APP channel promotion: 3 major channels and experience sharing!

As the Matthew effect in the industry deepens, it is increasingly difficult to obtain APP traffic. Even good wine needs to be hidden in a remote alley. No matter how good a product is, it is difficult to achieve effective dissemination without the support of high-quality promotion channels. Below I have compiled some relatively effective promotion channels and practical experiences for sharing. There are always some that you need.

1. Official channels are prioritized

Official resources are obviously the lowest-cost and most controllable promotion channel. Using official channels for promotion is a traffic-generating method that can be maintained for a long time.

1. Official website traffic diversion

The in-site visits of the official website are a considerable source of traffic, especially for content output platforms. If the traffic is properly directed and PC users are transferred to mobile devices, personalized push notifications in vertical fields and more advertising monetization can be achieved. For users, the available time for reading has gradually shifted to mobile phones. If content platforms are willing to set up mobile reading places (APPs) for them, I believe that many users will be willing to download and migrate.

Content websites including Jianshu, Renrenshipinmengjian, CSDN, Qinggua Media, etc. have set up APP download QR code entrance on their homepage, which is usually placed in the banner or the lower right corner of the homepage or in the upper menu bar. It is recommended that it can be placed permanently as a necessary function of the website.

In addition to the homepage, relevant guides are usually placed in the lower right corner of the content page or at the bottom of the article. When users bypass the homepage and go directly to the internal page through search engines such as Baidu, they can still see the website's APP download promotion.

In addition, in-site message notification (private message) is also a function that can be used, but it is not recommended to use it too frequently. Send private messages when the APP has a major version update, the user has just registered an account, or the APP welfare activity is launched.

A more radical approach is to transplant some functions to the APP. If users want to perform further operations or view more content, they must download the APP. This is a common practice for information APPs on the page.

2. Email and SMS promotion

Usually when users register or participate in an event, they will leave their email address or mobile phone number. We can determine the subject and content and send it to the targeted users via email or text message. This method usually cannot be used multiple times and loses its marketing value after one or two times, but it is very suitable as a means of user recall.

In terms of email, QQ Mail is the most suitable channel. Usually, as long as you log in to QQ on your computer, there will be a pop-up window in the lower right corner when the email arrives, and an unread message reminder will also be displayed on WeChat.

If you cannot find the target users and want to promote on a larger scale, you can find relevant communities in the QQ group search, and export the QQ accounts of group members after joining the group. Since the numbers of QQ mailbox and QQ account are bound to each other, this way we can accurately target the QQ mailbox of the target user for delivery.

When promoting via SMS, please note that the text is limited to 70 characters. Also, be careful not to be identified as an intercepted SMS by mobile phone manufacturers. Test with different mobile phone models and operator types before publishing. The content can refer to the forms of Meituan, Ele.me, Tantan, and financial apps. Add external links in text messages and use benefits or information gaps to attract users to download the app.

Of course, this type of promotion method is very challenging for copywriting skills. In recent years, due to the proliferation of spam emails and spam text messages, most people want to close emails and text messages as soon as they see them. Whether you can catch the user's attention within three seconds of seeing the message and make people want to find out more depends on the planning ability.

3. Official media promotion

With the development of the Internet today, the threshold for media operations has become very low, and official WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Tieba and other resources can all be used as means of attracting traffic.

The regular promotional methods of the official WeChat account include the welcome message after following, the menu bar at the bottom, the first and last pictures of each article, picture and text push, and service account access related functions.

Every time there is a major version update or event promotion of the APP, you can participate in the lucky draw by forwarding pictures or comments on the WeChat public account, and use resources such as Moments and WeChat groups to promote it. The key lies in creativity and benefits. The former encourages users to forward, while the latter motivates users to participate.

The official Weibo homepage banner can be used as a long-term advertising space by adding a link to the relevant APP download or activity page. Generally speaking, if there is a lot of information, you can place two pictures and scroll them in turn. You can also consider doing what Tmall does - just place one picture and don't scroll it, so that users can focus on the content of a single page.

