Advice on iPhone app marketing from a major studio

I recently got some feedback on Mardi Brah from a good friend of mine who works for a major gaming studio. It reminded me of how difficult the indy app / gaming space is, and I wanted to share the feedback he gave me on Mardi Brah.

Regarding the app, it is a tough space. The barrier to entry is low but that has just raised the bar every where else. #1 you have to make sure you have an awesome app. LOTS of iteration. When you are done with that, iterate more. Make sure it looks good and is fun to play. Several reviews say it is hard to play.

You probably know this, but the rest is acquisition, retention and monetization. You HAVE to market to get users. You can buy ads on networks like Tapjoy, Fiksu, etc. Get people downloading the app, and then try to figure out how to keep them around and get them to spend money. All those do not come together, unfortunately. My last app has almost tens of million downloads, but you only make pennies per user, if you are lucky.

In the short term, there are a couple things you can do. First, rate your own app. It has no ratings right now. Not very inspiring. It looks like there have been no new reviews since the last update. Re-enter your reviews whenever you update the app.

Also, look at some other app descriptions. Your description can be tightened up quite a bit. It sounds a bit like a tutorial (sell the sizzle, not the steak). If you are selling it as a work of art, at least get the name of the artist in the first line above the fold/more button.

Good advice and good reminder that this sh#$ ain’t easy. BTW, Stefan is looking to mentor other app devs so if you’re looking for some guidance on your app, drop me a line and I’ll connect you.