Mobile App Marketing Guide

2
01 ION
2 T
I
ED

Promote Your Mobile App
Increase Your Appstore Ranking
with Appstore Optimization
Generate Downloads
and Loyal Users
Use Mobile App Cross
Promotion Networks

About this guide
 This guide is designed to help you promote your
mobile app

 To promote your app effectively you need to try
every channel possible

 Learn about all the latest app marketing
techniques and appstore optimization strategies

 Access lists of all the different appstores, app
promotion networks and tools

 Use them to find new ways to drive downloads
and users for your app

 Find out more about mobile app marketing at
mobyaffiliates.com

Find out more about mobile app 2
promotion at mobyaffiliates.com

Get in touch

+44 (0) 203 322 2945 Feedback,
questions?
www.mobyaffiliates.com

hello@mobyaffiliates.com

@mobyaffiliates
www.facebook.com/Mobyaffiliates


Index
1 How to Promote Your App

2 Mobile Appstores

3 Mobile App Marketing Agencies

4 Mobile App Marketing Networks

5 Mobile App Marketing Tools


How to Promote Your App
With over 600k apps in the iPhone
App Store, and approaching another
500k in Google Play, the name of the
game for mobile app and games
publishers is getting noticed. With
the Apple and Google appstores
being the main channel to mobile
consumers, this means building a good ranking in their respective
stores. However, back in April 2011, Apple changed its approach to
incentivized app download networks, rejecting any apps that offer
rewards for downloads, and cracking down on app promotion
services that guarantee top 10 placement in App Store rankings.
Although incentivized downloads are still permissible in Google Play,
the app promotion industry was rather shaken by Apple’s decision. So
now the dust has settled, what options are there for developers to
promote their apps across both the App Store and Google Play, and
how have the wrist-slapped promotion networks changed their game?

App promotion networks: a quick recap

Firstly, if you’re new to the world of app promotion you might be
wondering what incentivized downloads are all about and why Apple
decided to ban them. Incentivized downloads are offered by app
promotion networks, which help developers generate new users by
cross-promoting apps between different publishers.

A typical incentivized app offer might be an reward of virtual currency
within a mobile game for downloading a promoted app (sometimes the
user also has to also achieve something within the promoted app to
receive the reward). Or it could be a voucher-style reward, which
allows a user to download a paid app for free or access some other
kind of offer. Typically, mobile games are best positioned to host
these incentivized downloads, as they have much more scope to offer
enhanced in-app features.


So why did Apple ban the practice of incentivized mobile app downloads?
Well the argument is download incentives, such as those offered by the
likes of TapJoy and Flurry, allowed developers to essentially game the
system, rewarding whoever spends the most money by pushing their
apps up the rankings to gain visibility.

The other problem was that many users had no intention of actually using
the promoted apps. They simply downloaded them and accessed them
once to get the reward, before hitting the delete button. The other app
promotion issue that raised Apple’s ire, was slightly more dishonest (well
a lot more). Back in February it was revealed that some app promotion
agencies were increasing client downloads by creating thousands of fake
iTunes accounts. Many developers and journalists suspected this
practice was taking place for some time, but it was never proved. Apple
has warned developers to stay away from agencies guaranteeing chart
placements, though that’s not to say all agencies that do promise to
boost placements are doing so fraudulently.


So what are the new ways that app promotion networks are using to
get around Apple’s ban and generate downloads? Here’s a few stats
concerning app promotion, followed by a quick rundown of what
services the main app promotion networks and agencies currently
offer:

What does it cost to promote an app?
You can spend as much or as little as you like on promoting your app.
Typically, app promotion networks will price their services on a cost
per install (CPI) or cost per download (CPD) basis. Here’s a few
numbers to give you an idea of the costs involved:

• TapJoy charges around 50-75% of a paid app’s price per install,
and between $0.35-0.75 for free app installations

• To get into the top 10 apps in the App Store, it is rumoured to cost
around $20,000-$30,000. Agencies such as ComboApp say it
can get your app into a top 100 category for $4,900

• Research from Fiksu, a leading app promotion company, claims
the cost of acquiring loyal users (user who use your app more
than 3 times)has risen from $1.10 in May 2011 (before the ban)
to $1.31 in February 2011

• Fiksu says its own platform delivers loyal users typically for less
than $1 and some as low as $0.45


App promotion networks

If you want to promote your app then there’s a number of specialist app
promotion networks you can approach. Following the shift away from
incentivized installs these networks are using a number of different
approaches to drive app downloads ranging from moving incentives
outside of iOS SDKs, using video promoting an app instead of actual
app downloads and developing more non-incentivized formats such as
interstitials and rich media. Here’s a list of some of the most prominent
mobile app promotion networks:

TapJoy

TapJoy was arguably the biggest provider of incentivized downloads,
and its business was hit hard by Apple’s ban. The company has since
migrated its incentive network outside of the app store and onto the web.
The principle is exactly the same as TapJoy’s previous offering, but
because developers don’t install the SDK into their apps, Apple cannot
really interfere in the process (though the platform is in a beta phase and
Apple’s response remains to be seen). In order to bolster its incentivized
service on Android, TapJoy has created a $5 million fund to help
developers port their iOS app over to Google’s OS. So if you already
have an iOS app, then it may be worth your while to get in touch with
TapJoy.


