How I Do It: Marketing Tips from a First-Time App Developer
If you are trying to figure out the best ways to market your iPhone app, you are not alone. Every app developer has to figure out how to make their software stand out among 100,000 competitors in the App Store.
We want to make it a little easier for you in our new occasional series of case studies from app developers who have been there – and are succeeding.
One example is Dan Nelson, who uses everything from a slick video trailer to old fashioned word of mouth to sell his iPhone app BATAK Duel 
Marketing Your App: What is your app and what does it do?
Dan Nelson: BATAK Duel is our first iPhone and iPod touch game. It tests reaction, hand-eye coordination and dexterity skills to their absolute limits. In the game you face 10 challenging opponents whom you must defeat in order to win your freedom from slavery.
MYA: What have you done to market your app?
DN: Lots of different things. Telling everyone I personally know about the game, yes, even my postman! Submitting numerous press releases to the media. I have also created a promotional website and a promotional video on YouTube. And submitting to numerous ‘app review’ sites.
MYA: What tips do you have for developers who are trying to sell their apps?
DN: I would say don’t just launch your app and then sit back expecting to cash in, in most cases this just won’t happen. Be as proactive as possible in getting the word out, spend a couple of hours a day marketing your app and don’t give up!
You should notice that the more you promote your app then the more it will sell, so just keep promoting it.
Also, make sure you create an official website for your app and include a development blog
and Twitter support.
Finally, make sure you support your app by returning all customers’ emails (be polite!), fixing bugs as required and adding new features to your app. If you do all of this then you should do very well indeed.
BATAK Duel is available in the App Store by clicking this link
Do you have an iPhone app you would like to see featured on this blog? Find out how.
Another marketing tip: test and optimize your iTunes connect 100 keywords. This can really affect your sales positively or negatively by getting into the head of your customers and figuring out what they would be searching for to find you.
-John
http://AppPopular.com
http://MarkOnCall.com
Indeed with the flood of applications on the app store, marketing is growing to be even more important. The best example I’ve seen for marketing so far is AppHeight’s promotion for Voices. They had a campaign where they gave out a bunch of Mac apps for free to build a mailing list, and then they sent a beautiful email announcing Voices to the list and offering a free copy of a Mac version of the app if people would Tweet about it, and the web site auto-detected the tweets. I think this is likely a large reason the app is doing so well in the store, and I strive to be able to develop a campaign as successful one day!
ultimately your success depends on the markets acceptance of your app…pay attention to your users…they will help you grow if you value and respect their feedback, good or bad
Great tips from everyone! I would also add be sure to set up accts at the other major social networks, Facebook, Myspace, etc.
Create and/or join targeted iphone groups.
Create a FAN page for your app.
Part of marketing your app is havig good measurements for success. Good post at http://blog.w3i.com/category/application-distribution/ on measuring app value.
Love this post! Thanks for this. I’ll be sure to come back again. P.S: I’ve bookmark your site as well.
This is inspiring I think I will start a blog myself one day in italian of course. Great post, grazie.