test Your App Names 70
Android Market Text: Lighten It Up 70
Make Graphics Your Focal Point 72
Make Your App’s Icon Pop 73
Build a Simple, Clean Product Website 74
Who Is Your Audience? 75
Developing Great Web Copy 75
Make Your Content User Friendly 76
Strive for Immediate Positive Reviews 77
Summary 79
II DELIVERING YOUR MESSAGE
6 Electronic Word of Mouth 81
Creating Electronic Word of Mouth 82
Positive External Reviews 84
Coordinated Marketing Effort 85
Generating Demand 87
Reaching Interested Buyers 87
Choosing the Right Delivery Methods 88
Three Key Areas 88
Direct Marketing for Your App 89
Direct Mail 89
Email 90
Promoting Your App 92
Your App in Traditional Media (Newspapers, Radio, TV) 92
Advertising Your Apps 95
Paid Search 97
Online Advertising 98
Building a Community 99
Summary 101
7 Using Social Media in Your App Marketing 103
Selecting Your Social Media Tools 106
Using Facebook 107
Using Twitter 109
Using Blogs 111
Using RSS 112
Using LinkedIn 113
Using YouTube 114
Video Basics 114
Summary 115
8 Timing Your Marketing Activities 117
App Buying Cycles 118
Is Your App Seasonal? 119
Hitting the Grand Slam 120
Timing the Launch of Your App 122
Submitting Your Android App 122
Summary 124
9 Getting the Word Out About Your App 125
When to Write a Press Release 126
Do You Have What It Takes? 129
Writing Your Press Release 130
The Anatomy of a Press Release 131
Embedded Links 135
Attaching Multimedia to Your Press Release 136
Press Release Signature 137
Publishing and Distributing Your Press Release 138
When to Launch Your Press Release 138
Summary 139
III PRICING YOUR ANDROID APP
10 Pricing Your App 141
Competing Against Free Apps 143
Be Found 144
Make Your App Better 144
Make Your App More Intuitive 145
Provide Better Graphics 145
Create Documentation 145
Offer Some Technical Support 145
Develop a Reputation for Customer Service 146
Go Viral 146
Some Pricing Misconceptions 146
Offer a Free Version of Your App 148
Setting Your App’s Price 149
Summary 153
11 Conducting an App Pricing Analysis 155
Cost/Benefit Analysis 156
Quantifying the App Development Costs 157
Quantifying the Benefits 160
Performing a Cost/Benefit Comparison 162
Breakeven Analysis 163
Some Caveats 164
Summary 165
12 Selling Value over Price 167
Selling Value 170
Selling Quality 170
Selling Usefulness 171
Selling Return on Investment 173
Additional Thoughts on Selling Value 174
Summary 176
13 Breaking into the Android Market Top Paid Apps 177
Develop a Great App 178
Beat Up Your App Mercilessly 180
Have Friends in High Places 180
Cross-Promote 181
Price It Right 182
Integrate Your App with Other Apps 182
Optimize Your Web and Android Market Copy 182
Develop Your Brand and Promote It Like Crazy 183
Reach Out to Google 185
Summary 186
14 Level the Playing Field with a Free App 187
Build a Standalone Paid App 189
Build a Free App, Build a Following 190
Build a Paid App and a Free App at the Same Time 191
Free Apps with Ads 195
From Paid to Free 198
Summary 198
15 The App Pricing Rollercoaster 201
Raising Your Price 203
Lowering Your Price 203
Temporary Price Drops 206
Value-Add Sales 206
Summary 206
16 App Promotions and Cross-Selling 209
Promotional Marketing for Android Apps 210
Cross-Selling 214
Up-Selling 216
Summary 217
17 Using Android Analytics 219
Analytics Components 220
Track Your App’s Sales 220
Track Your App’s Location 220
Track Your App’s Usage 221
Track Specific App Events 221
Measure App Interface Patterns 222
Top Analytics Vendors 222
Flurry/Pinch Media 222
Mobclix 223
Analytics and Privacy 225
Managing User Privacy Expectations 226
Summary 227
IV IMPLEMENT A MARKETING PLAN/LAUNCH YOUR APP
18 Why Have a Marketing Plan? 229
Focuses on Your Target Market 231
Allocates Marketing Funds 231
Measures Your Progress 232
Provides a Roadmap for Growth 232
Helps You Obtain Funding 233
Coordinates Your App Launches 233
Sets Realistic Sales Targets 234
Evaluates Your Competitors 234
Sets Prices and Defines Promotions 234
Defines a Strong Value Proposition 235
Summary 236
19 Components of an App Marketing Plan 237
Marketing Goals and Objectives 239
Product Objectives 239
Your Android App Sales Objectives 239
Profit Objectives 240
Pricing Objectives 240
Market Analysis 240
Business Environment 241
Demographics 241
Competition 242
Consumer Analysis 242
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis 242
Strengths 243
Weaknesses 243
Opportunities 244
Threats 244
Marketing Focus 244
Your App’s Functionality 244
Promotions 245
Price 245
Financial Information 246
Marketing Calendar 246
Summary 248
20 Marketing Essentials 249
Updates to Your App: Write About What’s New and Exciting 250
Striking a Balance 250
Summary 253
21 Twenty-Five Essential Android Marketing Activities 255
Delivering Your Android App to the World 256
Seek Reviews from Any Site That Matches Your App’s Category 256
Showcase Your App on the Android Market 256
Use Press Releases Consistently 257
Consider Email Marketing 257
Create Word of Mouth Buzz 258
Consider Targeted Advertising 258
Utilize Analytics for Your Apps 259
Android Pricing and Promotions 259
Develop a Pricing Strategy 259
Promote from Ads Within Other Apps 259
Build an App Product Website 260
Increase Your Website Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 260
Let Visitors Market Your Site 261
Social Media Marketing 261
Use YouTube Promotions 261
Use LinkedIn Groups 262
Use Blog Promotions 262
Create a Facebook Fan Page 262
Employ Digg Articles and Videos 263
Visit Forums and Post Comments 263
Other App Marketing Activities 263
Create Trial and Paid App Versions 263
Use App Launch Sponsorship 264
Continuously Feature Improvements 264
Collaborate with Other People 264
Seek Non-App Review Sites for Your App 265
Exchange Ad Space 265
Create an Icon Worth Remembering 265
Determine Your App’s Unique Value 266
Summary 266
22 Implementing Your Plan 267
Implementation Steps 268
Managing Your App Marketing Activities 271
Summary 272
23 Android Apps for Corporate Marketing 273
Is an Android App Right for Your Company? 275
Build an App to Extend/Reignite the Brand 276
Apps to Extend a Web-Based Product’s Use 279
Summary 280
A Competitive Worksheet 281
Index 283