The most comprehensive manual in history: Complete guide to APP promotion and operation

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via:appying

In the mobile Internet industry, the startup market is suitable for multi-faceted attacks, trying all possible ways and methods, and maximizing the brand effect with the least investment. Among the 100 methods that come to mind, continuously test the most effective method, eliminate 99 of them, and concentrate the resources on a possible outbreak point, constantly amplify, continuously analyze, and wait for the outbreak. Ultimately, attract more registered users and increase their market share. Promotion is basically divided into: online channels, new media publicity and offline publicity.

1. Online channels

1. Basics are online

Android version release channels covered by major download markets, app stores, large platforms, and download stations: The first step of promotion is to go online, which is the most basic. No need to spend money, just wide coverage.

● Download market: Android, Jifeng, Anzhi, App Store, 91, Mumayi, Nduo, Youyi, Anji, Feiliu, etc.
●App stores: Geogle Store, HTC Mall, Liqu, Crosscat, Kaiqi, Aimi, Wochacha, Meizu Store, Lenovo Developer Community, OPPO App Store, etc.;
● Large platforms: MM Community, Wo Store, Tianyi Space, Huawei Zhihui Cloud, Tencent Application Center, etc.;
●Client: Wandoujia Mobile Wizard, 91 Mobile Assistant, 360 Software Manager, etc.;
●Wap sites: Paojiao, Tianwang, Lexun, Yisou, etc.
●Web download sites: Sky, Huajun, Feifan, Greensoft, etc.;
●iOS version release channels: AppStore, 91 Assistant, pp Assistant, NetEase App Center, Syncios, Kuaiyong Apple Assistant, itools, limited time free collection.

2. Operator channel promotion

China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom have a large user base, and can pre-install products in operator stores, leveraging capabilities that third parties do not have. If the product is good, it can also receive subsidies and support. The marketing department should have a dedicated channel specialist to communicate and cooperate with operators and come up with plans for project tracking.

3. Third-party stores

Due to early entry and large number of users, third-party stores have become the entrance to many APP traffic. There are nearly 100 third-party application stores across the country. Channel specialists need to prepare a large amount of materials, test, and connect with the application market. The rules of each application market are different. How to communicate with the person in charge of the application market and accumulate experience and skills is crucial. If there is sufficient funding, some advertising space and recommendations can be placed.

4. Mobile phone manufacturer stores

Large manufacturers pre-install stores in their own brand mobile phones, such as Lenovo Music Store, HTC Market, Opponearme, Meizu Market, Moto Smart Parts Park, etc. The channel department needs more operation specialists to contact the mobile phone manufacturers' stores.

5. Promotion through Points Wall

"Points Wall" is a page that displays various points tasks (downloading and installing recommended high-quality apps, registering, filling out forms, etc.) within an app, allowing users to complete tasks and earn points. When users complete tasks within the app embedded with the Points Wall, the developer of the app will receive corresponding income. Points Walls are quickly used and the effect is obvious.

Most of them adopt the CPA form, with prices ranging from 1-3 yuan. However, considering the comprehensive cost of active users, the cost is high and the user retention rate is low. Companies in the industry include tapjoy, Weiyun, Youmi, Wanpu, etc. Points wall is suitable for large teams with funds that need to develop users as soon as possible.

6. Ranking promotion

This promotion is an informal method, but it is very popular in China. After all, most Apple phone users will use the APP Store to download apps. If your app is directly in the top few positions, it can certainly quickly attract users' attention and obtain a higher number of real downloads.

However, the price of swiping the charts is relatively high. The price for the top 25 on the domestic charts is about 10,000 yuan per day, and the price for the top 5 is more than 20,000 yuan per day. Since this kind of promotion cost is relatively high, it is usually combined with news hype, which makes it easy to become famous quickly.

7. Promotion on social platforms

The current mainstream smartphone social platforms have clear potential users and can promote products quickly. This type of promotion basically adopts a cooperative profit-sharing method with various cooperation methods. Companies in the industry include Weiyun, 9City, Tencent, Sina, etc.

