Android phones currently rank first in terms of smartphone operating systems and cover more than half the smartphone numbers around the world. Therefore, building apps for the Android phones is a safe bet to make profits.
Although people prefer free apps over paid ones in the Android play market, if your app has the factor that makes it more productive and attractive than other competitors, it will surely sell.
Now the major problem with Android developers is the fact that they are techies and not marketers. To promote the Android app and to find the people to talk about their product is not a piece of cake.
That is why I’m sharing some of the working tips which you can utilize and create a buzz about the latest app developed by you. Always remember, your app should be rock-solid, and best marketing for any product is word of mouth.
Tips for developers to promote Android app
I always recommend app developers to create a landing page for your app. Yes, your app will be in the app store, but it’s always a good idea to have a custom landing page for your app. This will not only help you promote your company but will also help you get more work for Android app development.
Take care of branding and on your page. Add a section for screenshots and videos, which will help other bloggers and users understand your app. Developing such product landing pages on WordPress don’t cost a lot, and you can grab the My App theme from Elegant theme which is perfect for a mobile app landing page.
1) Offer App installs using Facebook ads
The best way to get a lot of installs is using paid mediums such as Facebook ads. Facebook offers to advertise for apps (both Android & iOS), and you can target users based on various factors such as age, location, mobile OS and many more. If you have an email list, you can use that to target your ad to a particular list also. Head over to Create Facebook Ads page & get started.
2) Finish and Optimize your App
But before you submit your Android app to the market, keep in mind that the application has to be fully complete and should have a good interface. Never make the mistake of submitting a partial app. Submitting an incomplete app will lower your user ratings and will blow your plan permanently. Also, it is known that Google Play’s market algorithm will take your app higher if the users rate it well in the initial stages. That’s one of the tricks to improve your download count.
3) Submit to Multiple stores
Did you know there are multiple stores to submit your Android app? Google Play Store is the most popular one, but there are many others such as the Amazon app store, which is good too. Here, I’m listing down some of the most popular stores where you can submit your Android app.
- https://developer.amazon.com/welcome.html
- http://www.appbrain.com/info/addapp
- http://slideme.org/developers
- http://developer.getjar.mobi/
- http://developer.mobogenie.com/docs/submit.htm
4) Make a Freemium app
This has been the best way to get people to download premium apps. The free apps get the user base, and the users end up buying add-ons or the full version if they like it. Or you can just launch a free app with an ad and promote an add free with some advanced features in your premium version. You can also consider starting your app for free for the first two weeks to increase the user base. You can later charge for it. This marketing and promotion strategy works most of the time and for most apps.
5) Promoting through Reviews
Nobody will know of your app unless you promote it. Hence, marketing the Android app is as important as building one. The best method to market your app from my experience is through content and reviews. There are a few review sites that offer paid reviews. If your target is more specific to the Android market, you can try a few like androidtapp.com or pcworld.com depending on your budget.
A few other options:
- AndroidCentral (Free, but difficult)
- AndroidPolice (Paid)
- Appbrain.com (Paid)
6) Promoting through free content
Some services offer free publicity. For example, ProductHunt. It’s a startup voting community that ranks apps at the end of every month. If your app idea is good, it might even be on the front page for a month if it gets enough votes. The site is also a good option if you have the same app for different operating systems because they accept Windows, iOS, Android and Blackberry apps as well.
You can try this if you want to get an initial boost of downloads.
7) Promote on YouTube
Make a couple of YouTube videos showing how the app can be useful to people or entertain them. Try to make an informative video. Moreover, when you are going to drop a pitch email to any bloggers for a review of your app, make sure you send the link to the video. This will help a blogger understand your product better and will help them to write better app reviews.
Also, most of the time you will see your videos embedded along with a review article, which will help in creating more awareness.
8) Get a gorgeous icon
Have you ever downloaded an app with no icon? Well according to the app market, people download apps on large based on their icons. Crappy icons blow your app to the bottom and will indicate an unfinished or poorly made app. Optimize and beautify your icons.
9) Use social media
Social media can be immensely useful. Submit your app to social media like Reddit, etc. and if your app deserves some attention, then you might be in for some better download numbers. Don’t forget to submit to the Reddit Android section here: Android Reddit.
