First of all… congrats for making your way into the app market! Apps are a great way to learn more about your customer base whilst providing them with more value. However, the hard work comes after your app has been created. Getting your customers to download your app can be tricky, but social media provides a base for getting your voice heard.
Here are a few tips on using social media to advertise your app.
Explore Influencer Marketing
If no one is downloading your app yet, it’s either because they don’t know about it, or they don’t trust you yet. However, they do trust the influencers that they follow on their favourite social media platforms.
Influencers and micro-influencers (with 10,000 followers or less) are extremely influential and their followers usually see them as someone they can trust. Spend some time identifying relevant influencers in your niche, or a niche that would include your target audience, and contact them about collaboration by explaining how your app could benefit them and their audience.
TikTok influencers are on the rise and so are a great place to start. TikTok is a game changer when it comes to influencer marketing. It’s a unique way to promote products that reach a lot of people through the For Your Page (FYP). This means, unlike Instagram, the algorithm doesn’t look at the creators’ statistics so videos have a higher chance of going viral.
Create Paid Ads
Paid social ads are a great way to reach more people. A recent poll showed that 49% of mobile app downloads come from social ads! Paid ads can make sure your brand and content are always at the forefront of your audience’s mind. The chances of reaching your target audience are also amplified as you can specifically choose the type of people you want to reach.
Each social media platform uses the pay-per-click model which only charges you when a user has taken the action you want. This means you can create paid ads with any budget! What you need to focus on is knowing the best social media ads for your app.
Social media advertising is a cost-effective way to create exposure for your brand. If users start to see your business on their news feed regularly, it will enhance your credibility and drive purchasing behaviour.
Utilise User-Generated Content
User-generated content is 42% more effective than branded content! It’s a form of social proof where your customers share the value of your app for you. User-generated content can be as simple as a screenshot of your app on a customer’s Instagram story to a video of a customer talking about how much they love the app on TikTok. It’s different from influencer marketing, as it’s generally a brand’s organic customers that are sharing the content rather than paid influencers.
To encourage your customers to create content in the first place, you need to establish a goal. Why do you want user-generated content? It could be to build trust, raise awareness or even increase conversion rates. Your goal makes it easier to communicate with customers about what you want them to do.
A great way to get user-generated content is to come up with a hashtag and invite your audience to get involved with their own content!
Start Competitions & Giveaways
Everyone loves a chance to win freebies! The way to do this on social media is through a competition or giveaway. A competition on social media usually consists of your customers entering via some sign-up or by doing a specific action to then be chosen at random to win a prize.
Instagram and Facebook are the best places to run a competition or giveaway as they are the best platforms to engage with people. A like, share and follow competition is extremely popular among brands and can boost your followers and visibility encouraging more app downloads.
Alternatively, you could integrate the competition with your app and promote it via social media. All you need people to do is download the app and sign up for the competition to raise awareness via your social media channels.
Be Religious with Content
People use social media to be social, keep updated on the latest trends and learn new stuff. For this reason, it’s important to keep pumping out new content on social media that is fun, engaging and informative. Regular content builds trust and guides your audience in the direction of your app.
Show your audience that you and your app have the answer to their problems with vibrant content that catches the eye and satisfies a need.
Combine Everything
The ultimate best way to use social media to advertise your app is through a combination of all the tips listed above. The more visibility that your brand gets, the higher your chances of getting some app downloads!
It’s important to stay ahead of your competitors and grow your company by taking advantage of all aspects of social media to encourage more engagement and more trust.