A company’s official Weibo account can usually apply for Blue V certification and can also create related topics, such as Tmall’s #socialtopicmarketing# and @celebrityrepostlottery from time to time, which are also of great value to brand promotion and product publicity. Weibo promotion mainly relies on the obvious fan effect, and its characteristics are that the audience is young, and there are more people who pay attention to celebrities and KOLs.

The official Tik Tok app can also be used in a variety of ways. As early as August 2017, Douyin launched three brand video advertisements in cooperation with Airbnb, Harbin Beer and Chevrolet. For the TikTok platform and its users, high-quality content comes first. Even if it is an advertisement, as long as it is trendy, fresh, fun and innovative, the official account can do advertising marketing and brand promotion at any time.

2. The more free channels, the better

The more free external channels the better, and every time you find one, it counts. A combination promotion strategy requires multiple exposures.

1. App store promotion

The app store is currently the main channel for downloading APPs. In addition to ASO, there are many free resources available. The Android market brings together dozens of app stores of all sizes, but most of them can be put on the shelves for free, and can be released mainly to mainstream platforms such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Baidu, Meizu, OPPO, Wandoujia, App Store, 360, etc.; if you have the energy, you can also release it on some mobile software platforms. For iOS, just put it on the APP store.

The first release in the app store can bring a lot of traffic. Usually, you need to prepare various qualifications such as icons, market screenshots, packages with channel names, new version instructions, etc., and apply for a software copyright certificate. If you don’t apply, you cannot apply for the first release even if you pass the review.

Relevant summary information can be found on the Xiaomi Open Platform. Some of the information is no longer valid due to its age, but it can be used as a reference.

Portal:

Comprehensive information on various application markets: https://dev.mi.com/docs/APPsmarket/operation_docs/other_markets/

First release instructions for each application market: https://dev.mi.com/doc/p=4670/index.html

In addition, application market topics generally focus on the fit between the APP and the topic. You should also try to recommend new products yourself. If you are not accepted once, you can try multiple times. These are free resources, so you should strive for them if you have the energy. Of course, product quality is the foundation. App stores such as Xiaomi and OPPO will also regularly select a batch of high-quality apps to be put on the homepage or in the recommended column of premium apps.

2. Forum and community promotion

High-quality and high-traffic forums can be invested in as the main focus, and promotion can be in the form of following posts, posting, answering questions, etc. These include Zhihu, Tieba, Hupu, Tianya, and Douban. These comprehensive forums also have classified channels, topic plazas, etc., and you can choose the corresponding channel for promotion.

In addition, vertical forums and communities are gathering places for precise users, but these users and platforms are also more sensitive to advertising. They are more suitable for soft promotions such as reviews or experience sharing posts. They can also learn about the new needs of heavy users in the industry at any time through direct communication and contact.

Hao123 Navigation and 360 Navigation can both find corresponding industry vertical forums and communities.

hao123 navigation: https://www.hao123.com/

360 Navigation: https://hao.360.com/

Both offer detailed neighborhood searches and classifieds where you can find great local neighborhoods.

hao123 community: http://www.hao123.com/shequ

360 Community: http://hao.360.cn/sub/shequ_website_nav.html

QQ groups, Douban groups, and WeChat groups can also be used to simply promote products, and it is best to embed them in the form of chat. QQ can also directly search for QQ groups in vertical industries.

3. Self-media matrix promotion

At present, major domestic traffic platforms have established exclusive content distribution platforms, and users are concentrated on mobile clients. The main platforms include: Baijiahao, Sohuhao, Toutiaohao, NetEasehao, Penguinhao, Dafenghao, Dayuhao, etc.

If you find it too troublesome to publish an article on multiple platforms, you can also use Jianmei's one-click publishing function to distribute it to all platforms at once.

Portal: http://www.ejianmedia.com/#/

The main form of promotion in this regard is daily account operation and maintenance. Of course, you can also write some soft articles and publish them. The platform will generally make personalized push notifications to users with relevant tags. The better the content of the article, the higher the recommendation rate will be.

On the other hand, the platform will also provide support from relevant resources. For example, the website pages of Baidu and Sohu may include self-media articles, especially Baijiahao and Sohuhao, which is also helpful for SEO.

