Using Social Media For Marketing

Social media has become a cornerstone of Internet marketing. It is a method of reaching an endless amount of people quickly, efficiently, and using direct engagement. Never before has it been so easy to reach your target audience, no matter where in the world they are, or what your industry may be.

The only downside is that it is a very quickly evolving form of marketing, where tactics don’t always have a very long shelf life.

Likewise, the number of platforms and their usefulness expand all the time. We now have half a dozen regulars, and they don’t even count the many niche social networks, the content curation sites, or even blogs, which count as a form of social marketing themselves.

This post is going to be focusing on some of the latest tips, and some of the classics that are still relevant.

Understand the Difference…

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Decide what your goals are, and then pick the platform that best encompasses it. A good rule of thumb to begin with:

• Twitter for connecting to influencers
• Facebook for running contests and engaging customers
• Pinterest for pushing visual content
• StumbleUpon for generating traffic
• Google Plus for generating authority
• LinkedIn for connecting with industry leaders, etc

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Tag, Tag, Tag, Then Tag Some More

I have seen a tactic used through the years that randomly tags followers when a new piece of content has come out, in order to get their attention. Especially if those users are influencers with a large follower base.

This is the wrong way to use tagging.

Instead, you should tag people only when it is relevant. Say that you are posting a link to an article you read and really enjoyed. You would tag the blogger’s account it came from, then the name of the author. It gets the attention of both, without seeming as though you are pitching anything to them.

Social Media Isn’t a Dumping Pile For Links

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Yes, you want to share links on your social profile. But social media isn’t there to be a dumping ground for your content. You should be sharing links in between engaging with people directly. Ask questions, post other people’s work, answer tweets and statuses, and just be social.

Not only does this bring in more results on the marketing front, but it gives a face to the brand you are promoting.

Start Getting Visual

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Visual content gets shared more than anything else across all social networks. So you should be spending a fair amount of your time posting images, videos, comics, infographics, etc. If you are on a site like Twitter, you can post up to four at a time. If you are on Facebook, create a gallery, or even post a Slideshare presentation.

You want something that catches the skimmer’s eye, and visuals do that much better than text alone.

Remain Consistent, Or You Will Be Forgotten

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The most important sure of social marketing? Be consistent. You should be posting regularly, and with enthusiasm. If you slip up, you are going to start losing followers very quickly. It is amazing how quickly your social media credibility can go down.

It is just like posting content on your site. The more often you do it, and the higher the quality, the better.

Build Relationships With Influential Users… Off Social Media

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If you are going to a conference, make it a point to have a list of people you know would be attending, and to make plans to meet up. It is easy, with so many people using hashtags related to events. Just send them a quick message asking if they would like to grab coffee, or even dinner or a drink after the day’s sessions.

Meeting in person is always more affective than just being a social media avatar. Try and make the most of every industry event: Meet as many people as you can!

Conclusion

Running a social marketing campaign doesn’t require any tricks, just some solid advice. The tips above will help you grow a strong social presence over time, which promoting your brand. The sooner you get started, the better!

Do you have any advice on how to build a social marketing campaign in 2015? Any predictions on trends in the coming months? We would love to hear them, so leave them in the comments!

Source: http://www.internetmarketingninjas.com/blog/social-media/using-social-media-for-marketing/

101 Ways to Make Money with Your iPhone, Android or Mobile App

Just a few short years ago, the concept of an app for a mobile phone was completely foreign. But as smartphones have become ubiquitous, the app business has boomed into a multi-billion-dollar industry, with hundreds of thousands of products and millions of daily consumers. Given the nature of mobile apps, this young industry remains very fragmented; there are a few large players who have experienced multiple successes, and some of the most popular products have been launched by relative unknowns on a shoestring budget.

Of course, launching and monetizing an app in the current environment is no slam dunk. Developers are facing an unprecedented amount of competition for downloads and ad dollars. Despite the challenges, the opportunity remains massive; millions of dollars change hands in app stores every day, and mobile advertising budgets continue to swell.

Below we discuss the many ways app developers can make money from their products in 2014, and highlight some of the best free resources for anyone looking to develop and monetize a mobile app. 

Jump To Section:

• Moneymakers: Paid Apps, Freemium Models, In-App Advertising, Sponsors, Mobile Ad Networks
• Resources: Promotion Services, Split Testing Tools, Newsletters, Tools, Forums, and Free Memberships
• Further Reading: Pricing Your App, Free to Play Apps, Network Reviews and Mobile App Advertising,Promoting Your App, App Split Testing, Building an App, Mobile App Success Stories, iOS vs. Android,Miscellaneous

Also see: 101 Ways to Make Money With YouTube

1. Charge Per Download

At the risk of sounding incredibly obvious, one of the easiest ways to make money from an app you create is to charge each time someone wants to download it. By now it’s no secret that there is big money to be made on app downloads. Earlier this year, Gartner projected that app sales in 2013 would reach $25 billion. And Apple has now paid out more than $10 billion to app developers. According to a report by Distimo, as recently as November 2012, Apple’s App Store was bringing in $15 million per day in revenue, while Google Play brought in daily revenue of $3.5 million.

