How to Build Your Community and Market to Them Through a Mobile App!

Strategies  to help you grow your community and market to them...

Once your mobile app has been developed and released to market, you want to get the word out fast that it’s available. You should use several different marketing methods to spread the word including social media sites. If you have a brick and mortar store front such as a restaurant or other shop that people walk into, be sure use key areas to display your QR code and a direct download link - you can even use the “text to” a number method to send the link directly to their cell phone for people to easily download your mobile app.

Getting your app downloaded fast is an essential key to building your community of loyal customers. To encourage people to download your mobile app, you want to provide them with a strong incentive. Make a special offer that’s only available through your mobile app - such as a free small product and/or create a loyalty rewards program. Both of these work really well and can be combined to maximize the desire to keep using your mobile app. Be sure to include in your marketing for the mobile app some or all of the following points; the ease of getting information updates fast regarding your specials or discounts only found through your mobile app, tips about enjoying your business or your products, and early information on upcoming events (which allows your community to know ahead of time for planning).

After the app is downloaded, be sure to follow through with the product offer! If you plan to tie your product offer into the loyalty rewards, then after the consumer receives your offer, they can begin to earn points each time they visit your business or make a small purchase. You’ve probably seen loyalty rewards programs before, but the best part about using this via a mobile app is that we always have our cell phones with us! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve misplaced a loyalty card and felt frustrated that I’ve lost the chance to rack up more points towards my freebie! Using your mobile app to provide coupons gives you greater control over your marketing AND consumers can easily find and access your coupons! Additionally, your business will be known as a green business, a protector of our environment!

Now that you’ve got their attention, What’s next? Once someone has downloaded your mobile app, your real marketing begins... At this time it’s good to consider how you will be marketing with your app. Knowing what can you do to build up your communication so that people don’t feel like they are just being bombarded with your ads is key to keeping the communication pathway open. The most important aspect to consider, is that having your mobile app on someone’s phone is sort of like using a privileged social marketing tool. You don’t want to abuse this privilege at any point! Your goal is to encourage the conversation which in turn will build up your social approval rating.

Encourage a natural flow of using your app’s features, such as adding a photo, video, or comment to your fan wall. Visiting Facebook through your mobile app to write on your Facebook page is a great feature. Ask the community to record an audio suggestion or comment and send it to you for review. Run a contest to help spread the word about your mobile app - have your current clients post a short video or audio through your mobile app about some of the cool built-in features they like to use. Perhaps they’ve used the “Find My Car” feature when they don’t remember where they left their car. Or they are new to town and used the GPS locate us feature to guide them to your business. The more you encourage people to use your mobile app features, the more likely they will readily tell their friends about it!

Continuously market to get the word out about your mobile app - by posting a short video or audio on your social media and encourage people to download & share. When customers show up at your business, if they haven’t yet downloaded your mobile app, encourage them to get your app for all it’s great features and your specials & updates. For those customers who already have your mobile app, encourage them post a photo about their fun moments on your events wall and share what they liked best.

From a strictly marketing perspective, you always want to provide good content information through your mobile app. Beyond the typical “About Us - Find Us - Contact Us” information, you should also include the products and or services you provide.  In addition, other information you provide can be about events, specials, and even tips. Remember that your mobile app is a two way communication street. Keep it clean and clutter free from abuse. Push notifications are used to highlight information and is different from SMS (text messages). Because these notifications can be viewed immediately or when the consumer is ready to read at their leisure. And the notifications don't clutter up the text message inbox. Use the push notifications also for a call to action! If an event requires sign up or registration, then provide a link to your sign up page tab. If you’re running a new special, provide a link to the page about the special and whether or not it will be included in your loyalty rewards program.

There are literally tons of additional ways to encourage the download & usage of your mobile app. When used appropriately, your mobile app becomes a key marketing strategy to build your community of loyalty consumers.

To find out more about what features are included in your mobile app, visit us today to review information about our mobile apps at Go2MobilePro

Debra Diamond
Mobile Marketing Strategist
Skype : DiamondeMedia