What can I do to promote my own app?

One of the cardinal rules about apps is that they are just tools for you to extend your current marketing plan, and they need to fit within that scheme. So, if your business's app is a central piece of your marketing plan, it's still just one piece.

With that, promoting your app follows a lot of the same rules that everything else does.

Know your audience! Who do you sell your products to? Where are they located? If, for example, a large portion of your audience visits your website, place a great banner on the website to tell people about it. Also, use your existing contact methods like e-newsletters, store displays, etc.
Know your media! Apps have been hot news items for the last couple of years. When you get your app published, immediately contact your regional chambers, your weekly business journals, and your daily papers. Tell them about the app and how it's a new model to help promote your business. Frequently, you'll get great interest and maybe even a couple of articles written about you! (This is a great possibility to have an article written about your business!)
Use existing promotions! Do you have a current discount that you are promoting? What if you advertised within your business that any customer who shows that they have downloaded your app receives a discount? You can find a number of creative ways to tie your app into your promotions.
Take advantage of social media! A great number of businesses use social media to freely promote their brand and products and you should as well. Most smart-phone users are actively engaged in social media and this is a great way to promote your company.
Your app may have social media capabilities built into it- this means that you can automatically connect to Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Links to news, video and other content will show up on your social network profiles in real time, meaning that customers and connections have 24/7 access to you and your brand.
And finally, promote, promote, PROMOTE! Your app will be on the app stores you pick for as long as you keep your Appanda license current. So there's no window through which you have to get all your downloads. Keep promoting, and who knows? Maybe you'll get a hit download!

Here's an article we found useful:

"Six Ways to Better Promote Your Application": http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/01/app-store-lessons-6-ways-to-better-promote-your-application.ars

NOTE: RESOLUTE, the creators of Appanda, do not necessarily endorse any service mentioned as a possible outside host for any materials. The user assumes all risk for using any service outside of Appanda, as well as any risk as defined in our Terms and Conditions.

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