10) Press-release
I have minimal information regarding Press-release promotion. Though, if you manage to get into one of those PR agencies, that send out the newsletter to techies and bloggers about the latest Android apps, it can be very beneficial.
11) Advertise your App
If you have developed a paid app, it’s always a wise idea to keep a budget for advertising too. Create a landing page for your app and put advertisement banner on popular Android niche blogs. Though, if budget is a constraint, you can always go ahead and take the route of Guest blogging and do a soft promotion of your app. For buying advertisements, you can directly contact the bloggers and webmasters.
12) Submit to Product Hunt
Producthunt is a social site where anyone can submit exciting apps or websites. People then vote for it. If you have developed an interesting Android app, you should submit it on Producthunt. If it’s a remarkable app and hits the homepage, not only you will get enough downloads, you will also get coverage everywhere due to the popularity of this platform.
As I mentioned above, in the end, it’s quality and usability of your app, which is going to grab more attention. But we also need to promote our apps for a wider reach.
We hope the points above help you reach a wider audience and achieve great number of downloads.
Until next time.
Thank you very much @SHRINIDHI. This is very informative article. It will be helpful to me for my app promotions. Few Tasks you mentioned was missing from my side now i will follow your recommendations. Thanks alot dear.
Great article! I just wanted to say this post is right on the money.
Apps are difficult to market, and games specifically have there own
challenges. Video is definitely one of the best tools to get started
with, and search engines love video. Most apps need explanation with a
voice over, but most games dont, so you really need to present the game
play in an enticing way and keep it short. You can make one yourself
easily with your developer tool and a decent screen recorder. It takes
some time but its well worth it. You could also just pay somebody to do
it.
Very nice blog for android development . Thanks for sharing .
i am new in this and i cant not increase the installs of my apps because i dont know how to do that , so is there any one who can lead me to the right path ?
Those above article are clearly lead you to the right path for promoting your apps.Have you read it?
well u have posted many ways to promote application, and definitely shoutmeloud is one of the best source to learn different ways of promotion, marketing and many more. thanks.
In recent days android apps are used by almost everyone. So it is a best time for app owners to get lots of profit.But it is a very necessary thing for app owners to choose perfect app developer. there are big competition between app developers but only that app developer can get success who know all techniques to develop apps. you have given here amazing tips which can prove very useful for app developers. you have included most necessary facts of app development in this post. you are helping app developers in real sense by providing this type of superb information.
Another way is to advertise your game in project promotion sites, like ProductHunt.com or PromoteProject.com.
Even better way android-app-promotion.com
Jack, Android and IOS hobby developer, 12 Android and 11 IOS paid and free apps released for last 3 years.
Thanks author for great time, i laughs a lot reading your post. Just some comments to your “indian code”.
1) Offer App install using Facebook ads: – Of course!!! If you want to lose money and make Facebook richer.
2) Finish and Optimize your App: – Also, you need to breathe in order not to die. Why you are give obvious advice?
3. Submit to Multiple store: – NEVER DO IT if you are really wanna make money and make really own app (not buy or steal code). Use Google Play and App Store – not websites for abled people.
4. Make a Freemium app: – Sometimes works, sometimes not. Mostly not, but in rare cases can really help. If you are like to do same job twice.
5. Promoting through free content: – Yep, they will contact you back and push you to buy PAID review. Its only the reason this website(s) was made.
6.Promote on YouTube: – First smart advice. Just remember, make video by yourself, DON’T spend 50 – 100 Bucks for “professional” websites with this service. They will cheat you anyway. F…k them off, your app will NEVER give you this money back.
Yes agree. Few of the advises are pretty obvious and in some case MUST DO just for the reason that you don’t want it to be suspended by Google.
But whats wrong in pushing your app to other 3rd party app stores. I have seen many high end games like “Angry Birds”, “Candy Crush” & “Temple Run” etc. on many 3rd party app stores as well. They are doing it so there must be some reason for it…Can you be more elaborate why do you not support this notion?
Hi Jack
Am a Game Developer
I felt same about promoting through Facebook ads
Creating a landing page, and buying it from a Theme store. Is that worth needed.
