A shortcut

to MARKETING

SUCCESS
The must-have guide for
promoting your applications.

Introduction
Youve devoted hours and hours of work to creating a great app: you developed the concept, designed the UI
and prototypes and finally coded your vision. You are aware, though, that there are hundreds of thousands of
applications in the market competing to have their big breakthrough, many of which may even be very similar
to yours in many aspects.
What can you do to stand out and beat the rest?
Remember this phrase and make it your mantra: Little things can make a big difference.
This practical guide will help you easily define, create and maintain a marketing plan to rise above the crowd
and set the stage for successful future releases. With it, you will learn how to define your target audience,
where and how to talk to them, how to prepare your own assets for launch, how to get ideas to perfect your
application, how to exploit both free and paid methods of promotion, how to monitor and analyse results,
and how to build a dedicated and loyal community of users around your application.

Before, during and after the launch.

Reading the entire guide will give you a full picture of what you should be taking into account at each
stage of your apps marketing plan. Many concepts are important throughout the entire process.
However, to help you easily navigate through the document, each section is also colour-coded to
highlight its relevance in each phase of your launch: before, during and after.
Before the launch: B
During the launch: D
After the launch:

Index

1.

Owned media preparation 4

1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
1.5.
1.6.
1.7.

2.

Target audience definition and marketing message B

5
Website creation and updates B D A 9
SEO basics B 12
Social media asset creation B D A 15
Beta testers B D
19
Video creation D
19
In-app sharing features B
20

In-app business models 21

2.1. In-app advertising

2.2. In-app purchasing

3.
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5.
3.6.

4.

B
B

22
23

Bought and earned media 25

Bought media D
26
Search engine marketing D
28
Presence in app news and Review websites D
29
Influencers D
30
Press packages and blog packs D
31
Social media D A 32

Launch preparation 33

4.1. Store real estate content optimisation and SEO

4.2. Promotion through previous work D
4.3. Contest participation D
4.4 . Release timing intelligence D

5.

Maintenance

5.1. Comment consideration and moderation

5.2. Communication of updates and releases

6.
6.1.
6.2.
6.3.
6.4.

34
35
35
35
37

A
A

38
39

Analysis 40
Campaign monitoring D
41
App monitoring D A 41
Website monitoring B D A 42
Social media monitoring D A 43

Plus: Tools

46

Owned media preparation

You can prepare for your applications release in
advance to get the most out of all your marketing
activities so the outcome is successful.
In this section you will learn all the marketing basics
you should cover during your apps development phase.
You will learn how to define your apps audience, how
to learn from competitors, how to build your apps
message, how to optimise your apps website, how to
create additional material and what tools you can use to
better prepare for launch.

1
1.1.
1.1.1.

Owned media preparation

Target audience definition and marketing message

Three musts to kick off your apps marketing plan on the right foot

Identify what makes your app different from the rest

What is the purpose of your app?

What are the benefits of using your app?
What makes your app unique?
What makes your app better than the competition?

Action: Look for apps with similar purpose or functionality in the Nokia Store or Windows Phone Marketplace.
Check their features and read user reviews to get a good idea of what your application has that others dont.
Be aware of your shortcomings and make note of your strengths, since they can serve as the base for most
of your marketing activity.
Write down your key learnings.

If youre creating a golf app, look for similar apps in the relevant store to get a good look at your competition.

Read the descriptions of the top related apps to see what theyre offering.

Read their reviews (especially the negative ones, which are usually the most descriptive) to see what users like and what they miss.

Identify your apps potential audience

Who is most likely to download your application?
You may already have a very clear idea of who your target audience is, but if you dont, try to imagine who would
be most interested in using your app. Write down a description of your audience based on significant attributes
such as age, gender, occupation, lifestyle or geographic location. The nature of your app will determine the
relevant attributes.
Action: Think about the uses and benefits of your app and describe the person who is most likely to be
interested in using it. Write down your description in one or two sentences.
Tip: It may be helpful to visit blogs and forums where your target audience communicates their opinions.

Google Ad Planner (https://www.google.com/adplanner) is one of many tools you can use to find out more about your target
audience. The example shows the audience profile for visitors to www.golf.com

Identify the most relevant channels that your audience is likely to use

What sites is your audience most likely to visit?

Would they use online search to find your app?
What sites offer content that might be related to your app?
Are there other channels, such as social media sites, related to your target audience or your application?

Action: Make two lists:

Websites, online publications, e-mail newsletters, social network pages and groups, forums, blogs and
Twitter users that your audience is likely to follow or that would publish information about your app
or be interested in talking about it.
Offline events and publications that your audience might be interested in, or that might be related
to your application.

Google Ad Planner shows other sites the www.golf.com audience is also visiting. It also tells us they are interested in other topics
such as sports training and sports news.

Find Twitter users who might be interested in talking about your application. The example shows following a golf news Twitter account.
Look for related media and events (magazines, YouTube channels, championships).

1.1.2.

Define your message

Carefully review the learnings and descriptions from your previous work. Now you will set the basis of your
apps marketing message in three steps:
1. Write down a single phrase that describes your application.
For example, Wikitude World Browser finds cool people, places and things and allows you to discover your
surroundings in a completely new way.
Tip: Ask a friend or colleague to help you if needed, but always base your message on your previous effort.
Share your learnings with them.
2. Write down a few more supporting phrases that further describe how your application works (try to limit
your list to no more than five items).
For example, By using the camera, simply hold up your smartphone and explore whats around you in
Augmented Reality (AR). Search through lots of exciting content and points of interest from Wikipedia, YouTube,
Twitter, Flickr, Starbucks and thousands more.
3. Choose a simple but descriptive name for your application, following these simple rules:

It should be easy to spell and pronounce.

It should be memorable for the people you want to attract as users.
It should be easy to find.
It should not be in conflict with existing trademarks or reserved names. Check your local trademark office
to make sure your name has not been taken already. For example, developers in the United States should
visit the USPTO website (http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/) to investigate.
It should match your apps dedicated web address. Can you set up a webpage with that name?
It should be unique. Two apps with the same name is confusing.

