Outsourced Android app promotion: the next step after Android app development

Companies in the mobile phone business have to come up with a gamut of apps to cater to their billions of users. To keep up with the competition, these companies choose to outsource design and development of their Android mobile applications.

After the outsourcing service provider delivers the mobile apps and these are published in the Google Play store or another site where apps may be downloaded, the company would want as many users as possible to download its apps. Google Play is the most prominent Android application market in the world. It has over 700,000 apps and has had billions of app downloads. To increase the presence and sales of mobile devices, the right mix of app promotion activities is required.

To get users interested in particular apps in a very crowded marketplace, a company would have to promote them. Often, the company outsources Android app promotion to the same business process outsourcing (BPO) company that developed the app.

There are many methods to promote Android apps. Most companies prefer to promote apps through a combination of methods. The best balance of methods is something an outsourcing provider would be able to determine and implement. Among the outsourced Android app promotion methods are the following:

• Localization or location targeting. Among others, this would be useful for travel apps, or apps a frequent traveler would download from airports, hotels, bus or train stations and rental car locations.
• App store optimization (ASO). This is a kind of search engine optimization (SEO). It involves gathering and structuring important, relevant data to improve the app’s position in the app store.
• App reviews, feedback and customer engagement. It’s a good idea to allow potential customers to review and give feedback on the app. The best case would be that many customers will provide positive feedback and give good ratings for the app. However, even if the reviews are not excellent, if the company is seen as making an effort to address comments and issues about the app, this involvement and action will improve app reviews. Responding to customers and proper handling of issues enhance customer engagement.
• This would entail using the many marketing methods for Android app promotion, including email, collaterals, online advertising, etc.
• Cross-promotion. If you have a partner in another business or industry, the outsourcer can arrange for the partner to promote the app in exchange for promotion the partner’s business. For example, if a partner has a retail presence, this partner can promote the app in the physical outlets, while the app itself will promote the stores.
• Online PR. This app promotion method entails using online news and similar sites to promote the app.
• Improving push notification. Push notifications can serve to remind customers about them app when the customers are sent regular, useful information and updates. The goal is that the customers will go back to the app, check it out again and download it or use it more.
• Building online communities/online presence. This can be done through blogging, comment marketing, type-in traffic, podcasting, forums, Q&A sites, infographics, document sharing, and many more online tools.
• Submission to gaming/app websites. With the proliferation of multiple gaming and app websites, the outsourcing provider would need to be knowledgeable as to which websites are the best to submit the app to.

Even when using a good mix of Android app promotion methods, some apps are more successful than others, but choosing an experienced outsourcing provider for Android app promotion increases chances for success.