Mobile App Success Story: SoloLearn

We just talked about Khan Academy, the free learning app which helps users understand science in a fun way. Today we will go further with this concept and we will focus on a similar app built for developers. SoloLearn teaches users how to code, offering access to a global community that makes everything a lot easier.

Brilliant Idea

SoloLearn was created by David Kocharyan and Eva Hyusyan. In November 2014, the team was chosen one of the best development startups during ArmeniaFTW Entrepreneurship Workshop. They first created the app for their local community. Now, with headquarters in Pleasanton, CA and more than 53 employees, SoloLearn is the company behind one of the most powerful platforms available for teaching everybody how to code. Developers of all ages use the apps available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store for acquiring new skills. For a better understanding of the idea behind SoloLearn, we will discover the strategies used for promoting this app.

How SoloLearn Did It

There’s a reason why we pay so much attention to education apps. That’s because there are so many lessons we can learn from them. And we are talking from marketers’ point of view.

Mobile App Marketers:

Want to discover the ways of promoting education apps?

Free

It is impressive the number of users who appreciate this app. And what’s not to like? The app is free without items to buy. You will unlock new levels only if you complete the current one. And the best part is that it allows a user to spend their time more productively. What users have to lose? They learn a programming language at their own pace without any costs. This way everybody wants to try the app, to see how it goes. If they like it, they will continue using it. For this reason, the user experience is very important because it represents the determining factor for increasing your app retention rate.

Learning

Even if these courses don’t provide every detail about a concept, they offer you a great starting point. Nothing stops you to go further with your plans. At this point, we should highlight that SoloLearn offers the ideal environment for learning a new language. You don’t have to install any additional software for testing your skills. With your knowledge, you can continue building new applications and discovering more advanced techniques. Quizzes are presented in the form of fun games. And badges motivate users to continue with their learning process.

Community

When you struggle for days with an error before finding a solution you reach a moment when you want to quit. On the other hand, you realize that you are not alone and there are hundreds of developers just like you, ready to help you. In the same time, you can compete with other users and this makes you a better programmer. The community built around the app offers a lot of advantages. As a user, you can spend a few minutes to read the theory for a specific topic and a few hours to read and answer the comments. By doing that you discover new ideas and you enrich your knowledge.

Facebook

After studying the reports, SoloLearn team discovered that young users between 18 and 24 years old are the most loyal customers. Knowing that they had to focus on improving the app for attracting more users from this group. Due to this useful app, SoloLearn won FbStart App of the Year 2017. With more than 20 million downloads and 7.5 million registered profiles, there is no wonder why Facebook judges chose SoloLearn as the global winner for that prize. You can read the entire story on Facebook for Developers.

Android Excellence

The prize received last year is great but that’s not all. This month, Google refreshed its Excellence collection and guess what? SoloLearn is one of the apps featured for ”high quality, great user experience, and strong technical performance”. On the official blog, there is a post that highlights the reasons why SoloLearn was recognized as an Android Excellence app. The fact that SoloLearn offers users 24/7 peer support and the chance to contribute with their own lessons convinced Google editors to choose SoloLearn among other great apps.

Press

All tech lovers read TechCrunch! Everyone is looking on Product Hunt for the latest novelty when it comes to technology! We always say that press is an important factor for increasing the popularity of your app. It is true that in this case, most of these articles are about the aspects mentioned before. But this means that everything comes down to some crucial elements when you need to be observed by reporters. You have to prove your professionalism and to build high-quality products in order to convince everybody to pay attention to your brand. And this idea is available for every domain, especially mobile apps, since there are millions of other creations they can write about.

Bonus Tip: Go Old School, Marketers!

While for the learning process, SoloLearn uses innovative methods, like integrating gaming elements and social networking, for promoting the app it uses traditional techniques. Additionally, to those funny push notifications, like “Run, Code! Run!” for reminding users to go back to the app, email marketing also works for SoloLearn. More important information is sent via email. For example, when you complete the first module or when you complete the entire course and you have to download your Certificate or even when there is a job opportunity for you. These messages arrive from time to time and they aren’t annoying at all. Not to mention that they encourage you to use the app again for learning a new programming language.

Final Thoughts

SoloLearn is definitely the go-to app whenever you want to spend your time in a way that will help you to obtain a better job. Besides that, it is a great source of ideas for all app owners who want to reach this level of success and to see their creation featured in the Android Excellence program. Providing a high-quality product and adopting the latest Android features represent some of the best strategies you can apply for reaching your goal!