How to Use Video to Promote Your App

An idea can change the world. History is full of examples of ideas that have given birth to civilizations, religions, discoveries, and more.

If you have an idea for an app, nothing should hinder you from turning it into reality. Are you concerned about the two biggest challenges for this task? Creating the app and promoting it?

Fret not, for you are not without help. With the assistance of nandbox or similar SaaS services, you can create a mobile app within minutes.

We will take care of the second part, which involves promoting your mobile app using the best marketing tool – video content. Let’s dive into the various ways you can utilize video to promote your app.

Include Video Previews to App Profiles

Let’s begin with the most logical place that will attract scores of eyeballs – your app profiles. Both Google Play and Apple App Store permit app makers to add at least one video to their profiles.

While Google Play and the App Store are the two most popular and widely known places to host your creations, they aren’t the only ones.

There are half a dozen more places that, while receiving fewer visitors, have the advantage of lower competition. Such app hosting platforms include Windows Phone Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, Microsoft Store, Amazon Store, and Ubuntu App Store.

Now, let’s return to the top two app stores. These two are poles apart because they have different video specifications.

Google doesn’t allow you to upload the video directly to its app store. App creators are required to publish videos on YouTube and then embed the video into their app profile.

This benefits you in promoting the app because watching videos on the app profile will improve the content’s ranking on YouTube. Furthermore, hosting on YouTube enhances the video’s organic exposure through Google Search Results Page.

On the Google App Store, you can upload videos in more than one language. The App Store will identify the user’s location, and if the user is a resident of a non-English speaking place, it will present a suitable video to improve the chance of engagement.

With the kind of technology currently available, you can create videos for multiple languages from single footage.

For instance, using AI tools, you can convert voice-over files into multiple languages. Similarly, in a matter of minutes, you can create translated captions for your video. You can avoid unfortunate errors using professional video translation services. 

Finally, you need a YouTube video editing tool to sync the translated voice-over or add translated captions to the video. Voilà! Your language-specific version of your app promotional video is ready to be published on your Google App Store profile.

On the other hand, the Apple App Store permits app creators to upload a maximum of three videos per language.

There are two conditions for uploading on the Apple App Store: the video length shouldn’t exceed 30 seconds, and the video shouldn’t be an ad that promotes the app.

Furthermore, you need to have different app preview videos for different Apple devices (i.e., different videos for iPhone and iPad).

Create Entertaining and Engaging Explainer Videos

App profile videos are often too short to provide a convincing explanation of what the app can do, how to use it, or why users need to use the app. That’s why explainer videos should spearhead your app marketing campaign.

As much as prospective users would like to know about the app’s features, their main concern is how the mobile app would benefit them and fulfill their needs.

Utilize explainer videos to elaborate on the various ways in which the app can make the user’s life easier. Additionally, explainer videos help break down complex information into a simple and easily understandable message.

Instead of creating explainer videos that are dry and boring, use storytelling techniques to make them entertaining and engaging. There are two clear benefits of storytelling.

• You educate the audience about the app’s features and its benefits to them.
• Explainer videos with a story to tell have an inherent emotional appeal that not only grabs attention but also stays in their minds for a considerable duration.

Another advantage of explainer videos is their versatility. You can use them at different stages of the customer journey. Furthermore, these videos can be employed on various channels, including landing pages, social media platforms, and email marketing.

In marketing, not only working hard but also working smart and can lead to better results.

For instance, the use of AI content and automation tools to optimize your marketing strategy can save time, effort, and resources. You can rely on social media management software to schedule videos and publish them when the target audience is most likely to watch the content.

Nowadays, many apps come bundled with multiple features. Not all features find equal space in a single video. This allows you to create multiple videos and deliver them directly to interested audiences via email marketing.

You can use any email marketing tool to disperse videos. However, those using ConvertKit but finding the tool to be a letdown lately can try ConvertKit alternatives to get going.

Here are four mantras to create effective app explainer videos:

1. Explainer videos should not be too short or too long. Keep the videos short enough to hold the audience’s attention and long enough to convey all necessary information to satisfy the audience’s curiosity.
2. The success of app explainer videos depends on the script you create. A compelling script is a product of audience research, competitor research, defining your goals, the message you want to convey, and the information you want to add or omit from the video.
3.  Always optimize the videos to improve their ranking and boost the organic reach of your content. Create suitable titles and descriptions, use customized thumbnails, include branding elements, and maintain a casual and friendly tone.
4.  Include a strong call to action that directly or indirectly encourages the viewers to download the app. There can be more than one call to action in a video, placed at different locations, including inside the video, on the screen, in the description, etc.

Run Video Ads on Social Media Platforms

For quick and optimal results, consider using video ads to promote your app. Depending on the distribution channel, you could create video ads of varying lengths, including 15, 30, 60 seconds, or even shorter durations. If you want to try out video ads, Facebook and Instagram are the top two social media channels to focus on. Make sure your social media ads are translated carefully.

Facebook has one of the best advertising support systems. The social media platform offers an array of features allowing app creators to effectively target their audience. Remember to prioritize video ads because they perform 30% better than photo ads.

• Create square videos to maximize screen real estate.
• Do not solely rely on narration (sound). Include text annotations and captions to take advantage of the ‘no sound’ and ‘autoplay’ features.
• Keep the videos under 30 seconds and ensure the message is clear and succinct.

Instagram is another platform with over a billion active users. You can create video ads for Instagram Reels, Stories, and Feeds.

• Maximize your ROI by repurposing some of the longer videos into video ads using a video editor.
• Make the first few seconds count by mentioning the app and its best features.
• Initially, use organic video content to understand the audience and then amplify the outcome with suitable ad placements.
• Use only high-resolution videos and adhere to video guidelines and specifications when creating ads for Story, Reels, and In-Stream videos.

Final Thoughts

In an interview after the launch of the Apple App Store, Steve Jobs said he never expected the App Store to become this big. His constant innovations came about through exploration, inquiry, and creative problem solving. Mobile phones and other handheld devices have become an extension of our arms thanks to apps.

There are millions of apps online, and there is an app for every conceivable task. If you want your app to have even a fraction of a chance for success, you need to employ the best tools and strategies to promote it.

There is no bigger marketing tool than video and no better strategy than what’s mentioned here. To sum up, the three things you need to do are: to include videos on your app store profile, create engaging explainer videos, and run video ads on social media. These ideas will guarantee engagement and increase your app downloads.