Is it possible to get to the top App Store for free and what to do if it was not possible to do it for free
For those who don’t like to read a lot and want to know all the answers at once, I’ll write in the first lines of this short article that, in my humble experience, it’s terribly difficult to get to the App Store’s “top” and this requires a lot of effort. Moreover, I will tell you that major publishers get out of the “top” precisely due to the well-adjusted work with journalists, bloggers and various portals writing about mobile applications, and of course due to a well-established application marketing system aimed at increasing the number of downloads. It’s a bit easier to stuff stuff into the top free app, of course, provided that Apple notices it and puts it in the New & Noteworthy (New and Noteworthy) on the App Store. And now everything in order.
Part 1: Design, design, once again design and some good ideas.
Observing what is happening in the App Store since 2009, I gradually come to the conclusion that the “censors” of this app store are focusing on design. Apple is actively “promoting” absolutely everything that fits its notion of conciseness of forms and correctness of the interface. Let it be the one hundred thousand organizer, which, if you look at it, competes in functionality with the “Tasks” internal application, but if it is designed as Clear - be sure, it will be noticed by Apple and will fall into all sorts of lists.
')
Of course, the dear Habrachitel now objected: "But what about the idea?". It turns out that the idea is secondary. Even the best idea is sometimes worn out with a bad design, the application falls to the bottom of the App Store where a lot of other good, but absolutely unnoticed applications are already lying around, the developer loses his hands, and business doesn't even reach marketing. This happens in the absolute majority of cases when development is conducted by an “indie developer” / programmer. Yes, with Doodle Jump was different, but this is more the exception than the rule.
The lucky ones get into all sorts of lists, of which there are many in the App Store. Then you and the "App Store for newbies", and "Photography", and "The best applications for DJs," and a lot of something else. The major news sites, such as Macworld, TUAW and AppleInsider, notice well those who get on these lists, but what’s next? Surely many people do not know that the Russian Apple weekly sends journalists a selection of "selected" applications that are worth paying attention to in the App Store. In general, the essence is - make the "right" application, and Apple itself will actively "promote" you.
a) Feel the “Apple Design”: you definitely need to make an application that “will like” Apple. This is the cheapest way to go to the top. All other methods are very expensive. Take a close look at what the “censors” of the App Store love by looking at:
- what applications receive awards at WWDC ;
- what applications fall into all lists in the App Store;
- which applications are sent to the journalists in the newsletter (if there is access to this newsletter, if there is no access - the first two points are enough).
b) Hire a cool designer: crap artists from programmers. Many Habry readers will now put a minus, scroll the page up and go read the following article. But those few who will be able to recognize the fact that they do not know how to do absolutely everything alone can write an application that will fall into the “top” of the App Store and earn millions. Of course there are exceptions, such as the same Doodle Jump and other "indie" applications. It is better to look for an artist on Behance , or the same Free Lance, or Huntim (an excellent Habrow “freelance” and “job offer” service). When searching for an artist, I highly recommend opening the boundaries of your imagination and not looking for an artist from Russia . Of course, European artists are likely to be expensive, but for example, a designer from South Africa or Australia / New Zealand may be afford. You will have an international team, and believe me, asking uncomfortable questions, he will teach you a lot in the process of working on the application. He has a different mentality and you can immediately test how your application will be perceived there, behind the hill (probably not for me to tell you that paid applications in Russia and paid applications that download downloads in the USA are two different stories on profitability).
c) Don't be wise: “Running a poorly working application is still better than never running a perfect one,” says one good friend of mine from Google. And he is right! The main thing is not to allow critical errors, crashes and what is called “bad user experience”. If any functionality is available only to the second version - users will not be offended. In addition, there will be time to study, and what kind of functionality is needed. Get "feedback" so to speak.
If everything went well with what was described in the first part, then this section is not necessary to read. Surely your application is already in the "top", it is perfectly downloaded, and money is falling on the credit card. If this is not the case yet, a very expensive and not very pleasant story begins - application marketing.
