This guest-post is courtesy of our partners at Sparkhouse.
In the iOS App Store, there are currently over 38,000 new apps released every month. That is some fierce competition, even for those running [mobile app marketing campaigns](http://mobile app marketing campaigns). You have put in a lot of time, work, and effort to design and create your app, but how do you get people to get excited about it enough to download it?
Video is an effective way to get your app noticed and downloaded, allowing you to highlight, explain, and demonstrate each benefit and feature. Video testimonials from industry influencers can lend credibility to your app and get people excited about what it can do for them.
Creating a video for the App Store or Google Play to promote your app is a bit different than producing a traditional marketing or promotional video. Each has its own guidelines and protocols for video content and your video needs to be flexible to adjust for optimization on both platforms.
Key differences between marketing videos for the App Store and Google Play include:
The Google Play Store allows you to add a video that will show up next to the app screenshots when viewed on a desktop computer. Mobile versions display a play button over the featured graphic.
Additional benefits and features of using Google Play to market your app with a video include:
The App Store launched their App Preview to upload video promotions for your app. While App Preview videos are specific to each kind of device, you can now upload the highest resolution video and iTunes will convert it to a lower resolution automatically if you need.
Tips for using Apple’s App Store to market your app with a video include:
Beyond the app store video size and other specifications each of the app stores requires for video promotions, there are some important differences between producing a traditional video ad for your company and one promoting your app.
Traditional marketing videos are used to sell a product or service. In this case, the video is designed to sell the experience of your app. Video production allows you to show real gameplay or other user interface features to let the viewer feel what it will be like to use the app.
Especially with the 30-second limit imposed on the App Store, you have very little time to explain or demonstrate all of the features of your app. Focus on the benefits users will receive by downloading and using the app and its features. While you have undoubtedly spent an inordinate amount of time developing and creating amazing and unique features, the benefits to the user are what will get them emotionally involved and invested, driving them to download your app and give it a try.
Because there is no guarantee the viewer will watch the entire video, unlike a television commercial or YouTube pre-roll, a video promoting your app will need to grab the viewer’s attention from the start. Show off the key and most impactful highlights and benefits at the start of the video to get them excited enough to keep watching.
More online video viewers than ever are watching on their cell phones and tablets, often watching content when they should be working or studying. This frequently has viewers watching with the sound very low or completely off, making it crucial that your message still gets across without sound. Large graphics, visuals, or even subtitles will ensure the key information of the video can still be received even with the sound off.
Particularly since many viewers will be watching the video on a tiny screen from their phone or tablet, it is important to keep the content simple. Avoid overloading the video with features, callouts, walk-throughs, and reviews. It is important that your message is delivered in a clear, concise, and easily understood, rather than trying to impress the viewer with flash.
Get clever, get creative, have fun with it. Adding humor will lighten the content and soften the sales pitch aspect to the presentation. Make it so the viewer enjoys the experience of watching the video apart from the information and messaging aspects.
When it comes to promoting your new app, Google Play and Apple’s App Store are not the only outlets you can use to reach the maximum amount of downloads. Producing videos promoting your app can be posted on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
You have put a lot into the creation of your app and you want as many people to download it and reap its benefits as you possibly can. Creating a promotional video for Google Play or Apple’s App Store is a great way to get your app noticed among the thousands of others. The right video that properly appeals to your demographic audience will help to exponentially increase downloads and usage.
About the Author
Torrey Tayenaka
Torrey Tayenaka is the co-founder and CEO at Sparkhouse, an Orange County based video production agency. He is often asked to contribute expertise in publications like Entrepreneur, Single Grain, and Forbes. Sparkhouse is known for transforming video marketing and advertising into real conversations. Rather than hitting the consumer over the head with blatant ads, Sparkhouse creates interesting, entertaining, and useful videos that enrich the lives of their clients’ customers. In addition to Sparkhouse, Torrey has also founded the companies Eva Smart Shower, Litehouse & Forge54.
The future of technology is AI and the future of AI is mobile. The latest data shows that the market size of artificial intelligence was valued at $27.23 billion in 2019, this figure is projected to reach $266.92 billion by 2027 (Fortune Business Insights, 2020).
This guest-post is courtesy of our partners at Input Logic.
Today nobody can imagine life without smartphones. They connect us with our friends and family, and provide entertainment and access to social media. That is why mobile phones have become an integral part of everyday life.