Of course, it’s tough to convince customers that they need to fork over money to buy your app–especially when there are so many out there that are completely free. This monetization method requires great planning, execution, and (most importantly) marketing.

For much more information on pricing and executing paid apps, jump to our further reading section.

See also: How to Better Monetize Your Mobile Traffic

2. Create a “Freemium” App

In most app stores, products are listed as either “paid” or “free”. In reality, however, there’s a third category that lies somewhere in between and includes some of the most profitable of all apps. Many apps are free to download, but require an upgrade (i.e., payment) to unlock the full features, accelerate the progress of a game, or turn off ads.

In general, less than 5% of an app’s audience will ever pay special features or upgrade to a paid version of the app. So commercial success with this model requires a fairly large audience, especially since the prices charged for in-app purchases are often relatively small (usually under $5).

Candy Crush is a great example of a “free to play” app that makes money by giving players an option to buy items within the game. Candy Crush features multiple levels (hundreds of them in fact) that must be solved in order to advance to the next one. The levels are relatively easy to start, but escalate in difficulty as the player progresses. As the game becomes more difficult, users have the option to purchase “boosters” that make it much easier to beat the level.

Another classic example is Words With Friends. Unlike Candy Crush, you can’t buy an advantage in this game. You can, however, improve the experience by paying a small fee to have ads disappear. This speeds up the game play, and results in a better experience; in the free version, you’re forced to wait through a brief ad after every play.

There’s a lot to learn and consider around this business model; see our highlighted resources on freemium apps for much more detail.

3. Advertising

Another primary app monetization technique involves showing advertisements to users of the app. While rates for mobile ad inventory are generally much lower than traditional online placements, there’s still a major opportunity here for apps that generate a significant number of pageviews or offer access to an attractive and targeted audience.

There are several different implementations of ads on mobile devices, but they generally fall into one of two categories:

• Banner: A banner ad served on a mobile app works just as banners function online. Here’s an example from the CNN app, with an ad for Progressive appearing within a news article:

• Interstitial: This term is generally used to describe an ad that takes up the entire screen (as opposed to a banner that appears alongside the app’s content). The ad for The Lorax shown above is a good example of an interstitial ad in a mobile app.

4. Find a Sponsor

Many non-game apps don’t lend themselves well to the freemium model, and are instead better suited to be monetized through ads. If you elect to give your app away for free, there is still a major monetization opportunity; you’ll be relying on your users to engage with the ads that are served to them to drive revenue.

The most predictable mobile advertising earnings will generally come from an exclusive sponsor–an advertiser who wants their messaging to be displayed whenever someone uses your app.

A good example of an exclusive sponsorship features perhaps an unlikely combination: Major League Baseball and Dunkin’ Donuts. Here’s the welcome screen for the “Beat the Streak” iPhone app, which lets players pick a player who they think will get a hit each day:

Partner With Mobile Ad Network

One of the most obvious ways to make money from your app involves including ads within the product. While the most lucrative way to sell ad space involves direct sponsorship deals with advertisers, many app-makers don’t have the connections or time to set up those types of arrangements (at least not initially). A more immediate and less involved route involves partnering with an ad network who will sell your ad inventory for you and take a portion of the total revenue in exchange for their services. Here are some of the biggest mobile ad networks:

