How to Pitch Your App to Get Reviews

What is it that makes some apps so successful, whilst others fall flat on their face?
In most cases, the difference is a strong launch strategy, built around reviews from well-respected journalists and bloggers in your field.
To get these reviews, you’re going to have to pitch.
Unfortunately, many developers and publishers get their pitch very wrong — an engaging description alone just won’t cut it.
If your pitches are constantly falling on deaf ears, consider implementing the following strategies:

Personalise Your Approach

One of the more common approaches to getting an app reviewed is to send out a tonne of emails to anyone and everyone even remotely related to your industry and seeing what sticks.
The problem with this? Journalists and high-profile bloggers are approached by hundreds of people every single day — they can spot an inauthentic, copy and paste job from a mile off.
This is why the scattergun approach rarely works.
A much better approach is to personalise your pitches, and reach out to a small number of handpicked, highly relevant bloggers in your field.
Address them by their name, tell them what you like about their work and make it clear why your app would be a good fit for their blog — if you can’t say something genuine here, they’re probably not right for you.
You don’t have to completely rewrite your pitch each time, but these personal touches will really make it stand out.

Build Relationships

Never underestimate the importance of networking.
When you’re competing with hundreds of other developers to get your app reviewed, having some form of prior relationship with the person you’re reaching out to can make all the difference.
Use your existing network, reach out to people on LinkedIn and attend the big events in your industry. Even an insightful response on Twitter can build the foundations of a relationship.
Having any relationship instantly elevates your pitch above all the completely cold emails received.

Realistic Expectations

Being prominently featured on a high-profile blog with a huge audience is what most app developers dream about. Of course, very few will actually get this opportunity.
Now, I’m not suggesting you don’t try to reach out to the influential bloggers of your industry, just don’t make this your only goal.
Lower profile bloggers can still play a big part in your apps success: they can help you build the base audience you need to start gaining traction and moving up the positions in the App Store. Besides, far more bloggers fall into this category, so it’s easier to get accepted.
Having any blogger raving about your app is good publicity, and the initial buzz these small bloggers can generate will often put you on the radar of the top bloggers.

Project Your Future

When you make your pitch, don’t just focus on where you are now; discuss the direction you’re going.
You might not be a household name now, but if you can show some consistent, sustainable growth — combined with a solid plan for the future — you’ll get far more interest; after all, who’s to say you won’t be in future?
Bloggers, and in particular journalists, love a scoop; having the opportunity to feature a person before they were big will really appeal to them.

Go the Extra Mile

After a while, reading endless written pitches will start to get a little boring. Could you be doing something different to make their job easier and break up the monotony?
When it comes to getting reviews for your app, going the extra mile with your pitch is always a good approach to take.
One way to do this is to create a video trailer for your app. Videos are more likely to grab the reviewer’s attention, because they’re easier to consume and more entertaining.
It won’t guarantee your pitch is successful, but it’s one of the best ways to ensure that your pitch is at the very least seen — and if your app is genuinely good, getting the reviewer’s initial attention is often the only barrier between you and having your app featured on their blog.

Wrapping Up

Combining a great mobile app with a strong launch strategy that effectively pitches your app is a great way to build some early traction. It’s not easy, but having your app reviewed by some well-trafficked blogs will be worth the time investment.
Once you’ve mastered your pitch to get reviews, you can start thinking about a press release to announce new features or exciting news. You can check out our guidelines on what to think about when writing a press release for your app here!