As we’ve stated before, developing awesome apps for android or iOS is only part of a successful app campaign; an equally important part (arguably much more important) is marketing. An App marketing strategy is what lets people know about your app, to get them excited about it. But apps are a living product, meaning that constant evolution is necessary. It’s needed to both keep existing users and to entice new users. Consumers today expect a high level of customization for any product, so customizability in and of itself becomes a marketable item – a Unique Selling Point (USP). But there’s a lot more that goes into a successful app marketing strategy; the good news for you is that SDI is here to help. Part 1 of this topic will take a look at some tactics to avoid, while part 2, to be posted later this week, will cover what app marketing tools you should use. Mistake #1: Focusing too Much on Perfection Yea, i know, i know, this is your baby and you want it to be perfect before it goes to launch. Afterall, a poor design has killed many a product. More than have succeeded, surely. But apps aren’t cars, or TVs, or even phones. They’re a digital service that can be changed, updated, corrected and touched up pretty much instantly. Remember, constant evolution is necessary to a successful app so spending 2 years so you can deliver a perfect product is a death knell. Of course, this doesn’t mean release a crappy product! It just means set yourself up for growth. Mistake #2: Treating an App as Having Distinct Life Stages A popular axiom among app developers is that marketing begins with design. Often, SDI is called in to do what we call “app triage,” where someone launched their app but didn’t do their due diligence, or didn’t understand how important marketing from the get-go is. More often than not, these apps are awesome, but they weren’t approached with marketing in mind. App design, development, and marketing are frequently seen as distinct cycles; in reality, creating a successful app weaves all three of these elements into one distinct product – an app tapestry, if you will. Mistake #3: Unclear Messaging You really wouldn’t believe just how many apps and tech services have failed because nobody understood what it was supposed to do (*ahem* Google Wave). There are millions of apps out there. It could have more features, better features, and be 100% superior to any competitor out there. But if you can’t figure out how to communicate how your app can help people, you will lose to competitors who can. No matter how much better your app is. The best way to figure out your message is to boil your app down to its essence, its most basic service. And then build on it from there, focusing on benefits to your customers over features you think are cool. That will come later. Simplicity is key. Check back in a few days to read about what you should do to create a successful marketing campaign for apps. Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!