5. Adfonic. This network gives app developers control over the types of ads shown, and has some major companies signed on as advertisers. It can also be used to monetize mobile versions of websites.
6. AdMob. Now owned by Google, AdMob is one of the most widely used tools for mobile app monetization. It’s relatively easy to integrate the needed features into your app, and you’ll get relatively detailed reporting that lets you track your earnings.
7. Airpush. This platform is dedicated to Android apps, offering a variety of ad formats including standard banners, icons, and “smartwalls.”Airpush also offers weekly payments and detailed analytics that include crash reports.
8. AppFlood. This service claims that it is able to generate $2 – $4 eCPMs for app publishers, achieved in part by no commission being taken out of revenues generated. AppFlood lets publishers connect to multiple demand side platforms and customize deal terms to maximize earnings.
9. AppSpot. Flurry AppSpot claims to be able to have publishers making money within about 10 minutes, using takeover, banner, and video ad units. The AppSpot dashboard also lets you allocate traffic across multiple ad networks:
10. Chartboost. This platform allows game developers to engage in cross promotion, run direct deals they may have negotiated, or tap into an ad network to monetize ad inventory.
11. Greystripe. This ad network, a division of ValueClick, offers access to a number of premium advertisers. Greystripe has some impressive results for some of its larger advertising partners.
12. iAd. The official Apple mobile ad network, iAd lets publishers keep 60% of the total revenue generated from in-app advertising. Brightcove has a great summary of everything you need to know for monetizing via iAd.
13. InMobi. This network also works across various platforms and boasts a relatively easy-to-install program. InMobi also publishes frequently to their blog with features that include best practices for mobile app monetization.
14. LeadBolt. This network is unique in that it offers ten advanced ad units, and also allows for monetization at multiple points in the “app usage cycle.” In addition to the traditional ads displayed when users are engaged with the app, LeadBolt can offer app makers the ability to monetize at download and also when the app is not in use.
15. madvertise. Based in Europe, madvertise claims more than 10 billion monthly ad impressions and a number of premium advertisers. Their features include real time reporting and advanced ad formats (such as Rich Media).
16. Millennial Media. This network is used to monetize tens of thousands of mobile apps, making it one of the bigger players in this space. Millennial offers a self-service advertising program and lets app makers reinvest earnings into promotional campaigns if they like.
17. MobFox. This tool features built-in mediation to more than 20 ad networks, as well as a eCPMcontrol function that lets publishers set a floor for the rates they’re willing to accept. MobFox cites some relevant metrics for their two ad types: 1) Mobile Banners (89% fill rate, CPMs from $0.50 to $4.50) and 2) Mobile Video Ads (55% fill rate, CPMs from $5 to $25).
18. MobYD. The MobYD network offers real-time reporting of results, and claims to feature both CPM and CPC campaign opportunities.
19. Mojiva. This is another smaller mobile ad network that app publishers can use to compete with the larger opportunities listed above.
20. MoPub. In addition to their MoPub Marketplace, this hosted ad serving solution also offers advanced analytics, ad network mediation, and custom ad serving capabilities.
21. PlayHaven. Though this platform features an ad network option to monetize users, the primary feature is a virtual goods promotion function that allows you to display special offers and targeted messages on devices that have downloaded your app–even when the app isn’t open.
22. Playnomics. This platform offers technology designed to maximize revenue from all types of users, maximizing spending from active paying users, creating new paid users through targeted campaigns, and serving advertisements to non-paying players.
23. Tapjoy. This system works a bit differently than traditional ad networks; users are able to unlock items within their apps (such as coins) by electing to engage with a particular ad.

For more on the networks above (and an extended list of potential partners), check out our further reading suggestions.

Promotion Services

There will generally be a strong correlation between your app’s popularity and the revenue you earn. Regardless of the exact method or methods you choose to monetize your app, more downloads will most likely equate to more traffic.

If you don’t have the backing of a huge company and distribution behind you, odds are your marketing campaign will rely on word-of-mouth and grassroots promotion efforts. Several companies have popped up to effectively act as hired guns for app makers seeking attention; for a fee, they’ll promote your app, get it a few reviews, and theoretically start it off with a decent bump up the charts.

We’re generally skeptical of the ability of these promotional companies to actually drive qualified downloads; they often farm out download and review tasks to overseas teams. The most valuable attention your app can get will be organically generated, and there are a number of effective promotional tasks you can do on your own (more on this below). But if you have the budget and are interested in getting some additional momentum behind your app, here are some of the services you might consider:

24. AppBrain. Pay-per-install marketer AppBrain functions a bit differently than many promotional services; you set the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for a download, and they charge you for each new customer they’re able to bring you.
25. Appshout. This company will send out a press release, write copy for your app store listing, and produce a microsite and demo video. Promotion packages start at $455.
26. APPSPIRE.me. Austin, Texas-based APPSPIRE.ME offers a variety of packages, including one-time promotional services, launch plans, and recurring monthly advertising and promotion.
27. Appversal. This platform focuses on social media, offering Twitter followers and Facebook in their packages. Appversal can also provide press releases, reviews, banner ads, and even web site design. Their products come in flat fees ranging from $269 to $1,469.
28. BombAppromotion. For fees starting at $320 this company offers promotion packages for iOS and Android apps. They also sell app store and iTunes ratings and reviews; 10 independent iTunes reviews will cost you $65.
29. ComboApp. This company offers a number of a la carte services, including an “app release boost” and a press release. They’ll also guarantee coverage on ten review sites for $1,150. There are more than 40 individual offerings, ranging from $75 to $6,000.