Fiksu

Fiksu has gone down a similar route to TapJoy. The company has
developed an incentivized network that circumvents the App Store,
letting users sign-up to a web-based platform. It works by giving
users credits every time they download a promoted app, these
credits are then turned into iTunes gift codes, which can be used
to purchase paid apps.

W3i

W3i has now shifted to a non-incentivized model, where
developers have access to a cross-promotion platform dedicated
to mobile games. While W3i’s platform doesn’t reward users for
downloading apps, it does provide limited offers and gives
developers a variety of ad display options – think of it as a
premium ad network dedicated to mobile games.

Flurry

Flurry offers its AppCircle service to developers, which is similar to
W3i’s platform, offering non-incentivized downloads. Flurry claims
its network is able to increase downloads by using its detailed
analytics to recommend relevant apps within other apps the
consumer is using.

Applifier

Applifier offers a non-incentivized platform for iOS and Android
users, focused entirely on games. Developers can promote other
publishers games via banner ads embedded into their pause
screen, or via interstitial ads. Applifier’s USP is that developers do
not pay for users. When a publisher sends a user to someone
else’s app, that publisher will receive a new user – for free.
Applifier makes its money by serving paid ads next to the cross
promotion ads.


AppBrain

AppBrain offers two Android-focuses services, one is a offer-wall
platform that delivers non-incentivised app promotions, the other is
AppBrain’s own app store (which is downloadable from Google
Play). The app store provides regular app recommendations of the
best apps in Google Play. AppBrain says its lack of an incentive-
driven approach results in more valuable users, as they will only
install the app if they are interested in it.

ChartBoost

ChartBoost offers three non-incentivised ways to promote your
app. The first is a platform that allows you cross promote apps
within your own network (obviously, this only makes sense if you
have more than one app), the second allows you to form direct
deals with other publishers (letting you set the cost per install, or
arrange an install exchange model) and the third is paid advertising
on ChartBoost’s network, where you’ll pay either on cost per click
or cost per install. ChartBoost lets developers set-up internal cross
promotions and direct deals with publishers for free.

G6pay

G6Pay used to be a big player in incentivized downloads, but has
now gone down a similar route to W3i , offering a non-incentivized
app promotion platform, where iOS developers can cross-promote
apps via interstitial ads and pay per download.


App promotion agencies
App promotion agencies are essentially marketing agencies that
focus exclusively on promoting apps, usually by combining a number
of mobile marketing strategies, PR and media relation services,
SEO and social media services. There are plenty of agencies out
there, but you may want to check out the ones below:

ComboApp – App promotion agency based in Vancouver, Canada
with offices in Chicago. Offers social media promotion, PR and
more.

AppPromo – Full service marketing agency that focuses on app
promotion. Based in Toronto, Canada.

ProAppMarketing - App promotion agency that handles PR, social
media development, monetisation and research and analysis. Based
in London.

Apps Marketing Mobi - Full-service app promotion agency based in
Israel. Offers monetisation, app marketing and app store
optimisation.
What services do app promotion agencies typically offer?

Social media: Social media is a powerful marketing tool for nearly
every sector but given the amount of crossover between people
using social media and those using smartphone apps, it is particularly
important for app developers. Promoting your app via social media
can involve anything from running ad campaigns in Facebook, to
simply rolling out a Twitter feed and building a list of followers.
However, the most successful use of social media for app promotion
is where it is embedded within the app or game itself. For example,
Draw Something by OMGPOP has used social media to great effect
by making it easy to find friends to play on Facebook. Other apps
including Foursquare and Run Keeper have also been effective in
using Twitter to broadcast in-app activity. A good app promotion
agency will advise on how to develop this type of viral effect.


SEO/ASO: If your app targets a particularly searchable niche,
then you may want to deploy n search engine optimised website,
targeting relevant keywords, to capture search traffic. Another
aspect of SEO, perhaps even more important, is SEO for app
stores (sometimes called ASO). This is an area still very much in
its infancy, but most app promotion agencies will be able to
keyword optimise your app store page to ensure the right users
find you. The days when you could easily use tactics such as
keyword stuffing in the appstores are gone, but it is fair to say that
mobile appstore search is still fairly unsophisticated so agencies
who know a bit about ASO can be very useful. MobileDevHQ
offers an ASO tool that you can download and try out for free.
Appcod.es has also recently launched a tool to help with appstore
SEO. Just remember, unlike Google keyword information, ASO
search volumes are estimate from third parties and may not be
completely reliable. The presentation below from Appcod.es is
worth a read to get an overview of appstore SEO.
Media coverage: App promotion agencies will conduct typical PR
activities, such as drafting press releases, coming-up with relevant
media lists of journos and bloggers to contact, and trying to generate
coverage through news. Many app promotion agencies will make
guarantees such as ensuring your app gets reviewed X number of
times by the press, though take such services with a pinch of salt
because anyone can set-up a blog and review apps – the only
publications that are worth targeting are the ones that are actually
trusted by their readership. There are a huge range of app review
blogs around these days however, and a good agency may have
established relationships or a long list of blogs to contact which
should help with getting coverage.

