Mobile applications have become a routine, an addiction now.
This research by Statista says that in the year 2021, the number of mobile application downloads will reach up to 352.9 billion. And, you can see in the image above that what the figure was in the year 2016 and what it will reach up to.
Mobile applications are developed and launched every day.
But, does every mobile app become popular?
Does every mobile app earn expected app downloads?
The answer is NO.
Now, if you want both – make your mobile app viral and even boost the app downloads – you need to consider Social Media.
And, how social media will help you boost your mobile app downloads? Let’s check out the following 13 ways to do so.
1. Betalist
So, before you launch your mobile app, the first thing you need to do is to list your app in Betalist.
What is Betalist?
Betalist is a community of testers that help you test your mobile app before going LIVE.
Obviously, you would want to make sure your app does not have anything that can affect its downloads. So, use Betalist and remove all the bugs or exceptions.
Now, you would ask,
“How Betalist can help me promote my app?”
Betalist helps you with pre-launch app downloads. It consists of a strong user base that not only sees your app, but, even downloads it.
Let’s see what happens once your mobile application is on Betalist within 7 days in Google Analytics:
But, make sure to get your app selected across all the criteria:
2. Product Hunt
You did your part of initial downloads using Betalist, now you need to list your mobile app on Product Hunt.
What is Product Hunt?
Product Hunt is a community that helps the users to share and discover new products.
Here, people get to know about your mobile application. And, if you get featured on Product Hunt, your mobile app get all the following benefits:
- Feedback from the strong PH community
- More mobile app downloads
- If your mobile app is unique or creative, you shall get a PR coverage
- You can even expect social media shares
- Sometimes, even you can find investors/partners to make your app better
- More app traffic
- Increased revenue
- And, much more
Note: Not all apps get featured on Product Hunt.
So, how to get your app featured on Product Hunt?
Here, Aleh Barysevich shares his personal experience on how to get on Product Hunt.
3. Slack
For whatever work, Slack is the name.
What is Slack?
Slack is a cloud-based set of proprietary team collaboration tools and services. Hence, Slack is used by various enterprises to make the communication easy, simple and quick.
This is the current approximate website visits of Slack.
Now, also, why you should promote your mobile application on Slack?
Because it has almost 5 million active users on a daily basis until Feb 2017 (excluding paid traffic):
What other options do you have to promote your app on Slack?
Slack Marketing – an effective tool to boost to your app downloads
Slack Communities – to get feedback, reviews and much more by the public Slack communities
4. Facebook Groups
When it comes to community sharing, Facebook groups are considered to be a great source of getting app downloads.
To benefit from Facebook groups, you need to find the right groups to promote your mobile applications. Then, you need to regularly share valuable thoughts or insights or suggestions to other members of the group. This will build your authority in those groups.
So, when you share something, you get an amazing response-
- Too many likes, comments, shares
- Increased website traffic
- Increased app downloads
This is considered an organic boost of your mobile app promotion on Facebook.
Now, let’s talk about the paid promotions with Facebook that boosts the mobile app downloads:
Facebook seems to be a great paid marketing tool when you want to drive website traffic or improve app downloads.
It helps you reach to your exact target audience that is most likely to download your mobile applications.
As per an analysis by CPA Network, Facebook has the lowest cost per app installs.
So, spending on Facebook sounds like a plan? Bingo!
5. Medium
Medium is considered to be a great platform to read, write and share stories.
But, how Medium can help in promoting your mobile application?
It has super-fantabulous website traffic.
And, people share a lot on Medium about technology and other interests. So, you can share your mobile app features and benefits on Medium and publish it with the right tags. This will help your article to be shared with the people that follow those tags.
Also, articles published on Medium have the higher chances of getting ranked on Page 1 of Google. So, if your article gets ranked on Page 1 of Google, it increases your mobile app downloads to a great extent and that too, for a longer period of time.
6. Quora
Quora is a platform where you can ask questions and get answers and vice versa.
So, how Quora seems to be a platform to promote your mobile application?
As per the above figures, Quora is a super active community where people discuss their interests – Technology, hobbies, journalism, etc.
And, this is how there are topics which you can follow and share your mobile application for the recommendation and even promote it when any user is looking for something similar.
Also, Quora’s questions rank on Google very easily and whenever people search for something similar to your mobile app, the questions that you’ve answered will be shown on Page 1 of Google. This improves your organic mobile app downloads.
In fact, while answering questions, you can indirectly promote your Product Hunt listing, Slack, Medium posts, etc. This helps your readers to understand that you are not just promoting your app, but, adding value to the community.
7.Reddit
If you know Reddit, you would think that we are mad suggesting Reddit to promote your mobile app. But, if you don’t know, let’s understand it.
What is Reddit?
Reddit is a social website where people gather and share news, knowledge, and reviews for web content.
Now, the ones who know it – Yes, you can hardly promote anything on Reddit and if you do it, you will be banned.