The Smart Golf Scorecard app in the Windows Phone Marketplace quickly summarises its utility in a short introductory sentence.
Two additional phrases add useful information to the description so users know exactly how the app works. The apps name is simple
and easy to remember.

1.1.3.

Right talk, right place, right time

Follow these simple rules when communicating your message to make sure your marketing activity is most
effective:
Put yourself in your audiences shoes: offer them something they want and talk to them in a language
they can relate to.
Prioritise your actions in the most relevant channels.
Tip: Take advantage of your learnings while visiting related websites and media: needs, market gaps and
common expressions.
Choose the best times of the year to promote your application.
For example, interest around golf apps will be much greater around the four major championships:
The Open, the US Open, the Masters and the PGA Championship. Make sure you take advantage of potential
traffic peaks while marketing your app.

1.2.
1.2.1.

Website creation and updates

Focus your efforts on content

You dont need to be a professional designer and an expert in web usability to create a simple but effective
website for your application. There are numerous online options available where you can create and launch
your website, and many services can provide step-by-step instructions to get your site up and running with
relatively little effort and expense.
Whether you choose a free service (such as www.weebly.com, www.jimdo.com or www.yola.com), or more
advanced options if you have the time and expertise, it is important that you focus on setting up the right
content at the right time, and that your website breathes life during your apps natural lifecycle. This means
you should plan to update its contents on a regular basis, as we will describe next.

1.2.2.

Mandatory elements for your applications website

Try to make sure your apps website includes all the following contents:

Materials explaining, demonstrating and supporting your application: including its title, a summarised
overview, a detailed description, supporting in-app images, demonstrative videos, and any other content
you might have created to demonstrate what your application is for and how it is used.
Direct links to the app download page in the corresponding market (or markets, if applicable); and be sure
to use separate links to each version of your application (free/paid, special editions).
Detailed information about past and current updates and a description of future updates (if available).

 Links to all the social channels you create for your app (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+).
Make sure that all of your content is sharable on at least the most popular social networks in your market.
Check the Tools section and build your website easily using Nokias own tools. You can customise your
website with information, images and video about your application.

1.2.3.

Recommended elements for your applications website

It is recommended that you also include as many of these additional content elements as you can, provided
you can find, create and maintain them:
Positive quotes and reviews from others (blogs, forums, news sites and publications). Make sure theyre
real and verifiable (linking to the original source is a recommended best-practice).

Include positive verifiable reviews and their original sources.

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, answering common questions users might have before
or after downloading your application. Make sure you answer any common topics expressed by users
who comment on your application (especially negative ones).
A blog or Whats New section see Keep it alive details below.
Links to other apps you have published.
A Contact us section. This might be as simple as a contact email address or a contact form. Do not
allow visitors to contact you if you wont be able to reply within a reasonable timeframe. Use your
common sense.
An About us section. Let your current and potential customers know who you are. Be open, honest
and friendly. Share your history, your current projects and your future plans.
A Blog pack. Its contents are described in the Press releases and blog packs section.

1.2.4.

Keep it alive

Updating contents on your website on a regular basis (at least once a month) plays a key role in both creating
the feeling that the application has a living, breathing developer or team of developers behind it, and that
it will remain updated. It is also key for maintaining search engine rankings as we will see in the following
section.
You dont need to bring amazing new content with each and every update. Here are some ideas of stories you
can publish to keep your website alive:
News related to your applications release.
Future releases.
Application fixes.
10

Video demos and/or screenshots of your app.

New members in your team.
Milestones for your app (for example: reaching specific download milestones).
Availability of your app for another platform.
Your first downloader from an unusual location or some other fun fact!
New reviews.
User stories.
Personal stories during your apps development.
A feed to show what people are saying about your app, such as from Twitter.

Use your imagination, but always try to keep it interesting for your visitors. And dont forget to check other
related application websites for ideas.
The Wikitude app website (www.wikitude.com) is a great example that covers all these bases:

Wikitude application website homepage.

11

It provides direct access to a Tour section which explains the application in detail and includes detailed
in-app images and demo videos.
It provides a direct link to a dedicated Download section with direct access to each app store.
An integrated News section.
Links to their social channels.
Bottom links to dedicated FAQ, Support and About Wikitude sections, one of which includes
a Contact us area.

1.3.
1.3.1.

SEO basics

Understanding Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of increasing a websites visibility in search engine organic
(un-paid) results. It plays a key part in bringing highly relevant traffic volumes to your website.
You need to follow a few simple yet essential rules and recommendations when creating and maintaining your
website so it will appear among the top positions in related search engine searches.

1.3.2.

Key areas of optimisation

SEO comes down to using the right keywords for your content and getting other websites to link to yours.
These are the three main steps you will need to cover:
Keyword research: Choose the most adequate set of keywords and key phrases to use on your website.
On-page optimisation: Place these keywords and phrases throughout your website.
Link building: Get linked from other relevant and related websites.

1.3.3.

Keyword selection

Selecting the right keywords and phrases that you will be using throughout your website is a critical part of
your SEO efforts. Always remember these three key points when defining your own specific keywords:
Keywords must be relevant to your application and the contents on your website.
Incorporate keywords that are frequently searched for using one of the online tools noted below.
Apply your previous learnings and keep language as natural as possible.
There are many commercial tools available to help you build your set of keywords, such as those provided by
Wordtracker (www.wordtracker.com). Nevertheless, you can get all the information you will most likely need
from free tools such as Google Keyword Tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) or
SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool (http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook).
You will need to investigate what keywords and phrases users are actually using when making actual searches
that might be related to your application. Try to think how someone interested in your application might
search for it.
For example, if youre creating a golf application, enter the generic phrase golf application to find out how
many people are using it in searches and to discover other related keywords and phrases that might also be
relevant.

12

You can use tools such as Google Keyword Tool to analyse actual user searches.

Related searches to the golf application phrase.