App placement guarantees: Some agencies will guarantee you a
placement in the Top Apps categories on app stores. Agencies will
likely use a combination of the above strategies, along with app
promotion networks, to achieve this. However, as we mentioned at the
top of the article, the practice of guaranteeing chart placements came
under some scrutiny last year, after it was revealed that companies
were using fake iTunes accounts to generate downloads. So proceed
with some caution

Mobile ad networks
Premium and blind mobile ad networks remain one of the most
popular ways to promote apps. It’s generally thought that, while
generating users via mobile ads is more expensive than
incentivized networks, the value of the user (the ARPDAU) via
mobile ads is higher. There’s a multitude of networks out there that
provide everything from simple banner ads, right the way through
to video ads and rich interactive ads, displayed in mobile sites and
apps. Some mobile ad networks are very well set up for
promoting apps, and will allow developers to cross-promote apps
or games within the network in exchange for running ads. Check
out our guide to mobile ad networks for more information.

Mobile Marketing and Media Buying
Agencies

There are also a number of mobile marketing agencies focusing on
mobile app promotion to some extent. For example, Fetch Media in
the UK and US carries out app promotion for a number of leading
brands and games developers. Other specialist mobile ad buying
agencies include Mobiclicks in South Africa, and Mobile Shakers in
the US. An agency will benefit from economies of scale in buying
mobile advertising, and will also have close relationships with the ad
networks. A good agency will also be able to manage the complex
process of running and optimizing mobile ad campaigns more
effectively. This is particularly useful following Apple’s depreciation of
the UDID that was used to track mobile app downloads, an agency
will be able to help track mobile app downloads using alternative
methods. Typically a mobile agency will require a certain level of
minimum spend, this is typically $10k per month at least, and more
generally, closer to $30k per month. However, for developers with an
established app or successful game this is well within reach. You
can find more agencies in our list of mobile marketing and advertising
agencies.


To sum up…

There is still a big problem when it comes to discoverability on the
App Store and Google Play. Nevertheless, despite Apple’s
decision to ban incentivized downloads, the app promotion industry
is back on its feet and much more diversified, with different
networks approaching the problem with different solutions. It could
also be argued that the industry is more healthy given the fact that
incentivized downloads generally produces low value users. It’s not
perfect, but with the right combination of traditional promotion
techniques and more specialised solutions, any budding app
developer should be able to get his or her app noticed. What
happens after that is down to how good your app is!


App Promotion: Ask The Experts

As a part of our continuing series on app promotion, we thought it
would be helpful to ask some of the top app promotion agencies
for their tips on getting your app noticed. So read on for expert app
marketing advice from OnTheMob’s Roy Povarchik, Pro App
Marketing’s Charles Ejoga and DotComInfoway’s CR
Venkatesh.

Charles Ejoga, account director, Pro App Marketing

“The first bit of advice would be to spend some time thinking about
what it is that makes your app genuinely different from all of the
other apps out there. Once you have defined what this is (your
USP), make this the core part of your marketing message.

The second bit of advice I would give, is also the most obvious,
but also the most overlooked – aim to put the same amount of
effort into marketing your app, as you have done developing it. We
are approached by so many developers who have spent a great
deal of time and resource developing their app, but haven’t done
the same when trying to promote it, and wonder why no one is
using it. We view app marketing as a critical part of your app
development strategy, but unfortunately most developers only
realise this when it is too late.


The third bit of advice I would give would be to think about what it
is that you are trying to achieve when promoting your app, (for
example, a top ten ranking, strong ROI, great peer reviews, or to
get your name out as a developer), and then tailor your
promotional activities to fit. We will be the first agency anywhere to
offer a DIY app marketing eBook (on sale 28th May) detailing a
number of marketing techniques that developers and studios can
employ themselves to generate buzz, acquire users, and increase
their app visibility and ranking. The eBook isn’t a substitute for
engaging an agency like ours, but has been written specifically to
enable those with limited resources to develop and deliver their
own marketing campaigns, utilising some of our own proven
techniques.”

Roy Povarchik, marketing manager, OnTheMob

“Make a great app. This is the most important thing. Concentrate
on creating a really great app which people actually need and will
really enjoy using. Make sure your app have has its “own thing” and
has a real value to potential users.
This is important for two main reasons:

• If people love your app they’ll spread the word which will help your
app go viral and get more organic promotions on the App Store or
Google Play etc’

• Retention. Getting people to download your app is only the first
step. If your users open your app once and never come back, it
affects your status on the various app stores. If they re-use it often
it will show on your app-stores ranking.
Bottom Line – Focus on creating a really great app with real value.


Know your target audience. An important part of the App marketing is
creating a community and getting in-touch with your potential app
users. You can do this by targeting related forums, relevant
Facebook groups, spreading the word on Twitter and so on. Once
you know who your target audience is, start researching how you can
get in-touch with them and raise their awareness to your new great
app. Don’t wait for your app release to start promoting it to your
target audience.

Smart media buying and great analytics – this is where the magic
really happens. The combination of smart media buying and great
analytics will make sure your app gets the right exposure, downloads
and loyal users in the most cost effective way.
The advantage of buying the right media on mobile ad networks is
reaching a critical mass of potential users faster. If you do it the right
way (meaning targeting your audience, and measuring everything
you do) you’ll increase your chances of having a successful app.

