Marketing an app starts weeks before it is in the stores. Before launch, build a waiting list, prepare your store listing and line up early users who will review it. At launch, concentrate installs into a short window. After launch, the real work is retention: an app that people open once and delete will not grow, no matter how much you spend on installs.
Key takeaways
- Build a waiting list, beta and store listing 4–8 weeks before launch.
- Concentrate installs into launch week.
- Fix onboarding and retention before scaling ad spend.
- Optimise campaigns for in-app events, not raw installs.
Before launch (4–8 weeks out)
- Define one clear audience and promise. “Order groceries in 30 minutes in DHA” is easier to market than “an app for everything”.
- Create a landing page with a waiting-list sign-up, screenshots and a short video.
- Prepare the store listing: keyword research, title, screenshots and preview video (see our ASO guide).
- Run a beta via TestFlight or Google Play testing and fix the issues testers find.
- Set up analytics — Firebase or a similar tool — and attribution so you know which channels bring retained users.
- Build social accounts and start sharing the build process.
Launch (week 1–2)
- Email and WhatsApp your waiting list with a direct store link.
- Ask beta users to leave honest reviews.
- Reach out to relevant bloggers, communities and local tech media.
- Run a focused paid campaign — Google App Campaigns and Meta app install ads — to concentrate installs.
- Offer a launch incentive tied to a meaningful action (first order discount, extended trial).
After launch: retention first
Look at how many users return on day 1, day 7 and day 30. If those numbers are weak, fix the product and onboarding before increasing acquisition spend.
- Onboarding: get users to the main benefit in the first session.
- Push notifications: useful and personal, not daily spam.
- In-app messaging and email: remind users of unfinished actions.
- Referral programme: reward users who invite friends.
Growth channels after launch
- ASO: ongoing keyword and creative testing.
- Paid acquisition: optimise campaigns for in-app events (purchase, sign-up), not just installs.
- Content and SEO: a website and blog that rank for the problems your app solves.
- Partnerships: businesses whose customers overlap with yours.
Our app marketing team can plan pre-launch through scale.
Example launch timeline for a small team
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks before | Landing page live, waiting-list form, first social posts showing the problem you solve |
| 6 weeks before | Closed beta with 30–100 target users; collect feedback every week |
| 4 weeks before | Store listing drafted, screenshots and preview video produced, analytics events defined |
| 2 weeks before | Press and community outreach, partner announcements, ad creatives ready |
| Launch week | Waiting list notified, beta users asked for reviews, paid campaigns switched on |
| Weeks 2–8 | Weekly retention review, onboarding fixes, ASO tests, budget moved to best channels |
Signs you are ready to scale spend
Scale acquisition only when three things are true: users who install reach the core action in their first session, a healthy share are still active after a week, and the cost of acquiring a user who reaches that point is lower than the revenue or value you expect from them. If any of the three is weak, more ad budget simply buys more people who leave.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I spend on app launch marketing?
Start with enough to test channels and measure cost per retained user, then scale what works. Spending heavily before retention is proven usually wastes money.
Do I need a website for my app?
Yes. A website builds trust, captures search traffic and is required for privacy policies and support pages.
What metric matters most after launch?
Retention — the share of users still active after 7 and 30 days — because it determines whether acquisition spend pays back.
Sources and further reading
- Apple Developer: App Store product page
- Play Console Help: Best practices for your store listing
- Android Developers: Store listing experiments
