How to Run A PR Campaign For Your Mobile App
There is a mobile app for almost anything you can think of today. Whether you’re looking for banking services, productivity tools, entertainment, or ways to connect with others, there’s an app for that.
So chances are, there’s already an app(s) for the service you want to provide. But this shouldn’t stop you from designing that great mobile app, as long as you ensure your target market is aware of your unique value proposition. This is where a great PR campaign comes in.
A PR campaign tailored for your mobile app can significantly amplify its visibility, foster user engagement, and drive downloads. However, running such a campaign requires strategic planning, creativity, and meticulous execution.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll discuss how you can run a successful PR campaign for a mobile app. My tips should help you easily maximize your mobile app’s visibility and popularity.
5 ways to run a PR campaign for your mobile app
Here are five key ways to run a successful PR campaign for a mobile app.
1. Define your goals clearly
Setting clear and measurable goals is the foundation of any successful PR campaign for a mobile app. Without clear goals, your PR efforts will lack direction and ultimately fail to deliver the desired results.
Here’s a deep dive into how to define your goals clearly:
- Specificity: Avoid vague objectives like “lower churn rates” or “get more active users.” Instead, specify exactly what you aim to achieve. An example of a specific goal is “increase app downloads by 20% within three months.”
- Measurability: Ensure your goals are measurable to easily track your progress and PR efforts’ effectiveness. Some of the key performance indicators include the number of app downloads, conversion rates, churn rates, and even media mentions.
- Relevance: Align your goals with your overall business objectives and the specific needs of your mobile app. For instance, if you just launched a new app and have yet to get loyal customers, your goals should prioritize user acquisition over generating revenue.
- Achievability: Ensure your goals are achievable within the constraints of resources, time frame, and market conditions. Unrealistic goals can easily lead to frustration and demotivation of your team.
- Time-bound: Setting clear deadlines and milestones will enable you to track your progress over a period of time. Ensure you’re making necessary adjustments to your strategy if you’re falling behind schedule.
- Flexibility: While it’s crucial to have clear goals, be open to adapting and refining them as you gain insights and user feedback throughout your PR campaign.
By following these principles at the outset of your PR campaign, you provide a roadmap for your team. This then enables them to focus their PR efforts on achieving tangible results for your mobile app
2. Decide on the communication platform
There are multiple communication platforms in today’s PR landscape. However, not all will be ideal for your PR campaign.
To identify the most suitable platforms for your PR campaign, start by conducting a target audience analysis. Identify the platforms your potential app users frequent the most, whether it’s social media channels like Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, tech blogs, or industry forums and communities.
Then, tailor your communication strategy to your audience’s preferred platforms to ensure that your messages resonate effectively.
Next, research the media landscape within your app’s niche or industry. Identify influential journalists, bloggers, and thought leaders. You can use platforms like Muck Rack to do this.
Also, determine media outlets with the highest readership, credibility, and relevance to your target audience. Then prioritize building relationships and securing coverage from these outlets to reach wider audiences. You can outsource this to a PR service agency that has already built strong media relations with these outlets.
Additionally, leverage a combination of owned, earned, and paid media channels to maximize your PR campaign’s reach and effectiveness. Owned media channels, such as your app’s website and social media profiles, allow you to control the messaging and distribution.
Earned media channels like getting coverage and mentions from media outlets lend credibility to your app. Paid media channels, such as sponsored content, influencer marketing, and social media marketing, complement your organic efforts and extend your reach to new audiences.
3. Design and create a compelling press release
Press releases remain a fundamental component of any PR campaign. Therefore, you must design a compelling press release that effectively generates buzz around your mobile app.
Your press release headline is the first thing that journalists and readers will see, so make it compelling and attention-grabbing. Use strong, action-oriented language that entices readers to learn more about your app. Here’s a great example.
You should also include a captivating hook, in the opening paragraph, to grab the reader’s attention and encourage them to continue reading. This could be a startling statistic, a thought-provoking question, or a captivating anecdote related to your app.
Next, keep your messaging concise, focusing on the most important information about your mobile app. Highlight key features, benefits, and unique selling points that differentiate your mobile app from competitors. Ensure you structure this information clearly with the help of bullet points, paragraphs, and subheadings.
Also, avoid unnecessary technical jargon or overly promotional language that may detract from the main message.
Incorporating visual elements such as images, demo videos, or screenshots will enhance your press release’s visual appeal and make it more engaging for readers. It also provides journalists with assets they can use when covering your app.
It’s key that you include relevant quotes from key stakeholders, such as the app’s developer, founder, or CEO, as shown below. Doing this adds credibility and authenticity to your press release. You can also include social proof in terms of app users’ testimonials.
Conclude your press release with a clear and compelling call to action that prompts readers to take the next step, whether it’s downloading your app, visiting your website, or contacting you for more information. The CTA should be specific, actionable, and aligned with your overall mobile app marketing campaign objectives.
Don’t forget to optimize your press release for search engines by naturally incorporating relevant keywords and phrases. This increases its chances of ranking higher in search engine results, which then boosts its chances of reaching potential users.
Keep in mind you don’t have to do it all manually or from scratch. Thanks to technologies like Generative AI, you can create a compelling press release within minutes. But ensure you first understand the various Generative AI use cases to get the most from it.
4. Choose the ideal media agency for release
Once your press release is ready, it’s time to distribute it to ensure maximum visibility and coverage. As such, you need to choose the ideal media agency for your release.
Look for media agencies with expertise and experience in your app’s niche or industry. The agency should have a proven track record of success in generating media coverage and driving tangible results for its clients.
Also, consider the media relationships that the agency has cultivated over time. A reputable media agency will have established connections with journalists, editors, and influencers across various media outlets and platforms. These relationships facilitate easier access to media coverage and increase the likelihood of securing placements for your press release.
Besides that, ensure that the agency’s values, culture, and objectives align with yours. A strong cultural fit fosters collaboration, trust, and mutual understanding, which will lead to better outcomes for your promotional campaign.
Additionally, consider your budget and resource constraints. While larger agencies offer a broader range of services and resources, they also come with higher costs. Also, smaller boutique agencies or specialized PR firms may offer more personalized attention and flexibility but have limited resources.
So ensure you choose a media agency that strikes the right balance between cost-effectiveness and capabilities based on your specific needs and objectives.
5. Promote sharing through different channels
A multichannel approach to communication ensures comprehensive coverage and engagement across various platforms. By diversifying your communication channels, you effectively engage with different segments of your audience and maintain a consistent brand presence across the digital landscape.
For instance, you can leverage popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Share visually engaging snippets, teaser videos, or highlights from your press release on your app’s official social media profiles.
You can also use email marketing, influencer marketing, and even SMS marketing to distribute your press releases and updates to subscribers.
Additionally, if you are rebranding and your app already has a loyal user base, leverage in-app notifications. You can direct users to your press release or a blog post for more information by including clickable links or calls to action within the notification.
Bookdialysis is an example of a brand that got this right. They shared their app launch press release through a distribution platform, Cision, and also used their owned channels like their blog and social media.
However, always remember each channel has its unique characteristics. So ensure you tailor your messaging and content formats accordingly.
Conclusion
A well-executed PR campaign might just be what your app requires to stand out.
Throughout this article, I’ve explored the key steps of running a PR campaign for a mobile app. Start by defining your goals, then choose the communication platform, design a compelling press release, choose an ideal media agency, and promote multichannel sharing.
Now go ahead and leverage PR to elevate your mobile app’s acquisition rate, user retention rate, user engagement, and ROI.
Bogdan Sandu, a seasoned designer with 15 years of diverse experience, has been designing websites since 2008.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
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