Android Apps Marketing
Secrets to Selling Your Android App

Thousands of developers are looking to cash in on selling their Android apps on Google's Android Market. In this practical tutorial, Hughes shares solid marketing principles and specific best practices for effective, high-value Android App marketing.

You'll learn how to
* Identify your app's unique value, target audience, and total message
* Understand the Android Market's dynamics
* Cut through clutter and get your app into the top selling categories
* Set the right price for your app and effectively sell its value
* Get reviewers to recommend your apps
* Write effective press releases
* Time your marketing and publicity for maximum effectiveness
* Blog about your app and get the attention of influential bloggers
* Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media to generate buzz
* Use promotions and cross-marketing just like professional marketers do
* Measure and improve your results with Android Analytics
* Generate a loyal audience that will buy your next app, too
* Earn steady revenue, build a brand, and make a real business out of app development

Introduction
1
Part I: Your Marketing Message
4
Part II: Delivering Your Message
5
Part III: Pricing Your Android App
5
Part IV: Implement a Marketing Plan/Launch Your App
7
Conclusion
8
I YOUR MARKETING MESSAGE
1 Your Android App Marketing Strategy: Grand Slam or Base Hits?
9
We've Seen This Before
10
The Big Win--Grand Slam
12
The Steady Win--Base Hits
14
The No Win--Strikeout
16
Benefits/Drawbacks of the Big Win and Steady Win Strategies
18
Summary .
19
2 What Makes for a Winning App?
21
Build Something Unique
22
Deliver New Features
25
Tie Your App into Trends and News
26
Tie Your App into Seasons and Holidays
28
Tie Your App to Part of a Wider Solution
29
App Created from Other Platforms
30
Summary
31
3 Identifying Your App's Unique Value
33
The Four Questions
35
Who Are Your Competitors?
36
Identifying Your Competition
38
Learning from Your Competition
41
What Are the Key Features of Your Android App?
43
What Are the Benefits of Your Android App?
44
What's Unique About Your App?
45
Summary
47
4 Identifying Your Target Audience
49
Refining Your Audience
51
Segmenting Your Market
51
Picking Your Market Segment
56
Targeting Your Market
57
Summary
58
5 Building Your App's Total Message
61
Choose an Effective App Name
65
Basic App Naming
66
Get Creative
68
Search for Synonyms
68
Use Google to Help
69
Select and Test Your App Names
70
Android Market Text: Lighten It Up
70
Make Graphics Your Focal Point
72
Make Your App's Icon Pop
73
Build a Simple, Clean Product Website
74
Who Is Your Audience?
75
Developing Great Web Copy
75
Make Your Content User Friendly
76
Strive for Immediate Positive Reviews
77
Summary
79
II DELIVERING YOUR MESSAGE
6 Electronic Word of Mouth
81
Creating Electronic Word of Mouth
82
Positive External Reviews
84
Coordinated Marketing Effort
85
Generating Demand
87
Reaching Interested Buyers
87
Choosing the Right Delivery Methods
88
Three Key Areas
88
Direct Marketing for Your App
89
Direct Mail
89
Email
90
Promoting Your App
92
Your App in Traditional Media (Newspapers, Radio, TV)
92
Advertising Your Apps
95
Paid Search
97
Online Advertising
98
Building a Community
99
Summary
101
7 Using Social Media in Your App Marketing
103
Selecting Your Social Media Tools
106
Using Facebook
107
Using Twitter
109
Using Blogs
111
Using RSS
112
Using LinkedIn
113
Using YouTube
114
Video Basics
114
Summary
115
8 Timing Your Marketing Activities
117
App Buying Cycles
118
Is Your App Seasonal?
119
Hitting the Grand Slam
120
Timing the Launch of Your App
122
Submitting Your Android App
122
Summary
124
9 Getting the Word Out About Your App
125
When to Write a Press Release
126
Do You Have What It Takes?
129
Writing Your Press Release
130
The Anatomy of a Press Release
131
Embedded Links
135
Attaching Multimedia to Your Press Release
136
Press Release Signature
137
Publishing and Distributing Your Press Release
138
When to Launch Your Press Release
138
Summary
139
III PRICING YOUR ANDROID APP
10 Pricing Your App
141
Competing Against Free Apps
143
Be Found
144
Make Your App Better
144
Make Your App More Intuitive
145
Provide Better Graphics
145
Create Documentation
145
Offer Some Technical Support
145
Develop a Reputation for Customer Service
