"Why did you create Appyness?"
I get this question all the time while talking with clients or partners. There’s no simple answer - but what I can say is that I saw the need for a full-service app marketing agency that focused on the bigger picture (not just getting X amount of downloads), and I had the talent, as well as partners, that I felt like we could turn this need into a reality. I wanted to create a mobile-focused agency that also offered SEM services to not only apps, but also to other businesses as well.
I take great pride in knowing that at Appyness I’ve brought together some of the best marketing talent together in Austin, Texas to form a client-centric agency. I’ve had the opportunity to work with each member of the Appyness team in some form, over the last decade.
I first met Matt Hooks, co-founder of Appyness, over 10 years ago when I first started my career at a large SEM agency here in Austin. Matt was not only my first mentor, but played a key role in launching my career in SEM, while focusing on large clients such as the Darden Restaurant Group. We both have always had an entrepreneurial spirit - and first started talking about launching something together. Matt has already helped build one successful company, so having him join on as a co-founder of the Appyness team is a true privilege. He’s one of the best in the business and plays a key role in the day-to-day operations here at Appyness.
After working my way through ad agency life, I decided to make the transition into tech. This is where I first met Dina Riddle, a talented designer, here in Austin. Dina and I worked together at TabbedOut, a mobile app that lets consumers pay their bar and restaurant tabs with their phones. Dina immediately impressed me with not only her creativity, but her ability to easily translate any marketer’s (or C-level executive's) vision into a beautiful and high-performing visual reality. Not many designers have the skills to do this - but Dina does! She’s one of the greatest designers that I’ve worked with and has the eye needed to build brands and to really take apps to the next level. A random fact, and as a testament to her creativity, Dina and her husband Ryan came up with the Appyness name over two years ago!
Two years ago, I was given the opportunity to lead the acquisition and retention strategy at a Swiss-based software company. This included building a team - which is where I would end up hiring Thomas Simoneaux. When I first interviewed Thomas, I was thoroughly impressed with his ambition and passion for marketing. To be honest, I saw some of my younger self in him and saw a great opportunity to help him advance his career, especially in mobile app marketing, and extended him an offer same-day after I interviewed him. I’ve now had the opportunity to not only manage, but to also mentor Thomas over the last few years and his skills in App Store Optimization and App Localization are unsurpassed.
So to summarize, I started Appyness because:
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, as well as a passion for helping others. I saw a need for a full-service app marketing agency that focused on metrics beyond volumes of downloads and category rankings, and instead placed an emphasis on ROI.
I wanted the opportunity to pull together some of the top people in their respective fields and create something that we all could have a hand in building, while exploring our own passions for app and digital marketing.
In the coming weeks, you’ll see blog posts from the other three members of the Appyness team that explores why they joined Appyness, as well as learn more about their passions, skills and backgrounds.
If you're interested marketing your mobile app or need general digital marketing help, such as SEO or PPC, contact us today!