Mobile App Success Story: How Inks Did It

Do you like Pinball? What if, instead of points you will receive colors for transforming a canvas into a lovely painting? It sounds amazing, right? Well, if you consider this concept a great starting point for a mobile app then you should know that somebody thought about it before we did and the game is called Inks. But don’t worry because there are plenty of ideas that can be transformed in interesting mobile games. Meanwhile, if you want to know more about the trajectory of this app, then read further because there are a lot of useful strategies you can adapt for your creations.

Brilliant Idea

It is time to discover how everything started. State of Play, a London – based independent games studio created in 2008 is behind this idea to combine Pinball with artistic elements. The team used to enjoy playing the famous arcade game and they wanted to make this experience more interesting for all mobile users. The app was launched last year, in May on Apple App Store and it was a success from the beginning, winning App Store Best of 2016 and Apple Design Award Winner 2016.

How Inks Did It

Additionally to this great idea, many other factors influenced Inks’ success. Grab a comfortable chair because we need to talk about some smart techniques which will inspire your next strategy.

Online Presence

We will start with the most convenient way to connect with users and to make your app visible for the ones who will appreciate it. In this case, let’s see the most efficient places where the creators of Inks meet their audience:

  • Well – designed website for the company, check;
  • Great website for this specific app, check;
  • Attractive app store page, check;
  • Facebook account, check;
  • Twitter account, check;
  • Many podcasts and articles on influential tech sites, check;

If you have an innovative app which has the power to impress users, we advise you to follow the elements listed above for transforming your creation in a viral app.

Offline Presence

Online efforts bring you great results but without human interaction you won’t be able to build a strong relationship with your users. Take for example, State of Play which managed to bring Inks in front of all people who want to code at Apple WWDC 2016 Keynote. For a few seconds the app was part of something extraordinary due to its developer. This type of events makes you realize what you’ve accomplished so far and they give you confidence that your work is recognized. Of course, it is very hard to be featured at a great conference but it is not impossible for creative minds. In the same time you should attend tech events and to talk with people about your dreams to create something great.

Paid To Free

The game is available only on Apple App Store for $2.99 with in – app purchases. A dilemma for all app owners who chose the paid model for monetizing their apps is how to attract more users and to convince them to pay attention to their work. Of course, the gameplay seems impressive; the app’s design looks amazing but the price could be a barrier for those how don’t want to pay before trying a new app. The solution is simple and we described it various time before. Making your app free for a limited period of time will bring you the wanted number of users and excellent results. Also, you shouldn’t forget to announce your customers in every possible way about this offer. You want to be sure that the app reaches a wider audience.

Social Element

Well, we can’t talk about successful apps without taking care of the social aspect. After creating these amazing paintings, who can’t resist not building a real art gallery for friends and family? And wait until you hear: “How is that possible? I didn’t know that you are such an amazing artist!” In that moment, you want to play more and to “paint” more. Go ahead, use the app again and recommend it to every person you know. And why not purchasing more premium items to make sure that your followers on social networks observe your talent? This was only a scenario related to Inks but let’s think about your app now! Which feature can be adapted in the same way for providing the wanted popularity? And by popularity we mean users’ admiration and your app’s fame.

Bonus Tip: Adapt Classic Games

Inks isn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last app inspired by popular games. Think about Heads Up! which is actually a Charades game adapted for mobile world. Inks added a little color (literally!) to the beloved Pinball machine. There are many digital version of this game but somehow Inks’ creators transformed this entertainment activity in a work of art. In fact, they came up with this idea while they were building another successful game, Lumino City. Going back to our general purpose to help you find the best path to reach success we can recommend you to think about your favorite activity and to start from there. Who knows? Maybe this is the secret to create an award winning app. Not to mention that it will be a real pleasure for you to build a delightful tool based on your passion.

Final Thoughts

We said it before and we keep repeating that it is imperative to think outside the box and to offer an experience never seen before in order to make users appreciate your work. We encourage you to find original solutions for impressing your audience. Be creative and don’t forget to open all the doors available for your customers. Inks is another successful story to keep in mind, for that exact moment when you feel that you can’t reach your goal or, you need some key points for building an efficient mobile marketing strategy.