Creating a great app is really important, but it’s only the first step. To
promote and market your app the right way you’ll need an expert that
can create the right mobile strategy for you. You need someone that
knows his way around working with a large amount of ad networks
and traffic sources, tracking the ad performance and optimizing the
bids in real time, building the right app strategy (When to release up-
dates etc), post – download monitoring and analytics, generating a
loyal user-base and the list goes on.”


CR Venaktesh, CEO, Dot Com Infoway

“Developing a great app is hard and making your app stand out
among the billions of others out there in the market is really a
herculean task. But here are my tips to make the process a little bit
easier.

• In order to make it appear more engaging to your users, give your
app a name that describes the function of the app within itself –
this will also help with ASO (app store optimisation).

• Submit your app to as many app review sites as possible and get
them reviewed for better app visibility in the marketplace.

• Reach out through every possible avenue of social media.

• Showcase your app to users by creating a catchy trailer that
includes a few attractive screen shots with catchy descriptions.

• Create an official webpage for your app and draft out all the
promotional information related to it.

• Get some publicity for your app by introducing some special
features during the launch.

• On the whole, do not give up at any time during the promotion.
Stay energetic and enthusiastic!”


Mobile Appstores
A Guide to App Store Optimisation
(ASO)

With hundreds of apps flooding smartphone app stores every day,
App Store Optimisation (ASO) is fast becoming as essential to
promoting your app and it’s something that doesn’t have to cost
developers an arm and a leg to implement.

So what are the basic rules of ASO and what kind of results can you
expect from optimising your app?
What is ASO?

App Store Optimisation is the practice of
optimising various elements of your app
submission (i.e. title, keywords,
description) in order to maximise your
app’s visibility in app store searches.

Some definitions of ASO may also include
other marketing techniques to boost
downloads and increase app visibility in
chart rankings. You can find out more about
other forms of app marketing in our
guide to app promotion. But right now we’re
just going to look at what you can do within
your app and its description page, to
increase search rankings in the App Store
and Google Play.


The numbers

Implementing basic ASO won’t send your app rocketing up the
charts, but it can give developers a decent boost in downloads
(especially if you’re a smaller dev) and, most importantly, it helps you
gain valuable user – as it increases the app’s visibility to people who
are actively searching for something relevant (as opposed to
incentivised downloads, or other kinds of offer walls and ads).

We talked to Tomasz Kolinko, the developer behind AppCod.es,
who gave us some idea of the impact ASO can have on an app.

• Kolinko, says developers can expect a 500-2000 downloads a
day increase on free apps, purely from implementing ASO.

• On paid apps Kolinko reckons developers can increase revenue
from around $20-200 per day just through ASO.

These numbers may not be a big deal for triple A app developers, but
as Tomasz points out, for independent developers, ASO is a very
cost-effective way to increase downloads.

App Store Optimisation: The basics
So what are the essential elements of a well-optimised app?

Keyword research

One of the most important aspects of ASO is knowing what
keywords to target. When optimising a regular website for search
engines this is made relatively easy, as Google publicises
estimated traffic volume figures on keyphrases via its Adwords
keyword tool.

However, when it comes to apps there are no official figures from
Apple’s App Store or Google Play on keyword search volume. But
that doesn’t mean you’re shooting entirely in the dark.


Firstly, you can use Google Adwords’ keyword tool to get ideas on
popular search phrases that are relevant to your app. While the
volume of searches are based on web-search – not app store
searches – they may be indicative of the sort of keywords used in
app store searches.

For instance, if you have a ‘stop watch app’, you’ll want to know
whether there’s more searches for “stop watch app”, or “timer app”
or “stop clock app”. Adwords will give you visibility on this. Just
remember, SEO is all about relevancy, it’s no use optimising for high
traffic volume keywords, if they’re not relevant to your app.

Also when performing ‘app specific’ searches, like “stop watch app”,
or “shopping list app”, note the competition level on these
keyphrases. If a lot of people are bidding on these keywords in
Adwords, then that’s a strong indications that your entering a
competitive space. So you might want to start thinking about how you
can differentiate your app.

If you’re simply looking for app ideas, then Google’s keyword tool is
also itself a useful way to measure what kinds of apps people are
looking for. If you can find an app specific keyphrase that has high
volumes, with low competition (obviously cross-reference this with
what’s on the app store), then you may be onto a winner.

Also try typing in relevant search queries into the app store search
bar itself and then make a note of the keyword suggestions it serves-
up, as these can be indicative of volumes.

The other thing you’ll want to look at is successful competitor apps.
Do a search on the app store for different keywords relating to your
app, and look at the top results. What keywords do they use in their
titles?

After all that you should have a handful of relevant keywords that you
want to target.


Helpful tools for keyword generation:

• AppCod.es can predict what keywords your competitor apps are
using and suggest optimum keywords for your app.

• Google keyword tool

• There are tools that use third party data to generate keyword
volumes. Mobile Dev HQ is one of them. So it may be worth
checking out

• Check out Chomp, which release some metrics on app search
queries through its store.

