By Deborah Eldred

When the iTunes App Store turned one year old this past July there were more than 65,000 applications available ? and now more than 75,000. Either way you slice it, that is a lot of applications fighting for downloads. 

It is generally accepted that the top applications ? which get listed in the top 20 on iTunes ? get the most downloads. So that begs the question: How do the other 74,980 get noticed?

The answer can be summed up in a single word: promotion. And promotions that get the application directly into the hands ? or on the handsets ? of consumers are those that work best. 

To that extent, here are some tactics that mobile marketers should consider when seeking ways to promote their applications.

Go big
Thousands of people, from different walks of life, packed into a stadium or arena ? talk about a captive audience. Indeed, concerts and sporting events are all perfect venues for promoting your mobile application to large groups of people at one time. 

Marketers should explore partnerships with local sports teams, which can lead to endorsements, giveaways at events and exposure on JumboTrons. They should also consider setting up booths around or inside the venue, allowing people to try out and download their applications on the spot.

Go small
Large crowds are great, but sometimes the more intimate the venue, the better the chance of connecting with people.

Smaller grassroots promotions can also effectively raise awareness. Hire street teams to hit the local bars and restaurants. Advertise your application in those same locations on their television screens, or even with in-theater advertisements at the local Cineplex. Show off the wares to the patrons there. 

When promoting an application with a local angle, use this as an opportunity to show off what it can do for someone who is looking to see where the closest movie theater is so they can make the next showing of ?Harry Potter.? Chances are many of those patrons will download the application before they exit the establishment.    

Go interactive
Face-to-face interaction is great, but so is taking the less direct route. Online media can be a highly cost-effective means of promoting mobile applications. This includes everything from online banner ads to SMS text campaigns to mentions on Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites. 

Above all, do not discount targeting blogs with news about your product. The blogging community is obviously highly influential, and a positive word can spread very quickly online. 

Still, be careful ? bloggers do not like to be ?pitched.? Marketers should approach them as they would any other consumer, letting them know about the application, including uses and benefits ? and then allowing them discover it for themselves.

Go go go!
Mobile applications have exploded in popularity since Apple launched the App Store in 2008.

There are now thousands of new applications being introduced every week. This means that marketers cannot afford to rest on their laurels when it comes to continually promoting their applications. They constantly need to be out there, whether it is amongst the public, online or in some other forum, showing their applications, displaying key features, and extolling benefits. 

Marketers must also take chances. Experiment with different types of promotions.  See which ones work best. They may not always be the most cost-effective or the most expensive. 

One thing is certain, however: the more exposure, the greater the chance for success. To maintain this exposure, though, the promotional efforts of mobile marketers need to be just like the consumers who will be using their products:  continually on the go. 

Deborah Eldred is director of mobile and personalization at R.H. Donnelley?s Dex, Lone Tree, CO. Reach her at .