In the figure above, you can see that some users are looking for golf applications that incorporate GPS features. If your application includes this option, make sure to incorporate golf, application and gps throughout your website content copy.
Action: Make a shortlist of 10 to 20 keywords and phrases that are frequently used in searches that relate to
your application.

1.3.4.

Use the right keywords, the right way

For your website to rank for specific keywords, they need to appear in your page content.

13

Make frequent (but not excessive) use of your shortlist keywords and phrases when writing your content
copy, and remember youre writing for people.
Page titles and headers should also include relevant keywords. Make sure they actually describe
the content theyre leading into.
Your URLs should also contain descriptive keywords from the previous set. Ideally, so should the name
of your domain, so keep this in mind if and when you register a new domain for your application website.
Your website title and description metatags should also include the most relevant keywords.
Internal link text should also make use of the list of keywords. (Avoid the use of generic copy such
as click here; use something like GPS Golf app tips and tricks instead).
Images should include alt tags with keyword-rich descriptions.
If possible, avoid the use of Flash. Search engines generally have a hard time indexing its contents.

Consider the following three descriptions for free cooking timer applications.

Description 1:
Its here...a timer that combines the simplicity of times past with the efficiency and convenience of
todays technological era. Bringing back the mechanical kitchen timer on the Windows Phone provides
surprising benefits in terms of easy accessibility and user-friendliness.
Rotate the dial to set the amount of time you want to count down. From one minute to 59 minutes, all it
takes is the lifting of your finger or thumb to start the timer. Rotate the dial and let go, its that simple.
Use the clock to bake cookies, monitor your exercise session or time players turns during board games.
Teachers will find this an indispensable tool in the classroom, from timing tests to providing analog
interaction for younger students.
Easy manoeuvrability and a nostalgic interface have come together in this App.
Description 2:
Cooking Timer is an elegant app that will assist you in the kitchen and outdoor BBQ events and its
100% free!
This ad-supported version comes with three timers that can be used as countdown timers or stopwatch
timers. The timers are easy to use, thanks to its single tap technique for setting timers.
Description 3:
Egg timer, hourglass, stopwatch, this simple kitchen equipment has many names. There is a tendency
to over think simple things. In this I try to keep simple actions simple!
This application enables you to time things you are cooking and baking. Its free, it has no ads. Its made
just the way I would like a timer app to work. Use it if you like or try out one of the other thousands of
timer apps out there.

Although the first example is very descriptive of the app, it makes rare use of the main keywords that would
describe this type of app, such as ...cooking timer..., ...egg timer..., hourglass, stopwatch timer or
countdown timer. These should be inserted throughout the detailed explanation.
The second example incorporates relevant keywords such as ...free..., ...countdown... and stopwatch,
showing a significant improvement over the first example.
The third example incorporates more synonyms to the term timer that users could be using to search for
this specific app. It also incorporates both app and application in the description, again covering more
possible search variations.
Keep your application description texts relevant to your users, but always keep in mind how users might be
searching for it.

14

1.3.5.

Link building and other recommendations

The best way to gain more traffic and help improve your search rankings is to get relevant related sites to link
to your website. You can refer to the earned media plan section for a review of the different strategies you
can follow to earn these links.
Best practices for climbing in search engine rankings:
Avoid the use of Flash when possible: search engines generally have a hard time indexing its contents.
Update your site on a regular basis: you will have a harder time maintaining your rankings if your website
has not been updated in months.
Link out to relevant high quality resources or websites.
Submit your site to the top Internet directories and search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo!.

1.4.
1.4.1.

Social media asset creation

Definining social media

Websites and networks based on user participation and user-generated content are generally grouped under
the category of social media.
Some examples of these sites include:

Social relations (Facebook, Google+, Orkut, Qzone).

Professional networks (LinkedIn).
Content sharing (YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest).
Micro-blogging (Twitter).
Social bookmarking (Delicious).
Social news sites (Digg, Reddit).

1.4.2.

Reasons to be present in social media

There are four main reasons why you should include social media within your applications marketing activities:

15

To generate buzz: Let other people talk about your app and share and distribute your contents.
They will help you to extend your message to a wider audience than you can reach on your own.
To reach a wider audience: Social media can help you reach users who may not be actively looking for
your application or what it has to offer.
To facilitate communication: Give your current and potential customers an alternate means to connect
with you and other users.
To build a community: Encourage loyalty. Happy customers will be your best and most
enthusiastic evangelists.

1.4.3.

How to create your social presence

You should already have a list of social websites your target audience is likely to visit from your previous work.
You should concentrate your marketing efforts on the sites you found to be most popular with your audience.
Tip: Always try to be realistic. Will you have the time and resources to keep your channels active? It is much
more effective to create a single social presence and nurture it than to continually juggle several channels.
Your main goal is to offer the same content youve already created for your website (or direct users to the
right location), while opening a new means of communication.
Steps to follow depend on the social channels you choose, but these are common to most and should be
carried out:
Create a new page and/or user profile for your application (or your brand if you have one).
Use the same About us information when completing your profile details.
Replicate your websites assets in channels that allow uploading content, following the same
recommendations described above.
Maintain consistency across your website and all the social channels you create (names, titles,
descriptions and updates).
Replicate changes to common content across your different online channels at the same time.
Include links to your website, your store pages and any other social channels you maintain.
Create connections to other pages or profiles that might be related to your application or whose audience
might be interested in it.
Distribute your messages (news, releases and updates) through all your social channels. Always try to
keep it interesting for your audience.
Maintain a relationship with your audience. Refer to the Maintenance section for detailed information.

1.4.4.

Practical tips for some popular social channels

If youre creating a Facebook page:

Complete the basic information including links to your website, store pages and other social channels.
Also enter your contact details.
Upload your app photos and videos.
Update your likes and interests including related groups or pages as described before.
Invite your friends to like your page and encourage members from other groups or pages to visit yours.
Write on your Wall on a regular basis, but dont spam your followers with irrelevant information. Again,
keep it interesting for them. Remember to respond to the comments that your followers post on your
Wall in a timely manner they want to know that you are listening. You may need to plan to check the Wall
at least once a day.
Use a URL shortener for all your shared links. This way you will be able to monitor their performance later.
Refer to the Analysis section for more information.

