From boosting productivity and managing money to tracking fitness progress and providing entertainment on the go, apps are ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives. And, as the universe of mobile applications continues to expand, today's developers have the chance to truly make an impact.

At the same time, it has never been more difficult for apps to stand out from the background noise, which makes focusing on marketing a top priority for independent developers. Start crafting your promotion strategy with the tips below. 

Learn More About the Mobile App Industry

The global mobile application market is growing at an unprecedented annual rate of 13.4%, and it is expected to deliver more than $565 billion in revenue by 2030. But while the market is certainly booming, this data alone might be misleading - especially as app stores become more overcrowded by the minute. 

So, before diving headfirst into your app launch, consider looking into today's market, identify rising trends, analyze your competition, and pinpoint a potentially profitable gap for your app to exist in. In such a highly competitive environment, the quality of your due diligence can truly make or break your app's success.

Get To Know Your Audience With a Customer Persona

Without a thorough understanding of your audience, you'll run the risk of misspending a large part of your budget on generic or sweeping marketing efforts, which won't deliver the expected results. 

If you are struggling to visualize your target, crafting a customer persona can help. This exercise allows you to pinpoint your audience's needs, problems that need solving, lifestyle factors, average wealth, and preferences. In turn, this intel can work as a solid foundation for a more successful marketing campaign. 

Focus on ASO

ASO - or App Store Optimization - is a crucial aspect of all mobile application marketing, no matter whether you are looking to promote video games online or trying to increase your productivity app's organic traffic. 

Some of the best practices of ASO all developers should follow include researching the right keywords, optimizing the app's title and description, using videos and screenshots to boost the app store's presence, and leveraging reviews. 

Pitch to Publishers

If you are an independent developer struggling to access the funds necessary for a marketing campaign, pitching your idea to publishers can help. 

Working with a specialized app publishing agency might rob you of some creative control over your up and a percentage of its profits. 

However, the top 1% of app publishers generate 80% of all new installs of the nearly 30 billion app downloads that took place in Q3 2019, which gives you an idea of how beneficial this kind of partnership might be for your app. 

Work With a Specialized Marketing Agency

Marketing your app in today's highly competitive market can be a daunting experience, which may drain your brand of essential resources without delivering the results you had hoped to see. 

Luckily, agencies such as upptic.com focus on helping developers and app publishers achieve their goals through highly specialized web3 and mobile app marketing strategies. 

Track Your Performance 

Tracking your marketing efforts' performance from the very start and through the A\B testing phase can help you understand how to efficiently invest your marketing budget. 

While KPIs vary depending on the type of game you have developed, some key metrics to monitor include customer lifetime value, churn rate, retention rate, and cost per install. 

Release Your App in More Than One Store

While Google Play Store and iOS App Store are the main platforms to promote your game, new options emerge each day. And you might even find that alternatives such as the Amazon App Store and SlideMe work better for your goals. 

Leverage Cross-Promotion

Cross-promotion involves partnering with other app creators, developers, and publishers to help both parties acquire more users, boost visibility, and increase the number of downloads. 

When choosing a partner to cross-promote your app, make sure to review the other creator's values and audience to ensure that you are targeting your own app to a receptive demographic.

Be Clear on Your Monetization Strategy

App monetization should play a major role in your marketing decision-making process. After all, marketing is all about communicating the right message to prospective users. So, the same call to action, such as "download for free" or "start playing for free", might not work equally well for Free-to-Play (F2P) games and paid applications. 

Don't Underestimate the Power of Reviews and Word of Mouth

The strategies above are critical to the success of your marketing campaign. But what truly makes an app go viral is your users' sentiment. Focus on collecting reviews, promoting word of mouth, and partnering with influencers your audience trusts to see your project explode in popularity.