What’s an App Demo Video, and How is it Different from a Marketing Video?

No matter what your app is, and no matter which platform (iPhone, Android, or even something else), you should remember 1 thing: From an advertising angle, they’re all marketing videos. Those basic rules are the same. However, when it comes to the technical side and planning the production out, app demo videos are different. There’sa lot you need to consider in advance.

Planning the Production

Concept

Your app demo video should be short and to the point. Don’t try to include everything; there’s no need to showcase all the features. If certain features or functions are unique and part of your UPS, then you can show some of those. But it’s more important to demonstrate the main benefits of your app — no matter if it’s a finance service, productivity tool, workout app, or game. Whether the benefits are for business or having a good time with friends, positive emotions and productivity are what people are interested in receiving.

Style

The style can differ depending on multiple factors. Your goals are important. Do you want to demonstrate? Talk about benefits in an explainer video? The niche of your business is also important. So is your target audience. Style can vary, but remember that people will be watching it on their phones, so all necessary details should be big enough for them to see.

Use our list of the best app explainer videos to get inspiration

Video Requirements for App Store and Android Play Market

Before starting, make sure the video production company has all the requirement details. They need to fully understand app store and android play market requirements for the videos they’re going to create for you.

Android and iPhone App Preview Structure

App Store Video General Requirements

•Minimum length should be 15 seconds
•Maximum length should be 30 seconds
•Maximum file size is 500 MB
•Orientation can be portrait or landscape. But note that MacOS app previews accept landscape only
•Maximum frame rate is 30 frames per second

These are general specifications. You can ask your production company to check all the requirements here so they can plan accordingly.

Another thing you should remember is that iOS app preview videos now autoplay. We recommend that you add easy-to-read subtitles in case volume is off or the viewer doesn’t catch the beginning.

Google Play Store Video Requirements

The Play store market’s requirements are different. There is no limitation on length, but we recommend keeping the video around 60 seconds. If you’re looking to create an explainer video, you can learn more about how long it should be in this article.

Device or orientation specs for android demo videos are different. You can also upload your video on YouTube and use the URL from that. If you do this, we recommend you use a landscape orientation.

Another thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that you can only upload 1 video on Android Play Market. So before making an app demo video, you might want to consider planning separate productions. In the App Store, you can upload multiple iPhone app demo videos to demonstrate different functionality or features (aside from your main video). But in your Android app demo video you’ll want to concentrate on benefits and essential information.

Differences in the store listings

How to Use App Promo Videos for Other Marketing Situations

If you’re creating a video, you should plan the production so that it can be used in different places. I want to say that you should plan production based on CTAs. Make the video itself flexible and usable the right way on every platform. When creating a mobile app demo video, you can use it practically everywhere including:

•Websites
•Social media
•Other video hosting services
•Email marketing
•Expos

Ask your video production company to create several calls to action for each campaign. Let me break it down further.

When you’re doing marketing, sales emails, or other marketing campaigns, people should have a short and simple way to download your app. To accomplish this, you should do 2 things.

1.Include separate links for iOS and Android downloads.
2.Refer to your website where viewers can learn more about benefits and then head to the app market for their phone.

You should try both options. Some products work well to prompt an immediate download, some don’t depending on pricing, competitor saturation, or the need to learn more info. You can talk with us and we’ll guide you through what’s best for yours.

Nobody will ever bother going independently to the app market for their device. They often won’t search for your app, scroll through a bunch of sponsored app ads, and then finally download yours. Let’s face it, people are lazy. You need to tell them what to do and then bring them there to do it.

If you’re going to upload your app demo video on YouTube or other video hosts then you can leave links in the descriptions or point them to your site.

The good news is, you have several options and things to try out so you can test to see what works best. We also suggest creating several calls to action for each target to test those against each other to make the best use of your app demo video. The production cost for a CTA alone isn’t that much. You do need to have the VO artist do extra takes and the production company needs to make minor edits. But it’s worth it to have the custom CTAs.

Bonus:

If you use Vimeo as a host, you can replace the video file at any time. The content will automatically be replaced everywhere your video is embedded or linked! What does this specifically mean for you? You can change a call to action from, say, “download today” to “get a 3 month free trial” and then swap out the video. And you won’t have to reupload it to every place it’s embedded. Then, after your campaign ends, you can bring back the old version or move on to another new offer.

FAQ

What is the best way to create an Android or iPhone app promo video?

The best way is to hire a video production or explainer video agency. They’ll be able to create a unique video to accomplish your marketing objectives. They’re professionals and will suggest the best marketing solutions and be able to see things you may have missed.

What companies make great Android and iPhone app demo videos?

Video production, marketing agencies, and explainer video companies. If you want specific names, take a look at this article for the 35 best companies for any budget.

Does creating an explainer video for a mobile app help?

A picture is worth a thousand words and a video is worth a thousand pictures. If you don’t think that’s true, then you should stop using pictures as well and see how far you get 🙂 All great apps have great videos.

What are the best tools to make a demo video of a mobile app?

Use only professional tools like Adobe Premiere for compiling and editing, and After Effects for creating motion graphics and doing screen recording. There are also other pro applications that are reasonably priced for screen recording. They allow you to add minor effects like highlighting, pointers, zooming, and panning. We honestly don’t recommend doing it on your own. You need a team of professional marketers who understand how to create a concept that works with your marketing strategy to demonstrate your application properly.

What are the best sites to create an app demo?

There’s been a lot of advertising for template-based sites lately. This is something you don’t want to do, even if your budget is less than $100. These sites are cookie-cutter and will make your video look just like the videos from other cheap apps. You definitely don’t want to be associated with that. If you truly have a tiny budget, you’d be better off getting a good screen recording software, practicing, and then making a unique video from screenshots or screen grabs.

What’s a great video camera to record mobile app video demos?

Don’t do that! It’s another mistake that would end up looking terribly amateurish. Again, it would be better to download a screen recorder, plan out what you’d like to show, and then do some captures yourself. Record what you need, edit it so it’s smooth, then add a great music track and some text animation.

What are the influencing factors to consider when making an app video promo?

The main things you need to keep in mind are your marketing strategy, the script, finding the right style for your brand and app, and the video length. You can contact us and we’ll schedule a free consultation.

Final Words

When it comes to apps, we understand that there are many, many different types. We also know that every business has its own marketing plan. If there’s anything we didn’t cover for what you’re looking for, we’re always available to answer any questions you may have!