6.1. Marketing Your Product

You’re deep into building your amazing ICT Club apps! But remember, creating a fantastic product is just the first step. If the people you want to help don’t know your app exists or don’t understand its value, your hard work won’t have the impact it deserves.

This is where Marketing comes in. Let’s learn how to spread the word about your app and create a plan for it – a key part of your ICT Club Business Plan!

Lesson Topic: 6.1 Marketing Your Product

Section 1: What is Marketing, Really? (Spreading the Word)

Marketing isn’t just about selling things for profit. For your projects, it’s all about:

• Making your Target Audience (the specific group of people you identified in your research) aware of your app.
• Helping them understand the value it provides – how it solves their specific problem.
• Encouraging them to try it out and hopefully become regular users.

Think of it like this: You’ve cooked a delicious and nutritious meal (your app). Marketing is like setting up a sign, telling people about the food, explaining why it’s good for them, and inviting them to come and taste it!

Section 2: Setting Your Direction (Marketing Goals)

Before you start promoting, decide what you want to achieve. Set 2-3 specific, measurable, and realistic goals for your initial marketing efforts. Examples:

• “Get 50 downloads of our app from students at our school within the first month.”
• “Have 10 local farmers actively using the app to record data after our community presentation.”
• “Get 20 likes and 5 shares on our introductory Facebook post.”
• “Present our app demo to 3 relevant community leaders or groups.”

Having clear goals helps you focus your efforts and measure if your strategies are working. Don’t aim for impossible targets initially; start small and build momentum!

Section 3: The Marketing Mix (The 4 P’s Framework)

A helpful way to think about your overall marketing strategy is using the “4 P’s”:

1. Product: This is your app itself! Is it working well (MVP complete!)? Does it genuinely solve the user’s problem? A good product is the foundation of any marketing.
2. Price: How much will users pay? For many ICT Club projects, the answer might be Free! Other options could be:
   • Free with Ads (possible with Thunkable’s Ad component, but consider user experience).
   • A very small, one-time download fee (consider Mobile Money accessibility if charging).
   • Free for basic features, pay for premium (Freemium).
   • Maybe a partner organization pays for access for their clients.
   • Be realistic about what your target users in Uganda can and are willing to pay.
3. Place: Where will users find and access your app?
   • Initially: Maybe direct sharing with testers, presentations.
   • Later: Google Play Store? (Requires developer account). A simple website or landing page? Through a partner organization’s network? Make it easy for users to get the app.
4. Promotion: This is how you actively tell people about your product. Let’s dive into strategies for this…

Section 4: Spreading the Word (Promotion Strategies for Uganda)

Focus on low-cost, high-impact strategies relevant to your community:

• Word-of-Mouth (WOMM): Still one of the most powerful tools!
  • Encourage happy early users (friends, family, testers) to tell others.
  • Make your app’s purpose easy to explain.
  • Leverage your personal connections – ask people you know to spread the word in their circles.
  • Can you get a respected local figure (teacher, leader, influencer) to mention it? (As the lesson notes, 92% trust recommendations from friends/family over ads!).
• Community Outreach: Go where your users are!

• Presentations/Demos: Offer to do a short, clear presentation at school assemblies, community group meetings (SACCOs, youth groups, women’s groups, farmers’ groups), LC1 meetings, clinic waiting areas, church/mosque gatherings (always get permission first!). Show, don’t just tell!
• Posters/Flyers: Design simple, visually appealing posters (even neat hand-drawn ones can work!). Include: What the app is, who it’s for, the main benefit, and how to get it (QR code? Contact info?). Post them (with permission!) at relevant community hubs.
• Partnering with Organizations (Lesson 5.2 Recap):
  • Work with your identified partners (NGOs, schools, clinics, CBOs) to promote the app through their established channels (meetings, newsletters, notice boards, social media). This adds credibility and reach.
• Social Media (Local Focus):
  • WhatsApp: Craft a short, clear, shareable message. Ask trusted contacts to forward it to relevant groups (respect group rules!). Maybe include a link or a contact number.

• Facebook: Create posts with screenshots or your poster. Explain the app’s benefit clearly. Share on personal profiles and relevant Ugandan groups (e.g., groups for farmers, mothers, students in Jinja/Uganda). Focus on engaging content – ask questions, share user stories (with permission!).
• (Remember online safety and parental permission if team members are under 18).
• Local Media/Websites (Free/Low Cost):
  • Could a local Jinja radio station feature your project? Could your school website or newsletter write a short piece? It’s worth politely asking! Frame it as a positive local youth initiative. Paid advertising is likely not feasible or necessary.

Section 5: Your Action Plan (Activity 1 – Marketing Plan)

Time to document your strategy for your Business Plan!

Your Mission: Create a simple Marketing Plan.

Tool: Use the worksheet or a document to answer:

1. Marketing Goals (2-3): (From Section 2 – specific, measurable, achievable).
2. Target Audience: (Who are they? Be specific).
3. Key Message (UVP): (Your simple, compelling benefit statement).
4. The 4 P’s Summary:
   • Product: (Your App – MVP features).
   • Price: (Your decision – Free? Other?).
   • Place: (How users will access it initially/later?).
   • Promotion Strategies (Choose 1-2 to start): Which specific methods from Section 4 will you implement first? (e.g., “1. Present at St. James SS assembly. 2. Create and share WhatsApp message with contact info.”).
5. Action Steps/Timeline: What needs to be done for your chosen strategies? By when? (e.g., “Draft presentation slides by Mon,” “Ask Head Teacher for assembly slot by Tue,” “Finalize WhatsApp message by Wed”).
6. Budget: (Likely Zero or minimal cost for printing).

Section 6: Test Your Strategy (Activity 2 – Get Feedback)

Before launching a strategy widely, test it on a small scale!

Your Mission: Get feedback on one of your planned promotional ideas.

Task:

1. Choose & Prepare: Select one element (e.g., your draft WhatsApp message, your poster sketch, your presentation opening).
2. Find Testers: Show it to 2-3 people from your target audience.
3. Ask About the Marketing: “Is this message clear?”, “Does it make you curious about the app?”, “Is anything confusing?”, “Where is the best place you’d like to see info like this?”.
4. Listen & Adjust: Use their feedback to improve your message, design, or chosen channel in your Marketing Plan.

Section 7: Tracking Your Progress (Metrics)

How do you know if your marketing is working towards your goals? You need to track Metrics. These are the numbers that measure your progress.

• Examples: Number of app downloads (if trackable, e.g., via Play Store later), number of people who attended your presentation, number of shares on your Facebook post, direct feedback (“I saw your poster at the clinic!”).
• The lesson shows an example from the Google Play Developer Console (tracking installs, ratings etc.) – this is something you might use if you publish your app there later. For now, focus on simpler tracking methods relevant to your chosen strategies.

Section 8: Quick Review (Key Terms)

• Marketing: Activities to make users aware of, interested in, and use your product.
• 4 P’s of Marketing: Product, Price, Place, Promotion.
• Marketing Strategy/Plan: Your documented approach (goals, audience, message, channels, timeline).
• Assessment/Metrics: Measuring if your strategy is working and achieving goals.

Conclusion

Mwebale ku teekateeka! (Thank you for planning!) Marketing is about building bridges between your valuable app and the community it’s meant to serve. By setting clear goals, choosing appropriate low-cost strategies for your Ugandan context, and testing your approach, you can effectively spread the word. Make sure to document your plan well for your ICT Club Business Plan submission! Tubawonerezya! (We send blessings/good wishes!)