8. Advertising Platform

The volume starts quickly and the effect is obvious. The cost is relatively high. Taking the current mainstream platforms as an example, the CPC price is 0.3-0.8 yuan, and the CPA is between 1.5 yuan and 3 yuan. It is not conducive to the promotion and use of teams before venture financing. Companies in the industry include admob, Duomeng, Weiyun, Youmi, Dianru, etc.

9. Exchange

There are two main ways to exchange volume:

● Mutual recommendation within the app: This method can make full use of traffic to increase exposure and downloads. The scale is not large, but the exposure is good. Apps with built-in recommendation positions can exchange traffic with each other, but this requires a certain number of users as a basis .

●Buy volume for volume: If you cannot bring volume to a certain app or the volume is very small, you can find an online alliance to increase volume in exchange for high-quality resource positions in the app store or convert it into money for promotion. This method is also a relatively practical method. Stores including App Store and Xiaomi can exchange volume. Through certain agents, you can also exchange volume with 360 and others, which may have better results than doing CPT directly on 360.

2. New Media Promotion

1. Pre-installed by mobile phone manufacturers

It exists when it leaves the factory, has a high user conversion rate, and is the most direct way to develop users. The user acquisition cycle is long, and it takes 3-5 months from submitting the test package for testing-passing the test-trial production-mass production-sales to the user.

● Promotion cost: The pre-installation fee for application products ranges from 0.5 to 1 yuan, and the CPA fee ranges from 1.5 to 4 yuan. For game products, the pre-installation fee is free, and the subsequent profit sharing model is adopted, and the CPA price is between 2 to 3 yuan;
●Industry companies: Huawei, ZTE, Coolpad, TCL, Bird, OPPO, Meizu, Hisense, etc.;
●Operational difficulties: There are many brands, multiple levels of personnel, and many product projects, which require a professional team to make targeted recommendations and maintain relationships.

2. Parallel imports

The volume increases quickly. Basically, you can see flashing users in 2-4 days. The number is large, and basically tens of thousands of phones can be flashed in one day. The phenomenon of repeated flashing is serious. Basically, a mobile phone will be flashed 3-5 times from the general batch to the channel to the store. The promotion cost increases dramatically, the user quality is poor, and it is difficult to monitor. Basically, the CPA of a single flashing software is 1-2 yuan, and the price of chartering a machine is between 5-10 yuan.

Companies in the industry: XDA, Coolle, Leku, and Flash Wizard.

3. Licensed goods store

High user quality, high stickiness, high user payment conversion rate, fast user contact speed . There are many stores, and the training of store staff is complicated, which requires a complete assessment and reward mechanism. Basically, the CPA price is between 1.5-3 yuan, and the pre-installation price is between 0.5-1 yuan. Companies in the industry: Leyu, Zhongfu, Tianyin, Zhongyou, Suning, etc.

4. Content Planning

Before content planning, you need to do a good job of audience positioning, analyze the core user characteristics, insist on the output of original content, and keep about three interesting content a day in content updates. Seize the hot spots of the week or the day and follow up. Creativity, creativity, let your product tell a story and personify it.

5. Brand basic promotion

● Encyclopedia promotion: Create brand entries in Baidu Encyclopedia and 360 Encyclopedia;
●Question and answer promotion: Create question and answer sessions on websites such as Baidu Knows, Soso Q&A, Sina iAsk, and Zhihu.

6. Forum and Tieba promotion

Jifeng, Android, Anzhi... You can see many industry forums at the bottom of mobile phone related websites. It is recommended that promoters post and promote in two ways: official posts and user posts. At the same time, you can contact the forum administrator to do some event promotion. After posting, you should regularly maintain your posts, answer questions raised by users in a timely manner, and collect user feedback information for the next version update and improvement.

●*** lineup: Jifeng Forum, Android Forum, Anzhi Forum;
●Second team: Moqu.com, Android Forum, Meizu Forum;
●The third team: Storm Forum, Wood Ant Forum, and DOSPY Forum.

7. Weibo promotion

●Content: Personify the product, tell stories, identify the characteristics of Weibo, and insist on producing original content. Follow up on the hot topics of the week or the day on Weibo and maintain a certain level of continuous innovation;
●Interaction: Follow relevant Weibo accounts in the industry, maintain interaction, and increase brand exposure;
●Activities: When necessary, you can plan activities, forward on Weibo, etc.

