You can only understand if  you’ve done it yourself — built your own app. You’ve spent your time, energy and money on it. It’s your baby. And now the time has come, to let your app fly free (also known as the launch) and conquer the world.

Last year, there were 25 billion iOS app downloads and a whopping 50 million Android downloads.

The table below from Statistica show the cumulative iOS app downloads from 2008 to 2015. You can see the growth is exponential, and will continue to grow this way:

You’re probably wondering: how can I compete in this over-saturated market? The art of the app launch can give you a leg up.

When an app is released to the stores it’s a crucial time for marketing, as the amount of installs an app gets within the first days significantly affects the ranking, which in turn leads to another surge in organic installs.

What should be in your app launch kit? Here are the top solutions to get your app soaring:

App Store Optimization

Your app is finally in the App Store and Google Play. Congratulations! Now you need to think about how to optimize your app to be searchable, since the number one method of app discovery is through organic search in the stores:

App Store Optimization (ASO) is extremely important because the higher you rank in a store’s search results, the more traffic your app will get. Getting them to see your app in the search results is half the battle; the other half is getting them to download your app. This can also be accomplished through ASO efforts — targeting the right keywords is the most important, and ASO software’s do this and much more. Here are the top ASO solutions that we’ve seen:

App Annie: It’s actually more like a business intelligence tool for your app than just an ASO solution. Along with ASO, this solution tracks market data in your industry along with advertising metrics.

Gummicube: A robust platform offering ASO solutions for both keyword optimization and conversion optimization, addressing the entire conversion funnel. Their technology provides a unique mobile centric approach to ASO versus traditional keyword planners, and the company also offers a service to help manage the optimization process for those who require some help.

SensorTower: ASO, market and business intelligence and offering a range of plans sets this platform apart from others. Their package offerings are well-priced, from indie developer to enterprise.

Get social

Needless to say, promoting anything these days includes the social media heavyweights. App promotion is no different, as your tech-savvy users-to-be are on social media all day long (just as you probably are). Here are the main social media platforms to promote your app when you’ve just launched:

Facebook for Business: Maybe I’m being Captain Obvious here, but it’s crucial to have a Facebook page and start the conversation about your app. Have your friends who’ve beta tested the app write some comments on the wall. Upload screenshots and post friendly pictures of staff (users like to connect to people along with cool apps).

Twitter: Get your app a Twitter handle, start following influencers, namely prominent gamers (if your app is a game), and leaders in the industry. Many app developers tweet influencers to check out their new app. Hashtags are your friend, so use them to get more visibility and followers.

Instagram: This is where your creative can flourish. Instagram is the best platform for creative-minded folks which can include mobile gamers and other developers who may be interested in mutual promotion. Hashtags are also extremely useful here for targeting.   

Communities and forums

With a brand new app, sometimes you have to get out there the old-fashioned way and promote your product on community forums. Here are the two top forums that really work:

Amino: This is a community inside an app, where you can connect with like-minded developers who have also experienced the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to launching their app. You can pick their brain about what works, as well as discuss promoting each other, an extremely effective way that allows two apps to succeed simultaneously.

Quora: The well-known online forum is a goldmine for promoting your app. You can search for questions related to your app’s keywords then provide valuable answers while incorporating your app into the answer. This is in-bound and guerilla marketing at its finest.  

Seeing is believing  

The easiest way to explain something is through the use of video — promotional and instructional videos — that illustrate how your app will entertain, thrill or help users. Here are the top solutions:

Promo by Slidely: This is best for promoting utility apps, to brand your app to potential users with a short video ad. The videos are professional and grab users attention with stunning footage and great music.

CamStudio: This is an open-source screen recorder for computers to create streaming flash videos. This is best for instructional videos for a mobile game, since the user should be able to view real game play before they install the game on their mobile device.

Twitch: This is an extremely popular live streaming video platform, whereby hardcorde gamers view real-time game play, including mobile games. The fun part (in our humble opinion) is the commentary on the side. If you can get your game onto here, you’ll get a huge amount of exposure and buzz that you can leverage in further promotion.

Twitch screenshot – Image credit: Justin Sanghara

You got this!

To let your app fly free and take off without a hitch, there are many things on the to-do list, including press releases, knowing which markets to target, and applying some of the solutions we mentioned above. Launching your app is no simple task— but with the right attitude, the right solutions and a flexible approach, your app will soar to new heights by reaching new users and getting top ratings that will keep you flying high.

Related content: Mistakes to avoid when launching an app