This podcast interview was originally published on App Academy Podcast on September 02, 2015
[smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/chamberds/EP_13_Steve_Young.mp3?dest-id=245379″ image=”https://appmasters.com/wp-content/uploads/jordant.jpg” social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ]Our guest for this episode is the CEO and Founder of AppMasters.co and a fellow podcaster, Steve P. Young. Steve interviews the top mobile app entrepreneurs from companies such as Twitter, Face book, and Shazam, to name a few. He is also the founder of Pixel Happy, an app marketing agency focused on helping companies with their app promotions.
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Here are the highlights of my conversation with Steve:
- 2:53: Steve shares how he got into the digital space and how he started coding at 11 on the Commodore 64. He talks about how he fell in love with technology and how he made his first game. He also shares how he used to work at startups in San Francisco and went on to build his name through online marketing content. He also shares how he learned the value of apps through downloading apps for his 2-year-old son.
- 5:12: Steve shares how he reached a decision to niche up in mobile marketing. He considers listening to one’s audience and identifying the specific needs that they may have as a good starting point when trying to reach a decision about focusing on a niche.
- 7:28: Why the initial meeting is crucial to a well-marketed app. Steve shares what he looks for when meeting with the developer at first light. He explains the importance of the unique angle or the hook that sets an app apart. The social proof of things past and leveraging this to things present. For lucidity, Steve cites Fit Men Cook as an example and how he applied the hook and leveraged the social proof to hit #6 in the Appstore.
- 13:15: Steve talks about how to reach out to influencers by the simplest of methods – email. Steve shares an interesting caveat when reaching out to influencers. Listen to him explain why researching an influencer and making sure that the developer and the influencer are a good fit are important considerations. Steve also has a lot to say about writing effective emails to influencers and how a p.s. at the end of the email can sometimes do a lot of magic.
- 18:41: Steve shares how he increased an app download by 233%.Sometimes, he says, it is as simple as changing the app name and the keywords. com. and Sensor Tower are the two apps Steve really find useful for keyword optimization. There is also a discussion of the 3 rules for determining if a keyword is the keyword .
- 27:10: Steve talks about press email vs. press release and offers good tips on email formats which allow the reader to scan quickly and still get the essentials. Listen to his advice on how to get an easy ‘yes’ for whoever the pitch is addressed to.
Would you put more emphasis on the idea or the execution? How would you weigh each of them and why?
Both are important but I would say more on the execution. Ideas can change and there are so many ways an idea can be executed. So for me, it will be30% idea and 70% execution.
What is your biggest learning lesson on your journey so far?
Becoming focused on a particular niche and trying to be the best at it. That decision is a matter of listening to what people are saying.
What is your favorite business book?
Traction Book.It is a good reminder that all these traction channels exist but to remember to focus on one.
What is your favorite mobile app resource?
The AppStore.I download every single, featured app by Apple. I want to see why Apple is featuring it.
What is your favorite app and why?
Fitbit.I like that bit of competition it has integrated in it. I can compete with friends as well as monitor my steps.
What is the coolest thing that you are working on right now that you want everyone to know about?
I am working on a new game Tic Tac Toe Meets Paper Toss. My son came up with Tic Tac Toss.
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