It’s no wonder brands are jumping on the app bandwagon; Australians have a delectable appetite for them! In fact, the average Australian spends 86% of their smart phone time [insert hyperlink] using digital apps.

With more than a thousand news apps released each day in both the Appstore and Google Play Store, brands must spend time and money to succeed. Generating buzz can start as early as six months prior to the launch date.
Here are IMPACT’s top tips on how to launch an app:

1. Create a landing page: Brands must grow momentum as launch date approaches. A good way to drive traffic is to invest in digital advertising to your app’s landing page. This should include the app description, screen grabs, features and a mailing list for launch details. Templates are readily available online.
2. Provide beta testing: Register to app review sites, such as PreApps [insert hyperlink], to share and test the app with users. Create a soft launch for existing customers to trial and review the app, then engage with tech media sites to review it under an embargo.
3. Blog to generate content: Research shows that companies that publish 16 blogs per month get almost 3.5 time more traffic [insert hyperlink] than companies that publish 0-4 monthly posts.
4. Create news for the launch: Traditional media is an important platform to promote your app. Consider surveys or research [insert hyperlink to ‘Building reputation from the inside out’], celebrity endorsements or multimedia materials (e.g. infographics) to appeal to media.
5. Develop specific launch campaigns for social channels such as YouTube and Facebook: Video produces conversions better than any other type of content. Be as targeted as you can for Facebook advertising by utilising its tools. Content on owned channels should include ‘download app and win’ competitions with incentives as well as official launch day buzz and ‘noise’.
6. Support with relevant content: Create a story narrative that will continue to add consistent messages to your audience in relevant and authentic ways. Build a social media content calendar that considers peak engagement times and brand events.
7. Measure and optimise: Constantly review and adjust your focus depending on what’s working.

You get just one chance when you launch or update your app! It’s not just the initial surge that makes a good launch so important; it’s also the reviews and inertia. Follow these steps and you’ll see your app reach the stores’ Top lists.
For more information on how to launch your app, please contact IMPACT Communications.