The Full Guide to Pre-Launch Mobile App Marketing: Simple Tips to Succeed in 2021
Tags: mobile, productivity, dev
Published: 2021-02-17 10:38:18

*_Mobile app marketing is an essential part of app success. It allows gathering the audience of loyal users, drives the interest in your product and increases the number of downloads. Here I’m sharing several tips that will help you run pre-launch mobile app marketing._*

With the number of apps available in the App Store, standing out is a real challenge. Building a great mobile app is not enough if you want to increase the number of downloads and user retention constantly. A mobile app developer might need to have a robust marketing strategy. Here I’m sharing a quick guide to marketing your mobile application in the online vastness. Without further ado, let’s start.

Every mobile app marketing strategy consists of two parts: pre-launch and post-launch marketing. The difference between these two stages is in marketing priorities and objectives. At the pre-launch phase, a company should focus on raising brand awareness and audience engagement.

##Create an app landing page
First of all, you’ll need to create a landing page for your mobile application. It should be simple, provide a quick understanding of a mobile app, describe your product’s competitive advantage, allow users to download an app easily, and subscribe for brand updates. Don’t forget to add the buttons to your social media communities and accompany them with an engaging call to action.  Encourage people to join your community, as social media is a perfect way to interact with users, gather valuable user feedback, and learn what they like or dislike about your product.

##Build a robust SEO strategy
We live in a world where SEO plays an important role. Search engine optimization of your landing page content and app description on the app stores allows users to find your application easily. Remember that SEO is not the optimization for Google, but for people trying to find your product. SEO research will enable you to figure out what keywords matter the most for your target users and run your digital marketing more successfully. 

Don’t know where to start? You can start using free SEO tools like Ubersuggest from Neil Patel to find the right keywords for your content. This tool will give you traffic volume, difficulty levels to rank against specific keywords and derivative keywords. It’s advisable to start doing SEO at least within 60-90 days before an app launch since it is how long it will take for Google to pick your website and a landing page.

##Collaborate with influencers to endorse your app
Influencers are a great marketing force that may help you boost your business. According to recent studies, 33% of users downloaded a mobile application because their favorite influencer endorsed it on social media. People rely on influencer content since they consider influencers as experts in a particular field and trust their recommendations. 

When collaborating with influencers, it’s better not to try to guide them on creating their content. They have already investigated what resonates with their audience and adjust content for follower preferences. That’s why it’s so important to pick influencers that correspond to your brand voice and not try to ”redo” them. 

##Make an app explainer video
Another powerful marketing practice is using an [animated explainer video](https://explain.ninja/video-for-a-product/). Animated videos are way cheaper than many entrepreneurs might think. On average, 1 minute of high-quality animation costs from 1500 to 7000 USD, depending on your requirements, animation styles, and many other factors. Animated explainer videos are highly effective in app promotion, as they engage people, give them entertainment, and drive interest in the product. Here is a nice example of an animated video for a mobile app Boostation by Explain Ninja. 

{% vimeo 177372132 %}

##Prepare a kickass press release
The next step is preparing a press release. I would advise launching two press releases with several weeks between them right before the product launch. The first press release will help notify people about your product launch and the second one will remind them about it. Keep in mind that a press release should look like a friendly and brief presentation of your product yet in an official style. 

##Build social media marketing
Social media is an extremely important aspect of digital marketing today, as almost everyone is there today. Social media marketing helps brands express their brand voice and communicate their message through engaging content. Also, it’s a great way to connect with your target audience at a more personal level. It’s an opportunity to interact with each of them, make brand-audience connections more “human” and “empathic.”

##Make it easy to share your app
You can incorporate social media or share buttons right into your application. Oh, don’t forget to add a bright call to action to remind users about the opportunity to share your application with their friends. They would probably love to do this but found it too complicated to share this cool app with others because there wasn’t the necessary button.

##App store optimization
App store optimization is an essential part of mobile app marketing. It implies optimization of the app description in the App Store for search queries and modern user preferences. First of all, you should investigate what keywords and phrases your target users type to find your app or competitors on the web. Next, add your mobile app screens and probably even a screencast video to showcase how your product works. It allows users to figure out whether the app suits them and will be helpful for them. 

##Wrapping up
Are you going to launch a mobile application? Don’t forget about incorporating digital marketing into your app strategy. It’s essential today for startups, as it helps to spread the word about your product to broader audiences and increase brand awareness. I hope this short mobile application marketing guide was helpful.