iPhone and iPad Apps Marketing: Secrets to Selling Your iPhone and iPad Apps

by Jeffrey Hughes

Overview

The iPhone app gold rush is on! Thousands of developers want to cash in on selling their iPhone apps on Apple's App Store. But, with more than 100,000 Apps now available, it's increasingly vital for developers to gain exposure—and that means marketing. Most independent App developers don't have a marketing background. They need help and guidance—and this book gives it to them.

Author Jeffrey Hughes specializes in helping iPhone developers plan, launch, and market their software effectively. In this practical tutorial, he shares everything he's learned: solid marketing principles and specific best practices for effective, high-value iPhone App marketing. Hughes walks through outlining a solid marketing plan that can drive development efforts; creating competitive Apps; identifying the right message; and delivering that message to the most responsive audience. Readers will learn how to:

• Get App Store and third-party reviewers to consider their Apps
• Write effective press releases for their Apps, and time publicity for maximum effectiveness
• Blog about your App, and get the attention of influential bloggers
• Use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to generate electronic buzz
• Setting the right price for your App
• Using promotions and cross marketing techniques
• Building an audience that will buy forthcoming products as well

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780132811552
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	09/30/2011
Series:	Que Biz-Tech
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jeffrey Hughes is the creator and lead instructor for Xcelme’s (www.xcelme.com) iPhone and iPad App Marketing course, which has helped hundreds of independent developers market their iPhone and iPad apps effectively in a very competitive market. He has two decades of experience as a marketer, publisher, and speaker, working with high tech companies including McAfee, Blue Coat, and Novell.

Jeffrey consults and gives seminars around the world to developers, corporations, and universities on how to position their apps, improve their marketing approach, and win new customers. Hughes is the author of 13 books including Android Apps Marketing: Secrets to Selling Your Android App. Hughes has a B.S. degree in marketing and a minor in computer science from Brigham Young University. He resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Table of Contents

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

We've 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 App's 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

What's 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 App's 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 App's 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 Facehook 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 App's 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 App's Sales 224

Track Your App's Location 224

Track Your App's 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 User's 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 App's Functionality 248

Promotions 248

Price 248

Financial Information 249

Marketing Calendar 249

20 Marketing Essentials 253

Write About What's 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 App's 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 App's 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 Product's Use 279

NetSuite 282

Fidelity Investments 282

Woodforest Mobile Banking 283

Chipotle 283

Index 287