APP promotion tips, free resources from Android app store!

As an operator , you need to dig deep into the channels , understand them better than others, and be more familiar with channel resources .

In addition to product optimization and user maintenance, many companies also take into account product promotion . In the game development and application development company where I worked before, a small part of the channel maintenance work was completed by operations cooperation. However, I found that most operators did not do any other work when doing channel maintenance except uploading and updating packages.

It seems that the value of operations has become a simple execution job. In fact, there are many other things that operations do, such as applying for free resources, studying channel rules, analyzing channel user attributes, etc.

In this article, I will focus on introducing the free resources of channels, and organize the free resources that I have summarized when doing channel promotion before, so that everyone can know what free resources each channel has and how to apply them, etc. I hope that everyone can learn something in the process of reading, and apply it to practice to improve effective output.

The outline of this article is as follows:

1. Free resource introduction of the channel
2. Free resource rules for each channel
3. Notes on channel promotion

The specific analysis is as follows:

1. Introduction to free resources of the channel

1.1 Are there free resources in the channel?

This is the first reaction of many students when they see this title . The answer is yes, not only yes, but a lot of them. When I was promoting products before, I sorted and analyzed the resources from the following channels, including App Store , 360, Baidu, Alibaba , Huawei, Oppo , Vivo , Lenovo, Xiaomi, Anzhi, and Meizu. The source of information is mainly the developer backend. Most free resources can be applied for through the backend, and the rules can also be queried through the backend help information. Another part of the resources was collected and learned from the developer communication groups in various channels.

By analyzing all channels, we found that the mainstream forms of free resources are nothing more than two: first-release applications and welfare activities . The first launch includes the first launch of new applications and the first launch of new versions. New products have only one chance to apply for the first launch of new applications, and all subsequent applications will be for the first launch of new versions. The models of welfare activities in various channels are similar. In essence, it is a resource exchange. We provide prizes and the other party provides resources.

1.2 Free resources - first release application.

The application methods of each platform are different. One is to apply directly in the background, and the other is to apply by email. The application time ranges from 3 to 15 days in advance. The most common application is 3 days in advance. Whether it is a new application or a new version, there will be an opportunity to apply for first release, and there is a possibility of being approved. At that time, I was in charge of some less well-known products, and our applications for first launch in channels were basically approved. My guess is that the threshold for initial public offering applications is not high, or there are not many applicants. In short, at present, the cost of applying for initial public offering is almost zero.

Requirements for initial filing. When the other party provides resources, there will definitely be requirements. The usual requirement is to add the channel logo on the startup page. Some also need to add the words "first released by XX channel" . Operators must pay attention to this and explain it clearly when packaging. Don't forget to add it or add it incorrectly, otherwise it will appear unprofessional. I have also recorded many similar low-level mistakes in the "Tiger Talks about Operations" public account , and I hope everyone can learn from it.

1.3 Free resources-welfare activities.

There are two types of benefits that can be provided in welfare activities: virtual benefits: vouchers, VIPs , red envelopes; and physical benefits: providing items of corresponding amounts, usually mobile phones, phone cards, and pillows. The process of applying for benefits on various channels is similar. You just need to submit the activity rules, prize introduction, and activity pictures to the background, select the online time, and submit the application. Different channels have different requirements, and the value requirements of welfare will also vary. Some channels require at least RMB 5,000 to hold a physical activity. It is not recommended for small developers to adopt this because the quality of users brought by the activities is often not high. This can be tried for products that urgently need a large number of new users.

Our APP has an advantage when doing welfare activities. The product can provide virtual props - vouchers. By providing vouchers to apply for resources, it can also be approved. Compared with the physical cost, it is much smaller. Although the appeal to users will be weaker, it still has appeal to target users . For companies that value quality over quantity, it is recommended to use virtual props to capture target users.

