Contacts that will bring thousands of downloads to your app
Author: Evelin Ríos
If you have already created your app and uploaded it to Google Play and the App Store so that it begins to generate downloads, you have surely found that the download rate moves slowly, if at all.
This is because currently the app stores are literally saturated, and gaining visibility in the face of this immense sea of apps is quite complicated if you don’t know how to use effective promotional strategies.
This article is part of a series that we are delivering to all our readers, where effective and free strategies are explained to promote an app and gain quality users. Although platforms like Google Ads work well to promote apps, they are paid and many times we are not in a position to allow this type of promotion.
Therefore, we recommend that you take a look at this series of strategies, so that you know different ways to bring users to your apps.
On the Internet there are people who, with effort, perseverance and dedication, have managed to create very faithful and receptive communities to what they are offering.
The idea is that they can try your app and recommend it to their community without charging you any money for it. But for them to do so, it is important that you know how to approach them.
Next, we will show you how you should communicate with these people to get them to talk about your app to their audiences and start receiving an avalanche of visits and downloads.
INFLUENCERS
I know what you are thinking: “Any deal with influencers will cost me a fortune.” Don’t worry. While it is true that some influencers have high rates to publicize a product to their audience, there are other types of influencers, known as micro influencers or technology enthusiasts, who have very interesting communities on social media and are always looking for new things to share with their followers.
In summary, what you should do is find relevant influencers, communicate with them respectfully (we’ll explain how to do it later), and ask them to try out your application. If they like it, they will share it with their followers.
How to find these influencers?
You probably know who the experts are in your market. But if not, search blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, podcasts, YouTube and other types of mass media.
You will meet many types of influencers; some good, some great and some just pretending to be. To find the right influencers, spend time getting to know them and their content, and don’t just limit yourself to seeing the number of followers or views they boast. Those numbers can be easily inflated.
How to communicate with them?
Once you have found some influencers, contact them via email or through the medium that the influencer uses, taking into account these recommendations:
- Make the email or message personal and informal.
- Start by showing that you know the influencer’s work.
- Introduce yourself briefly.
- Describe what your application offers.
- Ask them if they can try your application and make it known to their audience, if they like it
- Give them access to the full functionality of your application for free.
Here is a template that you can use to contact an influencer:
(You must replace what is in parentheses with real data)
Hello (name of influencer),
Recently I came across your article/video (name of article/video) and I found it really useful. You were able to simplify (topic) and still offer a lot of valuable information.
My name is (your name), the developer behind (name of your application). I built (name of your app) to resolve (problem).(Name of your app) is unique because (reasons).
(Link to your application with full access to its full functionality)
I would love for you to review my application. If you like it, I am sure that it can be very useful for your audience, too.
Thank you very much,,
(your name and surname)
AUTHORS OF TOP LISTS
Top lists or summary lists are typical “Best Tools for …” lists, and are extremely common these days, plus they tend to rank very high in Google and other search engine results.
If your application appears in these lists, you will enjoy a lot of traffic, practically free and for a long time. Just find the appropriate lists and ask the authors to consider listing your app.
How to find top lists?
An easy way to find these lists is to Google a fairly generic term, like “The best apps for X,” where X is the subject of your app.
The goal is to find 10-15 lists that fit your application and then find a way to contact the authors.
Examples
Here are several examples of what are top or summary lists:
- 11 Best Job Search Apps..
- The 15 best applications to edit photos on Android..
- The 7 best free workout & fitness apps
How to communicate with the authors?
When you have found the authors of these lists, send them a short and simple email where you introduce yourself and describe why your application fits perfectly in their list and will be very useful for their readers.
Follow these tips:
- Address the author by name.
- Be concise and get to the point quickly.
- Highlight what your app does, preferably with bullet points, and tell them why their readers would benefit from knowing it.
- Check your email before sending it. Grammar and spelling mistakes, even in a very short email, can be off-putting and make the difference between having your app listed or your email deleted unread.
Here is a simple template you can use:
Hello (name of author),
I came acorss your publication (title of publication) and I think you cover the marked for (what your app does) pretty well and I wanted to tell you about my application, (name of your application)..
(Name of your application) is a (brief description of the application) and it is unique because:
* (Main characteristic 1)
* (Main characteristic 2)
* (Main characteristic 3)
(Link to your application)
I would love for you to check out my app, and if you like it can you add it to your list? I’m sure your readers would love another option for (what your app does).
If you have any questions or want to know more about the application, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank you very much,
(Your name and surname)
You may not receive a reply to the first message you send, so try again once or twice, but no more than three times. If the author isn’t interested, spamming them won’t help. Simply move on to another author.
APP REVIEWERS
You can communicate with websites that do app reviews and convince them to display your app on their site.
In order for them to agree to review it, it is important that your application has a beautiful design, that it is based on a unique or improved idea and that it does not contain flaws or errors. Be sure to verify all of this before contacting any of them.
How to find app reviewers?
There are many websites that do app reviews. However, they are not in plain sight. They are usually technology blogs or dedicated specifically to the Mobile world.
One way to find them is to do a Google search such as, “mobile blog apps”, enter each one of them and check if they have a link that says something like “Submit app for review”, as in Apps400.com, or “We analyze your app ”such as Applicantes.com, a Hispanic site that reviews mobile apps.
You can also take advantage of the extraordinary work that BuildFire has done by collecting over 100 websites that do app reviews. You can find this listing by clicking here.
BLOGGERS
This strategy is like that of the influencers, with the exception that you don’t need to find super-famous blogs that reach millions of people. Simply find respectable blogs that are within your industry or niche, give them coupons, or something else that allows them to use your app and they can share their own views with their audience.
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Remember that each of these promotion strategies, and the others that we have shared on the blog, add their grain of sand so that your apps receive more downloads and, consequently, more conversions or profits. Take a look at all of them and start implementing the one you like most as soon as possible, so that you start to see positive results with your apps.