Split Testing Tools

Mobile app makers regularly utilize split testing throughout the production and marketing process, allowing users to tell them the optimal settings for some of the variables that are a part of this process. If you’re looking to bring a bit of the scientific process into your app development and maintenance plan, here are some potentially useful tools:

30. Apptimize. This platform can be set up in just a few minutes, and allows developers to see results for their variations in real time. The Community pricing level allows for up to a million downloads for just $50 a month.
31. Arise.io. This split testing platform, available for both iOS and Android, allows features within the app to be changed once it’s live in the app store. You’ll also be able to set specific distribution levels for the variations and set up and track goals.
32. heatma.ps. This program does for app developers what Crazy Egg does for webmasters. The heatma.ps interface lets you see how users are engaging with your app, including stats on button clicks and time spend on various sections.
33. Optimimo. This split testing software lets developers see which version of their app is more effective at accomplishing the stated objectives. Users can be segmented based on geography, screen size, and operating system.
34. Pathmapp. This service, currently available only for iOS apps, lets developers try out different versions of their app without resubmitting to the App Store. Pathmapp starts at just $19/month, and has a “Ranger” option that includes the CEO’s personal cell phone number.

Newsletters, Tools, Forums, and Free Memberships

There are a number of great free and paid resources out there for app developers and marketers; check out these publications and memberships for ongoing support and assistance during the app monetization process:

35. App Developer Magazine. This publication isn’t free, but is very affordable at just $18 for a one-year subscription (or $28 for two years). The site also features a weekly blog and semi-regular podcast.
36. App Viz 2. This software program from Idea warm lets iPhone appmakers track sales, rankings, ratings, and revenue in one central location. A single subscription costs just $49, and five packs are available for $99 (there’s also a free trial option).
37. Distimo. Each month Distimo releases free reports covering the app industry; recent publications have touched upon the volumes needed to climb to the top of the app store rankings and habits of the most successful developers.
38. FierceDeveloper Newsletter. This free weekly newsletter focuses exclusively on topics of interest to mobile developers, including mobile platforms, operating systems, and other features. The distribution list is currently over 30,000.
39. Gamasutra. This site, devoted to “The Art & Business of Making Games,” has a ton of great information for anyone interested in building and selling an app. A free membership gets you access to a bunch of additional information on the site.
40. iPhone Dev SDK. This forum is free to join, and features an extremely active community that can be useful for troubleshooting problems and getting inspiration for new strategies.
41. Mixpanel. This anlalytics program lets app developers take a deeper dive into their products to see how their app is being used, which features are driving engagement, and which marketing campaigns are working. The free platform allows for the collection and analysis of up to 25,000 data points a month, so it’s easy to try this tool out with no risk.
42. Mobile Marketer Newsletter. This e-newsletter is dedicated to the business of mobile marketing, including features on tactics to boost app downloads and earnings.
43. xda developers. This site focuses on Android app development, with dozens of different forums covering topics such as development tools, coding practices, and even marketing and monetization.

Further Reading: Pricing Your App

If you’ve decided your app is good enough to command a paid download, you still have some important decisions ahead of you. Most importantly, you’ll need to come up with a price point (or ideally, a plan to test multiple price points). Here’s some additional reading to help you come to a price tag that will make you the most money from download fees:

44. Understanding App Store Pricing. This article, the first installment of an epic five part series written by a former Apple employee, covers everything you could ever want to know about pricing an iPhone app.
45. Thriving in an App Store World. The author of the above series, Michael “Jury” Jurewitz, gave a nearly hour long presentation on the nuances of app store pricing strategies; if you have the time and are serious about creating a paid app, this is a must watch.
46. App Pricing: How to Price Your iPhone or iPad App to Sell. This article walks through some helpful tips for arriving at the right price, including suggestions on customer tracking and competitive research.
47. App Marketing 101: Pricing your iPhone App – Art and Science. This article is a bit dated (it was written in 2009) but contains some great insights into the combination of analysis and gut feel that goes into determining the price for your app.
48. Hacking the App Store – Pricing. Carter Thomas gives an explanation of “price cycling,” the process of switching from paid to free and back again, as a way to boost downloads and overall revenue.
49. Top 148 Paid iPhone Apps. 148Apps keeps a list, updated, daily, of the most popular paid apps in the iTunes app store. If you’re wondering where your competition is pricing or what a reasonable price for your product might be, this is a good place to start your research.
50. Top 200 Paid iPhone Apps. AppShopper keeps a similar list, ranking the top paid iPhone apps while also showing how many days each has been in the top ten, peak position, price, and star rating.
51. App Sales Work: Five-Day iPhone App Price Drops Boost Downloads by 1,665%. This case study into a common pricing strategy reveals some interesting statistics and sheds some light on price sensitivity.

Further Reading: Free to Play Apps

There are various ways to set up “freemium” apps, and several important decisions to be made in order to properly incentivize (without overly frustrating) your users to fork over a few extra dollars to get through a level. It helps, of course, if the app you create is particularly addictive; power users are more likely to spend to continue their progress or improve the experience.

