You’ve poured a significant amount of time, energy, and resources into creating your app. However, your customers don’t seem to be interested. Despite following the best practices in app development and user experience, download rates are still low.

Don’t worry – your app just needs better exposure. Adoption takes time in markets like the Philippines, where online shopping only took off during quarantine.

Here are top four marketing strategies to increase app downloads.

Promote the App in your brick-and-mortar store

If customers flock to your physical store but pay no attention to your online portal, use that mileage to promote your app. Advertise the app at point-of-sale locations and store areas that offer the highest level of exposure.

For instance, you can hang signage near the cash registers and shop windows. Businesses that installed customized acrylic shields can hang small posters with QR codes on every table.

• Restaurants and diners can advertise their delivery app on paper placements.
• Bookshops and craft stores can hang posters on the busiest sections of their location.
• Retail shops can place posters near the most popular merchandise.
• Small, niche stores can include a small thank-you card with a QR code for app store downloads.

Promote the App online

Maximize your app’s exposure by using all available online channels to promote your app.

Website:

If you have a website, make sure that you make information about your app available. You can try these strategies:

• Use prominent spaces on the web page to advertise the app. For instance, place a promotional image on the banner and link it directly to a page where they can download the app.
• Put a small mobile app icon in a strategic place on the web page.

Social Media:

Your social media pages are one of the most powerful ways to promote your new app. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• Don’t rely on a single post – post regularly and consistently. Most customers won’t be convinced by one tweet or image.
• Use a variety of posts. You can start with teaser photos, then promotional photos, followed by infographics about the benefits of using your app. You can also use short videos and articles to explain the perks of the app further.
• Change your Facebook or Twitter banner to a promotional image for your app.
• Make it a regular strategy. A single social media campaign – which lasts for a couple of weeks, for example – will result in a spike in downloads. However, these rosy results might taper off. It’s best to plan an ongoing strategy that will continually target new and potential customers.

Email Marketing:

Use your email marketing to notify people about your new app. Follow these best practices for a better open rate:

• Clean your email list. Keep your list fresh and filled with engaged subscribers to maximize conversion opportunities. Remove inactive subscribers or those who haven’t engaged with your emails for the past six months.
• Improve timing. The time you send your email is crucial in improving email lists. You can conduct A/B testing to check the best timeframes to send your emails.
• Make your subject line compelling. Don’t just say “Download our new app.” Highlight the benefits that customers will get if they do so. You may mention that they have an easier way to buy your goods or entice them with an incentive (this will be discussed later).

Then, place a link in the message, which leads them to a page where they can easily download the app. Create a clear call to action

Text Messages:

Businesses can also send a text blast informing customers that they can download the app and shop on the go.

Implement App Store Optimization

Boost the discoverability of your app through App Store Optimization (ASO). An optimized app will rank higher in the app store, be more visible, and increase the chances of downloads. It is one of the best strategies to boost your App downloads.

Here are the tips:

• Use relevant keywords in the descriptions. Don’t use your competitors’ names as keywords.
• Place a memorable title with your company name and a keyword.
• Place great images and videos to convince people who are on the fence.
• Make sure you are in the right app category.

Offer Incentives

One of the best ways to encourage people to download an app is to offer them a reward. For instance, customers get a coupon, special discounts, or free trial service once they download. Your business could also offer referral discounts, where customers get rewards for sharing the apps throughout their network.

Building exposure for your app requires a lot of effort, but the results are worth it. Once more people download your app, it will deliver a robust ROI. We hope our case study of four marketing strategies to increase app downloads will help for your business growth.