Tommi’s quick guide for marketing S60 applications - part I
Yesterday, I received an email from one enthusiastic S60 application developer, who asked:
“Tommi,
I hope all is well. Sorry to hassle you again! But I was wondering if you had any advice on marketing S60 applications?”
Glad to help! However, I must make two disclaimers. First of all, I have never marketed S60 applications in the traditional sense. All the applications we develop in my unit are preinstalled on Nokia S60 devices. Secondly, I assume you want to market your app globally. Third, I assume that you don’t have any marketing budget. If you have the money, discontinue reading and go buy a Super Bowl ad.
Now, here comes “Tommi’s quick guide for marketing S60 applications - part I”, written in a style proudly stolen from Guy Kawasaki.
1. Create a great app
Please don’t waste your precious time and money marketing, if you don’t have (and are not going to have) anything worth using and talking about. Period.
2. Ship, then test
Initially, don’t try to be perfect. Ship, then test. And be quick to improve it based on the feedback.
2. Free trial easily available
Let’s face it. I’m not going to buy your app unless I’m 99% sure it is worth the money. Put a free trial version permanently available. And make the download page linkable. It makes a world of difference.
Let me repeat: Free. Trial. Easily. Available.
Bonus link: Steve Litchfield’s rant “No trial version? Crying shame…”
3. Be remarkable = worth making a remark about
As Seth Godin preaches in Purple Cow and everywhere else, you need to be remarkable to make everybody talk about your brand-new S60 app. Being remarkable means simply being somehow worth making a remark about.
Why should I write a blog post about your app? What makes it remarkable = worth remarking about?
Bonus link: “What makes an idea viral?”
4. Suck up to Allaboutsymbian, My-Symbian, MobileCrunch, Darla Mack, us S60 bloggers, other popular bloggers and other influencers
To get the idea, read Guy Kawasaki’s post “How to suck up to a blogger”. Better yet, be friends with them. I don’t like strangers who suck up to me, or ask me to promote their stuff. But I like it when a trusted friend tells me about something truly remarkable.
5. Write a blog and comment to other blogs / discussion forums
You can do it wrong, but I believe that done right, writing a blog can be tremendously valuable for gaining credibility, publicity, and eventually marketing your stuff. Good examples include Antony Pranata, Marco Casario, and Simon Judge. Hopefully, we S60.com bloggers are good examples too. If you don’t know how to start a blog, Google around, check out the Blogging Starter Checklist on Squidoo and Seth Godin’s free e-book Who’s There.
6. Close the feedback loop
Make it easy to send you feedback. Ask feedback, listen to feedback, reply to feedback, and improve your app based on the feedback. Repeat.
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What do you think? How should S60 application developers with limited resources market their applications?
If you develop a free S60 softwares shoot me an email and I’ll publish it to http://www.S60freeware.com
“Ship, then test”. How are you going to do that with mandatory Symbian Signed testing?
Better make it “Ship, then add features”.
good points… you might wish to share you app and story with SymbianOne.com as well Tommi ;0)
Nothing personal but some of the news publications (like ours) will get you loads of mileage that likely won’t get on a blog since they are updated more regulalrly and more often. Many executive types simply don’t visit all the blogs and rely on other resources that have more reach. History has it that techies and “doers” do more blogging and visiting blogs, whereas execs and business decision makers are less likely to spend as much time seeking out these resources.
I like the top 10 format you used and adopted from Guy.. I’ve met him and have read his book art of the start… a great read and highly recommended if you haven’t read it yet and if you have an application you want to take to market.
Finally, make sure your app is tested and signed as well and once you have some momentum, becoming a forum nokia Pro member has tremendous value and taking part in developer events like the Navteq LBS Challenge (if applicable) or the likes of the WINBC wireless innovation contest can have great results as well.
dear tomi
i have looked at the s60 top apps and here is says “MAGIX mobile music maker is available for the following Series 60 devices: Nokia 3620, Nokia 3650, Nokia 3600, Nokia 3660, Nokia 6260, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6670, Nokia 7610, Nokia N-Gage, Nokia N-Gage QD, Panasonic X700 and Siemens SX1. Currently, the application is available only to handset manufacturers. Soon, end users will be able to buy it direct from the company Web site, http://www.magix.com. ”
i have a 7610 phone and there’s no software on it. i went to nokia.com and i cant downlaod it and i went to magix.com and i cant download it. where can i get this application?
Hi Anina,
I found it here:
http://site.magix.net/deutsch/startseite/handy-produkte/mobile-music-maker/
Seems that it’s only for German speaking, but application is English after all. Click on ‘Kostenloses download’, and then you have to give some details to get to download.
Thanks everyone for your feedback, also those who sent me email and commented in other blogs! I’ll try to write a “part II” follow-up based on your feedback ASAP…
Anina, did Jukka’s link work?
By the way, I’m not involved in selecting the official “applications of the week”. But thinking about it, I could consider starting a blog tradition with a similar title
If you have a free trial available - one efficient way is to publish it in download.com.
It’s free and the download figures have been pretty delighting, at least for our app: Comeks.