Writing code is easy. Marketing is hard.
I have been marketing Instagrate Pro on a small scale since launching the premium version. This has been mainly through Twitter engagement and blogging. In the beginning I tried using Google AdWords but found the return on investment was low and didn’t pursue paid advertising methods any further.
When I took over WP App Store I realised that marketing and advertising would be a big part of building the list and making it a success. I was ready for the challenge. This post will hopefully serve as a mini roadmap for the marketing of the site and I will update it as I go along to become a resource to help others.
There are two main goals for the development of WP App Store; get great deals from product vendors and grow the email list. The two are directly related. The better the deals the more likely people will subscribe, and the more subscribers on the site will attract more vendors.
The first thing I did to the site was convert it to a WordPress powered site. It had some legacy posts that have been migrated over but currently the blog section is not visible, unless the posts are accessed directly. I am working on a site design refresh and potential rebranding that will incorporate the blog and perhaps take the site away from its one page layout. Blogging about WordPress topics has provided a good marketing tool for this site, and I think a blog on WP App Store would be a better place for specific posts about plugins, themes and WordPress products. Although saying that, as this blog grows in traffic, it might be an idea to put a smaller email sign up form at the bottom of WordPress related posts.
Advertising the site is something I want to focus more on. Today I set up advertising campaigns on both Twitter and Facebook. At the moment I have set up small daily limits and around a £50 total per campaign as a test. Twitter’s advertising works on a pay per engagement model but you can set up conversion trackers for different events on your site. I have set up site visit and successful sign up events but so far these trackers are not working even though there have been engagements on the campaign. Facebook allows you to configure your campaign on a pay per conversion model, so I have tied this to the successful email sign up on the site. However, so far there have been no conversions from Facebook but the campaign has spent £0.46 today.
I am planning on investing in advertising on WordPress related sites but first I need to spend the time getting the site refresh / rebrand finished, so I can then work on designing ad banners to make the most out of paid advertising. But this is where I will need to do my homework to find the best ad networks and publishers sites to use.
Are you an experienced marketeer? What advertising and marketing channels and techniques would you recommend?
PS. You really should sign up for WP App Store for great deals on WordPress products in your inbox.