16

Angry Birds Facebook page Info tab.

Angry Birds Facebook sample Wall post.

Check the Tools section and create your Facebook page using Nokias own tools. You can easily personalise a
tab with information, images and video about your application.
If youre creating a Twitter profile:
Customise your display image and background to match your application and your websites style.
Complete the basic profile information and be sure to include a link to your website.
Find other users who are likely to be interested in your application (including mobile application related
profiles and profiles talking about a topic related to your app). Follow them. It is likely that a portion of
that group will follow you in return.
17

Keep your tweets interesting. Dont limit them to information about your app. Try to write about topics
or events related to your application (remember the golf application tournaments example). Dont spam
your followers.
Make an effort to reply to mentions in a timely manner. Plan to check mentions (the @youraccountname)
and direct messages at least once a day.
Use a URL shortener for all your shared links.

Duudle Game Twitter sample replies.

If youre creating a YouTube channel:

Complete the basic information including a link to your website.

Use the keywords and phrases you selected in your SEO effort to write your video titles and descriptions.
Use them as tags for the videos you post online.
Add links to your website, store pages and other social channels in the description area of each video
you post.
Allow user comments and plan to respond to comments posted in a timely manner.

RovioMobile Angry Birds YouTube video description.

18

1.5.
1.5.1.

Beta testers

Perfect your application before its launch

You need to get second and third opinions of what others like and dislike, love or loathe about your application
before you release it. This will help you make sure you fix any perceived issues or flaws before its too late.
Your best option is to submit your application for beta testing through the official channels. Both Nokia and
Microsoft facilitate distributing your application to a limited audience for beta testing purposes.
You may also recruit volunteer beta testers through your website and social media channels. Previous users
that follow you are a great test audience. You can also get rich and insightful feedback if you test your
application with friends, colleagues or relatives who would fit into your applications target audience.
Make a list of common specific questions they need to answer after trying out your application (around
usefulness, ease of use, graphics and responsiveness), but also let them tell you about their feelings and
impressions after interacting with it for a while.
Action: Make sure you fix all (or as many as possible) of the issues identified derived from your beta-testing
investigation. Keep a note of unsolved flaws or upgrade ideas for subsequent releases or even future
applications. Communicate your fixes through all your channels.

1.6.

Video creation

Video will help to visually bring to life your application and highlight what it can do. It is a great way to
showcase your app on your website and in your social media channels.

1.6.1.

Mobile application video basics

Plan your story (script) in advance before you shoot any footage.
Showcase your apps practical use and standout features. Highlight how its special. There might
be thousands of similar apps, so what sets yours apart?
Make it attractive for your target audience. Capture their interest by showing them something theyre
sure to like: exclusive features and others innovative uses.
Show in-app images or actual footage of the app in use on a Nokia phone that is compatible with your
app. Concentrate on the real content and focus on the basics.
Keep the image steady unless you have a very good reason not to.
Keep the sound clear, and ensure you have adequate lighting to see the phone screen clearly.
If youre posting your video on a specific platform, make sure you follow their guidelines to ensure the highest
audio and video quality possible. You can find an example of YouTubes guidelines here: http://bit.ly/t10AD4
Keep the video short and to the point. Try to keep it around one minute in length.
Remember the tips in the Creating a YouTube channel section above.
Enjoy the process!
There are many inexpensive and even free video editing software tools that can help you create a great video
for your app, such as Microsoft Movie Maker or Apple iMovie.
19

You can also check the Tools section and create a promotional video easily using Nokias own tools.

1.7.
1.7.1.

In-app sharing features

Let users share their experience

During your applications development phase, you should consider including social features to let your
users share different content from your applications, or even the application itself.
Sharable content depends on the nature of your application. Some of them include pictures, videos, high
scores, dates and locations.
Make sure you integrate the most popular social channels in your market. If your application targets a specialised
audience, you might want to integrate a dedicated social channel (for example: LinkedIn for a business event
application).
You may even reward users who share your application with free content or special discounts for upgrades.

Angry Birds Seasons unlocks three new levels

if you Like their Facebook page.

20

In-app business models

You will probably market your application through one of
these four main business models:
1. Free download
2. Paid download
3. In-app advertising (which can apply to paid

or free downloads)
4. In-app purchasing (which can apply to paid

or free downloads)
In this section learn how in-app advertising and in-app
purchasing can help you drive revenue after the download.

21

In-app business models

Paid downloads have traditionally been the most common model for developers seeking to monetise their
apps. In this model, developers set a price that users must pay to download the app, with revenue being
shared by the developer and the store. Creating revenue through paid downloads remains a compelling option
for monetising apps, but at the same time additional revenue models are becoming available.
The hybrid model of driving revenue after the download will play an increasingly large role for many developers
in the future. Virtual goods, in-app advertising, and subscriptions are at the forefront of these new models.

2.1.

2.1.1.

In-app advertising

Monetising after the download

You can earn money by adding commercial content (in the form of ads) to your application. In-app advertising
can generate revenue from your application throughout its whole lifetime as opposed to once at the time of
download.
In-app advertising is often regarded as the price a user pays for a free-to-download app, and therefore it is
usually used in conjunction with the free download model. Keep in mind that often, user expectation for paid
apps is that they will be ad free.

2.1.2.

How to get started

Sample Inneractive in-app advertising flow.

To monetise your app with in-app advertising you will have to choose a business model that works with in-app
advertising such as a free download model.

22

Windows Phone
One of the options you can choose from is Microsofts own in-app advertising solution for Windows Phone.
You can learn more about it and get started easily on the Microsoft Advertising website
(http://advertising.microsoft.com/mobile-apps).
Qt and Series 40
Choose a third party advertising provider like Inneractive (http://www.inner-active.com/Nokia) or Vserv
(http://vserv.mobi/) to deliver ads to your app. They will provide the necessary information on how their SDKs
integrate with Nokia developer tools, as well as information on their revenue arrangements and opportunities.

2.2.
2.2.1.

