Social apps, can’t live with them, can’t live without them. We all feel guilty when we think about the fact that we check our phones every two seconds to see if something very important happened to our virtual friends while we know that it is impossible to avoid this phenomenon in our dynamic world. These observations are meant to describe customers’ behavior in order to find the best strategy to promote your social app. If you created or you are about to build a special tool which allows users to share their thoughts with people from the other end of the globe then this article is for you.

Business Model

Even though the titles for this category differ from one platform to another, we can observe the same characteristics for this type of apps when we browse through App Annie’s latest reports for both iOS and Android devices used in the United States. So, for Social Networking apps on the Apple App Store and for Social apps on Google Play Store, the situation is pretty much the same. The Free section is dominated by the most popular social channels in the world and they are offered without in-app purchases. If you build a special tool for helping users to be more creative like amazing stickers and great emojis or certain features for Twitter then a good solution for monetizing your app is to go with the paid business model. For the top grossing app we observe those apps focused on a specific service like professional communication or a friendly chat. Here we observe a minor difference between iOS and Android apps because the first platform gathers many dating apps for the most appreciated creations while the second one shows that users prefer live streaming apps. As you can see, it is very easy to find the best monetization strategy for this category according to the main feature offered by your app.

 

 

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How To Promote Social Apps

Social media is one of the main tools to promote an app. We told you before and we say it again. But what if that app is focused on the relationships between humans how can you make your creation stand out of thousands of similar apps? We will share with you some secret tricks.

Connect

Let’s start with the first step when users enter a social app. As usual, this first interaction with your app can make them love it or hate it. Don’t play with such a decisive factor and invest your energy into providing a simple way for your users to create an account or to access it. Remember, never ask unnecessary information from the beginning and allow them to build their profile after noticing the value of your app. Customers won’t agree to share their information if you don’t present them some convincing reasons for that. A great example is LinkedIn which encourages users to update their skills in order to obtain better results when they try to prove some abilities.

Make It Special

Now browse through the app store and check all the apps similar to what you offer. Most of them are great. Why people should choose yours? If you answer this question you will obtain the secret to a smarter strategy and a more efficient way to attract your users. While this is a real challenge from the moment you validate your idea it becomes very important when you need to select a suitable business model and more vital when you have to present your app in front of potential customers. Think about Twitter for a second. It was the first app that allowed users to share their thoughts in a short and meaningful way. Focusing on what really matters for your users is the key here.

Share It

Now that you accomplished the previous steps you need to figure out how to spread the word about your app. What’s the point in having an awesome app if nobody can find it? If you never thought about it, social media channels can be the best way to make your app visible to future users. Remember those apps that are in the top of charts and there is no way to compete with their success? Well, the companies behind those apps built powerful advertising platforms that will allow you to gather a big number of valuable users. For example, Instagram released a service specially created for app owners to attract customers interested in their products. And we also have a tutorial that will help you with your efforts. How great is that?

How Many Likes?

Now that you managed to create a simple interface, you implemented an attractive feature and you told everybody about your app, what’s next? Well, this isn’t the moment to relax, that’s for sure! You need to measure all these attempts and to observe if your strategy is on the right track. Even if everything works well at first, nothing assures you that you will continue to receive the same positive results after a while. Avoid ad fatigue and try to intrigue your audience with impressive visuals. In the same time you need to be careful with your budget and to optimize your ROI. Keep an eye on your data and track the most important metrics. The other eye should be on your competitors in order to observe in what way their plans will affect your business. Statista published a report with Whatsapp’s evolution since 2013 which reveals the reason why the app is one of the most successful apps in the world.

Final Thoughts

Well, we split the big picture into smaller pieces because this is the only way to make users observe your app when there are so many popular creations which dominate the app markets. Long story short is to add a unique feature that will revolutionize the way they connect with their friends. After that, spread the word about your solution and make your users happy. This principle works for any category but it offers more impressive results when it is applied to a social app. Why don’t you try it?