App Title

Perhaps the most important field when
it comes to optimising your app is the
title. So try to get relevant keywords
into this field. Obviously, sometimes
this may not be practical, or it may look
too awkward from a user perspective,
so use your judgment. Also, do your
research, if there’s a hundred apps
called “Stop Watch App”, then you’ll
want to differentiate your title
somehow. Maybe it would be better to
target a less competitive keyphrase like
“Timer App”, even if you suspect it
doesn’t carry quite as much search
volume. Or at least differentiate by
using a popular modifier like “Free”.
Just remember, don’t stuff the title with keywords, try to make it look
natural. Packing in irrelevant keywords or too many keywords, will not
only turn off potential users but it may also get your kicked out of the
app store.


Publisher/Developer name

According to ASO experts, the publisher field does has a big impact
on search in the App Store and Google Play. In the case of Apple,
it’s treated as strongly as the app title. So it’s worth pushing a
relevant keyword into this field. It may even be worth creating
different publisher names for the different types of apps that you
develop. For instance, your ‘Stop Watch’ Apps could be published
under “Time Dev” then you can rank for both ‘Stop Watch’ and
‘Timer’.

Keyword field

This is your chance to use all the variations on keywords and
phrases that you researched. When it comes to the Apple App Store
the plurals and singular keywords are treated separately, so you may
want to consider that if there’s a chance people will be searching in
the plural. Also don’t just put generic keywords here. Think about
other apps and themes that may be relevant. For instance, is your
app a game that is similar to Angry Birds? Then maybe it’s worth
using “Angry Birds” as a keyphrase here. Of course, you only have
100 characters to play around with, so use that space wisely.

App description

When it comes to Apple’s App Store, the description field has no
impact on search rankings. So instead of worrying about relevant
keywords, just focus on making your description as engaging as
possible, in order to drive conversions.

When it comes to Google Play, things are not quite so clear.
AppCod’s Kolinko believes that Google Play probably still looks at
keywords in the description field and when we
looked at Google’s own guidelines, there’s no information there to
suggest that isn’t the case. So it’s worth getting your keywords and
phrases into this description field. But again, avoid keyword stuffing,
it’s not user-friendly and it may raise Google’s wrath!


App Icon

It may not have any direct effect on your search ranking, but along
with your app’s title, the icon is the first element a user will see. So
make sure you put some effort into creating a professional and eye-
catching image.

Images/Videos

Adding screen shots and a video ad to your app store page is a
great way to further promote your app and give users an idea of what
to expect, so there’s not reason not to take advantage of this.

In-app purchases

There are some developers that optimise their in-app purchases for
certain keywords, in order to rank for an even wider spread of terms.
Some developers even attempt to game the system, using
thousands of different in-app purchases just for keyword purposes.
Obviously, this verges on ‘Black Hat’ ASO, and may result in a ban if
discovered. However, if your app already includes in-app purchases,
then it’s definitely worth thinking about how you can integrate relevant
keywords into these fields in a natural way.

Keyword Experimentation

Experimenting with different combinations of keywords is a good
way to figure out how to maximise your search ranking and
downloads. Google Play’s relaxed submission rules allow you to
easily update the title and keywords, resubmit the app to the store,
and then monitor the effect on rankings. However, Apple’s App Store
can take around 2 weeks to approve any amendments, making
keyword experimentation a bit laborious. AppCod.es can help with
this issue as it predicts App Store rankings, allowing you to play
around with different keywords instantly.


To sum up

As you can see from the above, ASO isn’t complicated. All it takes is
a little bit of research and some common sense to make your app
more visible on searches. With more and more apps being released
everyday, developers can’t afford to let such an easy and low-cost
avenue for app promotion slip them by.


A List of Mobile Appstores

If you’re an app developer then we don’t need to tell you that getting
your app discovered on the Apple, Google, Microsoft and
BlackBerry official app store can be incredibly difficult. There are of
course many different ways to promote your app. We’ve already
discussed all the different app marketing resources and techniques
you can use, given you a list of app promotion companies and
guided through the murky world of app store optimisation. But there’s
one more thing you might want to consider when trying to get your
app onto more devices – look toward greener pastures.

Don’t think Google Play and Apple’s App Store are the only
distribution channels for your apps, as you can see below there is a
healthy eco-system of third party app stores and directories that can
help get your app noticed. Some of these app stores will give you a
better cut of the revenues than the traditional 70/30% split offered in
the App Store, some will let you target audiences in different
markets, such as Asia and Africa, or let you offer your app as a white
label product. Some may simply help you by offering a less crowded
space to thrive in.

Cross-platform App Stores
OpenAppMkt – Android and iPhone-compatible market that
distributes web-apps built in HTML5. Unlike the traditional 70/30 split,
developers keep 80% of app sale revenue.

GetJar – One of the biggest 3rd party app stores currently in
operations. Claims to distribute more than 350 thousand mobile
apps, with 395 registered developers. Also offers a pay per
download system to help developers get visibility.


Handmark – App developer behind popular Tweetcast app, which
also runs an app store for Android, BlackBerry, Windows and Palm
devices.

Handster - Claims to features over 30,000 apps from 4000 vendors
across Android, Symbian, Java and BlackBerry platforms. Also
offers white label platform to manufacturers, distributors and carriers.
Owned by Opera.

