According to Apple’s official statistics, over 400 apps are downloaded every second from App Store. This means that over 34 million apps are downloaded every single day, grossing up to $100 million. Close to 50bn apps have been downloaded, and the figure is set to soar in the coming years. Currently, top earners gross up to $300,000 every single day, and the figure is set to rise.

These impressive statistics should excite every app developer. The opportunities to make money from apps have never been better. But this is just one side of the story. Apple statistics also show that there are over 990,000 apps on App Store. Of those, only 20% account for up to 97% of earnings. 59% of the apps don’t break even, and up to 400,000 apps (40%) had never registered a single download.

If you are an app developer, these scats should get you thinking. You should know that there are lots of opportunities. But the market is crowded too. In order to be competitive, you need to make your app visible. This is where marketing comes in. The safest approach is to hire an experienced marketer to create and execute your marketing strategy. However, if you choose to do it yourself, there are a number of things that are an absolute must. The following should play a key part in your App Marketing – Do It Yourself Strategy.

A Cool Website

A website is an absolute must if you intend to market your app. And is not just any website, it has to be cool, attractive and interactive. It has to look professional and impressive. A website is important for providing demos, descriptions, tutorials and useful info about your app. It is also a place where you can receive feedback from your users, and post testimonials and recommendations. You can Google up a few of the best selling apps and check out their sites. A cool website tells your app users that you know what you are doing, and you do take them seriously.

Social Media

You need an active presence on Facebook and Twitter. You not only need to open up user accounts, but you also need to keep them updated. Statistics show that of Twitter’s 1 billion users, over 50% follow brands, companies and products. 85% of those who follow are seeking the latest info, promos and freebies. Studies also show that up 73% of app downloads are a result of decisions influenced in part by Facebook recommendations. Therefore, social media should be a key part of your marketing strategy. If you can build a loyal follower base on Facebook and Twitter, you not only market your current app, even future apps become much easier to market.

Press Releases

A press release is one of the most important parts of an online marketing strategy. Press releases are useful for driving traffic to your website, or for directing users to your App Store page. Therefore, you need to write periodic press releases announcing different facts about your app. If you cannot write a press release yourself, then hire someone to do it. In fact, you are better off hiring an expert to do your press releases because they usually know which kind of websites to post them in Whatever you opt for, be sure to send out regular press releases, they can help you generate leads.

App Store Optimization

You need to spend time on App Store Optimization. What this means is that you have to make your app visible on App Store. This includes things like placing it in the right category, selecting the right keywords, and using the perfect description for your app features. Unlike what most people think, this is not a one-time thing. It is a continuous process. You have to keep tweaking around with different keywords and descriptions. This is because you can never be sure which one potential client will like. You try one and watch the effect on the number of downloads. If one does not work, you try another. You don’t stop until you get it right.

YouTube

Youtube is one of the best avenues for marketing your app. You can post their creative videos to promote your app. Some can be stunning trailers highlighting the key features in your app. Others can be creative, funny or provocative videos that are aimed at generating interest in your app. Youtube videos can drive your app downloads directly or drive traffic to your site. This should also be a continuous process; you should periodically release Youtube videos for promoting your app.

Review Sites

There are a number of websites that review apps. Some of them have gained a reputation for objectivity, frankness and honesty. Therefore, if they give your app a positive review, it can give you some mileage. This is because users sometimes visit such sites to see their latest recommendations. There are different sites that cater for different types of apps. You need to Google up a few and see what they have to offer. In a nutshell, these are the key activities that should make up your App Marketing – Do It Yourself strategy. However, these activities require time, effort and experience to carry them out effectively. If you are going to do it yourself, it is going to be a not-so-easy process. Just imagine the amount of time you will require to build your website, maintain an active social media presence, write press releases, optimize your App Store, and so on. The sheer effort required is too much. With so much on your hands, it will be difficult to create an effective marketing strategy.

You are better off hiring someone who already has the expertise to handle those things. We can help you with that. We have the knowledge, skills and expertise in-app marketing. We have already helped countless developers to increase their app downloads. You can hand over your marketing to us and we will create a marketing strategy, execute it, and basically do all the hard work. Then you can simply sit back and watch your app revenues soar; or better yet concentrate on what you can do best i.e. developing your next killer app.