App promotion is a niche and highly specialized field due to the specific nature of apps, their audience, and the relatively high entry barrier into the market.
The primary purpose of an app is to solve user problems, streamline communication with websites, and increase loyalty among existing customers. Whether it’s ordering water, sending mail, buying flowers, or hailing a taxi, users no longer need to call, wait on hold, or enter their details every time — they just install an app, and a few clicks later, their task is done.
Many people confuse a mobile website version with an app, often thinking a mobile site can do everything an app can. But that’s not the case. The key difference is that an app is software, offering specific functionality and the ability to handle tasks on the user’s device. Apps are typically designed for repetitive, everyday tasks, saving time for both businesses and customers.
At one point, Google recommended that businesses with over 10,000 regular customers consider app development. Nowadays, even companies with 3,000 regular users are investing in their own apps.
So, you’ve built an app - what’s next?
How do you increase app downloads from both current and potential customers?
There are two main approaches to app promotion:
➊ Organic promotion
This refers to boosting your app’s visibility on Google Play or the App Store. It’s similar to SEO, where your app’s ranking depends on certain factors.
The most common ranking factors for apps include:
- App name;
- Description;
- Category;
- Reviews;
- Content of reviews;
- Number of downloads;
- Install growth rate.
You can optimize these factors in your Play Market or App Store account.
Once you’ve optimized your app, promoted it on your website, and spread the word via external channels, it’s worth trying Google Ads to advertise the app.
➋ Paid app advertising in Google Ads
2.1 Ads in search results In search ads, your app can appear as an extension that only shows on mobile devices. The link directs users straight to Google Play or the App Store to download the app.
2.2 Direct targeted app ads on mobile devices Прямая таргетированная реклама приложения на мобильных устройствах:
Ad - starting with text, ending with video upload and complex HTML5 announcement. There is an immediate opportunity to preview ads for different promotion networks:
👉 Search;
👉 Display Network;
👉 YouTube;
👉 Play Market or App Store.
Preview of an ad across networks:
After adding your ad, you’ll wait for approval, which can take up to 48 hours.
Bidding. Google Ads now offers pay-per-install for app ads, which is quite convenient.
Important note: Google actively uses machine learning to analyze conversion signals. The recommended cost-per-install will eventually be based on how likely users are to download your app. So, it's worth planning ahead to make sure your app’s details are appealing.
Budgets. Set your budget based on your marketing spend and the real cost of acquiring app installs.
Targeting. Google Ads uses automated targeting based on machine learning. This doesn’t mean your ad will show to random people—ads are shown based on user interests and app download history. That’s why it’s important to sync your Google Ads account with Google Play and Firebase analytics.
After launching the ads, you can analyze the results and make data-driven adjustments.
These are the basics of promoting iOS and Android apps. If you need more detailed advice, feel free to reach out to our agency for further information.
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