The above are free resources that basically all channels have. As long as you operate diligently and apply frequently on various platforms, you will always get some free resources. Although most of them are not large in scale, increased exposure and some users gained for free are always better than nothing.

2. Free resource rules for each channel

Below I list the rules of some mainstream channels that I have learned before. This information can be queried by developers, so it is equivalent to a summary here.

2.1 360 (initial application + welfare activities)

First release time: The first release must be applied for 3 working days in advance; in order to allocate better resources, the first release cooperation promotion must be applied for at least 7 working days in advance. The initial review time is 1-3 working days;

First issuance application process: Example 1:

First release requirements: The first release version startup page and splash screen page should include the 360 ​​Mobile Assistant logo and the words "360 Exclusive First Release"

Welfare activities: 360 welfare software refers to software with welfare content that is exclusively or jointly provided by 360. The welfare forms include limited-time free, traffic , call charges, free membership, free vouchers, discount coupons and many other forms.

Welfare resources: recommended home page entrance, welfare zone, home page card position, software banner position, software card position, application list welfare marked in red, search result welfare marked in red, display during exposure, product details page display

Note: The above resources are matched according to the situation and will not be given at the same time.

Examples of welfare activities:

2.2 App Store (welfare activities)

First release: None! ! App Store does not have a launch event. The only similar function found is the "Excellent New App Rules", one of the requirements of which is that the app must be online for less than 6 months. This makes it difficult for many apps that have been online for a long time.

Welfare activities: Gift package privilege activities are representative cooperation activities of App Store. The recommended duration is one week, with new products added every Thursday. Developers provide lottery prizes to App Store to obtain resource positions. The activity is usually in the form of download lottery. Users have the opportunity to win prizes provided by CP by directly downloading the application.

Participation requirements: Provide physical prizes with a total value of more than RMB 5,000

How to apply: Send an email or contact customer service QQ to apply for the activity.

Activity advertising picture: Example 1:

2.3 Baidu (initial application + welfare activities)

How to apply for first-time cooperation: Enter the management center and enter "first-time cooperation" in the promotion service.

Type of first release:

• Exclusive first release: refers to the first release only on Baidu, or only on 91 or Android.
• Joint launch: refers to the simultaneous launch on Baidu, 91, Android and other channels. If there are other channels, please indicate them in the input box.

First release resources: Baidu Web site recommended position, Baidu mobile site recommended position, Baidu mobile assistant client recommended position, 91 assistant client recommended position, Android market recommended position, etc.

Initial application time: The initial application needs to be submitted 7-15 working days in advance.

Welfare activities: Publish discounts. As long as you submit the application's discount information (such as discounts, gifts, vouchers) on the platform and pass the review, the discount content can be displayed in the "Grab Benefits" channel on the Baidu Mobile Assistant homepage and the application download details page.

Application entrance for welfare activities: Enter through “Publish Offers” on the Baidu Developer Platform homepage.

Case display:

2.4 Huawei (initial application + welfare activities)

First launch application: Unlike other platforms, Huawei requires you to add the first launch service first and then apply. Add the first launch service and fill in the first launch service configuration information. On the My Products and Services page, click “+” to add a launch service.

First-run resources: Home page boutique application recommendation + first-run label, first-run area display (recommendation page – Clover; classification – first-run)

Initial application time: Both the initial launch of a new application and the initial launch of a version upgrade require application submission 5 working days in advance, and the review period is 3 days.

First entry:

Benefit application: Submit the "Huawei Game Center Prize Activity Application Form" by email before Tuesday. The activity will be scheduled for the next week (the activity cycle is 7 days);

Welfare setting requirements: The prizes can be set up to 4 prizes, including mobile phones, headphones, routers, power supplies, JD cards, phone recharge cards, figures and game peripherals, etc.

2.5 Xiaomi (first release application + event benefits)

First release process:

Initial release application requirements: During the initial release application period, the same application can only apply for initial release once within one natural month, regardless of success or failure. At the same time, the interval between two applications in different months must be more than 10 days, and there is no download requirement for all application applications.

