App Development and Mobile Marketing

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Comment by Luke Lenichek on March 24, 2013 at 5:35pm

Hi guys I'm new to his group and the 48 days community. I have a Iphone app designed and I'm almost ready to send it off to a developer. I'm looking for some advise on marketing and the best way to get my app noticed with the least amount of money possible. Does anyone have any advise thanks guys.

Comment by Joshua Theodore on January 23, 2013 at 4:18am

Thanks Scott, Michael, and Henry. You all provided wonderful info that has given me direction to start working on this project. I will keep the group in the loop. Thanks for your insightful tips. Have a blessed day, Josh

Comment by Henry Matlock on January 21, 2013 at 6:52pm

If you're gonna publish as an ebook (Kindle or otherwise), you may benefit from reading some of the posts in the DIY ePublishing group.  Tony and the gang there know their stuff and are more than willing to help you navigate that arena.

Hope this helps.

Comment by Michael Jones on January 21, 2013 at 6:43pm

Here's another option..  How about publish it as a Kindle e-book?  I don't think Pat's e-book on creating an e-book has been updated to include how to publish a Kindle book, but I can try and find you a link to how to do it.  This makes it available in all the app stores through Amazon, and any device can read a Kindle book, through the Kindle app.

Worth looking into maybe.

Comment by Scott Kantner on January 21, 2013 at 5:27pm

Josh, Personally, eBay would probably be lower on my list.  I would offer it from my web site first, and on Amazon second.

Comment by Joshua Theodore on January 21, 2013 at 4:18pm

Scott and Michael - thanks for your input. I think you both have made valuable suggestions towards my idea of creating an app. As mentioned in my initial post, I am an illiterate and was with the impression that apps are easily located from the itunes store. Thanks again for your ideas. I think I will follow your recommendations by downloading the ebook that talks about creating ebooks and create an ebook first. But do you think the idea of delivering the ebook thru ebay is a wise idea? And I will also open a blog site to create a platform. I am thinking of providing some free content thru the blogsite and offering the ebook for a nominal fee thru ebay. Is this a better approach? And as you both suggest I will then think of creating an app. Once again thanks for your input. I will keep you both and the group posted on my development with this idea. Have a nice day, Josh 

Comment by Scott Kantner on January 21, 2013 at 10:55am

Joshua, Couldn't agree more with Michael.  Definitely don't give up on the idea, just consider this different approach we're suggesting.   The LAST thing we want is to see you get frustrated and give up.   There is unfortunately a lot of misleading information out there about what it really takes to put a successful app together.  What Dan Miller says about having a successful book also applies to apps.  Building it is about 10-15% of the work.  The rest is getting the message out.

//Scott

Comment by Michael Jones on January 21, 2013 at 9:00am

Joshua, I want to say absolutely that Scott and I are definitely not discouraging you from pursuing your dreams and passions.  Absolutely I think you should act on this. You truly have an aptitude for it, and a passion for it.  This is fantastic.  You have a niche where you are the expert.  

With the question about the app, Scott and I are assessing one aspect of what you're trying to do.  The app store, for iTunes and Google Play, has hundreds of thousands of apps already.  Bad ones, good ones, and great ones.  Getting discovered among all that is THE biggest challenge of a successful app.  Starting with an app would likely frustrate you about what you're doing, and may even cause you to give up on something with great potential. 

If you start out with an ebook or building a community with a blog, THEN publish an app, your probability of success increases dramatically.  There are some great resources here on 48 Days about developing blogs, or Pat Flynn at smartpassiveincome.com also has some insight.  Pat also has a free e-book on how to create and sell an e-book, that would definitely be a help to you.  You can start with the e-book and market it, and then turn the content of the e-book into an app.  Or you can start with a blog/website, and begin to build a community, then release the e-book and app.

Either way, you have a great idea, it's just to start with an app for this will be rough.  Your goal is to get downloads, so your target audience is first, people searching for "normal child development" or some variant on that keyword, then people who search that term on their iPhone or Android device, then people who would buy the app rather than do a Google search on the same topic.  If you do the same app with an audience already hungry for the content, and are already the authority on the app, THEN you have a winner.

Again, I'm not trying to dissuade you or criticize your idea.  Niche apps are great nowadays, and you have the makings for a workable idea that could be WAY bigger than just an app.
This isn't the end all be all though, and I'd appreciate to hear your thoughts.  Thanks for sharing here - and DO begin to make your idea a reality.

Check out smartpassiveincome.com and get the free e-book on the first page.  That's a valuable resource for you, either way, to build the content for an e-book and the app.

Comment by Scott Kantner on January 21, 2013 at 8:22am

 "However, they are not in app format..."

So that's the real question at this point.  You rightly point out that 1) the information is already on the web (somewhere), and 2) you don't have a platform, which is a challenge Michael is pointing out.  You will not be found organically on the app store very easily these days.

As much as I love building apps, an eBook might be the best place to start since this is basically an "information" idea at this point.  You could use the eBook to build your platform, and then come along later with a utility app that helps parents manage their children's development.  At this point you'll be delivering unique value that you can charge for, if for nothing else, to recover your development costs.  Moreover, your platform then allows you to point people directly to your app.

So I'm thinking that curating all of the info out there into a valuable eBook might be your best Step 1.

Comment by Joshua Theodore on January 21, 2013 at 7:40am

Michael, I don't have a website or blog related to this idea. Hence I do not have a platform or an audience. I am sure that there are websites where you can access the info that I have in mind. However, they are not in app format. I did search the app store in itunes. Is there anything like SEO for apps that we can use to get the word out about this app? Is there anyway of getting the app advertised on app guides, parent magazines, etc.?

The only other thing that I have in mind is that to produce the same content in ebook format and try selling them on ebay. Thanks for your input - it is much appreciated.

Josh

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