52. Top grossing app ‘Candy Crush’ raking in an estimated $633k a day. The title of this article just about says it all, but it’s worth reading to get a handle on just how profitable this corner of the app market can be. $633,000 a day!
53. A Majority of the Top-Grossing Apps Are Now ‘Freemium’. Paul Resnikoff lays out some impressive stats about the profitability of freemium apps, including that more than 70% of the top 300 have some freemium characteristics.
54. Apps With In-App Purchase Generate the Highest Revenue. This article highlights the results of a recent study indicating that freemium apps are becoming the dominant revenue stream for iPhone and iPad apps.
55. Freemium Is Irresistible, Even For Successful Game Companies. Even companies that have traditionally steered clear of the freemium model are now hopping on the bandwagon, highlighting the advantages of this strategy.
56. The Top F2P Monetization Tricks by Ramin Shokrizade. This article and interview discusses the psychological concepts many “free to play” games and apps use to generate revenue, explaining why so many apps that are free to download (such as Candy Crush) are able to earn huge sums of money.
57. Why is Freemium So Powerful? This article lays out the theory behind a freemium app, while also examining some of the factors that go into freemium success and the risks that come with this choice.
58. Monetizing Freemium Apps. Eric Seufert offers up his thoughts on how best to monetize a freemium app, including the relationship between in-app purchases and advertisements.
59. 14.5% conversion rate for freemium/In-App-Purchase game utility app. This article, written by a former nuclear physicist, dives deep into the weeds of freemium app economics. The lessons are worthwhile for anyone seriously considering a freemium app.
60. Three Steps from Paid to Freemium. This incredibly detailed article from Michail Katkoff highlights the questions developers should ask themselves when considering the conversion to freemium, and gives a roadmap to getting there.
61. Freemium vs. Premium: Developer Point of View. Bruno Didier offers a fresh take on the freemium model, concluding that it obviously works well for many but might not be perfect for everyone.

Further Reading: Network Reviews and Mobile App Advertising

Above we highlighted some of the networks available to app-makers looking to generate money via display advertising. But that’s really only the tip of the iceberg; there are so many different networks that cater to mobile apps (and mobile web traffic). Below is some additional reading that examines the numerous different options for generating ad revenue with a mobile app:

62. Top 50 Mobile Advertising Platforms in 2013. Richard O’Connell has a more exhaustive list of mobile ad networks; if you really want to test out different options, this should keep you busy for a while.
63. The top 10 mobile advertising companies. Matt Marshall reviews ten of the largest mobile ad networks, including AdMob, iAd, and more.
64. mobiThinking guide to mobile advertising networks. This guide is just tremendous; it includes some high level tips as well as detailed reviews of more than a dozen mobile ad networks that app makers can use to monetize their product.
65. The Mobile Ad Network Roundup. This list includes both types of mobile ads as well as highlights of some of the more popular networks.
66. Mobile Advertising Directory. This page has an extensive list of nearly 200 mobile marketing companies to contact if you’re serious about finding a sponsor for your app.
67. Classic Guide to Mobile Advertising. This lengthy PDF report includes more than a dozen insightful articles from various mobile marketing experts.

Further Reading: Promoting Your App

Building an app is only the first step on the road to profitability; a great concept and flawless execution is relatively worthless without a decent marketing game plan. There are countless channels and strategies for getting the word out about your app; take in the articles below for some insights into which work and which won’t really move the needle:

68. The iOS App Marketing Strategy Guide. A detailed guide from the Apptamin blog covers all aspects of an app marketing strategy, from planning and building to promotion and analytics.
69. 52 Ways to Promote Your iPhone App. This feature by Scott Lorenz has dozens of short (and generally useful) tips for getting your app more attention.
70. iOS App Review Sites. This definitive list of sites that will write a review on your iPhone or iPad app is sorted by Alexa rank, a useful feature for evaluating the potential of each.
71. Android Developers: Promote Your App. The official Android Developers site offers several tips and tutorials for getting deep links to your app listing and funneling potential customers to your page.
72. Where to Promote Android Apps. This article highlights app markets, review sites, forums, and other opportunities for Android developers to get some attention.
73. The 5 Most Common Pitfalls In Mobile App Marketing. Kim Cohen examines some of the biggest mistake mobile app developers make, including falling for the “if you build it, they will come” fallacy.
74. What are the best practices for marketing an iPhone app? This Quora page has some short but incredibly useful suggestions from contributors sharing their best practices for app promotion (you’ll need to sign in with a Google account to read the whole page).
75. Email Marketing For Mobile App Creators. Ros Hodgekiss has written an incredibly detailed and informative article on email marketing as a core component of a mobile app release strategy. Marketers can learn a lot from this article, including specific tasks for the pre-launch, beta testing, launch, and post-launch phases.
76. The Art of Launching an App: A Case Study. This lengthy case study by John Casey chronicles the launch of a David and Goliath app, highlighting tactics to gain attention in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
77. How to Create a $1M App with a $10K Marketing Budget. Tero Kuittinen profiles the successful launch of “Death Rally,” an app that debuted for $4.99, was later cut to $0.99, and generated over $1 million in revenue with a limited promotional budget.
78. Need help with spending my $25K marketing budget. This forum thread offers a glimpse at an actual “burst” app marketing campaign, from a developer expecting to spend 25,000 in just a few days. The plan, as well as the suggestions offered up, sheds some light on how real life appmakers function.
79. Tale Of A Top-10 App, Part 1: Idea and Design. This in-depth article offers a firsthand account of the app development process, complete with highs and lows (Part 2 focuses on marketing and launch).