Here it is necessary to immediately identify two areas of work: advertising, aimed at direct downloads and information activities, that is, PR. Let's start in order:
- Social networks: We are accustomed to the fact that everything is in social networks, and, moreover, there you can easily make a target for a target audience (men, women, age, interests, etc.). Draw for yourself a portrait of the audience of your application or game and buy ads with a link to the application page in the App Store. Facebook has a convenient tool for buying clicks from mobile devices , you can set up Facebook Ads that will be shown on desktops, VKontakte works better with public documents, Odnoklassniki is difficult to do something on applications, Twitter drives news content - create an account and publish Links to relevant news dialing subscribers.
- Advertising CPA networks: You can buy downloads on special CPA networks, the attitude towards which is ambiguous (you can read about ambiguity and bans in English here and here , and in the meantime we will continue). By the way, Apple is quite controversial about purchasing downloads, although the question is certainly philosophical. It turns out that if you buy the download of an application through the Apple advertising network, then this is not a ban, and if through a third-party, then this is already “ah-ah-ah” and out of the “top”. The logic is not very clear and it is difficult to comment on it, so I’ll just give a list of the largest networks. To buy or not to buy, decide for yourself.
www.flurry.com - the largest CPA network, you pay for installing the application and not for a click;
www.tapjoy.com is also very large, you pay for installing the application;
www.w3i.com (now nativex.com ) - the same story;
www.apprupt.com is some kind of German CPA network, not as large as the first three.
Well, the officers:
www.google.com/ads/admob - CPA from Google;
advertising.apple.com - Apple's CPA.
- Specialized editions: Here we reached the "classic PR." We are preparing a press release, we are creating a medialist (base of publications and journalists with telephones, e-mail addresses, etc.) and launching newsletters. I will say right away - everyone will send a price tag . Popular publications such as ProstoMAC, AppleInsider.ru and iGuides will ask you from 2 to 10 thousand rubles. for the publication of a "promotional review". The fact is that all these specialized publications earn just on the developers, so for free there stuff stuff about your application will only get a good acquaintance and personal agreement. I don’t have to talk about iPhones.ru at all - at least 30 thousand rubles, although there is an opportunity to put “dev stori” on the site if the authors of the project really like it and will meet their requirements. With such layouts, my personal opinion is that everything is special. publications should be considered as one of the marketing channels of promotion and managed accordingly (how to manage marketing channels, read below in practical tips).
- General media: When it turns out that in spec. it is highly recommended to pay attention to all other media outlets in publications only “for loot”. Think: Who would be interested in your application? What social problems can you become attached to? How to interest the mainstream? After the answers to these questions are found, do not be afraid to include RBC, Vedomosti, glossy publications and everyone else who, incidentally, also sometimes writes about applications, and does not take money for it. Not the fact that the shoot, but what the hell is not joking. If you are making an application for motorists, include all automotive publications in the list, if this application is a crucial social problem, send a release to Moskovsky Komsomolets.
a) Try marketing channels: Create for yourself a table of channels for attracting traffic which includes promo in specials. publications, social networks, purchase of downloads and any other tools you have invented (including painting graffiti on asphalt, distributing leaflets at the metro, agitators and grandmothers and what else you can think of). Divide the entire marketing budget through these channels on the basis of common sense and assumptions regarding the effectiveness of their work, say, for six months. And if, for example, as a result of the first month from Facebook, you did not receive the required number of downloads, try to transfer part of the budget to grandmothers with agitation, who worked more efficiently - it’s important that you should have a budget for several months and at least there would be 5-6 marketing channels in the mix . Otherwise it just does not work.
b) Do not limit yourself to specialized media: having released a release to specialized sites that write about applications, and get back the price list, do not despair. Dig further and something will work out.
c) Make the release informative: the release must include links to graphic materials (icon, screenshots, teaser image for the article). Do not shove pictures into the body of the letter, publications are not pleased to receive letters of 5-6 MB - it is better to put the files on DropBox and give a link to download. If you can make a small video and put it on YouTube, it will be only a plus. It is necessary to indicate feedback in the release for communication and to duplicate the release itself in the body of the letter. Feel free to offer promotional codes for review, interviews with the developer and other "tasty" journalistic bonuses that experienced sharks feathers can bite.
