Promoting your apps?

Atomic Pineapple

I was just wondering what (if anything) do mobile app developers do to promote their applications? I currently have a small facebook page, a basic website and some posts in relevant forums. But I was wondering what others do to promote their apps?

Do you spend money? If so in what and what are the returns like? Have you found any free services or ingenious ways to promote your apps without cost?

AhrSkidar

I haven't hit on any particularly successful way to promote my iOS apps, but there are a few things I normally do.

1. Issue a press release through PRMac (www.prmac.com). I can't honestly say it's ever had much impact, but at $20 or so a pop it doesn't break the bank.

2. I used the more expensive, but wider-ranging, PRWeb (www.prweb.com) once. Wasn't worth it.

3. I usually put a press release into Irish Press Releases (www.irishpressreleases.ie). No real impact on sales, but it has led to a few press queries and a radio interview. And it's free.

Aside from that, the usual, Twitter, website, and some half-assed Facebook (not a fan).

My first app 'Bet Settler' was out about six months, when I got a query from a guy in T3 magazine in the UK. I assumed nothing would come of it, but it got a nice write-up in the magazine and the sales shot up of a month or so. Really should have asked him how he'd heard about it.

The Corinthian

This is a pretty good guide:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2225125