Most app marketing advice is written for companies with a growth team and a six-figure ad budget. This plan is for everyone else: one or two people, a real product, and limited time. It works in order — each step makes the next one cheaper.
1. Know who the app is for
Before any channel, write down three sentences:
- Who has the problem (“parents of toddlers”, “freelancers who invoice in two currencies”).
- What they search for or complain about, in their words.
- Why your app beats what they use today.
The fastest source for the wording is reviews — your own and your competitors’. People describe their problem better in a one-star review of a rival app than in any survey. See competitor monitoring and the free App Store review downloader.
2. Fix the store listing first
Every channel ends on your product page, so a weak listing makes every channel more expensive. Check:
- Name and subtitle carry your main keyword (ASO keyword tool, Google Play ASO tool).
- The first three screenshots explain the app without the description (screenshot sizes).
- The rating is above 4.5, or you know why it isn’t.
Run your listing through the App Store listing analyzer for a quick score. A better App Store conversion rate lowers the cost of every install that follows.
3. Pick two channels, not ten
Small teams spread too thin. Choose one organic and one paid (or second organic) channel and do them properly for three months.
| Channel | Good for | Effort | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| App store optimization | Every app; compounding search traffic | Medium | Free |
| Content and SEO (blog, free tools) | Apps that solve a problem people google | High | Free |
| Apple Ads (search ads) | Apps with clear search keywords | Medium | Pay per tap |
| Social and short video | Visual or fun apps, consumer apps | High | Free–paid |
| Communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups) | Niche and professional apps | Medium | Free |
| Partnerships and cross-promotion | Apps with a complementary audience | Medium | Free |
| Paid social (Meta, TikTok) | Apps with a proven funnel and LTV | High | Paid |
If people search the store for what your app does, start with ASO and Apple Ads. If they search Google for the problem, start with content.
4. Plan the launch, then relaunch
A launch is not a single day. Plan:
- Before: a waitlist or TestFlight group, so you have first users ready to rate.
- Launch week: posts in the communities you’re part of, Product Hunt if it fits, a personal note to everyone on the waitlist.
- Every bigger update: treat it as a small relaunch — new screenshots, promotional text, maybe an in-app event.
Use the release day checklist so a buggy update doesn’t undo the work.
5. Make ratings your growth engine
Ratings sit next to your app in every search result and influence App Store ranking. Three habits pay off for years:
- Ask at the right moment with the in-app review prompt — after a success, not on launch.
- Reply to reviews, especially low ones — users often update their rating after a helpful developer response.
- Fix what reviews complain about and say so in the release notes.
More in how to get more app reviews.
6. Measure what matters
Track a handful of numbers monthly:
- Product page views and conversion rate (App Store Connect, Play Console)
- Installs by source (organic installs vs paid)
- Day-1, day-7 and day-30 retention
- Cost per install and LTV once you pay for users
Our free calculators for retention, ROAS and LTV do the maths.
7. Keep users, or the funnel leaks
Marketing that brings users to an app they leave after a day is expensive. Retention is part of the strategy: onboarding, notifications that help, and a fast answer when something goes wrong. Reviews are the early warning — allstarsbot posts every new App Store and Google Play review to Slack or Microsoft Teams, so problems are fixed before they cost you installs.
A 90-day plan
- Weeks 1–2: positioning, listing fixes, rating prompt in place.
- Weeks 3–6: first channel running weekly; reply to every review.
- Weeks 7–10: second channel; first listing test (product page optimization or store listing experiments).
- Weeks 11–13: look at the numbers, drop what doesn’t work, double what does.
