作者：Puneet Yamparala

有不少手机游戏在应用商店榜单昙花一现之后就陷入沉寂，不少登顶的新秀总是难免因市场营销力度不敌行业巨头而跌下榜单。但却有一家名为Ketchapp Studios的公司在过去数年中却并没遭此厄运。

经常关注应用榜单的人都知道Ketchapp，它在过去一年中推出了一系列极为休闲且极具成瘾性的游戏，包括《ZigZag》、《Don’t Step on The White Tile》、《Stick Hero》、《Skyward》，当然还有大家都熟悉的《2048》。

2048（from 163.com)

它所推出的这些游戏一面世总能敲开幸运之门，赢得无数下载量。

它究竟是怎么做到的？

答案很简单：使用简单的玩法元素，并采用极为直观的交叉推广技巧以虏获大量用户。

本文将揭秘这家游戏公司持续高居榜单前列所采用的直观而简单的方法。

极为简化的推广方法

Ketchapp Studios通过创造相似的应用，在现成的用户基础上进行交叉推广，保留了核心玩法，极大减少用户的学习曲线。这更易于用户尝试新应用并对其交叉推广链接作出回应：

*邀请和风险回避按钮——它们会指向该公司想让用户体验的游戏应用集。它们的衍生品就是“免费应用”，“更多应用”等类型的邀请按钮。

*条幅广告——出现在屏幕上下，以免干扰游戏玩法。

*IAP条幅广告——广告会干扰极富成瘾性的玩法，该公司的做法则是允许用户一次性付费移除条幅广告。这种操作类似于购买应用。

注意：有些开发者交叉推广的应用与用户已经在使用的产品存在较大差距，想想看，如果Ketchapp在《ZigZag》游戏中推广照片应用，这样管用吗？

Zigzag(from xinyou.com)

很显然不会。

关键是你的推广要能够整合两款应用，允许用户从一种体验切换到另一种。要交叉推广应用，必须锁定相同的用户群体。

永远不要坐等财源滚滚的良机。我们常会看到这种现象，某款应用在榜单登顶之后数周就不见踪影，因为其开发者都在忙着数钱，无暇推陈出新。Ketchapp Studios一直在利用已经成名的应用来创造新产品和机遇。

Ketchapp每周都会发布内容，并与他人合作发布游戏，并以严格的质量把控维护公司的声誉。他们知道许多发行商可能会模拟他们推出的游戏，既然如此何不充分利用这一点与他人共赢呢？

采用游击战术。与开发同类应用（例如谜题，赛车、战略等）的同行合作，并采用现成的应用推广网络（如Tap for Tap，Taptica，Chartboost，Tapdaq等）。在使用这些网络资源之前，一定要充分了解它们的政策方针！

也可以采用不同的应用营销工具，如果使用得当就可以助你追踪竞争对手的表现情况。这方面的热门产品包括appbackr的相关工具。它支持开发者便捷地追踪竞争对手的应用，即时了解市场情况。

核心游戏玩法

但也不能轻下结论，认定Ketchapps的成功大多源于其推广措施而非应用开发哲学。推广只能为你的应用带来更多潜在目标市场的曝光度，游戏玩法才是推动下载量和创造口碑的本质。

Ketchapps采用了5个层次的游戏开发哲学：

1.休闲的单手势控制方法——每款Ketchapp游戏都只需要一种操作手势，可以让用户舒适地体验游戏。

2.短小的玩法循环——Ketchapp的游戏并不占用时间，它们只是供用户打发时间，用户无需担心退出游戏会丧失点数或游戏奖励及成就。这种最小化的时间投入需求极适合休闲玩家群体。

3.极具成瘾性的玩法-—–其游戏元素具有不断增长的难度，但永远不会让玩家觉得成功遥不可及。它种设计令玩家对游戏爱不释手。

4.无尽的玩法——Ketchapp游戏并不是基于关卡的类型，它们允许用户通过掌握足够的技能不断玩游戏，吸引他们挑战自己的最高分。

5.创造病毒传播——每款应用都鼓励社交分享行为。其中的排行榜单可以刺激玩家挑战好友。（本文由游戏邦编译，转载请注明来源，或咨询微信zhengjintiao）

How You Can Take Your App To The Top Of The Charts With Simple Promotional Tactics

by Puneet Yamparala

Mobile gaming charts have become a graveyard of one-hit wonder games, and every new comer is behest with the nightmare of meeting the Marketing Reaper during their promotional efforts. However, one name has evaded the reaper over the years: Ketchapp Studios.

