Sponsors
Are you developing a mobile app? Get anything from icons and buttons to your entire mobile app designed at 99designs! You can start your next graphic design project for as low as $199. Visit 99designs.com/Chat and get a $99 Power Pack of services for free.
PreApps provides an outlet for developers to harness early exposure, access beta testers, generate critical user feedback, and most importantly rapid downloads upon release. Get 10% off on ALL PreApps marketing services by using promo code AppMasters!
Subscribe to the Show
Subscribe via iTunes
Subscribe via Stitcher
Subscribe via RSS
About the Episode
Today’s guest is the Head of Marketing at Readdle, makers of the hit app Spark and Scanner Pro and he shares what’s like being in the App Store since day 1 and how the app market has evolved. Also listen to his tips about reaching out to the press both in the US and Europe.
Denys Zhadanov is Head of Marketing at Readdle.
Show Notes
Reaching 40 Million Downloads with Productivity
Readdle reached 40 million downloads by simply doing productivity products. Truth be told, the developers have tried games but nothing just worked or clicked. Productivity products however answered a real need, real life problems. Always remember the need, improve the product and predict what consumers want so that overall customer experience is totally addressed. With Scanner Pro, for example, the developers came up with an additional feature that was so amazingly simple yet so effective in promotingengagement, usability, and helpfulness to users that downloads just kept on coming! Basically this is just what Readdle did: Put the users first, anticipate their needs, and come up with a product that does all these. Then the 40 million downloads will just take of itself.
The Evolution of the App Market
Denys has been with the App Store since Day 1. He actually conceptualized and helped build Readdle, was one of the 100 developers whose apps were featured in App Store on its launch day. The app was at $15 at that time. Now, most apps are for free. This mental shift in the apps market makes the greatest difference for developers between then and now. Another difference between then and now is that in the good old days, a press coverage from a respectable reviewer could bring thousands of downloads in one day. Today, there are so many respectable reviewers that the effect of positive reviews gets diluted. In other words, it is so much tougher now.
Reaching out to the American and European Press
Sell the product to the press and if they can see the value of the product or love the product, the rest becomes easier. If a pitch can be done via video, then the better. People just do not want to spend time reading anything anymore. Use videos even in emails. Pitches should always be personalized, but seeing them in person to make the pitch is even better. Even if you do not know them, still, make the message personal. Just give the initial short pitch and ask them for an appointment. For the press people you already have a good working relation with, 100% personalized is even better. Just keep in mind that whatever message the email may contain it should be short, simple,and direct.
Show Mentions
– Fav app: Day One: (iTunes)
– iphon.fr