When you're nearing the finishing touches on your latest app, you're entitled to feel a sense of accomplishment, but in a way, the real work is just beginning. If you want your app to be successful (no matter how you define success), you're going to need more people to buy or download it, and unless you already have legions of fans, that means investing in marketing strategies.

Marketing will take time, money, or both, but it's almost always worth the investment; in fact, it can be absolutely essential if you want to reach the top of the download charts.

The best strategies for app marketing

Here are some of the best strategies for marketing your app:

1. App store list optimization. You will need to list your app on various online app stores and then optimize those app pages to attract your target audience. There are several ways to do this, and the strategies you choose will depend on the. For example, you'll want to optimize your app's name, subtitle, and description with keywords that make sense to your target demographic. You'll also want to include plenty of screenshots and videos of how your app works, showcasing its best features. Your goal is to make your app more likely to appear in app store searches and make a better first impression when found.

2. Landing page optimization. It's also a good idea to create a separate, mobile-optimized landing page for your app. That way, people researching your app can learn more about it, and you can make your brand visible in traditional search engines as well as in the app store. Again, you'll want to include as much descriptive content as possible, optimizing for keyword phrases relevant to your app and target demographic. You'll also want to include videos and screenshots, just make sure you give them proper titles and alternate tags.

3. Link building. it is one of the most effective general marketing strategies due to its versatility and high impact, and it is possible to learn on your own (although it is usually more effective to work with an agency). The idea is to create contextually relevant links embedded in high-quality external content. With those links, you'll get more referral traffic, gain more brand exposure, and build more authority for your landing page so it can rank higher in search engines more consistently. Each industry will have its own unique considerations; for example, if you want to use different external sources and a different high-level linking strategy than you would if you were developing a mobile game.

4. Content marketing. If you have a web domain, engaging in on-site content marketing is also valuable. Write articles or produce videos that answer common questions your target demographics may have, or provide entertainment to your audience. Either way, every new piece of content you create is a new opportunity for search engine rankings and a new opportunity for your ideal app users to discover you. Best of all, creating content can be ridiculously cheap.

5. Marketing in social networks. The popularity of the application is self-sufficient; If you can build a significant following of people obsessing over your app, they'll spread the word to their friends, family, and other social contacts. This makes social media one of the best platforms to market your app, if you can use it effectively. Circulate viral content, facilitate discussions and encourage participation with contests; if you create a positive environment for your users, you will reap the benefits.

6. Review the optimization. The number and quality of reviews you receive from your app users have an effect on app store searches. It can be hard to generate these reviews naturally, especially if you're just starting out, so consider adding more ads asking for consumer reviews and incentivizing reviews (ethically). Then, learn from both positive and negative reviews, and optimize your app so future users see it even better.

7. Targeted advertising. Using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising will guarantee visits to your app's landing page or download page. From there, it's a matter of closing the deal. You just need to make sure you're targeting the right demographic, so you know you're spending the money on your fastest potential users.

Of course, these strategies are based on your knowledge and commitment to the solid fundamentals of marketing. For example, you'll need to commit to best practices in graphic design, copywriting, and branding in general.

Try and failure

You'll need to experiment with different strategies, measure their effectiveness, and filter out the tactics that don't deliver ROI. Only through experimentation and gradual improvement will you see its true potential.