A lot of people think that branding is just for multi-million companies. However, did you know that mobile apps need branding as well? If you haven’t thought about it before, then you need to continue reading. In this post, let us discover the compelling reasons you need branding for your app.
What is app branding?
App branding is the process of creating a recognizable identity for your app in the minds of the public and your target market. In short, the brand of your app is the way potential and existing users would know that it’s you. Your app brand distinguishes you from other apps.
How do you brand an app?
Whether you know it or not, you’re creating an app brand. The question is, are you building a good brand or a bad brand?
That’s why, you would need to be intentional and conscious about your app brand because no matter what you do, you’re actually setting up your brand.
Now, branding itself can be complicated because it is a product of various factors working out together. These factors include your app name, icon, logo, products or services you offer, customer support, customer experience, marketing strategies, and so much more.
Since this is not the main topic of our discussion today, let us just give you an overview of how app branding is done. Here are some important steps to take:
- Choose the best app name.
- Create a memorable and intuitive app icon and logo.
- Use brand colors to help users remember you better.
- Make sure your app delivers the best user experience as much as possible so that people will perceive your brand in a positive light.
- Be consistent in how you deliver your brand.
- Create a brand story that your target market can relate to.
- Regularly evaluate your branding strategy.
Why branding is important to your app’s success
Now that you have an idea of what app branding is all about, it’s time to move to the core of our discussion. So, if branding is necessary, why should you do it?
Here are the key reasons why you should establish a great brand to help your app succeed.
Customer recognition
The main goal of branding is for your users to easily recognize your app. As you can imagine, whether your users are browsing through an app store or using the search, your app will appear together with other similar apps.
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As of the third quarter of 2022, there are about 3.55 million apps in Google Play Store and 1.6 million in the Apple App Store. This tells you that you are up against the fierce competition.
Without a good brand, your app would surely just become another drop of water in a vast ocean. However, if you have established a great app brand, your users can easily spot your app. Your app would automatically stand out and that will cause your users to choose you over other apps.
Keyword search
Did you know that the majority of searches made in app stores are brand keywords? According to one study, about 97% of keywords with search volumes above 75 are brands.
This tells you that most people who go to app stores use branded keywords such as “Facebook,” ”Instagram,” “Tik Tok.” “Messenger,” and “YouTube.”
That’s the power of branding. Your app automatically comes to the mind of your users whenever they think of a service or product that you offer. So, you can just imagine how great it would be when users go to app stores and simply search for your brand name immediately. They don’t look for other similar apps but yours.
App identity
Your brand speaks volumes about who you are, what your app can do, what problems your app can solve, how you deliver your services, and so much more. In short, your brand is who you are.
That’s why you need to establish a positive brand image if you want people to use your app. When you communicate a consistent brand message, people would be able to instantly know who you are. Hopefully, their perception of your app would be positive enough so that they will choose your app.
Customer loyalty
When it comes to apps, you don’t simply want to have a high volume of downloads, only to find users uninstalling your app after just a few hours or days.
Branding allows you to connect with your users. With the right branding, you can appeal to their emotions and once you have their trust and confidence, they will surely stay with you. All that can be done through proper branding.
When users know what your app is all about, what you stand for, and how your app can help them solve their problems, then users will not simply be ordinary users, but they become loyal and stick with you for a long time.
Long-term popularity
An app becomes popular because of the features it offers. However, that will only get you too far. Without the right branding, you won’t be able to reach long-term goals.
This is what some app developers and marketers realize very late. Because they haven’t taken the time to form a brand at the start, they are having a challenge in establishing a strong presence in their niche.
The great thing about branding is it effectively goes hand-in-hand with advertising campaigns. Initially, your ads will help increase your brand’s visibility. However, later on, it is your brand that can help your ads to have a more positive impact and greater results.
Marketing wouldn’t be that difficult anymore once you have established a popular brand. All these would contribute to your popularity, not just in the present, but also in the months and years to come.
Improve your brand now
As you can see, branding is crucial to the success of your app. However, branding your app can be challenging if you don’t know where to start. Thankfully, you can always get the help of ShyftUp.
ShyftUp is the best user acquisition agency today that can help you in creating an impressive app brand design. Branding apps is not just a forte of ShyftUp, but they also help app developers and marketers to reach more people and turn them into loyal users.
If you want to improve your brand and obtain more users, then you need to get in touch with ShyftUp today.
Is building a mobile brand necessary?
Building a mobile brand is necessary because of the fierce competition that you would face in app stores. With millions of apps and hundreds of new apps being added each day, you would need a brand that would set your app apart from the rest.
How to design your own mobile brand?
You need to think of the core features of your app, how your app can help your users, the story of your brand, the unique messaging strategy of your app, and marketing strategies that will help your users become more familiar to you.
How to establish a positive app brand?
The best way to establish a positive app brand is to deliver a positive user experience to your users while ensuring that they would relate that positive experience to your app brand. They need to make the right connection between your app brand and the great services or products you offer.
