Letting people know the app is on its way will build anticipation and drive app downloads once your app is live. Posting everywhere is key and you can do this by blasting the announcement via your social channels, including an announcement in your regularly scheduled email campaigns, or placing a ‘coming soon’ banner on your site.

The time before your app launches is also a great opportunity to understand the key metrics, research the market and implement optimization tools to understand and improve your mobile marketing performance.

Here are some best practices to create a killer pre-launch strategy:

1. Build a buzz on social.

Promoting your app on social media is key. Your followers are loyal customers who definitely want to know about your mobile app! We recommend posting on the feed as well as in stories in order to never miss an opportunity on the social platform.

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A teaser video is always a great way to ignite the curiosity of your target audience. Make sure you keep it concise, focus on the app’s best features and have a strong call to action.

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2. Invest in influencer marketing.

Working with brand influencers is a worthwhile investment because it’s comparable to or better than other marketing channels. The influencer marketing industry is on track to be worth up to $15 billion by 2022, up from as much as $8 billion in 2019, according to Business Insider Intelligence estimates. There are different types of influencers including micro-influencers, celebrity influencers, blog influencers, social media influencers, and key opinion influencers. As you research influencers, choose those that share similar values and have the metrics to make a difference (number of followers, engagement, and positive comments). Think of it as a press release for a mobile app launch.

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3. Create a landing page for your website.

Consider creating a landing page that explains the value of your app like Extra Butter did. This is the perfect place to explain the value of the mobile app and link it to the Apple store. Extra Butter promotes the landing page to their app in the footer of their website so users browsing their site can easily access it at any time.

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4. Add a smart banner to your mobile site.

Once your app is live, you’ll want to prompt your mobile website visitors to download the app with a banner that appears at the top of your store. The banner should direct users directly to the Apple store to download your app. You can offer an app exclusive discount code, highlight a product that is only available in your app or promote a ‘download to win’ giveaway within the banner as well.

5. Announce your mobile app in email campaigns.

Leverage your email list to get app downloads. Regularly promoting your app within your email campaigns will help convert your email subscribers to app downloads.

6. Create video content.

Use video content that pops to promote your app on social and within paid ads. Video is the best way to show the app in action and get its value across. Not to mention, video is a proven way to catch someone’s attention, increase engagement and downloads.

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7. Optimize for app store algorithms

Along with planning how to launch an app, make sure you do your research on your target audience and competitors to make your app more discoverable in the App Stores. The app store is the biggest channel for app discovery and getting app downloads. Check out this guide for ASO tips to ensure your app doesn’t get lost in the app store.

8. Understand your apps KPIs

Understanding your mobile app’s metrics will help you gain insights on your app, improve performance and get more revenue on mobile. Here is a chart of the most relevant KPIs.

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9. Look to the future

You’ve completed this mobile app launch checklist successfully… what happens next? It’s never too early to plan out other app marketing initiatives down the line to retarget prospects and nurture your community. Here’s Tapcart’s guide to How to Market Your App.

To learn more about the benefits of a mobile app and what Tapcart can do for your brand, get in touch with us to speak with a mobile expert.

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