Mobile phone usage has increased rapidly over the past few years. In fact, according to a recent survey, 91% of American adults use cell phones.  Analyses also reveal that Americans now spend more time looking at their smartphones instead of their television. Moreover, the rise in mobile phone usage has also increased the use of apps which are accountable for 89% of the user's mobile media time.

As of January 2017, the App store held more than 2 million apps, while the Google Play Store had exceeded the 2.5 million thresholds. The mobile apps have many purposes including leisurely activities, communication, e-commerce, and promotions. They also give business owners an opportunity to engage with their customers and receive their feedback. Simply put, businesses of all sizes and niche can benefit from a mobile app; and if your company has not yet developed one, then maybe you should consider creating one right away.

Once you have an app ready in your database, the issue remains of marketing the app in a way that it stands out amongst the existing 2 million out there. For a small business owner, marketing has always been a challenge. New entrepreneurs usually consider their budget before taking any step in their business and are never sure if investing in a marketing campaign would prove to be fruitful.

Fortunately, there are many simple and inexpensive ways to market your business app efficiently. If you are also looking for ways to connect with the right audience for your app, then read our easy-to-follow guide and get the desired ROI results.

1. Build your online presence

We are sure you already have a website up and running before you launch your app. Having a site that features consistent content regarding your product/service is essential for building credibility amongst potential and existing consumers.

Apart from a website, make sure you are advertising your products along with your app on different social media accounts. At present, 83% of American mobile phone users have social media accounts while 48 percent of social media users prefer to connect with their favorite businesses through the medium. Take the Girls Scouts for example. The non-profit organization created the Cookie Finder app that made it easy for consumers to find a girls scouts representative during the cookie season. To market their app, the organization added the link to the app in their Twitter handle which increased their downloads to more than 19,500.

In short, if your company does not hold legitimate online presence, then maybe it's high time you started building one. It will not only help you in increasing your app downloads but will also maximize the sale of your product/service.

2. Email marketing

Did you know that email marketing has proven to be one of the most effective marketing tools? Take Foursquare for example. Even though the check-in app was already popular and had a massive fan following, the company turned to email marketing to aware users of their new subsidiary app known as “Swarm”.

Thus, if you already have an email marketing plan, then you are in luck and can easily add the download button of your app in your emails. On the other hand, starting an email marketing campaign is not difficult, and you can conveniently initiate one with the plethora of email newsletter templates available on the internet.

3. Traditional advertising methods

Although it may cost you some bucks, conventional advertising methods have always been proven to work. Look at it this way. If you were launching your product, you would promote it by all means. Then why not promote your business app too! There are several services available that can help your app reach the targeted audience through online advertising methods. Additionally, these services would help you run promotions and contests that would encourage your audience to click the download button of your app.

Fast food chains such as McDonalds and KFC are fine examples of brands that run targeted marketing campaign along with promotions and contest for free meals through their apps.

4. Word of mouth

Last but not the least, make sure your app is download worthy. Is it easily usable? Is it free of bugs and errors? Are users, who have downloaded your app, satisfied with the results and giving positive reviews about it? Will the users recommend your app to their friends and family members?

According to research, 77% of mobile users download apps that their friends and family recommend to them. Additionally, users who are dissatisfied with your app are likely to tell more than 9 people about their experience.  Snapchat is a fine example of word-of-mouth advertising. The app didn’t see much success during the initial days of its release. However, after nine months of its launch, the founder’s mother told her relative about the app who studied in an Orange County high school. He, after using the app, told his friends about it and the news about Snapchat spread in many schools of Southern California leading to 30,000 downloads in just a month. The press also picked up the popularity of Snapchat from there which resulted in the app’s phenomenal success in just a short span of time.

So, if you have designed an app, make sure it is an outstanding one. Users’ reviews regarding a product, service, or an app go a long way in creating its reputation. Additionally, competition amongst mobile apps is fierce, and you wouldn't want to ruin your well-maintained integrity by launching a product that does not live up to the expectation of the users. The app consumers of today expect a high-class experience with their apps and wouldn't hesitate in uninstalling an app if it doesn't meet their criteria.

Final words

As you can see, there are many inexpensive ways to promote your app to the relevant audience. The traditional formula "if you build it, they will come" does not work anymore. In the competitive industry, you have to work hard to build a solid app and get the user's attention through several mediums. Above all, you shouldn't hesitate in spending some part of your budget towards marketing if it means better revenue for your company and its products. Moreover, you can always utilize services such as airG spam to help increase customer acquisition.