In-app purchasing

Creating value after the download

An in-app purchase happens when a user who has downloaded your app selects and pays for additional content
or services related to your application, without leaving the application.

In-app purchase screen in a

driving game.

There are many innovative opportunities for you to earn more money from within your app, enhance user
engagement and lengthen its lifetime. These are some examples of digital content you could offer through
in-app purchases:






23

New features as add-ons.

New levels for games.
Virtual goods (such as additional weapons) or in-game currency.
Downloadable plug-ins, such as city maps for a location-based guide application.
Donations to charitable organisations.
One-time subscription renewals.

Do not sell these contents:

Tickets to real-world events.

Physical goods (such as pizza).
Physical merchandise in online auctions.
Loyalty points.
Prepayments for future releases.
Subscriptions requiring automatic, recurring payments.

Review the instructions on the Nokia Developer website to implement in-app purchases for your app.
(https://projects.developer.nokia.com/dav/iap/doc/index.html)

24

Bought and earned media

In this section you will learn different free and paid
strategies to raise awareness and generate interest
around your application.
Although you can always pay to drive people to your
application, alternative free methods have the potential
to render even better results if planned and executed
carefully.
Find out how to get the most out of each strategy and
choose the methods that fit you and your application best.

25

3
3.1.
3.1.1.

Bought and earned media

Bought media

Advertise through other mobile devices

You can create ads to reach your audience when they use their smartphones or tablet devices. There are
several mobile advertising networks, such as Mobclix (www.mobclix.com), BuzzCity (www.buzzcity.com), or
Mojiva (www.mojiva.com). A simple search for mobile advertising will return a long list of results you can
choose from.
Mobile advertising has the advantage of eliminating one possible barrier to get users to download your app having
to get their mobile phone after finding out about your application. Choose a service that allows you to choose your
target audience (not only their mobile operating system) and provides reporting and analytics. This way youll be
sure your ads are being shown to the right people and will be able to monitor and adjust campaign performance.
How to control your budget and get the most from your mobile advertising campaigns:

Read and follow the instructions provided by your chosen advertising product to create
your campaign.
Use the tools they make available to create and adapt your assets (banners, videos).
Strive for compelling and original ads.
Start simple, start small.
Monitor your campaign performance and costs, make adjustments if necessary, and build gradually.
Consider serving ads within your own application. This helps finance part of your campaign.
Consider cross-promoting your application through your other applications (if you have more than one).
Create professional-looking online banners both for use on your website and formatted
for mobile display with Nokias free Online Marketing tool: http://snac.nokia.com/2/omt

Nokia Online Marketing Tool.

26

3.1.2.

Advertise through social media

Social media channels generally allow creating different types of ads or sponsored results you can leverage
to promote your application. You will need to have created a space for your application in whatever social
channel you want to use for promotion, since most dont allow taking users outside the social channel itself.
For example, Facebook offers sponsored stories and ads that are generally shown on the lower right area of
the screen, while Twitter offers promoted tweets, trends and accounts.

Facebook-sponsored ads.

Twitter-promoted tweet.

Twitter-promoted account.

Most of these advertising options offer powerful audience segmentation capabilities that you should take
advantage of. Make sure you show your ads or promoted communications to the audience you have already
defined.

27

Follow the instructions and guidelines provided to create a new campaign.

Make sure you apply all the previous learnings regarding asset creation and text copy.
Use your selected keywords in your creative texts and to trigger specific sponsored ads.
Make your ads interesting and attractive. Keep them short and to the point.
Segment your audience: only show your ads to the target audience you defined before.
Monitor your campaign performance and costs, make adjustments if necessary, and build gradually.

3.2.
3.2.1.

Search engine marketing

Buy space in search results pages

SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is a form of online marketing that allows you to promote your website in
search engine results pages (SERPs). Paid placement campaigns (also called PPC Paid Per Click) are the most
common type. When a user makes a search containing a keyword or a specific combination of keywords, an
ad is triggered and shown in search results (generally on top of the page or on the right).

A Bing search for Nokia returns three PPC ads on the right area of the results page.

Some popular search advertising products include Google AdWords, Microsoft Advertising or Yahoo Search
Marketing. Search engine popularity varies greatly in different parts of the world. For example, Google dominates
in most European countries, while Baidu dominates in China. The PPC campaign setup process for each search
engine has its own quirks and features, but they all share common steps you need to follow if you plan to invest
in SEM:

28

Create an account for the search engine marketing product of your choice.
Define your budget limits and the amount of money youre willing to pay for each click on your ad.
Choose where you want your ads to appear (geographic location, language and devices).
Create your ads (copy and link texts).
Define the sets of keywords that will target your ads when people use them in their searches.
Enter your payment details and launch your campaigns.

Creating your ads with Microsoft Ad Center.

How to control your budget and get the most from your mobile advertising campaigns:

Carefully read and follow the instructions provided by your chosen advertising product.
Use the tools they make available.
Strive for compelling and original ads.
Start simple, start small.
Monitor your campaign performance and build gradually.
Readjust your campaign creative and your keywords accordingly. Test different alternatives.
Readjust your bids if youre overspending or your traffic volume is too low.
Incorporate niche keywords that relate to your application.
Launch a test campaign in a non-dominant search engine in your market: at a cost of bringing less
traffic to your site, your spending will probably be smaller and return on investment will probably be greater.

3.3.
3.3.1.

Presence in app news and review websites

Submit your app for consideration

Websites focused on mobile applications are growing in popularity. Visitors generally have a hard time finding
new, interesting apps from the stores themselves since most of the time they dont have a predefined idea of
the type of application they want. These websites offer an excellent way to explore and discover them.
It is highly recommended that you submit your application for consideration and review to as many of these
sites as you can. You never know who will eventually pick it up and write a positive news item or review, which
will give your application a significant exposure push.
These are some steps you should follow:
Make a list of application websites that might be interested in publishing a story about your app
or reviewing it. Use your favorite search engine to look for them: start by searching something generic
29

like nokia app reviews or windows phone applications. Visit the sites on the first few results pages
and also check the friend or related sites they might link to.
Reduce the list to those websites that allow some type of submission or include a contact method.
Sometimes they may even offer alternative means of free promotion.
Write your applications submission. Personalise it for each website you contact. Demonstrate youve
been navigating through it and would value and appreciate it if they considered your application.
Ensure you highlight your applications strengths and what makes it unique. Be polite.
Send your request together with a direct access to download your application. Always make
the application free for your addressee.
If your application gets picked up and published in the form of a review or a news piece, make sure
you thank them (even if it was negative).
Learn from praise and criticism. Improving by your mistakes is your greatest investment for the future.

