9 Ways to Promote Your Mobile App Offline

We are living in an era where smartphones have become the elixir of our lives while websites and social media feeds have become our pitstops for gathering information.

This means that if you are a brand, it’s quite easy to be heard in the online world.

But what about the offline ecosystem?

Now, before you say - ‘who promotes their app offline in the 21st century’, let us tell you that even today, thousands of brands across the globe rely on traditional advertising techniques such as pamphlets, cold calls, merchandise, and other traditional modes of marketing.

So why shouldn’t your app tap into these battle-tested channels to reach your target audience?

Let us dive a little deeper and understand all such methods to promote your app offline.

1. Press Release

Create a press release for your app and hand it out to the local newspapers. Write an impressive storyline for your app that delivers a strong message to the audience. Make sure the message is newsworthy, evoking a sense of curiosity about your app. More importantly, it should create a positive impression of your brand among your target audience.

2. Distribute merchandise

Create an eye-catchy logo(if you haven’t already) for your app/brand that will grab eyeballs in an instant. Ensure that the logo is minimalistic but resonates well with the buyers. Now add the logo to various useful items like key chains, pens, bottles, etc. Give them as freebies to your target audience. You can target areas such as colleges, tech conferences, and fairs to distribute them. Though this channel doesn’t come cheap, it’s well worth the investment as everyone loves freebies, and your app’s awareness will multiply exponentially through word of mouth.

Another simple yet powerful tactic is to distribute a gratitude note along with all your packages. Through this note, you can request your customers to drop a review on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Sore for the product they just purchased.

3. Place billboards at strategic locations

Placing billboards in the city center can generate a huge buzz around your app. Remember how BBC employed a billboard to promote their TV series Dracula? They cleverly used shadows and stakes to see the count emerge as a haunting ghost. Similarly, a creative billboard at a strategic location will make your app an overnight sensation.

4. Make cold calls

Yes, cold calling is still very much alive. Only the strategies have changed because buyers have changed how they buy. Here are the steps -

• Make a list of potential leads.
• Establish a cold calling strategy.
• Get cold calling software to analyze the call patterns.
• Tailor the conversation to meet the needs of each customer based on the inputs you get from the software.

Although it is more of a sales move, cold calling helps your app reach the intended target audience quickly.

5. Business cards

If you do not have business cards for your app, then you should definitely consider making one soon. They are great for conferences and group meetings. There are countless sites online for designing and customizing your own business cards. Get help from them.

Try using QR codes in your business cards to redirect your audience to your app’s download site. QR codes are no longer considered a novelty and are used almost everywhere. And creating one is pretty easy as several QR code generator sites are available online.

6. Ad spots

Having your ad placed in traditional media such as radio and television can be quite expensive. But sometimes, media companies have ad spots that go unused. You can negotiate with these companies for discounts or barter for an ad spot. If you have an expensive paid app, you can even offer promo codes to these companies’ employees in exchange for an ad spot.

7. Organize a community event

If your app is connected to a local community, then a promotional event would greatly benefit you to reach your audience. Focus on common gathering spots such as shopping malls, parks, local bars, or any busy corner in your area. Create a theme and decorate your event to match the theme of your app. Introduce elements such as lucky draws and coupons in the event to interact with your audience and keep them hooked.

8. Activity vending machines

You might have come across an interesting piece of news about the Russian Olympic Committee installing a ticket machine that allows subway riders to pay their fare through 30 squats. Similarly, you can offer a free drink from a vending machine or local bar when the user downloads and sends a referral code to his/her friend.

9. Pop-up events

Pop-up events help you to present your app to the attendees in person. Location is the key to a successful pop-up event. So make sure to research your target audience well before confirming the area that has the capability to attract massive footfall. Also, flash mob marketing can help in such events to make your event more colorful and memorable.

Wrapping Up

Delivering a human touch is one of the prime reasons why you should promote your mobile app offline. Interacting with your audience on a personal level and allowing them to do so can have a dramatic effect on your app downloads. It is always best to study how bigger brands succeeded in promoting their brands offline to broaden your perspective.  

And if you haven’t yet created your app yet, we are there to help. We are a leading mobile app factory catering to a wide range of brands across the globe. You can try Vajro free for 30-days. Book a demo now.

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