146
Go Viral
146
Some Pricing Misconceptions
146
Offer a Free Version of Your App
148
Setting Your App's Price
149
Summary
153
11 Conducting an App Pricing Analysis
155
Cost/Benefit Analysis
156
Quantifying the App Development Costs
157
Quantifying the Benefits
160
Performing a Cost/Benefit Comparison
162
Breakeven Analysis
163
Some Caveats
164
Summary
165
12 Selling Value over Price
167
Selling Value
170
Selling Quality
170
Selling Usefulness
171
Selling Return on Investment
173
Additional Thoughts on Selling Value
174
Summary
176
13 Breaking into the Android Market Top Paid Apps
177
Develop a Great App
178
Beat Up Your App Mercilessly
180
Have Friends in High Places
180
Cross-Promote
181
Price It Right
182
Integrate Your App with Other Apps
182
Optimize Your Web and Android Market Copy
182
Develop Your Brand and Promote It Like Crazy
183
Reach Out to Google
185
Summary
186
14 Level the Playing Field with a Free App
187
Build a Standalone Paid App
189
Build a Free App, Build a Following
190
Build a Paid App and a Free App at the Same Time
191
Free Apps with Ads
195
From Paid to Free
198
Summary
198
15 The App Pricing Rollercoaster
201
Raising Your Price
203
Lowering Your Price 203
Temporary Price Drops
206
Value-Add Sales
206
Summary
206
16 App Promotions and Cross-Selling
209
Promotional Marketing for Android Apps
210
Cross-Selling
214
Up-Selling
216
Summary
217
17 Using Android Analytics
219
Analytics Components
220
Track Your App's Sales
220
Track Your App's Location
220
Track Your App's Usage
221
Track Specific App Events
221
Measure App Interface Patterns
222
Top Analytics Vendors
222
Flurry/Pinch Media
222
Mobclix
223
Analytics and Privacy
225
Managing User Privacy Expectations
226
Summary
227
IV IMPLEMENT A MARKETING PLAN/LAUNCH YOUR APP
18 Why Have a Marketing Plan?
229
Focuses on Your Target Market
231
Allocates Marketing Funds
231
Measures Your Progress
232
Provides a Roadmap for Growth
232
Helps You Obtain Funding
233
Coordinates Your App Launches
233
Sets Realistic Sales Targets
234
Evaluates Your Competitors
234
Sets Prices and Defines Promotions
234
Defines a Strong Value Proposition
235
Summary
236
19 Components of an App Marketing Plan
237
Marketing Goals and Objectives
239
Product Objectives
239
Your Android App Sales Objectives
239
Profit Objectives
240
Pricing Objectives
240
Market Analysis
240
Business Environment
241
Demographics
241
Competition
242
Consumer Analysis
242
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis
242
Strengths
243
Weaknesses
243
Opportunities
244
Threats
244
Marketing Focus
244
Your App's Functionality
244
Promotions
245
Price
245
Financial Information
246
Marketing Calendar
246
Summary
248
20 Marketing Essentials
249
Updates to Your App: Write About What's New and Exciting
250
Striking a Balance
250
Summary
253
21 Twenty-Five Essential Android Marketing Activities
255
Delivering Your Android App to the World
256
Seek Reviews from Any Site That Matches Your App's Category
256
Showcase Your App on the Android Market
256
Use Press Releases Consistently
257
Consider Email Marketing
257
Create Word of Mouth Buzz
258
Consider Targeted Advertising
258
Utilize Analytics for Your Apps
259
Android Pricing and Promotions
259
Develop a Pricing Strategy
259
Promote from Ads Within Other Apps
259
Build an App Product Website
260
Increase Your Website Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
260
Let Visitors Market Your Site
261
Social Media Marketing
261
Use YouTube Promotions
261
Use LinkedIn Groups
262
Use Blog Promotions
262
Create a Facebook Fan Page
262
Employ Digg Articles and Videos
263
Visit Forums and Post Comments
263
Other App Marketing Activities
263
Create Trial and Paid App Versions
263
Use App Launch Sponsorship
264
Continuously Feature Improvements
264
Collaborate with Other People
264
Seek Non-App Review Sites for Your App
265
Exchange Ad Space
265
Create an Icon Worth Remembering
265
Determine Your App's Unique Value
266
Summary
266
22 Implementing Your Plan
267
Implementation Steps
268
Managing Your App Marketing Activities
271
Summary
272
23 Android Apps for Corporate Marketing
273
Is an Android App Right for Your Company?
275
Build an App to Extend/Reignite the Brand
276
Apps to Extend a Web-Based Product's Use
279
Summary
280
A Competitive Worksheet
281
Index
283