This post is part of a series for our customers on easy ways to promote your app.

It’s a simple equation – the more you tell your alumni and members about your app, the more will download and use it.

We’re seeing high download statistics from customers who make monthly posts via their existing social media about their app. Plus, this type of promotion is free.

To make your job easy, we’ve put together sample posts for every month of the year (see below). Just copy, paste and substitute your institution’s name and smart link.

Remember to include your “smart link” in your announcement – it recognizes the kind of device it is clicked on from, and directs your users to the easiest way to download.

For example, Michigan State University’s smart link is: http://mycribsheet.com/msu.  If you are not sure what your smart link is, e-mail nicole@capandcompass.com

Happy posting!

January
Ring 201X with [YOUR NAME]’s alumni app on your iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, or desktop: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

February
Happy Valentine’s! If Cupid found his mark, read about engagement rings in our mobile alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

March
Dreading tax time? Get tips on taxes, and the latest [YOUR NAME] news, in our free alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

April
It’s National Financial Literacy Month! Learn about credit and investing in our free alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

May
Congrats, Class of 201X, on joining the ranks of [YOUR NAME] alumni! Download our alumni app today: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

June
Relocating? Get helpful hints on moving, and follow your new local alumni club news, in our alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

July
Happy 4th! Before you light those fireworks, brush up on health insurance choices in our alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

August
Heat got you down? Refresh with the latest [YOUR NAME] news through our cool mobile app for alumni: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

September
It’s Labor Day! Use the day off to brush up on Work Etiquette with our alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

October
Get the latest on Homecoming with our alumni app on your iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, or desktop: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

November
Want a super stylish” I Voted” sticker? Get voting tips, and [YOUR NAME] news, in our alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

December
Happy Holidays from [YOUR NAME]! Enjoy a gift from us all year with our free alumni app: http://mycribsheet.com/[USERNAME]

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Mobile 101: This post is part of our educational series on mobile technology. If you are new to the smart phone/app arena, this series is a good place to start.

Once you “get religion” that mobile is the future, your next step is to decide on a mobile strategy.

At this point, someone may ask you, “Do you want to go with a mobile website or a native app?” If your response is, “Um, wha?”, read on.

In this post, we’ll define these terms and suggest a few things to consider.

Mobile Websites

Sometimes referred to as “web apps,” these are simply websites made for the tiny screens of a mobile phone.

For example, the Oklahoma State Alumni Association created a mobile website. Here’s what it looks like on an iPhone:

On the small screen of an iPhone, the mobile website (right) is easier to use than the regular version (left).

Native Apps

Native apps are little bits of software that are built for and live on your phone. To read more, see our post called “What’s an App?”.

These apps require unique sets of code for each type of mobile device (e.g., iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, etc.).

Upsides to Mobile Websites

– BETTER COMPARED TO A REGULAR WEBSITE

Building a mobile website is a good alternative to asking your users to read your regular website on a mobile phone, especially if you are directing them to a feedback form.

– (USUALLY) LESS EXPENSIVE

A mobile website is usually less expensive than building your own native apps across several platforms (e.g., iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, etc.).

Shameless plug for our app: we’ve leveled mobile website vs. native app price benefits by selling an affordable, customizable native app.

Upsides of Native Apps

– FASTER

The code for a native app “lives” on your mobile device – as a result native apps work much faster than mobile websites (no “browser lags”). Don’t underestimate this benefit.

Speed is key — everyone knows that figurative “speedbumps” slow down action, but few people appreciate that even the smallest speedbumps turn away users.

– APP ICONS

Native apps always have an app icon:

This icon is always on your users’ screens and never out of sight. With a tap of the icon, your users are in your app.

To access a mobile website, you generally need to type in a hard-to-remember URL address.

Users can “bookmark” a mobile website and might jump through hoops to create a mobile app icon, but it’s clunky.

For example, to create a mobile website icon on an Android device, you’ll need to:

– bookmark the page you want to add to a home screen,
– go to the home screen you want to add the link to,
– long-press in an empty space to bring up the “Add to Home Screen” menu,
– select “Shortcuts”,
– select “Bookmark”, and
– choose your bookmark.

Native apps, on the other hand, are easy. They keep your brand present and easily accessible.

– DISCOVERY

When people are looking for apps for their phone, they search an app store. Only native apps can be listed in an app store.

When I got my first iPhone, the first thing I did was search the app store to see whether Duke had any apps. I was one of those fans…

I wanted Duke on my phone.

Your alumni or members will discover your app by searching for keywords, such as the name of their alma mater or your organization.

– MORE ACCESS

A native app can include more bells and whistles because it can access other parts of your phone, like your camera, address book, an so on.

– POPULARITY

Native apps are heavily marketed on tv. “There’s an app for that.” People have been taught to use native apps.

Takeaway

A mobile website is a choice in the right direction; but a native app is going to be faster, more usable, more customized and more functional.

If you’d like a native app for your organization, you may consider building one yourself or you might customize our app, Crib Sheet, for much less money. We’d love to have you as a customer.

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Subscribing to our mobile app, “crib sheet”, or any mobile app, is really about choosing between alternatives — how else can, or do, you communicate with your alumni or members?

Traditional Mailings

The annual cost of our app is usually less than than the printing and postage costs of one traditional mailing.

Costs aside, our app has a much longer life. It gives you a daily relationship with your alumni.

Unlike a mailing, the content of our app refreshes continuously thanks to aggregated social media feeds that keep providing alumni with fresh news.

Plus, our app includes a wealth of relevant life skills content so you can both inform and provide value through a lasting reference tool.

If your school is “going green”, the app is a paper-free way to reach your alumni over and over again.

Your Alumni Magazine

Your alumni magazine can be a wonderful and rich source of on-going information about your institution, but it only reaches your alumni a few times each year.

In the age of mobile information, magazines can no longer compete with apps and social media to deliver timely news.

Our app is always with them – informing them of breaking news and allowing them to communicate back to you with key updates.

Recent research suggests that alumni magazines are far less popular with younger alumni compared with older alumni.

We believe the future of alumni communications is in mobile devices.

Social Media

A robust presence on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter is a great low-cost way to reach out to your alumni.

However, your posts compete with countless others:

– Tim’s new job!
– Janey’s pictures of her Costa Rican vacation!
– Coupons to Sweet Tomatoes!
– Grandma made an omelet for breakfast!

It’s easy to roll off someone’s news feed within hours, or even minutes.

The only news in our app is your news. Our app keeps your posts front and center, with no competing messages.

Takeaway

You know you have choices when communicating with your alumni and members.

We feel that our app is a smart choice as it’s inexpensive, dynamic, timely, and valuable to users.

To learn more about what “crib sheet” can do for your institution, please join one of our upcoming free 30-minute webinars or contact us at sales@capandcompass.com.

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