Should you write a press release for your mobile app? In the following cases, you should:
- You published a new mobile app. This is the best time to publish a press release. It’s a great way to inform potential customers about your product.
- You launched an update for your mobile app. If you’ve added new features, fixed bugs, or made other improvements, let your customers know. Press releases are a good way to share this information, but you don’t have to write one for small fixes that aren’t important to users. You can mention them in the release for your next major update.
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- You published a new free or demo version of your mobile app. Clients who subscribed to your news but weren’t sure if they wanted to buy your product will have a chance to test it in the demo version, so you’ll instantly get many downloads and stimulate sales for your paid version.
- You added in-app purchases. Existing clients will be interested in learning about your in-app purchases. You can use the release to explain that all of your apps can be still downloaded for free but that users who’d like to improve functionality or get virtual goods/currency can pay for them. You can also describe your in-app purchases in detail and let users know exactly how they make the app better.
- You released a second (third, fourth, etc.) mobile app series. You can use a press release to demonstrate your app’s and brand’s stable development. One developer created eight mobile apps, and once a week, he published press releases about each of them. Thanks to his efforts, the brand name and the apps were always in users’ newsfeeds, which helped build a client base.
- You reached a download milestone. Issuing a press release in this case shows the world how successful you are. Depending on the app type, you can publish press releases when you achieve 2000–3000 downloads or higher.
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- Your app was included in an AppStore category. If you’re lucky enough for your mobile app to be included in the “New and Noteworthy,” “Editor’s Picks,” or “What’s New” categories, you should inform everyone about this victory.
- You added a new developer to your team. Issuing a press release in this case allows you to remind clients about your company and mention upcoming products.
You can publish a mobile app press release on many occasions, and you should always think about when you’re going to issue another one. The main marketing task here is to broadcast your marketing message to clients. If your mobile app sales have gone down, use a mobile app marketing plan to bring them back up and write a press release to spark interest. If you look at big companies’ websites (like Apple, Mobclix, Admob, Intel, IBM, Google, Adobe, etc.), you’ll see that they publish press releases quite often. You should too, and you may wish to consider adding a separate press release or news section to your website.
Before writing a release, think about whether you have the right talent to write a press release. Should you write one all by yourself, ask your team members to write it, or invite someone from the outside to do it for you? Writing one yourself usually implies that you have experience creating engaging, eye-pleasing text that inspires clients to act. Even if you don’t have this experience, you can still learn. The main thing to remember is the result you want, which is a qualitative press release.
If copywriting has never been your cup of tea, it’s better to find a professional to do the job. One of your friends may be a good writer, or you can hire someone through your network of professional contacts. It’s preferable to use writers who specialize in press releases. Remember that a reliable specialist should write press releases fast while adhering to the format requirements. As you consider hiring someone, think about how much you are ready to pay for the press release. Copywriters with intermediate experience level will ask for $250–500 for a well-written text. You should ask for the candidate’s portfolio to determine whether he or she can generate something similar to what you need. Press releases for iPhone or Android apps are part of a narrow niche, and experienced authors can readily demonstrate their previous work.
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If you decide to write everything yourself, read guidelines for press release writing. You should also give your release to your colleagues and family and ask for their opinions. Briefly extracting the key elements of your mobile app and describing their importance to users is a difficult challenge. However, press release platforms and distribution websites usually edit the releases they publish. They check them for relevancy, format, and other criteria. This kind of monitoring is useful because editors frequently find mistakes and give recommendations regarding how texts can be improved. Writing press releases involves including some standard information, including your contact information and website address.
You only have a couple of seconds to catch a reader’s eye, so your headline should touch on a relevant topic that makes people want to read your text further. Your first paragraph should touch on the main idea and how it affects readers. The rest of the text should support your headline and the first paragraph.
Do you usually write press releases yourself or do you delegate this task to someone else?