Submitting on multiple stores is not bad idea.
Hi Shrinidhi, thanks for a great article. I’ve created my first Android app in 30 days by following a tutorial on Pluralsight and using C# and just released it a few days ago. It is very early days but I am now looking for ways to promote it in order to see what works. I will be posting a detailed set of tutorials and the code on my site of how I did it as it was sort of a challenge that I would like others to take the challenge also. In the meantime, I like the idea of a YouTube video, I think I will try this next. Regards.
Good steps to increase app reviews. There is no better way than asking the user for it. All this works, provided people actually find your app and then install it.
But what if you have just released your app and you need early ratings and reviews to get traction. Can you ask fellow developers and startup community to give their feedback ? Favorr makes it easier to do just that. Favorr.Io is one such platform, where android/iOS apps get early traction by reviews and ratings from fellow developers. https://favorr.io/
Great article, tried to add an app to producthunt.com but they only allow the submission by users who were invited.
Thank you Shrinidhi, for this informative post,in your youtube section you could provide a list of bloggers with their emails who do reviews, If you need help with that list, feel free to email me
Hello Ankur, I have read your comment & it’s very useful to me.
I want the list of Emails that who are doing review of apps and games of Google play. Can you help me for that?
Great article! I just wanted to say this post is right on the money. Apps are difficult to market, and games specifically have there own challenges. Video is definitely one of the best tools to get started with, and search engines love video. Most apps need explanation with a voice over, but most games dont, so you really need to present the game play in an enticing way and keep it short. You can make one yourself easily with your developer tool and a decent screen recorder. It takes some time but its well worth it. You could also just pay somebody to do it. I personally have used blue fortress media to make mine, but I know there are other good ones like appvj, wyzowl, and demo fuck. Either way good luck to you! And once again great article.
Hi hackhow,
thanks for posting such information.I have one request that i wanted to know about some more free websites where i can post my android apps.
please reply soon
Thanks
shramik
Hello Shramik kumar, If you are looking forward to promote your app, why don’t you try Ladoooinstalls. Its the India’s 1st App Install Ad Platform where you can promote & advertise your apps. They provide mobile app install ads, Facebook ads & Google ads for app installs that helps to promote your app among the targeted audience & increase app downloads for your app. You can try it. Its really an amazing platform to advertise your app. I am using it & really liking it.
Hi Swati, Could you please explain how Ladoooinstalls works? I am finding any review comments in the net. All comments are related to phone recharge.
Thank u for sharing such nice information. Now I realize the importance of promoting android apps. The ways suggested are quite efficient for promoting android apps.
I think the best way is asking review and app release press. AppEggs.com is a good website to provide free promotion service. http://www.appeggs.com/service.html
Great post.
Is there any way to create Android apps without any coding knowledge at all?
If not, what coding languages should I learn?
Srikaanth, you need to know Java for creating you first android application. Me and my team is already working on creating application for stock and commodities market.:)
Srikanth, you can try Unity3d Game Engine. Everything is made easy. You do require a little bit of coding skills but is very minimum. You have all the tutorials and resources in their official websites. I can assure you can start learning with zero initial programming skills.
Hi! You can built pretty decent android apps with MIT App Inventor. You need not know any coding and the MIT’s AI platform is very interesting to use. I have developed two apps using the platform. Launched them on Google Play a few months ago ( Mapboard lite and Noted! ). Though I intend to learn Java someday, to experience what the ‘real’ Android is about and to see what am I missing. But, not yet. As of now, I love exploring the possibilities with App Inventor.
I’m not posting links coz I dunno whether I am allowed to post links here. If interested, search for “MIT App Inventor”. Have fun!
The best way I like and I think should be on the top is promoting social and via review of the app from good high authority android blogs, but they will only review your app if it has good UI and interesting.
I like the idea of making a freemium APP, this is most cases works out well. Thanks for sharing good marketing ideas.
Nice tips for Android developers, If you develop something creative, I’m sure it would hit the viral media without much need of marketing later
Well, the problem is that if an app doesn’t have advertisement, and hasn’t got many downloads, it will be very hard to find, and you might just end up with a dead app (app that nobody finds, or downloads).