App promotion plan: free channels and paid channels!

In the initial stage of a startup team, how should it promote its products when the channels are immature, the budget is insufficient, and the users are not sticky?

Today we will talk about free channels and paid channels.

1. Free channels:

1. Leave the App’s “instructions” on the Internet

The "instructions" mentioned here refer to the introduction or function description of the App. When a product is just developed, it must first gain a firm foothold and leave detailed information on the Internet so that users can have more ways to learn about the App when they are interested in it.

The most effective way is to leave more brand information on search engines. You can create relevant encyclopedias, such as Baidu Encyclopedia, 360 Encyclopedia, Sogou Encyclopedia, Interactive Encyclopedia and other related brand entries. Note that building an encyclopedia also requires certain technical content. For example, the content of the encyclopedia should have clear logic and easy-to-understand expression. Adding pictures and texts will make it easier for users to understand. Then expand the brand's popularity and do related Q&A on platforms such as Baidu Knows, Sina iAsk, Sogou Q&A, and Zhihu. This is both a way to hype the brand and a necessary means to communicate with users.

2. Build a social media marketing platform for App

WeChat, Weibo, and Tik Tok are the social media platforms that currently occupy the most user time. They still have huge traffic dividends and can be used as platforms for interactive marketing with potential users. This is more practical than setting up interactive and feedback functions in the App, because it is difficult for the App to win user trust in the early stages.

Through operation, it can be used as a window for App traffic. After it reaches a certain scale, you can try to promote each other with other brands on Weibo/WeChat. There are many such mutual promotion groups (you can search for keywords in QQ groups). You can directly find mutual promotion partners in such groups. Continuous mutual promotion can also bring a certain amount of traffic.

3. Publish information in vertical fields to attract traffic

After a certain brand building is formed through the above two steps, a new App will gradually have a certain promotion foundation, and at this time it is necessary to attract traffic to the greatest extent possible.

You can first post relevant posts in vertical communities related to the product, such as Lamamabang, Mafengwo, Autohome, etc. These can be experience posts or discussion posts, appropriately implant your own App brand, flexibly use functions such as pinning and forwarding, or go to vertical forums or groups such as Douban and Baidu Tieba to attract traffic. At the same time, you can flexibly use the search function to find relevant QQ groups or WeChat groups, and place appropriate soft advertisements. If you have a budget, you can also cooperate with the bar owner or group owner to place advertisements. These places are characterized by high-quality users, and it would be best if you could get them as early as possible.

4. Expand more self-media channels

Through content creation, plan articles with brand keywords or relevant to the App, and publish them to self-media such as Dafenghao, Baijiahao, Dayuhao, Penguinhao, Toutiao, etc. Those with relatively high quality can be delivered to large vertical media platforms, such as: 36Kr, Huxiu.com, Lieyun.com, Chuangyebang, iHeima, etc. You can contribute articles independently or apply for project reports. In-depth articles are easy to spread, easier to pass review, and more easily accepted by the audience. First of all, this method is free and low-cost. Secondly, the in-depth content can allow users to understand the App more intuitively.

5. Use free resources from various application markets

Currently, the main download channels for apps are on app stores. It is very necessary to strive for resources such as app store debut, app market special topics, and new product self-recommendations.

From a product perspective, in addition, the first launch is divided into exclusive first launch (first launch in one market) and joint first launch (first launch in multiple markets). You can apply for the first launch in several markets at the same time. When writing the update description, write more update content, which can increase the probability of approval. Special topic applications are also free resources that can be applied for. Generally, what is valued is the quality of the product and its fit with the topic. In addition, you can also try to recommend new products on your own. Generally, it is required to be on the shelves within 6 months. If you are not accepted once, you can apply multiple times.

2. Payment channels

1. App store launch

App stores all have paid promotion services, which are basically charged according to CPD (per download) or CPT (per time). Wandoujia, App Store, etc. also have keyword bidding. In general, the cost of acquiring a single user in the app market is high. If you don’t have a high budget in the early stages, you don’t have to try.

2. ASO Optimization

This is a relatively effective promotion method at present. It mainly uses various means to understand the rules of the application market and improve the ranking of the App under various keywords. In the early stage, you can work hard on the App name, keywords, and application description to match more relevant hot words and surrounding words. During this period, some clicks and activations need to be purchased, so it is also a relatively budget-burning method. Startup products can make some attempts.

3. Alliance/Advertising Platform

Points walls, lock screens, silent channels, PUSH, interstitials, market recommendation positions, etc. are all optional promotion channels. Generally, payment is based on activation volume and click volume, but many alliances will also falsify results in order to achieve performance. You can agree on a user retention rate or payment rate indicator in advance to make the promotion more quality-oriented.

4. Ground promotion

Field promotion is a relatively effective promotion method when accumulating seed users in the early stage. Through direct communication with users, more user experience and product details can be optimized. At present, traditional ground-based sales methods such as setting up stalls, distributing flyers, and door-to-door sales are still effective, and emerging methods such as flash mobs, live broadcasts by internet celebrities, and puppet photo shoots are also very effective. In short, the cost of online promotion is rising, and there is more and more supervision and fake traffic. Local promotion is an effective way to avoid these troubles.

5. Information flow advertising

Information feed ads are ads placed in the updates of social media users’ friends, or in the content streams of information media and audio-visual media. Its features include algorithm recommendations, native experience, and targeted delivery through tags. The main ones include Guangdiantong, Toutiao, NetEase News, Sina Fuyi, etc. They can be placed according to tags. The quality is relatively high and relatively accurate, but it also depends on whether the product itself is suitable for information flow advertising.

3. Channel Statistics

This link is indispensable for promotion anyway. Due to the complexity of channels in the Android market and the closed channels in the Apple market, the mobile terminal is unable to transmit parameters. Under normal circumstances, it is difficult to collect relevant data and form effective monitoring of the promotion effect.

If there is a lack of effective data tracking methods, it is impossible to accurately evaluate the traffic contribution and continuous value of each channel, which will lead to many loopholes:

Many small advertising alliances: brushing, fake volume, hijacking volume

Field promotion: indicators are difficult to effectively control, and the promotion attitude is lax

User sharing: Entering an invitation code is a cost, which will greatly reduce the user's enthusiasm for sharing.

Summarize

App promotion not only requires good channels, but also the right methods. The one that best suits your product is the best. I hope that through everyone's efforts, App promotion can achieve a qualitative leap as soon as possible.