WP7Applist.com offers developers several alternatives for trying your luck in gaining visibility for your app.

3.4.
3.4.1.

Influencers

Getting the right people to talk about your app

A single article by a single writer in a single site or publication could turn into your great breakthrough. Dont
hesitate to go all out to get them to talk about your application.
Influencers are people with the power to affect the decisions of others because of their perceived position,
knowledge or authority. Even lesser-known writers from major websites have the power to draw great attention
to something nobody had even noticed.
Go back to the list of websites and users you created when defining your target audience and who would be likely
to talk about your app. Contact them and follow the same recommendations detailed in the previous section.
You can definitely also try your luck with the biggest publications in your market (dedicated to technology or even
general interest). Be especially keen on demonstrating how your application would make an interesting story
for their readers. Most of these sites (like The New York Times, Engadget, Gizmodo or CNET) intermittently run
articles on mobile applications that somehow stand out.
All these tips apply to traditional media as well (newspapers, magazines, television, radio), as they might be
looking for interesting stories to tell, too. If you think your application deserves to be featured, follow the
same recommendations above. Make sure you contact the correct specialised editor or journalist.
30

3.5.
3.5.1.

Press releases and blog packs

Send a press release

A press release is a prepared statement for distribution to the media with the goal of giving journalists
a useful piece of news. You can write and distribute your own to announce your applications launch or
subsequent updates.
There are many free template samples available online that you can use to write your press release. Make
sure you follow all the recommendations youve already learned in previous chapters to make a compelling
and interesting story:

Include your images and videos if allowed.

Use the keywords and phrases you selected to optimise your website and create a well-written piece.
Be concise.
Include your contact information.

You can opt to use a free press release distribution service like openPR (www.openpr.com), pay a fee for a
more complete service like PRWeb (www.prweb.com), or send the press releases yourself to a selection of
editors and reporters who would be most interested in what you have to tell them.
If you choose the latter, always make sure the recipient is willing to receive it. Follow the tips from the previous
sections to ask for permission first and remember that yours is only one of the hundreds and sometimes
thousands of stories some journalists receive every week. Send your release to only one person in each
media or news outlet.

3.5.2.

Distribute your message your way

You can make life easier for editors from smaller blogs and get them to talk about your application by giving
them all the elements they need to create their blog entry. A blog pack is a ready-to-use compilation of
your materials consisting of a blog entry type description of your application, sample screenshots and videos
showing your app, and whatever relevant supporting digital material youve created to market your application.
To create a blog pack:
Write a two to three paragraph summary of your applications marvels (what it does, how it does it, what
sets it apart) as if you were writing your own blog entry.
Select your best images, videos or any digital material you have created.
Create a Zip file and make it available for download on your website.
Make sure you include a short description of its practical use and its contents.
It is important that you indicate that anyone can reuse your blog pack materials on their blogs and websites
if they wish to.

31

3.6.
3.6.1.

Social media

Build a community

You should already have your social channels up and running. Now its time to begin building relationships.
People generally dont want to see promotions and advertisements when they visit social sites: theres already
a dedicated area for that. But they will definitely be more open to hearing from your application after youve
earned their trust.
Search for pages, groups and people in social media who have a direct or indirect relation to your application
(its theme, its category and its utility). Join or follow them, and engage with them. Try to actively participate
in discussions, offer your advice, express your opinions, be helpful and share your knowledge. With time, you
will have created valuable connections to people who might be willing to spread your message.
When you feel youve really earned the right to do some self-promotion in those spaces, go ahead and openly
talk about your application. You can expect a payback from many of your virtual contacts in the form of positive
word of mouth.

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Launch preparation
When your application is ready for release, make sure
to make the most of it. Philosopher Seneca once
said: Luck is what happens when preparation meets
opportunity. Plan your applications release carefully
and try every option of success thats in your hands.
In this section you will learn a few tips and find some
ideas that can help bring your application the notoriety
it deserves.

33

4
4.1.

4.1.1.

Launch preparation

Store real estate content optimisation and SEO

Create an outstanding shop window

Remember that, in a way, your apps page in Nokia Store or Windows Phone Marketplace has the same goal as
a shop window: to catch the eye of potential clients and drive them to eventually make a purchase (a download
in your case).
Consider your store page as a miniature version of your own website. There are limits to how much content
you can publish, so you will need to be concise.
Follow your corresponding stores content publishing guidelines
(support.publish.nokia.com/?p=64 and windowsphone.com/marketplace).
Publish as many in-app screenshots as possible.
The first phrase is critical: make sure to pique peoples curiosity and make them want to know
more about your app. If your application is one of a kind, dont hesitate to boast about it.
When writing your apps description, go from general to specific. Use the key and supporting phrases
you created in ...Defining your message to begin. Add any additional information you consider interesting
or relevant for your users.
Include information on the latest app updates (if any).
Include links to your website and social channels, and add your contact information for support.
Create a thumbnail icon. It needs to attract peoples attention when theyre browsing through the stores.
You might have a generous designer friend willing to help you with the design. Otherwise it will probably be
completely worthwhile to reach out to a professional.
Although the SEO recommendations you learned before around writing copy also apply here, user searches in
application stores are very different from those in web search engines. These searches tend to be more ...to
the point, and most are no more than three words long.
A user looking for a good free golf game in a web search engine might search for ...best free golf game for
Windows Phone. If the same user is using a stores internal search feature, they might search for free golf
or free golf app. When writing your texts remember to exclude unnecessary and obvious words and phrases
such as Nokia or Windows Phone, since users will not be looking for them. On the other hand, make sure
to include other words you might not have given as much relevance before, like game or free. Incorporate
single words that describe actions your application performs or helps with, such as translate, browse,
uninstall, find, block, call and upload.
Ask some friends or colleagues to enter an application store and search for an application similar to yours.
Take note of what you learn from their searches and add the keywords they use to your descriptions.

