All week long, users of the Moms with
Apps app will receive push notifications
directing them to promo codes for
educational and family friendly apps.

As larger publishers and recognizable brands are beginning to take the App Store more seriously, it will undoubtedly become even more difficult for small, independent app developers to get noticed and attract customers. Most independent developers work on shoe string budgets, are self-financed by personal savings, and are fueled sheer determination. This is especially true of the educational app market, as it represents a mere fraction of the Game market, and holds even less possibility for financial success (even with a hit).

The "gold rush" days of the App Store are long gone, and even with little prospect of breaking even, the indie developers tirelessly work to fill the App Store with high-quality titles that rival those of the largest, most established studios. While these developers can easily compete on app creativity and technical execution, it will become increasingly challenging to compete against their marketing resources.

We've Got Spirit, How About You?

One thing that the indie developers do have is community. While big studios look at their contemporaries as competitors, indie developers have camaraderie among themselves. This cooperative spirit is what drove the formation of Moms with Apps.

Formed by a few mom developers who met while promoting their apps on Twitter, it now includes over 300 developers (including dads) focused on educational and family-friendly apps. Together, these developers are banding together sharing ideas and strategies, trying to claim a stake of the educational app marketplace before there isn't any room left.

Feeding Word of Mouth

One of the missions of Moms with Apps is to help promote independent children's and family-friendly app developers. While our promotion methods can be considered "grass roots" campaigns, they are actually perfectly suited to the way that people discover new apps....word of mouth. With this in mind, Moms with Apps is proud to introduce App Discovery Week.

This week, Moms with Apps will be giving away 500 promo codes per day (Monday-Friday) through the Moms with Apps app. Collectively, the giveaway is worth over $4000. Each day, several times a day, users of the Moms with Apps app will receive a push notification that will direct them to a special page in the app. On this page, they will find promo codes donated by Moms with Apps members. Users can simply tap the "Redeem" button to instantly redeem the promo code on their iOS device.

Putting the Discovery in App Discovery Week

As you can see, there is no information about what app you are downloading. This is the discovery part. While recommendations are the number one way that people decide to purchase apps, they also bias customers to the download the same apps. People are less likely to buy apps that they've never heard of...even if it is only $0.99.

So this week, download a few new apps courtesy of Moms with Apps and maybe you'll discover a new app that will become one of you children's favorites. If you do find one you like, please make an effort to tell a friend or write a review in the App Store.

Don't Tell Your Friends About This

The promo code giveaways are on a first come, first download basis, so users should be ready to move quickly when they receive the push notification. However, if you want a little heads up, we will be sending out updates via Twitter and Facebook to let you know when we're about to send the notification. Simply become a fan of BabyBinks on Facebook and follow @babybinks on Twitter.

Don't forget: You can only redeem the promo codes through the Moms with Apps app, which is available as a Free download in the App Store.