WAC – The app store for the Wireless Application Community (a
consortium backed by a number of telcos). Focuses on distributing
cross-platform web-apps using mainly HTML5.

PhoLoad – Community-driven website that allows developers to
upload and distribute their free apps. Compatible with Android and
Symbian platforms.

Mobango – Mobile content-sharing store, which allows users to
upload and share videos, ringtone and photos, as well as
applications.

Zeewee – Cross-platform app store that distributes HTML5 web-
apps. Offers in-app purchasing, direct to bill and push notifications.
Claims to have distributed over 1 million apps since its launch

Appolicious – Editorially-curated app directory that helps developers
get their apps rated and discovered. In association with Yahoo.

Handango – Independent app store run by PocketGear, offers apps
on BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Android and Symbian platforms.
Works with app marketplace Appia.

Appia – Marketplace that creates app stores for clients and
distributes apps to a variety of different app stores. Claims to have a
combined audience of 250 million, via more than 20 different app
stores.


Biskero – Mobile content store that focuses on distributing Flash
games and apps to mobile devices. Works primarily across Android
and Nokia handsets.

Opera Mobile App Store – The mobile app store run by browser
developer Opera and powered by subsidiary Handster. Offers
Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Symbian apps.

Appitalism – Indie app store that claims to feature over 1 million
apps. Focuses on social features to aid app discoverability. Owned
by Liberty Media.

NexVa - Multi-platform app store that also offers a white label
product and works with affiliates to drive traffic .

Kongregate – Mobile and desktop Flash-powered app store that
focuses on videogames. Claims to reach over 6 million mobile and
desktop gamers, with 56 thousand Flash games.

mJelly – App store and mobile website directory that publishers can
submit their content to. Developers can submit links to existing apps
in other app stores.

AppVisor – App recommendation service that uses a social network
to recommend a set number of apps per day to its users.

AppCentral – Platform that helps companies launch and maintain
their own app store. Focuses on productivity apps. Formally known
as Ondeego.

Maopao – One of China’s biggest app stores, distributing apps
across iPhone, Android and Symbian platforms. Unfortunately it
doesn’t look like the website has an English translation.

WhiteApp – Directory of white label iPhone and Android apps that
can be easily rebranded and sold to clients.


Djuzz – Mobile game store run by Asian ad-network Buzz City.
Claims to have 320 thousand users per day.

AppShup – App store based in India that specialises in SMS-
delivered Java apps.

BananasFactory – Developer community that markets your app to
different app stores, mainly those offered by operators in Asia and
developing countries.

AppCity - French app store that claims over 340 thousand users.
Distributes apps across iPhone, Android and BlackBerry platforms.

Alternative.To- Less of an app store, more of a directory of
applications with user reviews and editorial ratings. Features apps
from Windows MarketPlace, App Store and Google Play.

Android App Stores
Google Play – Google’s official Android app store, which features
over 500,000 apps, as well as music and video streaming services.

AppsLib – Claims to be the second largest Android app store after
Google Play. Specialises in lesser-known Android devices, such as
tablets and eReaders, that are unable to get Google certification.
Claims to have install base of over 2 million tablets worldwide.

SlideMe - Provides ‘on device’ application store for device
manufactures, as well as a web-based platform. Also offers app
store solutions to niche markets.

Soci.i0 – Android-focused content store that provides apps, e-books
(along with its own ebook reader), videos and music. Bills itself as an
Android ‘mobile mall’.

1Mobile – Android app store that focuses mainly on games and
claims over 60 thousand total apps.


Camangi - Android app store that focuses on apps built for larger 6-
inch to 10-inch tablet devices. Claims to currently host over 100
apps.

Nook App Store – Official app store for Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-
reader, which runs on Android.

AppBrain – Website that helps users discover Android apps across
the official Google Play store and other indie stores.

Appoke – Android app store with social features, allowing users to
recommend apps to friends and earn credits to download paid apps.

Tegra Store – App store run by graphics chip company Nvidia.
Highlights videogames that are designed for use with Nvidia’s Tegra
smartphone chip.

Amazon Appstore – Amazon’s app store has been remarkable
popular since the company launched its Kindle Fire tablet device.
Currently boasts over 30,000 apps, and claims a higher paid app
download rate than Google Play.

MiKandi – Android-only app store that focuses on adult-themed
applications.

AndroidPit – App store run by the Berlin-based Android website
AndroidPit. Includes apps selected by editorial team.

MatchFuel- Not quite an app store, but provides daily app
videogame recommendations to Android users via a storefront.
Formally known as Andspot.


iPhone/iOS App Stores
App Store – Apple’s official iOS application store and is still thought
to be the biggest app store available across all smartphone
platforms, though Android is catching-up fast.

Cydia – Unofficial iOS app store that is only available to users with
‘jailbroken’ iOS devices. Most apps are offered for free, but there
are also paid apps. Claims over 4.5 million weekly users.

Lima - Browser-based application installer for jailbroken iPhones.
Works similar to Cydia, allowing you to download apps not available
in the official App Store, but within the Safari browser.

PremierAppShop – Legal iPhone application store that delivers
downloadable apps, which can be used offline via a browser-based
shopfront.