TuneWikis Nokia Store page includes a keyword-rich descriptive introduction that quickly
and easily explains its use in a single sentence.

34

4.2.
4.2.1.

Promotion through previous work

Exploit your own success

You might have released applications in the past, or maybe you already run a successful personal website or
blog, or have large follower bases in your social networks personal accounts. Dont hesitate to take advantage
of your reputation and your previous work to promote your new application.

Promote your new application within your previous app. If this isnt possible, make sure you incorporate
this option in your current or future applications.
Announce your applications launch through your personal website or blog. If your application does
not relate to their content, make a low-key entry.
Use your personal social network accounts to communicate your applications release to your friends,
family and colleagues. They are very likely to help you redistribute the news as long as you dont spam them.

4.3.
4.3.1.

Contest participation

Pave your way to fame

Look for contests that are seeking mobile applications and submit yours if it complies with their terms and
conditions. If the judging process involves public voting, make sure you apply all your previous learnings to
get more positive votes.
If youre allowed to link back to your website, contests can help you raise your search engine rankings. Most
will definitely help your app gain visibility. And if youre lucky, winning, or even being a finalist or runner-up will
definitely give you a significant boost in popularity.
A recent global contest for app developers was Nokias Create for Millions. Websites like Mobile App
Challenge (http://mobileappchallenge.com/) can help you find these contests.

4.4.
4.4.1.

Release timing intelligence

Choosing the best moment for launch

As you learned when you defined your target audience and your marketing message, smart timing for your
applications release can help it ride the wave of specific events, seasons or activities. People pay more attention
to particular subjects or themes during certain periods of time, and searches for related content will increase
significantly within that time frame. Find these moments in advance and plan your release to happen a few days
before (otherwise you might get swept away by the wave).
35

Here are some app categories and the moments and events that might represent a release timing
opportunity:

Weight loss app: New Year and late spring.

Tennis app: Grand Slam tournaments.
Love phrases app: Valentines Day.
Shopping list app: Christmas.
Movies app: major movie awards ceremonies.

If the right moment to launch your app is not readily obvious, or if its a long time ahead, just remember to
double your efforts in re-promoting your app when the time is right.

36

Maintenance
Youve finally launched your application and your marketing
activity has hopefully been a great success.
Dont let your guard down theres still work to be
done. And if it had a slow start, dont worry keep up
the hard work and your application will achieve the success
it deserves.
Remember these three keys for making the most of your
application:
1. Pay attention to what users have to say.
2. Address their needs.
3. Communicate openly with them.
In this section you will learn the basic recommendations
you should follow to refine your application and build a
loyal community of dedicated users.

37

5
5.1.

5.1.1.

Maintenance

Comment consideration and moderation

Listen attentively and reply with finesse

Try to be impartial with your application and stick to the slogan the customer is always right. A topic arising
from a single customer comment may not need your supervision, but if you find several comments are repeating
a certain topic (whether it is a concern, an issue, a praise or a request), you will definitely want to pay attention.
Follow these simple rules to reply to or moderate comments and reviews from other users:

Avoid deleting comments unless theyre abusive or defamatory in any way. If you do so, be firm,
and dont be afraid to publicly explain why. Depending on the comment (for example: a very negative
review including insults coming from someone who purchased your application), and if it is possible,
it might also be a good idea to contact the offender directly and try to sort out the issue in private.
Reply to both positive and negative comments. Be honest and direct. Admit your application flaws
and communicate whether a future update will fix them. Accept praise naturally.

Moderate reply with a positive twist to a negative Twitter comment.

Accept negative comments, fix problems and communicate it promptly.

Build a relationship with your community. Recurring affirmative commenters are potential candidates
to bring you free positive word-of-mouth activity. Make sure you nurture them as you would nurture
your friendships. They will be likely to return the favour and help you moderate negative comments.

Build a friendly relationship with users mentioning or commenting on your app.

Be open to your users. Remain as neutral as possible: neither too defensive nor too offensive.
You may come across many unfair or maybe even untrue comments about your app. Keep your cool and remember:
moderation will eventually bring you greater success.

38

5.2.
5.2.1.

Communication of updates and releases

Keep users informed

Use your website and social channels to communicate future updates and releases as soon as you begin to
work on them, and try to provide the estimated date when they will be available.

Communicate future updates and when they will be available.

When you release an update, make sure you publish detailed information on changes and improvements both
on your own channels (website and social sites) and your store pages. This also applies if youre launching an
entirely new version of your application (for example: a Christmas edition). In this case, make sure you adjust
your keyword strategy accordingly to reinforce search engine rankings, as explained before.

Give full details on changes included in application updates.

If you are making your application available for another platform, you will definitely want to communicate it in
your own channels as well. Current users might recommend your application to other people they know who
use a different platform. Again, make sure you review your keyword strategy accordingly.

39

Analysis
Monitoring and analysing all the elements that compose
your apps ecosystem is critical to maximising its
success.
You will need to monitor how your campaign performs
over time and the results of that campaign, how users are
interacting with your application, how your application
page within the corresponding store is performing, how
your own website is performing, and the impact of your
activity in social media channels.
The learnings from these results will help you fine-tune
your marketing activity, discover and solve potential
issues and will prepare you for future launches.

40

6
6.1.

6.1.1.

