With over five million apps available across all major platforms as of the third quarter of 2022, a developer may struggle to get their product noticed. But it’s not impossible. By being smart about their digital marketing approaches, app creators can rise above the challenge.
One way to overcome this challenge is through blogger outreach. As a key search engine optimization (SEO) technique, guest posting can promote product and brand awareness, as well as enhance credibility and authority.
But what does an effective blogger outreach strategy look like? And what benefits can it provide for your app promotion efforts? This article will walk you through the key steps and outline the advantages of integrating this tactic into your marketing mix. Follow this guide to boost app visibility and downloads faster and more consistently.
- Get your target list right
This is the first and most important part of your blogger outreach effort. Doing this lets you connect with wider audiences and promote your apps organically in less time. However, not all popular bloggers and influencers will be the right fit. Look beyond the numbers and see whether their audiences match your buyer personas. More specifically, consider:
- Their audiences’ size and engagement levels
- How regularly they post content
- Topics and brands they typically cover
- The app reviews they’ve done and for whom
List up to 50 people or sites you think are the most strategic to work with. Also, identify writers and content creators aligned with your brand values and voice. You don’t want to waste efforts associating with online personalities of questionable characters.
- Personalize your pitches
Once your targets are identified, get ready to kickstart your outreach process. Be mindful, though, when sending messages. Generic pitches won’t hook your prospects’ attention in a sea of incoming emails.
Thoroughly research every blogger before reaching out. Study their recent content and the types of products they’ve featured. Tailor messaging to highlight how your app relates to their niche and audience interests.
Moreover, provide specific examples of how they can benefit from partnering with you. Ask for additional information and clarifications if you’re not clear on something, including the cost. Demonstrating this level of care will help make your pitch stand out.
- Offer exclusive and enticing opportunities
It might be tempting to be as direct as possible, but don’t make the common mistake of asking for coverage right off the bat. This makes even the most personalized pitches too promotional. Start by offering your prospective partner value instead. Lure them with opportunities that play to their and their audiences’ interests by:
- Early access to your app
- Exclusive sneak peeks of upcoming app features
- Insider news they could break to their readers
- Interview opportunities with your company founder or expert developer
- Co-created giveaways or contests for mutual promotion
Dangling these types of exclusive offers helps pique a blogger’s interest before formally requesting app coverage. It frames the partnership as mutually beneficial from day one.
- Make your requests specific yet flexible
If a blogger expresses interest after an outreach, it’s time to discuss what coverage and content type is best. Stay open to new partnership opportunities while communicating examples of app features, angles, and topics you’d like to focus on.
Explore whether they prefer blog posts or are leaning toward video reviews. You can also combine both. Why not if the leading video-sharing platform, YouTube, unsurprisingly captured 75 billion visits as of November 2022, according to Statista?
But don’t brush off podcast interviews just yet. According to sources cited by Pew Research Center in 2023, as high as 64% of Americans aged 12 and up regularly listen to podcasts. Additionally, an estimated eight million people also download podcasts weekly.
Either way, provide suggestions that align with their content focus and audience preferences. However, always remain flexible. Give your prospect a creative license and the freedom to choose their preferred approach. Spend time brainstorming for a win-win situation. For instance, you can propose to create a toolkit or eBook to provide more value to their audience.
- Provide your partners with assets and support
Help set your partners in the right direction by providing any asset or resource needed to create content. These include things like:
- High-resolution app screenshots or logos
- Links to your media kits, primers, and brand guides
- Access to relevant company executives for quotes and interviews
- App demo accounts to test and review features thoroughly
- Links to announcements or press releases
These resources facilitate fluid content creation on the blogger’s end. Be responsive when your partner reaches out to you for questions and clarifications. Otherwise, check in on them regularly to see if they need additional materials along the way. Clear communication shows your commitment to supporting your partners and increasing the odds of securing placements.
- Promote their content
You’ve worked hard to build relationships with bloggers and shouldn’t stop there. After finally scoring great coverage for your app, amplify the content to express your gratitude.
Boost your link-building techniques by sharing your app-featured post across your online accounts. Highlight the coverage in your newsletters to drive more traffic to the blogger’s website. Additionally, ask colleagues and network to help spread the word for optimal impact.
The benefits of a successful blogger outreach
Working with bloggers and key industry personalities offers advantages that may not be available in other app marketing channels. Here are some of them:
- Targeted and expanded reach
Bloggers attract highly engaged audiences that are already interested in your app. This makes them more likely to download or subscribe to your product. Besides relying on your websites and online accounts for advertising, it’s crucial to tap external assets for added exposure and authority boost.
- Trust and social proof
As trusted figures in the industry, their reviews, insights, and recommendations carry weight in influencing buyer’s purchasing decisions. In fact, 80% of surveyed consumers in 2022 purchased products featured in social media content.
- Cost-effectiveness
Besides investing time and effort, securing coverage through blogger outreach trumps paid advertising cost-wise. Positive coverage continues to work for you in the long run versus paid ads, which only last according to your budget.
- Useful partnerships
Bloggers turn into invaluable partners providing feedback pre- and post-launch. They allow you to refine your product before rollout and communicate additional features to the audience as your app evolves.
Key takeaways
Developing strategic blogger partnerships can provide targeted traffic and expand your reach. However, distributing blanket messages isn’t enough to stir interest or yield meaningful placements. Personalizing pitches, providing added value, and effective collaboration are keys to nurturing this mutually beneficial relationship.
Strategic alliances can kickstart a favorable and rippling word-of-mouth effect for your brand or product. Aligning with relevant industry voices gets your app organically recommended to highly targeted audiences, allowing you to cut through the noise in the congested app marketplace.