The well-known company Habré GameInsight organizes meetings with journalists from the main 1-on-1 editions. Simply invite leading authors to pizza, chips and Coca-Cola, and then show the games that are still in development and will be launched in a few months. Personal communication in working with the media plays an extremely important role. If you send a press release, you can get 1-2 publications at the exit, and having arranged an "event" you will most likely get 10-20.
It is clear that if you are an indie developer with a very limited budget for marketing your offspring, then getting out is difficult. The event in Moscow will cost at least 200-250 thousand rubles, and still need to collect a press kit for the journalist, which will include a certificate of the application, a flash drive with the materials and some gift (yes, yes - journalists without a gift are no longer released) . In short, the pleasure is not cheap. True money is definitely not thrown to the wind. If journalists come (by the way, there are events for which journalists cannot be collected, this is the “file” or the application itself, or the PR team working on the project), then you will have a pool of loyal authors who, most likely, will write something with which you can then communicate, and additional questions, harassment and all sorts of tricks to bring to the published review. In general, it is worthwhile, but small practical advice on the topic.
a) Charismatic speaker: The most important thing at a press conference is the speaker. If you mumble something into a microphone in an incomprehensible language of journalists, periodically stumbling and poking into the presentation, decent ones, slightly sleeping, stay to the end, and the most arrogant will go in the middle of the action demoralizing you even more. So, if the genius speaker Steve Jobs does not live inside of you, and “Awesome” with “Amazing” cannot be pulled out of you in life - it is better to find someone to present.
b) Visual presentation and healthy humor: Joke, amuse the audience, do everything so that the attention to you and the screen does not weaken. So you keep the concentration of journalists until the end of the event. They will find all the important information in a press release or ask later. questions by email. Do not be afraid to underdevelop something - be afraid of losing the interest of the audience.
c) Buffet dinner and gifts: Bribing a journalist is a criminal offense and is punishable by law. But no one said anything about gifts and press whales. You definitely need to use this - give journalists a board game about startups, a DVD with an interesting TV show, such as Top Gear, turn on your imagination! Your efforts will not be in vain. And, of course, a buffet after the event - do not arrange a disco, do not serve a lot of alcohol, a journalist should be able to soberly reach the workplace and record the information received. Use the buffet for a session of additional questions. The developer and project manager must be there and continue to communicate with the media. By the way, if after the press conference you were asked 5-10 questions - everything went well. If there are no questions from the floor, you most likely overwhelmed the “event”.
Part 1: Design, design, once again design and some good ideas.
Observing what is happening in the App Store since 2009, I gradually come to the conclusion that the “censors” of this app store are focusing on design. Apple is actively “promoting” absolutely everything that fits its notion of conciseness of forms and correctness of the interface. Let it be the one hundred thousand organizer, which, if you look at it, competes in functionality with the “Tasks” internal application, but if it is designed as Clear - be sure, it will be noticed by Apple and will fall into all sorts of lists.
')
Of course, the dear Habrachitel now objected: "But what about the idea?". It turns out that the idea is secondary. Even the best idea is sometimes worn out with a bad design, the application falls to the bottom of the App Store where a lot of other good, but absolutely unnoticed applications are already lying around, the developer loses his hands, and business doesn't even reach marketing. This happens in the absolute majority of cases when development is conducted by an “indie developer” / programmer. Yes, with Doodle Jump was different, but this is more the exception than the rule.
The lucky ones get into all sorts of lists, of which there are many in the App Store. Then you and the "App Store for newbies", and "Photography", and "The best applications for DJs," and a lot of something else. The major news sites, such as Macworld, TUAW and AppleInsider, notice well those who get on these lists, but what’s next? Surely many people do not know that the Russian Apple weekly sends journalists a selection of "selected" applications that are worth paying attention to in the App Store. In general, the essence is - make the "right" application, and Apple itself will actively "promote" you.
