What's Your Digital iQ

1) Know when to launch a branded app

There are a lot of apps out there that just shouldn’t be an app. Brands and developers must be able to define the value the app provides and map a strategy on how to achieve that value. Along the way, make sure there are answers to:

• How does the app support my brand strategy?
• What KPIs will help me evaluate success?

From there, define the venue.

• Facebook apps act as a sharing platform
• Mobile apps are accessible anywhere at any time

2) Create top-of-mind tools

This is where you move from strategic to tactical. Marketers must think about how the app would be used on a day-to-date basis. What scenarios will this app be used? With those scenarios in mind, what should the user experience and design be like?

3) Embrace and encourage sharing

Sharing is the leading edge of healthcare. How can your app content be shared?

In the absence of firm guidance from the FDA, use current best practices:

• You ARE NOT responsible for what they post to their Facebook wall
• You ARE responsible for things that you help them post

Embracing and encouraging sharing creates a community that helps the brand enlist influencers. It becomes a platform that both introverts and extroverts can enjoy but use in really different ways.

4) Plan for managing commentary

• Set expectations with internal and external audiences
• Be careful with posts and document how you will deploy posts. Have responses ready that are fair-balance compliant and be prepared to share information for additional resources
• Have adverse effect procedures in place
• Be prepare with PR responses
• Know how you are going to handle and direct product inquiries

5) Leverage game theory

Game elements help increase engagement and continuing interest. Game mechanics create an array of emotions and results:

• Badges and levels reward users for engagement
• Coins (points) provide community involvement
• Easter eggs create tidbits of useful information to share with friends

6) Update the app regularly

Relevant content and experiences keep user engaged and coming back.

7) Enable communication

Campaign opt-ins let you both push and ask for information. Opt-in also allows for future cross-promotion, creating a long-term win for the brand.

8) Use smart architecture

You have to be able to remove data from apps while avoiding an siloing of information. So even if you have developed apps for tradeshow displays, mobile, and Facebook, the data collected must be in real-time and in one central location.

9) Use KPIs that tie to greater strategy

10) Tie back to sales data

If you are able to tie your app data back into a centralized system, we can see exactly which tools and apps result in the most prescriptions filled.

Final Thought

You app is a product. For the life of the app, you need to:

• Promote it
• Update it regularly
• Provide education and support
• Track activity
• Optimize ROI