Following the Master

Anyone who has been following the app charts knows Ketchapp — the sole protégée to take up the mantle of simple, single-tap ‘super casual’ games from Flappy Birds. And it has continued to pay homage to that one-time wonder for more than a year with a complete set of addictive games, including ZigZag, Don’t Step on The White Tile, Stick Hero, Skyward, and ofcourse 2048.

And each of these apps, when released, has stormed through the opportunity’s door, smiled, and introduced themselves to millions of downloads.

This begs the question: How?

The simple answer to that is: by using simple game play elements and employing highly intuitive cross promotional tactics to reach to millions of people.

This post unearths the highly intuitive and simple ways the gaming studio has used to continuously top the charts.

Learning from the Master — The Utterly Simplistic Promotional Methods of Ketchapp

Ketchapp Studios cross promotes by leveraging their existing user base by creating similar apps, dramatically reducing the learning curve, retaining focus on the gameplay. This makes it easier for the users to try the app fully and respond to their cross promotional links:

Inviting and risk-averse buttons — Buttons that direct to their gallery/portofilo of apps they want their users to try. Their micro-copy is inviting e.g. “Free Apps”, “More Apps”, etc.

Banners — used above and below the folds so that gameplay is not obstructed, alongside full screen banners for revenue generation.

In app purchase of banners — ads obstruct their addictive gameplay, and they make sure to cash on that by giving the in app purchase option of removing banners for a onetime fee. This is similar to purchasing the app!

NOTE: Some developers cross promote apps that are not even close to what the user is using, e.g. would a photo app sell well, if Ketchapp promoted it on its ZigZag?

Highly unlikely.

It is essential that your promotions bridge two apps, allowing the user to move from one experience to another.  To cross promote, you must publish in the same niche.

Never sit to cash in on an opportunity. We’ve seen it countless times: an app hitting the #1 rank and then disappearing within weeks because the developers are busy counting their cash flow. Ketchapp Studios have continuously leveraged their apps fame to create newer apps and opportunities.

Ketchapp publishes weekly, and have partnered with others to publish games, extending the Ketchapp Studios name as a franchise with strict quality control. They were smart to realize that many publishers would be trying to imitate their games anyway, so why not take advantage of that?

Employ guerilla tactics and become a ninja at cross promoting your apps. Collaborate with peers in the same app niche (puzzle, racing, strategy, etc.) and use existing app promotional networks such as Tap for Tap, Taptica, Chartboost, Tapdaq, and others. Thoroughly understand their guidelines before using the network reources!

Various app marketing tools are also available which when effectively used can aid you in tracking and keeping abreast of your competition. Some of the most popular ones include: appbackr’s market place and appscore apps. It allows developers to easily track competitor apps and keep abreast of market conditions!

Understanding the Ways of the Master — Ketchapps Core Gameplay

It would be imprudent to claim that Ketchapps success is greatly based on its promotional activities and not on it app development philosophy. Promotion would only bring your app greater visibility in front of potential target market, the gameplay would substantiate the effort into downloads and raving reviews and word-of-mouth evangelism.

Ketchapps have consistently employed a five-tier game development philosophy:

Casual Single Gesture Control — Every Ketchapp game can be played using a single gesture, making the gameplay casual and playable at the comfort of the user.

A Short Gameplay Loop — Following the first, none of the apps are demanding on time. A user can kill time without having to worry about losing points and game accolades and achievements. The minimal time investment makes it perfect for the masses of casual gamers.

Addictive Gameplay — Their game elements strike a balance between increasingly difficult but always short of impossible. This makes their games addictive.

Endless Gameplay — Ketchapp games are not level based, allowing users to endlessly play the game by mastering enough skills, hooking them to master their top score.

Built-in Virality — Every app encourages social sharing. Leadership boards allow them to compete with friends.（source：gamasutra）