Further Reading: App Split Testing

Before you dive in to the the split testing, consider all the different aspects of an app that can be the subjects of experiments. Below is some useful reading covering both in-app features as well as features such as icons and names that can have a big impact on overall performance.

80. Split-Testing Your App Icon Design. Peter Tanham walks through the process for testing an often-overlooked aspect of a mobile app: the small icon that potential purchases see when browsing their store (yes, that little image can have a big impact).
81. How To Successfully Split-Test Your App Name. This article walks through the process for split testing a mobile app name, another often-overlooked aspect of the product that can have a major impact on downloads.
82. Roundup: A/B Testing Solutions. Alex Curylo highlights even more mobile split testing platforms, as well as several projects on Github that perform similar functions.

Further Reading: Building an App

Before you can worry about split testing, promotion, and pricing strategies, you’ll obviously have to get through building the app. There’s a lot that can go wrong here, especially if you’ll be hiring a developer or team of developers to execute your vision. Here are some helpful suggestions for getting through this process as efficiently as possible:

83. How much does it cost to develop an app? This in-depth breakdown of app development process gives entrepreneurs an idea of the hurdles, timelines, and expenses they can expect in turning their idea into a live app available for download.
84. Use of Flat Design in Mobile App Interfaces, Best Examples. Nataly Birch highlights several examples of apps that effectively utilize the recently reborn “flat style” that can include “emphasis on typography, roomy widgets, muted color palette, one-colored or blurred background, grid or horizontal stripe layout, inornate graphics, 2d illustrations.”
85. Figuring the costs of custom mobile business app development. This article discusses the various costs associated with developing an app, including many that might be initially overlooked.
86. How Much Does It Cost to Make an App? (Infographic). This feature shows approximate costs for various development tasks (such as enabling in-app purchases) as well as design, marketing, and other miscellaneous tasks. Following the infographic are examples of different types of apps, along with estimated costs.
87. They Make Apps. This site functions as a director of app development companies; you can filter by platform, budget, location, or several other metrics to find someone who can build your app.
88. GetAppsDone. This service also functions as a matchmaker for developers and entrepreneurs looking to build an app. Users can post details about projects and get applications from developers with matching skill sets.

Further Reading: Mobile App Success Stories

With countless apps now available (and more launching every day), making your product stick out from the competition and gain traction with your target audience has never been more difficult. Below are articles that include both generic advice for making your app a success, as well as some specific case studies of developers who turned their app idea into a cash cow:

89. The keys to the candy shop: how Candy Crush offers a masterclass in marketing. Uri Baruchin profiles King, the British app maker behind one of the most wildly profitable apps ever made.
90. How Words With Friends Beat Scrabble at its Own Game. Brian Clark Howard profiles the Texas brothers behind one of the extremely popular game app, diving into what helped them become successful.
91. 4 Essentials for Successful Mobile Apps. Rahul Varshneya lays out some simple but extremely important concepts for making an app stand out from the rapidly expanding competition.
92. Mobile Apps: A look at what makes a good app great. This detailed article from Matt Brian discusses some of the most important lessons app developers can learn, complete with examples of specific apps that illustrate his points in action.
93. How a teenager snubbed college to build an apps empire. This article details the story of Spencer Costanzo, an 18-year-old who has built dozens of apps that have shot up the charts.
94. 7 iPhone App Millionaires. This presentation highlights a handful of successful developers, including their backgrounds and strategies for developing and promoting their apps.
95. My last Android app sales figures, and why it’s still great to start a mobile app business. This post from the blog of Edward Kim chronicles his ups and downs (including a month with $57,000 in sales) as a developer of Android apps.