4. Basic brand promotion

The brand image is mainly established by creating entries, questions and answers, information, etc. on search engines. When potential users are interested in the product and search for relevant information, it is easier to achieve conversion.

Baidu Encyclopedia, Sogou Encyclopedia, 360 Encyclopedia, Hudong Encyclopedia, etc. can all create entries for free. At the same time, you can also conduct Q&A on question-and-answer platforms such as Baidu Knows, Soso Q&A, Sina iAsk, Zhihu, etc., to increase the discussion heat of the brand. These are the most basic brand image advertisements, which are free and sustainable. As long as people’s search habits remain unchanged, they can help conversions in the long run.

3. Paid channel screening and delivery

Considering the rising promotion costs, paid channels should balance costs and benefits. No matter how many channels there are, effect monitoring and trial and error screening should be done well. The one that suits you best is the most effective.

1. Information flow advertising

Given that the current traffic entrances are controlled by a few major platforms, placing information flow advertisements is also a channel with good benefits. The characteristics of information flow advertising are algorithm recommendation and native experience. It can be targeted based on labels such as the age, region, occupation, income, terminal device, etc. of the target population, and the promotion of APP can be customized according to one's own needs.

Major information flow advertising platforms (also more expensive):

Baidu Information Flow

The platforms for placement include Baidu Mobile, Baidu Tieba, Baidu Browser and other platforms. Since Baidu originated as a search engine and bidding advertising company, the ad recommendation algorithm is mainly based on user search content, so it is also suitable to do bidding advertising while doing Baidu information flow.

Tencent Advertising (formerly Guangdiantong)

It mainly covers platforms such as Tencent Video, Tencent News, QQ, QQ Space and browsers, WeChat native, WeChat public accounts, and Tiantian Express. The characteristic of Tencent products is that they have a wide social scope and cover most Internet users. The disadvantage is that any product related to social networking is basically not given advertisements.

Today's headlines

The products where advertisements are placed include Toutiao, Xigua Video, Huoshan Video, and Douyin. Its characteristics are mature algorithms, users are mainly concentrated in second- and third-tier cities, it supports the oCPM advertising model, and is more suitable for APP advertising.

Weibo Fans

Mainly promoted to Weibo fans and potential fans, Weibo ads also have the functions of ordinary Weibo, such as forwarding, commenting, collecting, and liking. If the creativity is good enough, it can even achieve secondary dissemination of the advertisement. The advertising format is flexible, including blog posts, applications, videos, pictures and texts, nine-square grids, etc. Weibo's user group is mostly young women, and there are more entertainment elements.

In addition, there are information flow advertising platforms such as UC Headlines, Kuaishou, Bilibili, Zhihu, Mayu, Momo, etc. Their user labels are relatively obvious. For example: Kuaishou users mainly come from third- and fourth-tier cities, Bilibili users are mainly two-dimensional teenagers under the age of 24, and Zhihu users are mainly highly educated users. You can choose advertising channels based on the product tone.

2. KOL Marketing

KOL refers to key opinion leaders who have more say in the industry. They often have a group of fans following them who identify with their values. KOL recommendations are generally taken seriously by fans, and may even be liked and forwarded. KOLs can recommend and speak for brands through submissions or collaboration.

KOL promotion is generally divided into two types:

One is the influential type, such as celebrities, Weibo big Vs, Internet celebrities, etc. Their every word and action can generate millions of attentions, Weibo topics, and media index inclusions. This type of promotion means traffic attention and brand influence.

The other type is professional, such as experts in vertical fields and heavy users. Their insights and evaluations are often more professional and objective, and can have a certain impact on users, but the value of this method lies more in accumulating word of mouth.

Often, phenomenal screen-sweeping cases are a combination of the two. A successful KOL marketing will have the dual benefits of influence and word-of-mouth on the product. Of course, the choice of KOL mainly depends on whether the KOL’s fan group meets the target user characteristics of the product, and secondly on the compatibility between the product style and the KOL. The content of the cooperation should also be creative. If it is an embedded advertisement, it should be as obscure as possible.

