Getting Press Coverage: Drive Awareness And Installs For Your App -

Getting Press Coverage: Drive Awareness And Installs For Your App

While you are building your strategy for promoting your app it would be great for your creation if you consider press as an opportunity to be discovered by many potential users. With all the efforts invested in marketing, there are big chances to increase your user base if you announce the press about your big launch or you send a pitch to a reporter specialized in mobile apps to let him know what a wonderful app you just created. But what is the best manner to drive their attention? Read further for the best practices in presenting your app in the most favorable light.

Benefits Of Getting Press Coverage

There are numerous advantages provided by the fact that media shows your app to the world.

  • Drives Brand Awareness: People who read the press don’t discover only your app but your entire brand. If they like your app they will want to know more about the team behind it. Eventually, they will discover some other apps that you created before.
  • Spreading The Word: With the help of reporters you will reach many categories of people who will talk with their friends and family about your app.
  • High Volume Of Downloads: This is a consequence of the above point. Word of mouth creates a chain reaction where everybody who enjoys your app will convince people they know to download it.

Getting Started

Let’s see how you can get the attention of the press towards your app.


1. Build An Online Presence

We already discussed how mobile web can help you promoting your app and in what manner you can connect your creation with the online domain for creating a complex plan with the purpose of reaching a large area of users. Taking into account the Key Components Of Amazing Landing Page For Mobile Apps and following the most Clever Ways To Drive More Traffic From Website To App you will make your brand visible over the internet. Moreover, you must be active on the most important social networks for presenting insights of your app for your future customers. For this, you need to know your users and to discover their favorite social channels.

2. Make A Press List

If you want to tell your story to the media you will definitely need your own list regarding the press coverage.

Identify Prestigious Platforms / Reporters

Before anything else you must discover the platforms or columnist which can help you with your app promotion. We told you before the great benefits of presenting your app on Product Hunt. Remember, this platform is the place where everybody interested in novelties from tech world is looking for apps similar to the one you created. The main conditions for posting on Product Hunt are to post from your personal account as early as possible and to be careful not to ask for upvotes. Another solution for reaching the reporters in your niche is to check the websites which review mobile apps for their followers. For example, SellMyApp has an entire list with sites that can help you reach your goal. In the same time you should check the updated list provided by AppApes.


Image Source: http://app-apes.com/2014/09/list-of-the-greatest-app-review-websites/

Monitor Competitor Apps

Since you are always with an eye on your competition you can see what sites already mentioned their apps and what kind of reviews they received. This is a good chance to observe if your app is more valuable and if it will get reporters’ attention.

Find Reporters From Your Genre

The most important condition is to search for writers which wrote articles about apps in your category. It is pointless to pitch a reporter specialized on entertainment for promoting your time management app.

3. Make Ready Your Press Kit

A press kit is a must have for every app owner who wants to reach the media exposure.

Image Source: http://applesvsrobots.com/presskit/

Why Do You Need It?

In order to create an effective pitch you must send short emails. In the same time it is very hard to find the right balance between telling the story of your app and writing a short description. The solution is to add a link to your press kit. This way the reporter will find all the details he wants related to your app.

What Makes A Great Press Kit?

Besides creating your press kit you also need to insert it in your app landing page. Some mandatory elements required in a press kit are:

  • Brand Logo – we already mentioned that you will drive brand awareness;
  • App Icon – everybody should recognize your app after they see it in the article;
  • App Description – start with a general phrase and continue with a more detailed paragraph;
  • Screenshots – high quality images will impress reporters and readers as well;
  • Video – a short video where you describe the core functioning of your app is a nice touch;
  • Contact Information and Social Accounts – your email address and your Facebook, Twitter etc. accounts.

4. Perfect Your ASO

After your app gets a great review in an article on an authority site people will click on the link inside the presentation to download your app. In that moment they will see your app store page. If every element will delight them then they will click the Install button. Otherwise, all your effort will be in vain. So, you need to take a good care to the way you display your app on the market.

5. Collect User Reviews

In the same time you need to check what users have to say about your app. After all, their opinion is the most important. If they are happy with your app then you reach your purpose.

What Makes A Good Pitch?

It is relatively hard to write a good pitch but some advices will help you to choose the right track.

  • Personalized: First of all it is mandatory to call the person you are sending your email by his / her name. If you send bulk emails you should know you won’t have any chance to receive an answer. After that make sure to highlight your intention in the Subject line so the one who reads it will immediately understand your message.
  • Short: When you are sending a pitch you need to keep in mind that just like you there are tens or even thousands who do the same thing every day. Keep it short and concise in order to drive the attention over your app. This way you won’t risk being boring and even annoying.
  • Informative: In the email you send you need to focus on your app and what it does. Some screenshots and even a video will help the person who will receive it to understand what you are saying. Don’t forget to add your contact details and your social media accounts in case somebody wants to get back to you. You also must add a link to your press kit.
  • Interesting: Again, remember that these kinds of mails are sent daily and you need to be creative to impress the one who will receive it. Make sure that you mention why your app is so special and in what way it will help the audience.

For more information and other insights on how to create a pitch you can check this great Sample Pitch.

Define The Best Time

After you decided the right person to reach and the proper message to send you are probably asking when to do that? You know that timing is very important especially when you are about to present your creation to somebody who already reviewed some other apps similar to yours. It goes without saying that your app should be fully functional and to show its true value. This way the reporter can speak about what it does and he can reveal his impressions.
After that you need to wait for the App Store or Google Play approval because it is worthless to see your app covered in press when it isn’t ready for your users. When you are able to publish your app is the right moment to send the email but you need to allow the reporter to test the app for a couple of days before your great launch. So, you need to reach the reporter or the app review website the week before your big event.

Don’t Solely Focus On PR Marketing

Even if everything sounds great we don’t recommend concentrating your resources only on PR Marketing. There are many other solutions available for you to promote your app which in combination with press coverage can do wonders for your app. You can choose some Mobile Advertising Channels For User Acquisition suitable for your app and to take advantage of the newest marketing techniques which appear for helping you to reach your goal.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is very important to pay attention to the press sector when you want to spread the word about your app. We shared with you the benefits of media coverage, the methods to approach a reporter and the right timing. But keep in mind that the PR Marketing isn’t enough to take your app to the glory. You need to make sure that you have an amazing app and to mix the results received from press with other channels for acquiring new valuable users.


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