Further Reading: iOS vs. Android

Many apps are developed for and launched on multiple platforms, but often developers won’t necessarily have the resources to build out products for both. If you’re facing a decision on this front, the articles below will hopefully help you to make up your mind:

96. iOS vs. Android: What App Platform Should I Choose? Christina Warren breaks down a question many developers may find themselves asking, especially if they don’t have the budget to develop apps for multiple platforms simultaneously.
97. Android vs. iOS: Comparing the Development Process of the GQueues Mobile Apps. The GQueues blog offers a real life comparison of the two platforms, showing side-by-side results and metrics for the development of two actual apps.
98. The difference between iOS and Android developers and why it’s not just a numbers game. Rene Ritchie offers an in depth analysis of both platforms, explaining some of the key differences in the developers that specialize in one or another.

Further Reading: Miscellaneous

Finally, below are a few more articles that may provide inspiration or general guidance for anyone looking to monetize an app idea.

99. 5 Things You Must Know About Creating Your Own iPhone Apps. Pat Flynn shares some insights he’s learned from creating a handful of apps, including an interesting revelation that in his experience free apps make more than paid ones.
100. I Have a Great App Idea But No Money. AppMuse CEO Mark Stetler shares his thoughts on a common dilemma, outlining some specific ways to get an app off the ground without a major cash investment.
101. Choosing the right business model for your game or app. This article by Ryan Morel walks through the four basic business models for a mobile app, and the questions to ask in determining which makes most sense for you.

Bottom Line

As the competition has increased over the past few years, making and launching a profitable app has become a challenging pursuit. But the opportunity in this industry remains massive, as the countless success storiesillustrate. There are several attractive monetization routes, an abundance of free resources to make the process easier, and endless case studies and pieces of advice available online. If you’re in the process of turning your app from a clever idea to a profitable reality, take advantage of every available resource!

Source: http://monetizepros.com/blog/2013/101-ways-to-make-money-with-your-iphone-android-or-mobile-app/

How to Make Money with Google Plus: 40 Proven Tips

If you’re a MonetizePros subscriber, you’ve already learned how to make money on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, andPinterest. Now, we’re going to look at Google’s own social network, Google+. In this guide, we’re going to skip the basics and jump right into how you can use your profiles, pages, communities, and authorship to make money online.

Grow Your Mailing List

First, let’s start with ways you can build your mailing list using Google+ and increase your earnings by growing your subscriber base.

1. Add target subscribers who are following your profile and page to specific circles. When you share your latest lead magnets in a status update, share that update with the public and those specific circles. Updates shared to the public are visible to everyone; updates shared to specific circles will send a notification to people in those circles about your update. This should drive more engagement to your update and click-thrus to your squeeze page.
2. Include links to your lead magnets in the introduction section of your profile and page’s “About” tab. This area is much more effective in getting click-thrus to your squeeze pages because it is above the standard links section of your profile and page.
3. Create a public/open Google+ community that matches the interests of your target subscribers. Include links to your latest lead magnets in the links below the “About this community” section of your community profile. This will put the link(s) in a section that is always displayed at the top right of the community page. This will give people visiting and engaging in your community the chance to click through to your squeeze page.
4. Create a cover photo for your profile and/or page that highlights your latest lead magnet and encourages visitors to click on it. Be sure that your cover photo’s description includes a link to your lead page.
5. If your lead magnet is an e-book, whitepaper, or other piece of content, claim it under your Google+ authorship by adding a link to your squeeze page under the Contributor To section of your profile’s links and add a link to your Google+ profile on your squeeze page with the rel=author tag.
6. Create images with good quotes, statistics, and other snippets to share on your profile. Include a link to your squeeze page in both the status update (early so that it shows without the visitor having to click read more) and in the image description so people can click through to your squeeze page when they click on the photo.
7. Does your lead magnet include other people, such as businesses you might have used as examples or people who might have contributed to the information? Tag them in status updates when you share the lead magnet linked to your squeeze page. Hopefully, those businesses and people will re-share your status, sending your squeeze page link to their followers.
8. Run Google+ hangouts for subscribers only. Encourage people to sign up to your mailing list to “register” for your hangout.

Sell Products

Do you sell digital or physical products? Here are some ways to sell them on Google+.

9. Add target customers who are following your profile and page to specific circles. When you share updates about your newest products and specials, share the updates to the public and to those specific circles.
10. Create a page specifically for your product on Google+ under the Product or Brand category. Use your page throughout Google+ by commenting on public status updates by people and pages in your niche and interacting in groups where your target customers hang out. Make sure your page has links to your product’s landing page in the cover photo description, profile photo description, introduction paragraph, most recent status update, and links section.
11. Add a link to your product’s landing page to your profile and/or page’s introduction section on the “About” tab as well as in the links section below.
12. Create a cover photo for your profile and/or page that highlights the best features of your product. Add a link to your product’s landing page in the cover photo description.
13. Use Google+ hangouts to host webinars to get more people into your product’s sales funnel. Encourage people to register for the Google+ hangout by having them sign up to your mailing list, which will ideally have an autoresponder series set up to turn subscribers into customers.
14. Create a Google+ community that will attract your target customers and include a link to your product’s landing page in the links section below the “About this community” section of your community page. If you created a page for your product, create the group using your product page and interact in the group with the product page for increased exposure.
15. Target local customers by adding a link to your product’s landing page to your Google+ local business page’s description in the business information.