Analysis

Campaign monitoring

Adjust your spending and fine-tune results

Make sure you choose to advertise through services that offer advanced campaign results analysis tools.
(See examples mentioned in the Bought Media section). Most should also allow you to set up conversion
tracking (conversion may be reaching a specific section in your website, clicking on the store button or even
downloading your app). These are the most important areas you should monitor:

Review how your different keywords and keyword sets are performing, edit or remove those with
a poor performance (low click volume, high cost per click and low or insignificant downloads)
and adjust your bids accordingly.
Review how your different ads are performing and edit or remove those with a poor performance.
Monitor the increase in fans, likes, followers, visitors or potential customers coming from your
campaigns.
Identify areas of opportunity and loss and review your budget accordingly.
If youre driving traffic to your own website, review campaign performance through your chosen
analytics tool. (See the Website monitoring section below).

6.2.
6.2.1.

App monitoring

Learn from your users

You can discover very valuable information from users who downloaded your app:

Are they actually using the app? How often? For how long?
What features are they using most? And least?
Where are your users coming from?
What devices are your customers using? What screen resolutions?
If applicable, are they making in-app purchases or upgrades?
If applicable, are they clicking on ads displayed within the app?

The answers to these questions will help you discover your applications true value to your customers and
identify potential usability issues you could address in subsequent updates.

6.2.2.

How to get started

Make sure you integrate an application analytics solution during your apps development phase so you can
measure results from the very first day.

41

There are several solutions available for Symbian and Windows Phone applications, such as Localytics
(www.localytics.com), Includeapp (www.includeapp.com) or Bango Analytics (www.bango.com), which offer
different pricing plans depending on your analysis needs. You should have enough data to answer the
previous questions with most free/basic plans. Evaluate upgrading to more advanced options if you require
deeper analysis and have the resources to carry it out.

Localytics sample app usage report.

6.3.
6.3.1.

Website monitoring

Measure activity on your website

Your visitors are an invaluable source of ideas and insights, so make sure you get as much information from
them as you can. Set up a web analytics tool on your website, take the time to understand its reports and try
to answer these questions:

How did your visitors find your website? Did they come from a search engine, or are other
sites linking to yours?
What keywords or phrases are people using to reach your website?
Are visitors arriving from one of your campaigns?
What cities or countries are they visiting from?
What types of content are they most interested in?

When you find the answers, make the most of this information by taking action:

42

Go back and visit the sites that are linking back to you. Find out whether theyre simply mentioning
you, or if theyre talking positively or negatively about your app. Learn from both praise and criticism.
Try to extract common patterns and trends from keywords and phrases used to reach your site.
Are visitors simply searching for your apps name? Are they looking for specific content? Do they need
to solve a problem? Are they looking for a specific version? Give your visitors what they came to find.
Look for popular origins (geographical, campaigns and devices). Investigate why your application might
have brought more attention to a specific origin and shift a larger share of attention to it.
User navigation will also give you a very good idea of what your users really need. If the single most
visited page in your website is a FAQ answer to users getting a blank screen when they run your
application, make it the top priority to solve that issue.

6.3.2.

How to get started

Unless your website contains thousands of pages and you expect to receive millions of visits each day, you
should have more than enough data to extract key relevant information using one of the many free tools
available in the market, such as Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics), Clicky (www.getclicky.com) or
Piwik (www.piwik.org).
Choose one tool depending on your needs and preferences (remote access or server installation, proprietary
software or open source, out-of-the-box or highly customisable), review its provided implementation
documentation, and set up tracking tags in each and every page on your website. Most solutions will simply
require that you add a few lines of code to each page to get up and running.
Some website creation options like Weebly (www.weebly.com) allow you to integrate these tracking tools on
your site by following simple solution-specific instructions.

Weebly instructions to integrate Google Analytics.

6.4.
6.4.1.

Social media monitoring

Measure activity on your social channels

A large part of your success in social media will depend on how much dedication you put into understanding
how your activity in social media is influencing current and potential customers, how theyre reacting to your
messages, and how they interact with your contents.
43

In addition, social media channels provide users with the freedom to express their opinions and comment
on your application, so keep a good eye on what theyre saying and make sure you take it into account if it is
relevant.
These are the most important questions you should try to answer when analysing activity in your social channels:

How did your visitors find your content?

What keywords or phrases did visitors use when arriving from a search?
Who is linking to or embedding your content?
Which messages or publications had the greatest impact on users?
What are the most and least popular contents?
Which contents are being shared? Where and how are they being shared?
Are there common topics in user comments and conversations?

6.4.2.

How to get started

Social monitoring tools are constantly evolving and new metrics and dimensions are added every month. The
most effective strategy is to focus solely on the metrics provided by the social channels themselves. You will
always have time to move to more advanced solutions and tools if you master them, but they already provide
all the data you need to better market your application.
These are some examples of social channels and tools offering their own free analytics solutions and the
most relevant metrics you should be looking at:
Facebook (Facebook Insights):
Post reach, engaged users and virality (to get an idea of how interesting your publications are to your
pages visitors).
Demographic and location data (to find out more about the profile of people who like your page).
External referrers (to find out where your traffic is coming from).

Sample Facebook Insights visitor location report.

YouTube (YouTube Analytics):

44

Video plays, likes, comments (to find out what people like, dislike and value about your videos).
Demographic data (to find out where your video viewers are visiting from).
Playback locations and traffic sources (to find out how users found your videos and where they
are being played from).

Sample YouTube Analytics traffic sources report.

Bitly (Bitly Statistics):

Click referrers (to find out where your links are being shared and where theyre being clicked from)
Click locations (to find out where users clicking on your links are geographically located)

Sample Bitly Statistics click origin reports.

45

Tools

Nokias Digital Marketing Toolkit offers solutions that can help you start promoting your app right away and
for free. You can create professional creative assets in minutes.
Find the Digital Marketing Toolkit on developer.nokia.com

46

Promotional video: Create a dynamic and impactful professional-quality video. Just add screenshots and
some basic information about your app.
Website: Customise a website for your app with your text, images and video. Nokia takes care of the rest.
Facebook tab: Using the same content for your website you can quickly create a tab for Facebook too.
Banners: Our free Online Marketing tool lets you customise banners for use in the store and in display
advertising. You can create banners to promote your apps that are available in either Nokia Store or
Windows Phone Marketplace.