Video, a prominent tool in app marketing, has earned the reputation of being one of the fastest and simplest ways for users to evaluate an app. Particularly, in the last few years, it has emerged as one of the best ways of promoting your mobile app. Companies of all sizes are reaping the benefits of video collaboration by working in cohesion across varied time zones and geographies. And you can too.

Let’s explore how you can fully harness the power of video marketing for your app.

What Determines the Significance of Video?

A thoughtfully made short video is better than thousands of words. With visuals appealing a greater mass, as compared to lengthy text, well-crafted videos can do wonders to have a gripping effect on the viewers. More than 50% customers rely on product video, thereby creating credibility for your app.

The nature of video and its content determine your video marketing success. These factors would depend on how and where you intend to make use of the video.

Once people get to know about the concept and use of your app, you can expect increasing downloads of the app, if you app offers a compelling value proposition. Apart from offering value to the viewers, the video needs to have a good pitch with crisp and attention-grabbing content. Do anticipate what people would discover when they search for keywords pertaining to your app, to enhance your visibility.

Important Aspects of Having an App Video

Visuals are undeniably, one of the most promising marketing tools because people relate to them very easily. More than 50% of marketing experts worldwide consider video content to offer the highest ROI. Research backs that colored visuals increase willingness to read by 80%. Moreover, information that is heard is likely to be retained only 10%, 3 days after hearing while 65% people are likely to retain an image, 3 days after watching it. That’s the power of visual content, as backed by another research.

Before you begin, make sure you know how you want your app video to progress. It can give you a basic idea of what you need to project. Here’s how:

• Getting the App: Make your app visible and known to users through the video. Your target audience should know that the app can be found in Play Stores. Optimize it for exact search terms, or keywords, and feed your users so that they can easily find the app. You can also brief them that the app can be seen on any device using web view.

• Briefing on App Navigation: All your users may not be conversant with app navigation. You should also introduce your users to the basic features such as menu items on the home screen, tips to search the app, and how/where to find the basic functions like inbox or schedule.

• Highlighting Value Added Features: For users who wish to understand how the app can help them, your video should convey the message. Common special features like personal schedule, networking feature for photo uploads, use of Twitter hashtag – are some of the best ways to attract more users.

• Branding and Call to Action: Irrespective of who your targeted audience is, you expect people watching your video to remember your app. For this to happen, focus on branding aspects (company logo, app icon, tagline, app name etc.) and place a call to action at the end (“download now”, “install now”, “join us” and “update now” etc.).

Highlights of a Great Video

• A welcome introduction from a friendly face

• A clear, nice shot of the mobile in use

• Highlights of some of the most important features and value additions to users

• A word to let the world know why this app is so important

• A call to action line for better conversion

5 Best Reasons to Use Video Marketing for Promoting Your App

If your video works as a solution to the audience for the information they are looking for, you’ve hit the right chord. Using video to generate awareness towards your app has several benefits.

Here are the 5 best reasons why you should promote your app through videos:

1. Having a Lasting Impression: With a well-crafted video, you can create a lasting impression on the minds of customers. Irrespective of whether people identify your brand or not, videos create awareness. Preparing videos with short app reviews or trailers are sure to catch the attention of people. Shoppers who view video content are 1.81 times more likely to buy than non-viewers.

2. Tap Curious Customers: With creatively designed videos, you can exhibit the features of your app and its specialty in a short duration. In less than a minute, you can target prospective customers having curiosity about your app.

3. Connect to Existing Customer Base: Connecting to existing customer’s via video has the potential to boost loyalty and encourage promotion via social media channels and/or word of mouth. This gives them a further understanding of the functionality and benefits of your app.

4. For More Qualified Downloads: Getting users to download your app no longer suffices in the mobile app world; you have to ensure that more and more qualified users are drawn to your app. Such users can be critical as they want to check what they can do with your app before getting into it. They also develop an understanding of its concepts and have basic idea about how it works before tapping any button. For instance, if you have a good demo video, it can give you better downloads from interested users as it serves as an introduction to your product.

