Any discussion on app marketing strategies is hardly ever complete without a section on social media – Agreed?

Now while we are in full agreement on the relevance of social media in mobile app marketing, we do question the manner of marketing done. Not all marketers implement the best practices in-app promotions through social media; neither are all of them familiar with the latest trends and sometimes market and competitor analysis are just not done thoroughly.

Mobile app development is only one part of a job done right. What requires to be done in parallel is to understand the market and consumer dynamics, and prepare for app awareness, release, and conversion. With an astounding number of mobile applications being launched and competition for user’s phone space at an all-time high, it’s imperative to be innovative and agile with ideas.

What brands need today is a well-defined pre-launch app marketing strategy and a comprehensive roadmap to take them through every stage of the app lifecycle. Mobile app development companies around the world understand how effectively the social media platform can be put to use for app launch – and here that’s exactly what we will look at and talk about.

Leveraging Social Media for Mobile App Promotion: Getting the basics right

Of course, social media is not the only way to discover an app or to get it noticed – one can always look at other alternatives like recommendations from friends/family, app store ranking, search engines, website, etc. But conversions from all of these channels can be complemented with social media.

When it comes to market a mobile app on social media, strategies are always brand, market, and audience-specific; and while a particular plan might have been the golden geese for one brand, it might fail for another. A look at some of the industry norms, best practices and proven mobile app promotion strategies regarding social media, is likely to help marketers map their strategies.

Maximizing App Marketing ROI with Social Media: Designing a social media app marketing plan that works

You can’t be everywhere – or rather, with social media, you shouldn’t be everywhere.

Planning a social media marketing strategy takes time and effort, a lot of brainwork, creative out-of-the-box thinking, and tracking, analysis, reporting, etc. Be judicious in selecting where and how all that effort will be spent.

Your target audience is not always present in all the social media platforms, and you don’t have to be where your effort will not be visible and connected with. So, even before you plan your social media activities, be selective about your social media platform presence.

Once the channels are decided upon, here’s what can be done:

Spend some dollars first: The dynamics of Paid Advertisements

When it comes to creating buzz for your app on social media, increasing conversions or even re-engaging old users, ads never fail.  Ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or any other social media are expensive. But the ROI generated is worth it. 

The advantage of using ads for app installs on a platform like Facebook, for instance, is that one can customize it all the way. Marketers have the option to select their target audience by demography, location, device being used and plan campaigns as per their budget. This not only ensures that the ad is taken to an audience that’s interested but can also increase installations and engagement.

Platforms moreover even provide the option for brands to be selective about the goal of their campaigns. For instance, when using Facebook Adverts, if increasing downloads is the campaign agenda, it can be further customized by selecting ‘Get installs of your app’. Optimizing an app download campaign can not only accelerate installations, but also create awareness, and provide meaningful insights into audience behavior that can be fodder for further marketing strategies.

With platforms upgrading their algorithms frequently, organic posts are unlikely to garner traction. Sponsored posts, on the other hand, can be a means for instant success.

Exploring Influencer Marketing all the way

A lot of marketing professionals have already started to explore and are being rewarded with the benefits of influencer marketing. As of 2019, it is estimated that nearly 19% of marketers will invest budgets of $1,000-$10,000 on influencer marketing, while 18% are making an annual spend of $10,000-$500,000; on top of that, almost 7% of companies have budget to spend over a million dollars on influencer marketing (Source: bigcommerce.com).

This demonstrates that influencer marketing is already in vogue among small, medium and large companies, as a reliable way for creating brand awareness and accelerating conversions.

Social media has become a more integrated part of marketing and brands are leaving no stone unturned. With influencer marketing, they are leveraging reaching out to an already enthusiastic and engaged audience, through a credible voice. Moreover, with micro-influencers gaining a foothold, brands can further target and reach niche audiences through influencers.

And when it comes to earning real dollars from influencers, here are some statistics: As per a Tomson study, for each dollar spent, businesses earn $6.50 on influencer marketing, with the top 13% earning $20 or even more (as published in digitalmarketinginstitute.com).

The real challenge with influencer marketing, however, is to identify where your influencer is. With so many social platforms available, not all influencers show equal influence across all platforms. Not only do marketers have to choose their app promotion platform mindfully, but also identify the influencers who lead there. Try using tools like HypeAuditor, Klout, Buzzsumo, etc.

Incentives go a long way!

We have all been there! Making purchases or installing apps because of the incentive it offers. Incentivizing users to install the app is a smart app marketing strategy, and works great across all platforms.

Brands almost always use this method on social platforms, both as organic post content and paid campaign ads. Considering that the majority of the targeted audience is likely to use one or two social sites at least, it increases visibility and engagement.

For instance, concept meditation app SOS Method encouraged users to download their app and get a 14-day free trial before taking up a subscription. The incentive served a twofold goal – first, free download encouraged more downloads; and second, a 14-day trial offered users the choice to enjoy the meditation programs and life tools without making any monetary commitments. The campaign was an instant hit with installations surpassing expectations.

Social media incentives can also be used for user-generated content for creating brand awareness and increasing installs. Users can be incentivized to share their success stories on social platforms in exchange for discount, coupon code or giveaway.

Social Proof on social media

Having a review for your app published in-app review sites is probably the first thing marketers will try to ensure that there positive feedback about the app; but having it on social media has a greater impact.

While many users discover new apps on the app store (hence it is recommended not to neglect to monitor App Store reviews as well), there’s a greater probability of being discovered and engaged with on social media. Social proof sells.

Facebook, for instance, makes it easy for users to provide feedback. On visiting the business/brand page, users can provide feedback or see reviews and ratings of what other users have had to say. This not only makes the app authentic but also validates it, giving it credibility.

When designing an app download strategy leave a visible window for reviews. Reviews, while often difficult to get, are the most credible way to build trust. It’s easier to believe other users than even an influencer on the performance of an app.

Make use of all the resources…

When deliberating on how to promote an app on social media, there is no one size fits all. Even with social media, from images to infographics, to live streams to videos, to sponsored posts, the options are plenty.

Moreover, by maintaining a timely, regular and active presence on social media, brands increase their scope of being discovered via search/SEO. Since social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. are authentic sites, there’s a greater possibility of your social handle ranking high on SERP.

Also, when considering how to market an app successfully via social media, try to keep content a fix of formats – videos (YouTube), images (Instagram), short text (Twitter), Q&A (Quora), etc. This will help in connecting with a wider audience pool via diverse channels.

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