To post anything on Reddit, you need to submit it to a subreddit.
What is a subreddit?
Subreddit is a special topic devoted to discussing only that particular special topic. Examples are LiverpoolFC,News, etc.
Now, how you can promote your mobile application on Reddit?
Though Reddit is against of promotional activities, there is a subreddit available specifically to promote the mobile applications, r/AppHookup. Have a glance at it:
So, this is how promotions of mobile applications take place on Reddit. And, you can take an advantage of the same.
Well, there are other subreddits as well where you can promote your mobile application, but, beware of their specific subreddit rules. Don’t consider this platform as too easy as your others.
8. Instagram
Instagram, aka Insta, is a social media platform where you can only photos and videos followed by text and links. Well, it is owned by Facebook (FYI).
Instagram has become a great platform to promote any business, any industry.
Let us bring you some Instagram stats for business:
- More than 25 million business profiles are on Instagram [Source]
- Around 80% of users follow a business profile on Instagram [Source]
- 60% of users find new products on Instagram
- Instagram users are 70% more like to make mobile purchases [Source]
So, your mobile app downloads get a boost if you promote your business on Instagram, the right way.
How can you promote your mobile app on Instagram?
- Using influencer marketing – Ask influencers for a shout out about your mobile app as it will boost your downloads to a great extent by their followers
- Make your Instagram profile very impressive, using various styles of posting images and connecting with your users
- Launch contests, app install campaigns, etc.
- Also, promote your app with your competitors – yes, they help a lot as it seems that you are not self-promoting all the time
- Create stories that help your users connect easily with your mobile app leads to more app downloads
- Use hashtags (#), add links to app downloads, or your website
- Engage with your followers – a MUST one
9. Pinterest
Pinterest is a website full of images, images and more of the images. Mostly, people share infographics a lot here when it comes to business.
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is a social networking site where you can share your knowledge, ideas, and tips using images.
Why Pinterest to promote your mobile app?
Now, you see there are around 93% pinners shopped online. This means you have a great opportunity to promote your app on Pinterest and get more downloads.
How to promote your app on Pinterest?
Pinterest comes up with a new format of promoting a mobile app using Promoted App Pins. Using this, you can easily promote your app and get more downloads.
While advertising using Promoted App Pins, your users can directly download your app from Pinterest. As per the stats mentioned on its website, around 70% of advertisers have successfully reached their install goals using Promoted App Pins.
10. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional network where people connect for business and employment requirements.
But, LinkedIn is not just limited to look for jobs and connections. You can leverage the power of LinkedIn to promote your mobile app as well.
Now, looking at the above stats, most business deals are happening throu, h LinkedIn. So, why not take advantage of LinkedIn to promote your app.
How to promote your app on LinkedIn?
1. Organic
To go organic, you need a company page, where you will share great tips, tricks, knowledge, and even your mobile app. But, you cannot just keep promoting your app on your company page as that won’t attract the followers.
You as a CEO/CMO/developer of the mobile app, you can write about your app features and benefits your users can take on LinkedIn Pulse.
But, this will not skyrocket your app downloads. This will take a lot of time.
2. Paid
LinkedIn is considered to be the greatest social media network when it comes to generate QUALITY leads.
These are the options to promote your mobile app through sponsored content. But, here, you can directly reach the people with exact demographics, job positions, locations, etc. to boost your app downloads.
11. Twitter
Twitter is a social networking site where you can get latest and trending news and also share messages and posts to interact with other Twitter users. The posts on Twitter are known as “Tweets”.
Looking at the above image, Twitter can be easily utilized to promote your mobile app and even increase its downloads.
And, how can you do that?
- Share your mobile app in your tweets
- Ask the industry influencers for a shout out – this will skyrocket your mobile app downloads
- Tweet if you have giveaways, offers, etc. using appropriate hashtags (#)
- Use promoted Tweet campaign where your audience gets a direct CTA button – this also improves the download ratios
12. Snapchat
Snapchat is a social networking website used to share moments with friends.
Looking at the above stats, Snapchat proves to be a great tool to increase mobile app download using geofilters.
This is how your geofilters would look like-
Geofilters can be one thing you can combine with your other ongoing promotional campaigns to make it more effective.
Also, you can leverage Snap Ads which are played between the Snapchat stories. This can help you get more app downloads.
13. Google+
Google+ is a social networking website where you can discover new things, share amazing things and connect with people. This is owned by Google.
Google products always interconnect when it comes to offer great user experience. This means, if your app is on Android, it becomes quite easy to take the benefit of Google+.
You can directly share your mobile app from Google Play Store itself on Google+.
Final Wrap Up
Promoting your mobile app using social media platforms can help you boost your downloads to a great extent. But, the important part is to know how to do it – the right way. And, here we discussed all the major social media platforms that have the capability to help you generate mobile app downloads.
Use all these social platforms to promote your mobile app and share your experiences with us.
