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Around the clock all over the world, people are talking about iPhone apps online. They are debating which are the best, sharing the latest finds, and raving about their favorites. The discussions happen on Twitter, Facebook, forums, blogs, and many other of social media sites. But are they talking about your app?
Discover helpful social media tips in this podcast. And, don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast with iTunes. It’s the easy (and free) way to know when the latest podcasts are available.
Podcast Transcript
Around the clock all over the world, people are talking about iPhone apps online. They are debating which are the best, sharing the latest finds, and raving about their favorites. The discussions happen on Twitter, Facebook, forums, blogs, and many other of social media sites. But are they talking about your app?
The popularity of social media grows everyday and smart iPhone developers have learned how to harness its power to promote their apps. With so many people spending hours and hours with social media, it cannot be ignored if you are looking to maximize your sales. Plus, there are ways to make the most of it that are smart, effective, and free.
What social media sites can you use? Here are a few key players to try:
- Twitter – write short updates to share with your followers on this super-popular micro-blogging site
- Facebook – it’s more than just finding friends: connect with iPhone users by setting up a profile and getting people to “like” you
- LinkedIn – a professional networking site where you can find people with similar interests
- App forums – there are many online discussion boards focused on apps where you can tap into a community and find new customers
- Blogs – thanks to the comments that you can leave on posts, blogs have become more than just one person talking: they’re very social and can let you talk with the blogger or others interested in apps
In this lesson, we’ll go in depth into two of these that can help you the most: app forums and Twitter.
Basic Rules to Master Social Media
The “rules” of social media are different than other types of marketing, even online marketing. You want to join the conversation in a meaningful way, because only boasting about yourself all the time is unlikely to win you many friends or followers. And, using Facebook to promote your app is very different than using it to connect with your friends.
The first step to mastering social media is to listen. If you haven’t already, join Twitter, Facebook, and iPhone forum websites to follow people’s discussions about apps, the iPhone, and the iPad. Do this right away, especially for forum sites because when you post they will list the date you joined and it is better not to look like a newbie.
Notice how people on the sites interact with each other, and what questions they have that you could help with. See which questions and topics get the most responses and to what extent it is acceptable to promote yourself on the site.
Then, once you have observed others, it is time to join the conversation. Your primary goal with social media to help other people. In return, they will value your opinions and what you have to offer (such as your app). You can help them out in many ways, such as answering questions or providing links to valuable content (on your own web site or others).
Social media does take extra time upfront to make sure you are jumping into the conversation the right way. However, the added time is well worth it when you can tap into new communities of iPhone users all looking for the next great app – yours.
5 Keys for Success with Social Media
If you’re just getting started with social media, it can seem overwhelming. I need to tweet, I need to blog, I need to have thousands of friends! But don’t worry, I want to demystify these sites for you and give you an easy game plan to get started.
And, if you are already using social media, you might not be getting all the value you could be. These services are free, which is great, but they can also eat up a lot of your time and energy. So, you should expect to see results.
It’s often hard to measure the value of a new Facebook friend or tweet, so some people get discouraged. It doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you’re just starting out or have already made social media a part of your app marketing, here are five essential keys to success:
1. Focus on a few
There are many social media sites and services, it is easy to think that you have to be on all of them, blogging and tweeting all the time. Some people try this and quickly get overwhelmed or exhausted.
You don’t need to be active everywhere. If you’re starting out, it pays to test many different sites to see which are getting you the best results. But then, make a conscious decision to focus on just a few.
You will likely find that focusing your efforts on having a real presence on a handful of sites will get you better results than spreading yourself thin by trying to be everywhere at once.
2. Leverage your time
Keeping up with your social network takes time. You’re writing status updates and tweets. You’re responding to people who write to you. And, you’re trying to win more friends and followers.
Don’t try to do it all by yourself. Instead, look for tools that can help save you time and do more with less. That is a key way to leverage your time – use smart tools and strategies to get better results with less work.
For example, SocialOomph (http://www.socialoomph.com) is a free online service that can make managing your Twitter account easier. You can set up automatic responses (direct messages) to be sent to people who follow up, such as “Thank you! For more info on my app, please see my website”.
And, there are many software programs and, yes, even apps that make it easier for you to keep up with people on Twitter. Save time by using these tools rather than logging into Twitter all the time.
3. Use each social media site differently
Each social media site is like a different community of people, and each has its own strengths. Don’t just blast out an ad for your app across all of them. People probably won’t listen. Social media is more of a conversation than the rest of the internet is, and each conversation has its own flavor.
For example, Facebook is geared more toward casual, friendly interactions while LinkedIn attracts more professionals. It’s often acceptable to put a link to your app’s website in your signature to a forum post, but users on Twitter may not respond well to blatant self-promotion.
The more you use each social media site, the more you’ll learn about each one strengths. You’ll be able to use each tool to your maximum advantage when you use them each differently.
4. Don’t use social media for business the same as personal social media
Many people think they can dive into social media and promote their apps the same way they do everyday for their personal lives. But it’s not always the same.
For one, your goals for using Facebook in your spare time is different than using it to market your app. In one, you want to stay in touch with old friends to share photos and the latest news in your life. For business, you’re trying to attract new friends, build community and respect, and advertise your app.
If you’re going to use social media for business, treat it as any other marketing activity you do to advertise your app. That doesn’t meet you have to be buttoned up and boring, but you should stay professional at all times. Keep your goals in mind and be careful to always put yourself and your app in the best light.
5. Measure your results
Social media is tricky to measure, but it’s not impossible. You will be putting time and energy into your social networks, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting real value from them.
Over time, track your growth across the sites you’re active on. See the number of new followers you have on Twitter, new friends on Facebook or LinkedIn, and how many people have retweeted you.
Having a website for your app can help you measure your results, too. When you include a link in your tweet or forum post, see how many people click on it and arrive at your site. You can use a tool such as Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics/) on your website to see where your traffic is coming from. Or, if you shorten your links for Twitter using a tool such as bit.ly (http://bit.ly), it can show you the number of clicks easily.
Take Action
Of the five social media sites we mentions (plus other ones you have heard about), make a list of those you want to start using first. Then, sign up for free and test them out.
For the first few weeks, focus on learning how they work and what the community is like rather than getting lots of new friends. Make sure to include links to your new social networks in your other advertising.