Practical tips:
a) Feel the “Apple Design”: you definitely need to make an application that “will like” Apple. This is the cheapest way to go to the top. All other methods are very expensive. Take a close look at what the “censors” of the App Store love by looking at:
- what applications receive awards at WWDC ;
- what applications fall into all lists in the App Store;
- which applications are sent to the journalists in the newsletter (if there is access to this newsletter, if there is no access - the first two points are enough).
b) Hire a cool designer: crap artists from programmers. Many Habry readers will now put a minus, scroll the page up and go read the following article. But those few who will be able to recognize the fact that they do not know how to do absolutely everything alone can write an application that will fall into the “top” of the App Store and earn millions. Of course there are exceptions, such as the same Doodle Jump and other "indie" applications. It is better to look for an artist on Behance , or the same Free Lance, or Huntim (an excellent Habrow “freelance” and “job offer” service). When searching for an artist, I highly recommend opening the boundaries of your imagination and not looking for an artist from Russia . Of course, European artists are likely to be expensive, but for example, a designer from South Africa or Australia / New Zealand may be afford. You will have an international team, and believe me, asking uncomfortable questions, he will teach you a lot in the process of working on the application. He has a different mentality and you can immediately test how your application will be perceived there, behind the hill (probably not for me to tell you that paid applications in Russia and paid applications that download downloads in the USA are two different stories on profitability).
c) Don't be wise: “Running a poorly working application is still better than never running a perfect one,” says one good friend of mine from Google. And he is right! The main thing is not to allow critical errors, crashes and what is called “bad user experience”. If any functionality is available only to the second version - users will not be offended. In addition, there will be time to study, and what kind of functionality is needed. Get "feedback" so to speak.
Part 2: Advertising and PR
If everything went well with what was described in the first part, then this section is not necessary to read. Surely your application is already in the "top", it is perfectly downloaded, and money is falling on the credit card. If this is not the case yet, a very expensive and not very pleasant story begins - application marketing.
Here it is necessary to immediately identify two areas of work: advertising, aimed at direct downloads and information activities, that is, PR. Let's start in order:
- Social networks: We are accustomed to the fact that everything is in social networks, and, moreover, there you can easily make a target for a target audience (men, women, age, interests, etc.). Draw for yourself a portrait of the audience of your application or game and buy ads with a link to the application page in the App Store. Facebook has a convenient tool for buying clicks from mobile devices , you can set up Facebook Ads that will be shown on desktops, VKontakte works better with public documents, Odnoklassniki is difficult to do something on applications, Twitter drives news content - create an account and publish Links to relevant news dialing subscribers.
- Advertising CPA networks: You can buy downloads on special CPA networks, the attitude towards which is ambiguous (you can read about ambiguity and bans in English here and here , and in the meantime we will continue). By the way, Apple is quite controversial about purchasing downloads, although the question is certainly philosophical. It turns out that if you buy the download of an application through the Apple advertising network, then this is not a ban, and if through a third-party, then this is already “ah-ah-ah” and out of the “top”. The logic is not very clear and it is difficult to comment on it, so I’ll just give a list of the largest networks. To buy or not to buy, decide for yourself.
www.flurry.com - the largest CPA network, you pay for installing the application and not for a click;
www.tapjoy.com is also very large, you pay for installing the application;
www.w3i.com (now nativex.com ) - the same story;
www.apprupt.com is some kind of German CPA network, not as large as the first three.
Well, the officers:
www.google.com/ads/admob - CPA from Google;
advertising.apple.com - Apple's CPA.
- Specialized editions: Here we reached the "classic PR." We are preparing a press release, we are creating a medialist (base of publications and journalists with telephones, e-mail addresses, etc.) and launching newsletters. I will say right away - everyone will send a price tag . Popular publications such as ProstoMAC, AppleInsider.ru and iGuides will ask you from 2 to 10 thousand rubles. for the publication of a "promotional review". The fact is that all these specialized publications earn just on the developers, so for free there stuff stuff about your application will only get a good acquaintance and personal agreement. I don’t have to talk about iPhones.ru at all - at least 30 thousand rubles, although there is an opportunity to put “dev stori” on the site if the authors of the project really like it and will meet their requirements. With such layouts, my personal opinion is that everything is special. publications should be considered as one of the marketing channels of promotion and managed accordingly (how to manage marketing channels, read below in practical tips).
