Mobile Apps as Marketing Tool

Today mobile app development is one of the most prosperous areas of business. Mobile apps are developed to get money for each activation or to support the business providing a competitive advantage.

However, sometimes mobile apps are developed not as a direct tool to get profits (from app purchases or subscriptions) or as a solution for some business technical issues (for the in-house use). Mobile applications have become a very powerful marketing tool.

An application made for marketing is an opportunity to build demand for the product or service. And today we have made a list of options for marketers who are going to use mobile applications in their work.

Create useful apps. This is one of the latest trends. Today, people want to spend time usefully not only at work. There are some tasks that can be solved on the way to work, for example.

Everyone who lives in a city faces traffic jams and long queues and doesn’t know what to do with this downtime. So, you can develop such an app, which would allow people to spend their time with advantage. Think about developing apps for iPad or Android users.

Make a list of what a potential customer would like to do on the way to work: to learn a new language, to listen to a podcast, to read a new eBook?

Focusing on the list you will be able to predict what app you need to develop. Currently opportunities of mobile app developers are so broad that they can create almost any program, turning it into an application for mobile gadgets. So, do not limit your imagination and flow of ideas.

But also remember that the app should have a direct and clear marketing purpose. Don’t forget that application should be not only interesting, but also it should generates leads.

Create interactive applications. Mobile assistants are a great option for marketing your business, if you want to attract people who like to learn something new and want to systematize actions required to perform a certain task. Audience of such application can be very diverse. Starting with housewives who want to find out how to manage a day and ending with CTOs who need online help in their field.

You will certainly find the target audience who need interactive help and will offer something to make their lives more comfortable.

Create media applications. Media applications is a great outlet for all kinds of news portals. Such applications deliver content directly to users. You can think over development of a media app if you have a solid audience online.

Sometimes media applications are developed for those who have popular communities in social networks. But in this case you have to come up with a really original idea to make people want to install the application. If you just offer the same news as in the community, people won’t load the app, they will use the well-known Facebook app instead.

Create applications that help to plan and track the results. In other words, applications that allow users to set goals, track the process and analyze the results will be truly effective in the marketing.

Create time-saving applications. Any application that will help your potential customers to save time and simultaneously will be a marketing instrument for your product/service is a must to develop!

Think how you can save your potential customers at least an hour a day. It may be similar to a simulator on time management: certain tasks on time and so on. It mainly depends on your target audience.

If you manage to develop an effective system of time management teaching the client to save their own time using your app, and you come up with how to implement your product marketing in this application, then certainly you won’t be left without income.

In conclusion some advice for you:

1) Don’t forget that marketing mobile apps should be developed with a definite marketing goal, otherwise it will be a budget waste.

2) Apps have to be really helpful to your potential customers.

3) Apps should be free. Don’t make your life harder: people love free offers.

4) Try to come up with an effective way for the marketing function activation and do not just advertise your product in the application. Do not be intrusive. People will appreciate it.

via Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/mobile-apps/mobile-apps-marketing-tool-0724224?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mobile-apps-marketing-tool