How Not to Promote Your App to New Media

Half of the work in developing an App is promoting said App, and where I can, I like to help out Devs. One way to help is saying what to do, but what is more fun is saying what not to do - by showing some examples. For those not familiar, when removing any actual information that might identify the individual or their product, I show it here as “Redacted.”

The following is an email I received recently

Hello, My name is Oliver and I have developed an app that I think will interest you and your users/followers/view-ers. I am sure you receive a lot of mail but my app is truly unique. With your device camera you are able to manipulate the graphics and even place yourself in the midst of all the action. Likewise with the sound, samples can be recorded and edited into the game. (Redacted) is intensely customizable game with limitless possibilities.

If you can find the time then I would be very interested to hear what your thoughts are on the game and it’s core design mechanics. Below is a link for your convenience:

(Redacted Name)

P.S. Big fan of your

site/channel/blog

Best Regards, Oliver

Oh so many issues with this one. Let me break out my comments:

Hello - Don't start an email with just “Hello” or “Hi” or “Yo Dude” - find out the person’s name. No first name is a big red flag I am being spammed.

My name is Oliver and I have developed an app that I think will interest you and your users/followers/viewers. - My users/followers/viewers??? Take some time to figure out what type of producer someone is. For me as an Audio Podcast it is listeners. Not "users," not "followers" and definitely not "viewers."

I am sure you receive a lot of mail but my app is truly unique. – Yes … Yes I do get a lot of mail - but at this point I am not thinking about his unique app - maybe his uniquely bad email - but not his unique app.

P.S. Big fan of your site/channel/blog. Best Regards, Oliver - Saying he is a big fan of my site/channel/blog - is so disingenuous. Above he clearly showed he did not even know the format of my content - and now says he is a big fan. I call BS. Don't BS the media channels you reach out to. And don't say you are a fan - show you are a fan - say something in the email only a fan would know.

Here is another classically bad email:

Hi, how are you?

I have been following you for a while. I was searching for someone who could help me and my partner spread our idea. We have worked for some months on an innovative android application. Our application name is (Redacted) and its target audience are people that (Redacted). I have a feeling that a big part of your audience are (Redacted) or have clients and would like to hear about our idea and vision. If you would like to hear more about (Redacted) unique features please contact us at: (Redacted). We will be thankful for any help or tribute.

Google Play link: (Redacted)

Regards,

Dvir and Tal

My comments on this one

Hi, how are you? - Well this point I am suspicious - suspicious I am being spammed.

I have been following you for a while. - Ok, lets see what he says that can prove he is genuine.

I was searching for someone who could help me and my partner spread our idea. - Odd if you were following me for a while - why would you be searching for someone to spread your idea - would you now already know I am here?

We have worked for some months on an innovative android application. - Consider-ing I do a podcast about all things iOS (I do not mention Android unless I am dogging on it) - suspicions confirmed - spammer and liar. Email deleted - both their time and mine wasted.

Sure simply throwing an email list of new media contacts into Constant Contact saves you a lot of time. But it also really gets you nothing. In New Media there is a law it goes like this:

Ego = (Audience size) squared.

What this means is the shows with the biggest audiences - the ones you want to reach - the producers are going to be very easily offended. And they definitely will be offended you did not personally reach out to them but rather used a bulk mailing program. Reality is the only ones that will reply to a bulk email are the shows with essentially no audience.

So nothing is gained by bulk emailing - and once you offend an New Media producers - good luck getting back on their good graces.

Another classic mistake I see made in promoting an app via email is where the link to the app is not anywhere in the email. Make sure you include your direct link to your Appstore page(s) for your app in the email. And before you start sending out emails, email yourself first and then click on the links to make sure all links in the email work.

The amount of time you put into promoting your app should be equal to or greater than that you put into developing the app. And part of that work is researching the bloggers/podcasters/YouTubers you are reaching out to. Content producers are busy creating content, and if you have something interesting and you present it honestly, there is a good chance you will get some coverage.

If you go above and beyond and show that producer you know their content then there is a great chance you will get your app mentioned by them. But doing what Oliver, Dvir and Tal did is a complete waste of everyone’s time. Well except in this case it did make good fodder for this article. 

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