Offer Services

Are you a designer, writer, consultant, or other service provider? Market your services on Google+ using these tips.

16. Do you offer services to a local area? Create a Google+ local business page so that you can come up in Google local search. Be sure to add your verified website link to your page, in your business’s description, in your page’s latest status update, and in your cover photo description.
17. Create a portfolio album on your profile and/or page and update it often with your latest work. Make sure each photo links to your website and specifically to the landing page for that service or to your portfolio so people can view more of your work.
18. Add target customers who are following your profile and page to specific circles. Whenever you share a new portfolio item, share it publicly as well as with your target customer circles so they will be notified.
19. Create a cover photo that includes a collage of your best portfolio items. Add a link to your cover photo description back to your website’s services page or portfolio.
20. Tag your customers when possible in your portfolio photos. If they are satisfied with your work, they may share your photo with their audience, which could equate a word of mouth referral.
21. Create a Google+ community that will attract your target customers. Include a link to relevant service landing pages on your website to the links below the “About this community” section.
22. Host educational Google+ hangouts for your target customers. Encourage people to sign up for your hangouts and get notifications about new ones using your mailing list.
23. If your services include content creation, combine your efforts to claim Google+ authorship on your content with creating a portfolio on your Google+ profile in the Contributor to section. Also, include a link to your Google+ profile in any piece of content you write so you can build up your author rank, adding additional value to your writing services.

Promote Books

Boost your chances of landing on the bestseller list with these tips on Google+.

24. Create a cover image that promotes your book for your profile and/or page. Include a link to your book’s landing page or Amazon sales page in the cover photo description.
25. Create a Google+ page for your book. Use this page to create a relevant Google+ community that will attract your target readers and participate in the group with your page.
26. Include a link to your book in your profile and/or page’s introduction section on the “About” tab as well as in the links section.
27. Share quotes from your book in photo status updates. Include a link to your book’s landing page or Amazon sales page in the status update and in the photo description. Also, if your book has a unique, one word title, turn that title into a hashtag for extra visibility.
28. Add target customers who are following your profile and page to specific circles. Whenever you post updates about your book, share those updates publicly and with your target customer circles.
29. Host Google+ hangouts that discuss certain points in the book. Encourage people to sign up for the hangout and get updates for future hangouts via your mailing list, preferably with an autoresponder series that will get subscribers to buy your book.

Increase Affiliate Products Sales

Google+ doesn’t have any rules (that we could find at least) that prohibits promoting affiliate products on their network (besides the standard FTC rule to disclose any affiliate links you share). Here are some ways to use Google+ to get more exposure for your affiliate marketing content.

30. Claim Google+ authorship for the sites you write affiliate product reviews upon. This way, your reviews will have more authority and gain more attention in search results because they have your name and photo next to them.
31. Add people most likely to buy the affiliate products you are promoting to specific circles. Whenever you share your review posts in a status update, share those updates publicly and with your target buyer circles.
32. Add your best affiliate product review links to the links section of your Google+ profile.
33. If you’re offering your own bonuses for affiliate products you are promoting, share images of those bonuses in status updates that link to your review post.

Get Hired

Last, but not least, if your goal is to get hired online, make sure your Google+ is prepared for viewing by potential employers.

34. Use the introduction section of your “About” tab as a summary to impress potential employers who may visit your profile. Include links to your portfolio website and LinkedIn profile so that they can learn more about why they should hire you.
35. Add keywords that employers would search to find you in your Google+ profile, especially in your profile’s headline, introduction, occupation, job titles, and skills to help optimize your profile for internal search.
36. Keep your updates professional at all times, especially since Google+ profiles tend to rank in the first page of search results when potential employers search for your name.
37. Turn your profile into a mini-resume by adding your employment history to your “About” tab. Add your most recent / important job experiences with titles, dates, and descriptions that include the main achievements you made.
38. Add your most important skills to the skills section so potential employers know your specialties.
39. Transform your tagline into an announcement that you are seeking employment.
40. Engage with the companies you want to work for by commenting on their page updates and interacting with people in their communities. Find personal profiles for hiring managers and company owners to really familiarize yourself with the key people in an organization.

Bottom Line

While Google+ isn’t as popular or used as often as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it is still one of the top five and an important one to take advantage of in your making money online strategy. Be sure to dedicate a little time to it each day to reach those audiences who are passionate Google+ users.

Source: http://monetizepros.com/blog/2013/40-ways-to-make-money-with-google/