I made a successful MVP but launched with a bad name
I released a little app a while ago that solved a problem but I didn't spend any time thinking about branding. It has grown massively in popularity in the intervening years but I keep hearing that people can't find it in the App Store. The name is just too generic. I like that the icon says "Shoot" but that name just brings up games in the App Store.
This is a risk of releasing an MVP - we shouldn't procrastinate over branding on an un-validated product, but it's so hard to rename something once it's out in the world!
The full name of the app is "Shoot - Clean Camera Feed". It's hard to find with either "shoot" or "clean feed" search terms. I tried putting "HDMI Camera" in the summary but this doesn't seem to have helped.
I might need a new name altogether...
I read in the Lean Startup book that you can always rebrand once your MVP took off. Maybe easier said than done!
You know I don't think I have read that book yet! I've been to talks but I don't think I ever picked it up. Rebranding is probably easier than I think, even if people have already recommended it with an old name. I guess the bigger you are, the easier it is to do a PR campaign around it.
I don't know much about ASO. Can you point how "It has grown massively in popularity". If so I'd try to double down on that part.
Not sure I understand what you mean! My point is that I keep coming across people who know the app exists but they can't find it. The other point of discussion would be "how much to think about naming and branding before releasing an MVP?". I think it's a unique stumbling block in terms of the practices we're trying to develop.
"I keep coming across people who know the app exists but they can't find it."
I tried to say; if you know how those people know the app exists. How it became popular. Do they find it through SEO, from an app listing page, from a tiktok video or else. I'd try to improve that part rather than the naming or branding. Sorry if it's not clear enough, English is not my mother tongue.
For the other point. It's as usual, double sided. If I'm releasing 10 MVPs every year. Spending a week for branding for each would be overkill. If I'm going to try 10 MVPs for my lifetime yeah spending more time on branding may help in the long run.
I'm on the first side; I think branding can change over time. Shouldn't be a blocking factor. Shouldn't consume much time or effort.
A major problem is that it very hard to tell where users are coming from with Apple's limited analytics! I've got better at campaign tracking over the last couple of years and now I can look at how many users are coming in via Google / my website vs how many are finding it through search, but it doesn't show you source keywords anywhere I can find. Which is weird because there are loads of third-party tools for investigating keywords.
Happily, I got some good advice on rebranding shortly after writing this post so I'm feeling clearer on how it should change.
I definitely won't be starting from the brand again as I did on Changes and will be adopting your 10 MVPs a year strategy as it's more likely to yield something useful, and is a lot more fun!