I have finished development of the AchieveInAfrica Facebook App. This is not the first app I have ever written, but it is my most polished and functional one yet. Ive learned something from developing apps on facebook and having apps fail and apps success and sell for money. Now, sure, every app needs to go “viral” and every developer has different ideas on the best way to do that. But from what I have noticed – the best way to send an app viral is to tap into the human need to be the best. Levels, Ranks, Currency, Scoreboards – You name it. I launched a new “Top players in your network” to one of my apps and instantly saw play rates go up because (I assume) people were competing for higher leaderboard spots. And there lies the key. Invites and word of mouth have lost their effect and their shine. Few people will add a new app without knowing what it does or why they add it. The new key is challenges, points, ranks. Weekly notifications to inactive users that one of their friends has earned more than you. 
And that brings me to another topic: timing is everything. Is your app the type of app that gets most of its use at late night when people are bored and have nothing better to do? Send out your emails, notifications, daily events… at those hours. Facebook allows you to delay the sending of notifications for up to 12 hours. (Platform Policy 2.18) When I get home for the day and log in to facebook, I have to read my notifications, go thru my invites, and check my inbox. I have so much to do that I have less time to stop and look at apps. But at, lets say, 11 PM at night, when I have only a few friends on, am not really doing anything, just sitting there – I am much more likely to accept that bowling buddies invite than I would have when I got home and saw it sitting there with all my other notifications. Use time to your advantage. Its a great way to catch the user more quickly.
So, to recap: Users will use your app longer / more often if there is some sort of incentive to it. Something more than their own personal rank. Levels, medals, leaderboards – you name it. And to get users in to your app, remember to time those notifications and friend requests.
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