SexAppShop- Uses the same platform as PremierAppShop but – as
the name suggests – focuses on adult apps for iPhone and iPad.

Blackberry OS App Stores
BlackBerry App World – RIM’s official BlackBerry app store, which
features more than 40,000 apps.

CrackBerry Store – Independent BlackBerry-specific app store run
by the online blog CrackBerry. Takes advantage of the large
CrackBerry community to promote apps. Powered by MobiHand.

BBNation- BlackBerry-focused content portal with apps, themes,
ringtone and games. Owned by Motek Americas.


Manufacturer-specific App Stores
Samsung Apps – The official Samsung App store for its Bada
operating system, made popular on devices such as the Samsung
Wave. Bada is expected to be phased out soon, so Samsung Apps’
future is unclear.

LG Smart World – The official app store run by manufacturer LG.
Offers Android apps to US users and Windows Phone apps to users
in Asia.

Motorola Shop4Apps – Motorola’s own-branded Android app store
aimed exclusively at the Chinese market.

Dell Mobile App Store – The official app store of Dell. Run by
PocketGear and contains over 40,000 apps, across Android,
BlackBerry and Symbian.

CISCO App HQ - The official CISCO app store is aimed mainly at
enterprise users looking for productivity apps and developers
looking for technology partners.

Docomo Market – The official Android app market for Japanese
manufacturer Docomo. The Docomo Market is installed on every
Docomo handset in Japan and developers get Japanese
optimisation services for your app.

Lenovo App Store - Chinese manufacturer Lenovo’s official app
store for smartphones and tablets, running Android. Though be
warned – website doesn’t appear to have and English translation!


Operator/Carrier App Stores
Verizon App Store – App store run by US carrier Verizon. Works
across Android, BlackBerry and Brew platforms. Partners with UK
operator Vodafone’s app store.

Vodafone AppSelect – Official app store for UK operator Vodafone.
Focuses on Android for European users. BlackBerry/Symbian are
supported for African users. Offers developers free testing.

China Mobile – The app store of China’s biggest mobile operator.
Offers apps across Android and Symbian platforms. Claims a
userbase of over 500 million.

T-Mobile Mall – Official app portal of UK carrier T-Mobile. T-Mobile
Mall doesn’t host applications, but rather acts a portal that highlight
different apps on BlackBerry AppWorld, Google Play and Windows
Marketplace.

Sprint – US operator Sprint no longer has its own app store, but
does offer a developer program, where you can get apps pre-
installed on devices.

Aircel PocketApps - Official app store of Indian operator Aircel,
focuses exclusively on Indian market.

Airtel App Central - Official app store of Indian operator Airtel,
focuses exclusively on Indian market.

Maxis 1Store – Malaysian app store from carrier Maxis. Supports
J2ME and Symbian platforms, with BlackBerry and Android support
coming “in the future”.

TIM Store – Official app store for Italian operator Telecom Italia.
Distributes Android, Symbian and BlackBerry apps.


AT&T App Centre – Official app store for US carrier AT&T.
Developers signing-up to AT&T’s program get developer support
and marketing tools. Supports Symbian and BlackBerry platforms.

M1 App Store – Official store for Singaporean carrier M1. Supports
Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and iPhone platforms.

T-Store – Content store from South Korean carrier SK Telecom.
Distributes apps to Android devices in the South Korean market.

Appzone – Official app store from Indonesian operator Telkomsel.

Turkcell T-Market – Official app store from Turkish operator Turkcell.
Offers Android apps and Symbian apps.

Omnitel App Store – Lithuanian carrier Omnitel’s official app store.
Distributes iPhone and Android apps.

MTNPlay – Content portal from South African operator MTN. Offers
apps, music, ringtones and videos to mobile users across Africa and
Asia.


A list of the Best Mobile App
Promotion Agencies, Networks and
Tools

The Best Mobile App Promotion Networks and Agencies

Developing your app idea is one thing, getting it noticed is
something entirely different. With hundreds of app being released
each day across Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play, the
issue of discoverability is an urgent one for developers. Luckily
there’s a whole industry of marketing agencies and networks to help
promote your app and grow your user-base, offering everything from
non-incentivised downloads, to review submissions and blogger
outreach campaigns.


Mobile App Marketing
Agencies
App promotion agencies will typically offer a range of services to
mobile developers and publishers, ranging from traditional PR
and marketing activity, to highly specialised services such as
Appstore SEO (ASO), mobile ad buying and other techniques.

App Promo – Full service app marketing agency offering PR, ASO,
development, mobile advertising and more. Based in Toronto,
Canada.

Combo App – App promotion agency offering PR, ASO and chart
placements campaigns. Headquartered in Chicago USA, with offices
in Vancouver, Canada.

Avai - App developer that also offers app promotion and marketing
services. Based in Texas, USA.

OnTheMob – App development and promotion agency that focuses
on media buying, press relations and product strategy. Clients
include Citroen and MasterCard. Based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Amadeus Consulting – App and software developer that also offers
app promotion, including social media marketing, press relations and
Flurry analytics. Based in Colorado, USA.

AppsMarketing.mobi - Full service app promotion agency based in
Herzeliya, Israel. Worked with apps such as the KungFu Panda
Storybook and Retrogram.