8. WeChat promotion

The operation and promotion of WeChat public accounts requires a certain amount of time to settle down. Here are a few steps for reference:

● Content positioning: Combine products to make content aggregation recommendations. The content does not have to be large, but it must be refined and in line with the positioning of the WeChat account;
● Accumulation of seed users: In the early stage, a KPI indicator can be set, with a threshold of 500 fans. Seed users can be recommended by colleagues, friends, partners, Weibo, official website, etc.
●Accumulation of small accounts: Open small WeChat accounts and import target customer groups every day;
● Small account to big account: recommend WeChat official account through the accumulation of fans of small account, and import fans to WeChat official account;
● WeChat mutual promotion: When the number of fans reaches a certain expectation, you can join some WeChat mutual promotion groups.

9. PR communication

PR is not hard advertising. It is very important to learn to tell a moving story in the right way. In the Internet age, everyone is a source of communication. Whether it is Weibo Kol, WeChat public account, column of media website or major social networking sites, I have to study how to use these platforms to tell a good brand story. Conversely, these platforms will also be the best channels for users to generate UGC for the brand.

In a startup company, a PR needs to have a thorough understanding of the direction of the company at every stage, and then learn to convey a powerful voice to the market, investors, and users. This voice is not a blunt advertisement, but a topic that makes everyone interested in your story, and drives everyone to draw interest to your product, thus forming a hot topic in the industry.

Here are a few strategies:

●Maintain stable exposure with daily articles

We will regularly make a communication plan, and decide what message to convey to the outside world every month based on changes in the company and its products. Appropriate expression and continuous content output will gradually increase the company's exposure and industry attention.

●Maintain existing media resources and actively expand new resources

I will continue to communicate and exchange with reporters and media that I am familiar with, and tell them what our team is doing. I firmly believe that only through repeated communication can the highlights of the story be polished to catch people's hearts. As a PR, I can also smell the media's interests in a timely manner and make full preparations for the next report. In the case that the funding for PR of a startup company is not very sufficient, we need to carefully analyze what channels and resources need to be used to support the company's voice and views at what stage and progress of development. Therefore, our requirement for ourselves is to plan to expand some new media resources every week, so that there will be appropriate channels to support the output of events in the future.

●The channel you choose determines the effect of your communication

What story to tell and how to present it will have the best communication effect are particularly important in the choice of channels. For example, for some interviews with company founders, we may prefer high-weighted paper media related to the industry and finance, which are conducive to promoting large-scale communication; for product voice, we prefer new media related to science and technology, which can attract more attention in the industry; and for news on event topics, we prefer to choose large portal websites.

In the field of self-media, the strengths vary greatly. It is a good choice to choose self-media with neutral views and strengths. However, the cost is not the most cost-effective for startups. For TV media, choosing programs that match your potential users is a way to quickly achieve explosive growth of products.

●Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing communications

These may include the coverage rate of the crowd, the number of clicks, the number of readings, the number of likes, etc. Each data will tell you how to make the next content better. As a bridge connecting the inside and the outside, PR should also hide among the users and highlight the personality of the brand in in-depth communication.

10. Event Marketing

Event marketing is definitely a physical and mental job, which requires the entire team to maintain a keen sense of the market. In addition, it requires strong execution capabilities and certain media resources so that the event can be launched as quickly as possible.

The premise of event marketing is that team members need to be exposed to a large amount of fresh information every day. In order to integrate this information, they also need to develop the habit of recording some flashes of inspiration and creativity at any time and share them with members in a timely manner. For creative points that can be attached to the product, we will immediately brainstorm and reason about the event. If the plan is feasible, we will immediately make a corresponding communication plan, start making a project budget and prepare channel resources at the same time.

11. Data Analysis

Spend some time every week to carefully analyze the data behind each Weibo, WeChat, and each channel, and you will definitely find the points of convergence and relevance behind the highly disseminated content. This will be very helpful in improving the quality of your official Weibo and WeChat content, and making operations more down-to-earth.

3. Offline Promotion

Use publicity funds to print paper leaflets and various posters for publicity. Post posters in places with high traffic and free publicity; discuss with cooperative merchants to expose leaflets in places where merchants come into contact with users. Distribute flyers in places where office areas are relatively concentrated and shopping malls.