Tips on how to promote a Facebook Application
Someone on Linkedin asked a question on how to promote a Facebook application that he had created. My answer was simple and clear. The guy faced a challenge . 3 months after Facebook opened up their API about 4000 apps were released so he was competing with other players including players who are firmly entrenched like the Bumper Sticker guys or the Top Friends chaps.
That being said, there are a couple of ways to spread the word about a cool Facebook application :
1. Create Groups : Create a group highlighting the benefits of your app. Seed the group by inviting folks from your friends list. Try to begin a network effect by asking your friends to invite their pals in turn to join this group and install the app.
2. Identify similar groups : Find other groups whose members have strong commonalties with your target demographic. Join those groups and post messages on their walls describing your app and link back to your app description page.
3. Use Events : Have a virtual web event launching the app on FB. Like the groups seed the same using your friends and ask them to invite their friends in turn.
4.Identify Livewire members : If you know someone who has more than 1000 friends, send them a message asking them to plug your app for you to their network. Negotiate a fee depending on how many times you want ‘em to message their friends. Again, this is dependent on which demographic you’re going after to install this app (I checked out the app briefly and saw that it’ s a utility to help kids/parents/teachers manage their school activities, right?)
5. Email blast : If you have a permission-based list, send out a cool email blast highlighting the benefits of your app. Use a tool like Constant Contact or Exact Target – it’ll help you see stats of who’s viewed your app. Have a call-to-action button somewhere on the email – something like : ‘Install now’. Don’t forget the color scheme of the promo, have it match the colors of Facebook and your app.
6. Simply ask : Ask your close friends to install it and ask them to forward the app to other folks in their friends list.
7. Other avenues : Use other platforms to advertise your application – I’d do Stumble upon, Furl, Digg maybe. Do more however. Go onto Squidoo and create a page for your app. Do the same on Mahalo. And do more on other platforms.
Start with the above…hopefully, the application will gain traction and you’ll have signups. A caveat however, till date, only 45 apps have more than 1 mil installs and close to 100 have more than 100K installs. It’s a challenging game. But, kudos to the guy for taking the leap and all the best to him for his efforts.
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