Appromotor – App promotion platform, which lets developers submit
their app into a database that acts as a resource for journalists and
bloggers looking to review apps.


My First Mobile App – App developer agency that also offers
promotion services across all smartphone platforms.

Dot Com Infoway – App developer and promotion agency that offers
a range of services including press relations, social media and app
update recommendations. Based in San Francisco USA, with offices
in India and The Netherlands.

Apppli – App developer and app promotion company offering SEO,
ASO, PPC, microsite development and other app promotion
services. Based in London, UK.

App Optimisers – UK-based app promotion agency specialising in
social media marketing, video and blog promotion. Claims to have
promoted 5 top 10-ranking apps.

ProAppMarketing - ‘Boutique’ app marketing agency based in the
UK. Offers App-focused PR services, app sponsorship campaigns,
blogger outreach and more.

MobiZest - Full service marketing agency that specialises in mobile
and app promotion. Clients include Intent Media and Just Eat. Based
in London, UK.

PressPect – App marketing agency that helps promote your app in
Russia. Offers PR services, translation and Russian app store
optimisation. Based in Moscow, Russia.

SEO Girl - Freelance web marketer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Offers
app promotion services such as app store optimisation, social media
marketing and press relations.

Sosemo – Digital marketing agency that offers app promotion
services such as PR, app store optimisation and review site
submissions. Based in New York City, USA.


Networks
App promotion networks are mobile ad networks or ad buying
platforms that place ads across other mobile apps. They will
usually charge on the basis of CPI (cost per install) or CPD (cost
per download) and in some cases in a very sophisticated way,
such as charging only for active users (DAU). These networks
sometimes use incentives to encourage downloads although this
has now been banned by Apple, it is still being used to some
extent by some of the networks on Android or over the mobile
web, outside of Apple store.
Fiksu – App marketing company offering non-incentivized download
network on iOS and Android. Works with brands such as VH1 and
Barnes and Noble. Based in Boston Massachusetts, USA.

TapJoy – App promotion network that offers non-incentivized app
download network. TapJoy also provides sponsorship for
developers looking to port their app to Android. Based in San-
Francisco, US.

Applifier - App promotion network that works by delivering a user to
your app everytime your app delivers a user to another developer –
with no fees involved. Based in Helsinki, Finland, with offices in San
Francisco.

Adduplex – App promotion network that’s focused on the Windows
Phone 7 operating system. Based in Helsinki, Finland.

Appucino – Platform that uses location based marketing to promote
videogame apps and brands. Owned by developer Games2Win and
based in Mumbai, India.


Flurry – Mobile analytics and app promotion network that offers
targeted user acquisition to developers via its AppCircle app
recommendation platform. Based in San Francisco, with offices in
London and New York.

G6Pay – App promotion network focuses on offering non-
incentivized pay-per-install downloads on Android and iOS. Based in
California, USA.

AppDog – Incentivized app promotion platform that rewards users
with free Facebook credits when they download Android or iOS
apps. Based in San Francisco, USA.

MauDau – App promotion network that offers a similar solution to
Applifier whereby developers effectively trade app downloads for
free. Based in Chicago, USA.

W3i - App promotion network that offers non-incentivized downloads
on a pay-per-engagement basis. Helped promote top 10 iOS app
Tiny Zoo. Based in San Francisco, USA.

Jampp – Incentivized app promotion network that focuses entirely on
the Android platform and on Latin American users. Based in Buenos
Aires, Argentina with offices in London.

ChartBoost – Offers both internal app cross promotion, across a
developer’s own app library, and the ability for developers to directly
set-up cross-promotion deals between each other. Based in San
Francisco, USA.

Ad Dash – App promotion/advertising network that lets developers
set-up their a cross promotion ad networks within their own library of
apps.


AdColony – Mobile ad network that focuses on HD video
advertisements for apps, where developers pay only if a video ad
has been viewed to completion. Based in Los Angeles, California.

LunarAds – App promotion network that allows users to cross-
promote with themselves and other developers for free. Based in
Missouri, USA.

Clash Media - Mobile marketing company that offers a cost per
download app cross-promotion platform. Based in London, UK.

TapGen – Allows developers to promote their apps across a non-
incentivized curated app wall, as well as platform that promotes apps
while also offering users competitions and special offers.


Tools
As the app promotion field gets more and more complex some
interesting tools and platforms are starting to emerge. This is a
very nascent area compared to the web for example where there
are 1000s of SEO tools and services for example.

AppCod.es – Tool that helps developers better optimise their apps
for different app stores.

MobileDevHQ – App store optimisation tool that lets you tracking
your rankings and optimise search keywords.

Alau.me – Link tracking tool, similar to bit.ly, that lets you track how
many users click on a link to your app store page and then go on
download your app.


Your Next Step
• To find out more about app promotion go to
mobyaffiliates.com

• We've created a directory of app promotion
services as well as useful guides to:

 Appstore Optimization
 App Promotion
 Appstores
 Mobile advertising

• We always like to hear from you so get in touch
any time!


Get in touch

+44 (0) 203 322 2945 Feedback,
questions?
www.mobyaffiliates.com

hello@mobyaffiliates.com

@mobyaffiliates
www.facebook.com/Mobyaffiliates


Mobile App Marketing Guide

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