dave verwer, shiny development

Practical Marketing on the App Store.

Practical Marketing on the App Store.

Why?

Source: http://www.superdataresearch.com/market-data/digital-game-user-acquisition-cost/

Idea &!Design

Launch!! Post!Launch

Pre!Launch

Build!

Design

Build

Pre Launch

Launch

Post Launch

Marketing

Idea & Design.!

App Store Guidelines.

Monetisation of your idea requires planning.

92% of top grossing games are freemium.

So, Freemium?

— Freemium is a valid, and successful business model, but be careful.!

— Be cautious with IAPs that stall gameplay or feel required to progress.!

— Keep your games primarily fun!

Example: Hearthstone.

Example: Hearthstone.

Example: Hearthstone.

— No artificial barriers. Buying IAPs is helpful but far from necessary.!

— Items available for purchase can also be earned without paying.!

— The game is fun to play with or without IAPs.

Example: Hearthstone.

— No artificial barriers. Buying IAPs is helpful but far from necessary.!

— Items available for purchase can also be earned without paying.!

— The game is fun to play with or without IAPs.

Market Research

Build.

Quality. Quality. Quality!

Devices and OS versions.

Devices and OS versions.

Source: https://developer.apple.com/support/appstore/

Devices and OS versions.

Earlier!3%iOS 6!

17%

iOS 7!80%

Integrate well with iOS.

— Universal apps.!— Game Centre - Leaderboards,

Achievements, Peer to Peer.!— Game Controllers.

Tracking and Analytics.

Download Install Purchase

Pre Launch.

Building an audience.

Example: Monument Valley.

Example: Monument Valley.

Influential beta testers.

— Beta testers will come out of the woodwork.!

— People who are engaging early will be biased. Treat with a little caution.!

— Start researching bloggers & writers in your target market and start a conversation.

Working with Apple.

— Talk to Apple during development.!— Make your app easy to feature.!— Quality. Quality. Quality!

Launch!

App Review.

App Review.

— Common reasons for rejection:!— Crashing!!— Description doesn’t match product.!— Network failures.!— Trademark and copyright issues.

App Store Submission.

— Be in control of your App Store account.!

— Think about metadata early in the launch process.!

— Localise your metadata.

App Store Submission.

Screenshots.

— Screenshots are final when an app version finishes in review.!

— Simple screenshots or real photography?!

— Keep it simple and clean.

Press Release.

— It’s about the story!!— Simple, clear, short.!— Offer promo codes.!— Provide a Press Kit.!— You’ve got 30 seconds…

Create a Press Kit.

— Contact Details!!— App Icon, Screenshots & Video.!— Press Releases (all of them).!— Company Profile, Portfolio, FAQ.!— Allow download as a single zip file.

Example: Hearthstone.

Distributing Press Releases.

— Research your reviewers.!— Look for people interested in the

market you are aiming at.!— Their followers will also be

interested in that market.

Distributing Press Releases.

Distributing Press Releases.

Working with Apple.

— appstorepromotion@apple.com!— appoftheweek@apple.com

Post Launch.

Reviews.

Reviews.

What’s New?

“Bug fixes…”

What next?

— Keep going…!— Repeat the marketing cycle for future

releases.!— Keep engagement high with your

audience.

Thank You.

dave.verwer@shinydevelopment.com!@daveverwer on Twitter

shinydevelopment.com!iosdevweekly.com

Star by Dmitry Baranovskiy from The Noun Project!http://thenounproject.com/term/star/5059/!!Moon by Ema Dimitrova from The Noun Project!http://thenounproject.com/term/star/24804/!!Rocket by Jean-Philippe Cabaroc from The Noun Project!http://thenounproject.com/term/star/7427/!!Truck by Carlos Ramos from The Noun Project!http://thenounproject.com/term/star/14020/!!Thought Bubble by Mateo Zlatar from The Noun Project!http://thenounproject.com/term/star/6417/!!Arrow by Jamison Wieser from The Noun Project!http://thenounproject.com/term/star/5440/

Attribution and Thanks