Mobile Apps Marketing 101by MELISSA HIGBEE  on JUNE 27, 2011

One of the best ways to promote your business is with the use of a mobile app. By creating a mobile

app, you open up all sorts of opportunities, from branding to sales to simply connecting with

customers and potential customers. And, with the decline of traditional marketing venues like print

and television, mobile marketing is becoming one of the key ways you can reach your customer

base.

Constant communication with your customer

One of the many boons to businesses that come about with mobile app marketing is that you have

the opportunity to communicate with your customer on a routine basis. Every time a customer turns

on her phone and navigates to the page your app is on, she’s going to think of your business. You

can’t get that kind of exposure in traditional marketing models.

In fact, mobile app marketing may be the single marketing channel that lets your customers connect

with you without limits. Day or night, at home or traveling or at work, your app is there, waiting to

bring customers to you.

Two Mobile app marketing models

There are a number of different ways to reach customers with mobile apps. By looking at some of

the big companies and how they’ve connected with their clients, you can see those models.

There are two major approaches you can take to mobile app marketing:

Branded apps. This type of app doesn’t necessarily tell the user about your company, or at

least that’s not the primary function. The primary function of a branded app is to entertain or

inform the user. A good example of this is the Audi A4 app. This app – the A4 Driving Challenge

– lets you use the built-in accelerometer in the iPhone to create all sorts of driving situations.

You can choose your course; pick a specific Audi model and more.

In-app advertising. These apps are specifically designed to provide information about your

business to users. Levis put out an ad for Dockers, for example, that lets the user shake the

iPhone and watch a Dockers-wearing model break dance on the screen.

Which model you choose depends, to some degree, on the nature of your business. Both models

have proven to be effective for certain businesses.

Adding value

One of the best things you can do for your business is to provide value to your customers via your

mobile app. For example, let’s suppose that you run a catering business. You might create a mobile

app that walks the user step-by-step through the process of creating a menu for their wedding.

The value-add model isn’t a new one. This goes back to the idea of the “free sample.” The idea is

that, if your product is good enough, just a taste of what it can do will compel the customer to buy.

Another aspect in which adding value via a mobile app increases your business is in the area of

authority. By providing reliable, useful, accurate information to your customers, you help to establish

your business as the go-to business in your field.

Making it easier to shop

Some mobile apps can make it easier for customers to do business with you. For example, you

might have an app that will scan the bar codes of the products in your store and provide detailed

information or reviews to your customers.

Another approach in this category is the coupon app. A coupon app will deliver exclusive coupons to

your mobile app customers. The customer doesn’t have to do any clipping, and doesn’t have to

worry about forgetting the coupon at home. They simply go to your store, open the app, and get the

discount.

Quality is essential

All of this doesn’t come easy, however. The fact is that there are more than 350,000 apps in the

Apple app store alone. Other app stores – such as those for Nokia and Android – are increasing

daily. You need something that will make your app stand out among all of the others, and a reason

for users to download your app.

That means having a quality mobile app. Of those 350,000 apps available for the iPhone, a great

many are poorly-developed, difficult to use, have a poor interface, or just really don’t provide any

value or use to the customer.

Your app has to stand out if it’s going to be downloaded, and if it’s going to drive customers to your

business. Make sure to have your app developed by a company that understands the marketplace,

and that has a proven track record of success with mobile app marketing.