5. To Target Audience on the Basis of SEO: The value of YouTube, the 2nd largest search engine, cannot be ignored. There are millions of users reviewing apps and posting app trailers in YouTube. You can influence what people find online with respect to corresponding keywords used in your app. This can effectively increase your app’s visibility. As you know, having a good number of views and getting people hooked to an app video can boost your Google rankings too.

Where and Why to Promote Your App Video?

There are different ways to use videos to promote your app’s adoption. The following tips will help you make optimum utilization of different available channels for app marketing.

• Apple App Store and Google Play Store:

Using Apple App Store, Google Play Store, you can aim at video marketing to target app fans. Your app page within these stores provides you with a stage to present your app and highlight its unique value proposition. This is your chance to win over potential users. That is why many app marketers take advantage of the power of video for these pages.  Not only can a video help visually illuminate the advantages of your app, you can also give quick tips on how and when to use the app.

Apple lets you create 30 second app previews for iPhone and iPad apps. You can check everything about app previews here.

Google Play allows a space for promotional video URL. To know its display position and tips, click here. Additionally, it lets you target global audience with the help of videos in different foreign languages. The best part of getting clicks on videos on Google Play Store is that each click is counted as click on YouTube, which further boosts your YouTube search result ranking, further letting you have better ranking on Google search engine too. That calls for better engagement.

• Alternative App Stores:

Due to increasing competition on two biggest app stores, Google Play Store and Apple App Store, gaining visibility for apps has become difficult. You can also target some other app distribution channels like appbrain.com, Amazon App Store, slideme.org, soc.io for better visibility, monetization benefits, lower competition and ease of integration they provide.

• Facebook Ads:

For better user acquisition, reap the benefits of 15 to 30 seconds video ads with Facebook. With a direct “install now” option that leads to the app store, Facebook video ads are perfect for app success.

• Social Media Platforms:

With the rising popularity of Instagram, Twitter and many other social platforms, you are sure to gain enhanced access to your target audience. Undoubtedly, by posting your app video for your product followers, you increase the exposure and virality of your app. The viral power of social media platforms gives you an opportunity of having the video shared and liked so much that more and more people can know about your app. By posting videos, you also have a chance to read comments of your audience and increase your awareness of their issues, attitudes, and behaviors towards your product. This can also help you to modify your promotion strategy at a later stage.

• The App Website:

It is a best practice to have your app website ready before launch. A good landing page on your product website with a matching layout, promo video, a small description of the video, and Call to Action (CTA) to download your app can help to increase conversions and generate buzz for your app pre-launch and post-launch too.

Make it fully functional, easy to navigate and mobile-friendly. Remember, this website will help desktop users obtain a good understanding of your app without having to navigate to the app stores.

Having an official blog on the app website can also be a good promotional strategy. It can help increase social media and SEO traction for your product and enlighten current and potential users. The content of your posts should further support the value proposition of your app and incorporate case studies, screenshots, videos, and user interviews.

• Circulate to Journalists/Bloggers:

Besides having your own website, consider circulating your app video to journalists and bloggers across the world. You can request a complete review written for the app or simply have an informative blog, which includes a line to the video promoting the app at the end of the blog. But, to make sure these busy professional bloggers are convinced to review your app along with a video link, your video and pitch need to be effectively designed.

• Other Video Platforms:

There are many video sharing platforms, other than YouTube like Daily Motion, Flickr, MetaCafe, Vimeo and more that offer a greater scope to your app. Upload your app video on multiple video platforms for better response and higher conversions. Also, choose an appropriate video title include the primary keyword and other related keywords. Use keywords generously in the video description too.

• Feature in Emails:

You have to engrave the app into various aspects of the marketing strategy, including emails. Businesses send out uncountable emails. Increasing awareness about your app, by providing a link to the online video can increase the chances of conversions. Any email you send, be it in the form of a newsletter or technical support, it is good to include the app’s video link to increase app adoption and visibility.

Conclusion

Given the basic viral quality of videos and the power they possess to resonate with potential users, it would be a mistake to not consider utilizing video marketing for your app. But be warned, do not approach the video creation process carelessly, or the video could backfire on your app. To ensure an extra level of confidence regarding your video’s quality, it is recommended to consult a professional in the realm.