Advice on best strategy for marketing on new App

[mamcx]

I hope in 2-3 months release a new app for the iPhone for small (1-100) companys & freelancers. Is a app for take orders, do invoices, collect payments.

My budget is tight, so I want spend it wisely. I wonder what is the better way to promote this kind of app, taking in consideration is for bussines. Some hints:

- Market: Small companies that have salesman that are on the go, maybe from 2-100 salesforce...

Sub-market: Freelancers & SOHO
- Integration with potentialy any ERP, using a integrator software running on Windows or Mac. Is free and will have a opensource sdk on python
- Available on spanish & english, for latinamerica, some europe, usa

- I hope have a decent website, nice icons.
- Working on documentation, videotutorial

I think first on Google Adwords, but apart from the obvious what else I can do?

 

[lindsayanng]

I would do a VERY good website above anything else. ALL information, contact info and like you said, tutorials for it..

I probably wouldnt even BOTHER with ad words. I advertsed a couple of websites using adwords and it was kind of a flop. Adwords is good for local advertising. So if someone was looking for a Jewelry Store that carries a particular brand, you can put your site for your local stor ein there and have it only show for people with whatever IP address that correlates to your store.. Also, with something like the keywords "business iphone app" you are going to have a WORLD of competition, all of which are going to have more money to spend per impression or per click.. meaning they will get shown 10x or more more than you

If i were you, i would purchase advertising on the TOP tech, apple, and iphone blogs.. BLOGS seem to be the biggest thing ever. Infact, you should start a blog about your app. Start writing it now to maybe get people interested as to how you created it.. the process that goes into it.. you dont have to tell them the specifics.. THEN you can market the blog as a stand alone for people to just enjoy reading, and when the apps come out, you will have some built in readers already.

There are places like cmfads.com where if you have a blog, you can put some ads on your blog of other peoples blog, and then you can buy adpace on their blog for yours.

a twitter account is another big way to get people interested.. start it NOW before it comes out.. get a bunch of followers, talka bout what you do.. even if its nothing related to your app.. Then when you start getting close, tell people about your blog.. get them to read it. and when you have a boat load of followers, offer them something to purchase your app.. or free to all my twitter followers just for today. ANYTHING.

Social media marketing is #1 now adays.. Once the app is out, you can start buying blog posts from other tech blogs. This is there you pay someone to write a review of your app on a popular blog. Then THEIR readers will see it and hopefully buy

 

[intempo808]

Hey,
I'm a graphic design student, and i'll genuinely do all your advertising for you, for free, so I can put it into my portfolio for my University application.

I have been using Photoshop now for 6 years, and I also use Adobe Illustrator. If you're interested, let me know.

You can view some of my work on DeviantArt. Please follow this link:

http://intempo808.deviantart.com/

Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon.

 

[lindsayanng]

I think he was asking how to get the word out.. now how to create graphic advertisements..

 

[mamcx]

If i were you, i would purchase advertising on the TOP tech, apple, and iphone blogs.

Thanks for the tips. Now, wich blogs/sites do you suggest I can be interested?

I have a budget (low, I know) of us 100 month.

 

[lindsayanng]

You will have to research that on your own. Idk not know prices to advertise on certain blogs. You can just do a google search for "top tech blogs" and see if they have advertising. For instance, on my blog http://webdesignforidiots.net charges only $5 for advertising. But my blog isn't the top technlogs. That will cost you a lot more.
But starting your own blog is free on wordpress.com OR you can get 3 months of a hosted blog (which is what mine is) for$5.95 a month. The hosted blog gives you a lot more control over the look and you can ad plugins so you can sell you own advertising.

CMFads.com is free to join. You can buy $10 worth of "credits" and that will allow you to buy 10 ad spaces on 10 different blogs. You can also sell ads on your of for credits.

 

[MacToddB]

Check out http://www.BuySellAds.com for blogs and other places to buy ads.

I'm advertising on Google AdWords, plus a dozen iPhone-related sites to the tune of $1,000/month. It's been worth it for me, but my app is a low cost, universal app. Yours might have better success in business forums.

BTW, I'm working on a free ebook on the topic, which will be published in serial form in iPhone Life Magazine, where I'm a contributor.

I'd be happy to provide some free personalized advice if you want to contact me. info @ NoTieSoftware.com

 

[lindsayanng]

for me.. for ads, i prefer OIO Publisher simply because you have complete control. People pay you through your website and paypal and it goes straight to you. No commissions to pay or anything of that sort. YOu can approve all ads, and all you hav to do is add a little snippet of code where you want, or in a wordpress widget or something

 

[halgol]

iPhone Life

I hope folks don't mind my post here, but I think it contains some helpful information in response to the question about publicizing apps on a small budget. I am the Exec Editor and Publisher of iPhone Life magazine, http://www.iphonelife.com/.

You, of course, ask the million dollar question (literally). Thousands of developers are in the same boat trying to get attention of end-users.

The good news is that if you come up with a good marketing strategy, that strategy pays for itself and more. If it is repeatable or can take more investment, then all the better.

Advertising contains some combination of branding your product or company, and urging folks to buy now. Branding, popularizing and creating awareness for your title, is effective in TV, newspapers and magazines. In our case, almost anyone who purchases iPhone Life has an interest in iPhone and willing to spend on average a couple of hours going through issue to learn how to make better use of the iPhone or iPod touch. Web ads are also good for branding and good for immediacy of action -- but attention span is less.

Here are free and paid services our magazine offers small developers:

• A list of the top iPhone Life web sites in one place, http://www.iphonelife.com/bestsites
• An article with contacts of writers and bloggers and info about how stuff gets written up in iPhone Life http://www.iphonelife.com/getpublicity
• $199 ads for small developers where we can create the ad for you for free http://www.iphonelife.com/getnoticed

We will be introducing new free programs this year for developers.

Our Spring issue will be mailed out next week, and we still have Premiere issues available. http://www.iphonelife.com/subscrbe

Finally, we are always on the look out for interesting user submitted articles for the magazine (http://www.iphonelife.com/writersguidelines) and for strong bloggers. If anyone is interested in any of these things, feel free to E-mail me.

Hal Goldstein
hal@thaddeus.com
iPhone Life magazine