- General media: When it turns out that in spec. it is highly recommended to pay attention to all other media outlets in publications only “for loot”. Think: Who would be interested in your application? What social problems can you become attached to? How to interest the mainstream? After the answers to these questions are found, do not be afraid to include RBC, Vedomosti, glossy publications and everyone else who, incidentally, also sometimes writes about applications, and does not take money for it. Not the fact that the shoot, but what the hell is not joking. If you are making an application for motorists, include all automotive publications in the list, if this application is a crucial social problem, send a release to Moskovsky Komsomolets.
Practical tips:
a) Try marketing channels: Create for yourself a table of channels for attracting traffic which includes promo in specials. publications, social networks, purchase of downloads and any other tools you have invented (including painting graffiti on asphalt, distributing leaflets at the metro, agitators and grandmothers and what else you can think of). Divide the entire marketing budget through these channels on the basis of common sense and assumptions regarding the effectiveness of their work, say, for six months. And if, for example, as a result of the first month from Facebook, you did not receive the required number of downloads, try to transfer part of the budget to grandmothers with agitation, who worked more efficiently - it’s important that you should have a budget for several months and at least there would be 5-6 marketing channels in the mix . Otherwise it just does not work.
b) Do not limit yourself to specialized media: having released a release to specialized sites that write about applications, and get back the price list, do not despair. Dig further and something will work out.
c) Make the release informative: the release must include links to graphic materials (icon, screenshots, teaser image for the article). Do not shove pictures into the body of the letter, publications are not pleased to receive letters of 5-6 MB - it is better to put the files on DropBox and give a link to download. If you can make a small video and put it on YouTube, it will be only a plus. It is necessary to indicate feedback in the release for communication and to duplicate the release itself in the body of the letter. Feel free to offer promotional codes for review, interviews with the developer and other "tasty" journalistic bonuses that experienced sharks feathers can bite.
Part 3: Do not neglect the "event" and personal meeting
The well-known company Habré GameInsight organizes meetings with journalists from the main 1-on-1 editions. Simply invite leading authors to pizza, chips and Coca-Cola, and then show the games that are still in development and will be launched in a few months. Personal communication in working with the media plays an extremely important role. If you send a press release, you can get 1-2 publications at the exit, and having arranged an "event" you will most likely get 10-20.
It is clear that if you are an indie developer with a very limited budget for marketing your offspring, then getting out is difficult. The event in Moscow will cost at least 200-250 thousand rubles, and still need to collect a press kit for the journalist, which will include a certificate of the application, a flash drive with the materials and some gift (yes, yes - journalists without a gift are no longer released) . In short, the pleasure is not cheap. True money is definitely not thrown to the wind. If journalists come (by the way, there are events for which journalists cannot be collected, this is the “file” or the application itself, or the PR team working on the project), then you will have a pool of loyal authors who, most likely, will write something with which you can then communicate, and additional questions, harassment and all sorts of tricks to bring to the published review. In general, it is worthwhile, but small practical advice on the topic.
Practical tips:
a) Charismatic speaker: The most important thing at a press conference is the speaker. If you mumble something into a microphone in an incomprehensible language of journalists, periodically stumbling and poking into the presentation, decent ones, slightly sleeping, stay to the end, and the most arrogant will go in the middle of the action demoralizing you even more. So, if the genius speaker Steve Jobs does not live inside of you, and “Awesome” with “Amazing” cannot be pulled out of you in life - it is better to find someone to present.
b) Visual presentation and healthy humor: Joke, amuse the audience, do everything so that the attention to you and the screen does not weaken. So you keep the concentration of journalists until the end of the event. They will find all the important information in a press release or ask later. questions by email. Do not be afraid to underdevelop something - be afraid of losing the interest of the audience.
c) Buffet dinner and gifts: Bribing a journalist is a criminal offense and is punishable by law. But no one said anything about gifts and press whales. You definitely need to use this - give journalists a board game about startups, a DVD with an interesting TV show, such as Top Gear, turn on your imagination! Your efforts will not be in vain. And, of course, a buffet after the event - do not arrange a disco, do not serve a lot of alcohol, a journalist should be able to soberly reach the workplace and record the information received. Use the buffet for a session of additional questions. The developer and project manager must be there and continue to communicate with the media. By the way, if after the press conference you were asked 5-10 questions - everything went well. If there are no questions from the floor, you most likely overwhelmed the “event”.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/184500/
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