3. Fission promotion

"Bringing new users with old ones" is currently a relatively low-cost way to increase APP users. By inviting friends to participate in activities, the existing stock of APP is encouraged to drive incremental growth, ultimately forming a fission effect. The main forms of rewards for this type of profit-sharing promotion include material or spiritual rewards, such as red envelopes, VIP, coupons, points, etc. If these rewards are used well, they can also stimulate users to make secondary consumption.

There are two main specific forms:

One is a short-term promotion conducted in the name of welfare activities. This type of activity generally has large rewards and is promoted simultaneously with the help of social platforms such as Weibo and WeChat, as well as text messages and advertisements. The purpose of promotion is to create a phenomenal hit. Apps such as Honor of Kings, Pinduoduo, Qutoutiao, and Ele.me have all expanded wildly using fission promotion.

The other is the invitation reward function that has been built into the APP for a long time. Apps like Alipay, Didi Chuxing, Luckin Coffee, and Shenzhou Private Car have long had dedicated entrances. This function page once brought 70% of new users to Shenzhou Private Car. This is the customer acquisition entrance that almost all APPs will set up. It is recommended that APPs can develop a permanent function page for invitations and gifts.

Generally speaking, the part of fission activities that is likely to cause user loss is mainly the "filling in invitation codes and mobile phone numbers" aspect. You can use openinstall's invitation code-free installation function to assist in promotion, eliminate the "filling in invitation codes, mobile phone numbers" and other steps in the user invitation process, and optimize the user experience and operation process in fission activities.

Portal: https://www.openinstall.io/

4. Offline promotion

It is mainly divided into ground promotion and offline advertising. Offline promotion is very suitable for O2O APP promotion that requires learning costs. In today's situation where online traffic costs are getting higher and higher and authenticity is difficult to guarantee, offline promotion is a reasonable option.

Field promotion has relatively high requirements for the execution of project implementation. If it is just a short-term phased attempt, you can do it yourself, and the cost will not be too high relatively speaking. However, if O2O products like Ele.me, Meituan, Didi, etc. regard local promotion as their long-term core competitiveness, it is still recommended to cooperate with third-party local promotion companies, as they will be more professional and planned.

Offline advertising scenarios are mainly concentrated in areas with large traffic, such as subways, buses, elevators, high-speed railways, etc. If the product is literary or a reading app, it can also be advertised in traditional paper media, such as vertical magazines and newspapers.

5. Baidu promotion

Baidu’s products are very comprehensive, especially Baidu Search. Since it captures the user’s information acquisition portal, the ranking of information results displayed by Baidu Search is more valuable for reference. On the basis of SEO keyword optimization, actively conducting Baidu bidding and increasing brand advertising exposure is also a necessary promotion measure. Baidu ads are generally displayed for free, and users only need to pay when they click on the ads. Please note that it is best to set a budget cap to prevent malicious inflating.

In addition, Baidu also cooperates with many vertical forums and other platforms, and can display advertisements on the leading platforms of many industries. Advertising creativity is the key. Potential users often don’t know their needs, so it is also very important to help users think about and display them in advance.

Baidu promotion portal: http://e.baidu.com/product/sousuo

IV. Conclusion

The APP promotion delivery strategy mainly revolves around the above three aspects: giving priority to official channels, the more free channels the better, and screening and delivery through paid channels.

I have only talked about some of the more mainstream and basic channels here, which include relevant practical methods, but there are quite a lot of promotion channels that can be explored in actual practice. Whether it is a free channel or a paid channel, in addition to the budget, we also pay a lot of labor and time costs.

Then, how to judge which are the most effective and most suitable promotion channels for one's own APP positioning becomes a problem that must be solved. Now, the free-packaging channel statistics method can be used to make data statistics for multiple channels and evaluate the promotion effect.

Another relatively effective strategy in APP promotion is to quickly trial and error and improve the promotion plan through channel research and effect review. I believe that using these two strategies well will definitely make your APP promotion more effective.

Author: Big City Small Things

Source: Big City Small Things