Recommendation cycle: There are two recommendation cycles per week. If you apply for a debut on one of the days from Tuesday to Friday, the recommended position will be released online from Friday to Sunday (three days).

First release resource position: some recommended positions among the 60 premium apps below the homepage banner, which will remain unchanged during the first release period; some recommended positions in the premium list of the category to which the app belongs, which has 30 relevant positions and will remain unchanged during the recommendation period.

Welfare activities: Xiaomi’s welfare activities are called weekend welfare activities, which are launched every weekend (Friday to Sunday).

Welfare resources: Banner recommendation on the homepage of the App Store for three consecutive days; Xiaomi global PUSH, tens of millions of levels (there will be push notifications every day during the event);

Welfare requirements: Provide at least 10,000 resources!

Benefit application time: Register once a month, one month in advance, and register for the next month's activities at the beginning of each month.

The above is a brief introduction to the five channels of 360, App Store, Baidu, Huawei, and Xiaomi. You can check the detailed details in the developer background of each channel. The requirements of other channels not introduced are similar. Each one has different temperaments, but the core gameplay is the same.

3. Notes on channel promotion

3.1 Optimize the download process

The first-launch applications and welfare activities mentioned above are all based on the normal download conversion rate . We submit them to the client of the channel, and they will affect the download conversion from the front-end display to the installation conversion . If the download conversion is not done well, applying for more resources will be wasted. For example, for an app with a 90% conversion rate, 1,000 downloads can lead to 900 new users, while an app with a 50% conversion rate would require 1,800 downloads to reach the same level.

The download process has the following steps: icon display, subtitle, product introduction, product screenshots, user comments, and number of downloads. Any of the above steps can affect the user's ability to click the download button. After the user clicks the download button: network, mobile phone storage space, installation success rate, adaptation, open rate, registration process, any of the above links can affect the user's activation of the product.

Optimizing the download process means optimizing each of the links mentioned above, among which icon and adaptation are the most important. It can also be seen from the side that operations work involves every detail. A truly great operator may not be the smartest, but he or she will definitely be the most meticulous.

3.2 The first batch of applications should be prepared to eat small meals frequently

There are at least ten channels with large volumes. It is a good strategy for each channel to apply for the first launch in turn. In the middle and late stages of product operation, the most critical thing is to import stable users, unlike the early stages, when an explosion is needed. It is very easy to apply for the first release of some channels because the threshold is low, so you must not be too optimistic about the scale.

I have previously applied for the first launch on two major channels. I submitted the application in the morning and it was reviewed and approved in the afternoon. By the day of going online, the data had hardly changed. One reason is that the resources are indeed very biased, and the other is also related to the product attributes. What we need to do in operations is to continuously apply while optimizing the front-end display, seize the smallest scale, increase the frequency of first releases, and accumulate them. The number of new users should not be underestimated.

3.3 The best effect is achieved when the first release and benefits are launched at the same time

The integrated attack by sea, land and air is far more effective than unilateral attack, and the same is true for application and promotion. Launching a new product or welfare event separately is far less effective than launching both at the same time. The first release plus benefits will bring about the effect of one plus one being greater than two.

This places high demands on operations, because the application time and review cycle of the two resources are different, and operations need to coordinate resources to ensure that both are launched at the same time. It would be best if several channels could be launched at the same time. Combined with external soft promotion, the growth of user data will be a natural result.

Summarize

The above briefly explains two free resources for channel promotion: first release and benefits. Different channels also have their own unique free resources, and the application conditions are completely different, such as 360's special topics, Huawei's Monday see you, App Store's application calendar, etc.

As an operator, you need to dig deep into the channels, understand them better than others, and be more familiar with channel resources. When you take over a product operation job, you can get some resources without spending any money, which will impress your boss and get a promotion and salary increase in the near future.