Lissiland / SEE Framework / Free book
Free book · PDF
Beyond the Download
A Government Leader's Guide to Marketing Mobile Apps, Driving Citizen Adoption, and Delivering Public Value
By Court Bluford
The download is not the finish line
Most government apps launch with a press release and a bump in downloads, then go quiet. This book is the playbook for what comes next: getting residents to find your app, use it, and tell someone else. Everything in it is something I did myself, with less than your agency already has. No new software. Just effort and execution.
What you'll learn
- 1
Get the download
Map your agency the way residents see it, run many niche social handles instead of one, make faceless "watch the work" content and short weekly shows, and give each audience its own App Store page.
- 2
Keep them
Make the app's function the marketing, cut the time to value, turn off push unless people choose the topic, and answer reviews out loud.
- 3
Spread through their networks
Let loyal users, creators, and shows carry the app further than any ad, then prove public value to your leaders with a 90-day loop plan.
What's inside
- IntroductionThe Download Is Not the Finish Line
- Part One: There Is No Funnel1. Marketing Loops
- Part Two: Get the Download2. Map Your Agency the Way Residents See It3. Many Handles, One Agency4. Shows and Miniseries5. Head Nod Content and the Clip Farm6. The Front Door, One Store Page per Handle
- Part Three: Keep Them7. Function Is the Marketing8. Turn Off the Push9. Listen Out Loud
- Part Four: Prove Public Value10. Measure What Leaders Care About11. The 90-Day Loop Plan
- Part Five: Launch Moments12. Three Starting Lines13. Pre-Launch: Build the Crowd Before the Stage14. Launch Week15. The Redesign16. Every Update Is a Launch
- AppendicesCitizen Avatar and Handle WorksheetFaceless Content Shot List and Consent ChecklistCustom Store Page PlannerPush and Deep Link SetupGlossaryLaunch Checklist
Questions people ask
Is Beyond the Download really free?
Yes. The full book is a free PDF. There is no email, form, or sign-up. Download it and share it with your team.
Who is it for?
Government leaders, communications and digital teams, and the vendors who build public-sector mobile apps. That includes transportation departments, transit, airports, parks, and state lotteries.
Do I need new software?
No. Everything in the book works with the app, the social accounts, and the people your agency already has. It is not complicated. It takes effort and execution.
How do you market a government mobile app?
Think in marketing loops, not funnels. Get the download with niche social handles for each service area, real faceless content, short weekly shows, and a custom App Store page for each audience. Keep people with an app that delivers value fast and push notifications only for topics they choose. Then let loyal users, creators, and shows spread it through their networks.
What is the SEE Framework?
My order of operations for apps: Stability, then Engagement, then Expansion. This book covers Expansion. The full SEE Framework book is coming at a later date. Until then, take the free SEE assessment.
How long until I see results?
The book includes a 90-day plan. Days 1 to 30 are setup, days 31 to 60 you post everything, and days 61 to 90 you refine what works and put paid promotion behind the winners. Results vary by agency and app.
About the author
I'm Court Bluford, the solo founder of Lissiland in Richmond, Virginia. I've been building mobile apps since 2009 and have shipped more than 50, for state government agencies, for big brands in gaming, travel and streaming, and for myself, including the Richmond airport app and Martha's Vineyard Ferries. Questions? cbluford@lissiland.com