7 Tips to Create an App Preview Video that Converts

Launching an app can be a daunting process. There is a lot to take into consideration and even more to prepare in order to be ready. One of these elements is a preview video – they are incredibly useful to boost your app’s conversion rates, but can be quite a minefield to navigate if you don’t know how to take advantage of this creative element.

In this blog, we’ll delve into 7 practical tips to create an app preview video that will drive conversions.

Advantages of a preview video for your app/game

High-quality preview videos are able to provide users with a better understanding of an app/game than screenshots and are recommended as a best practice by Apple and Google. Compared to screenshots, preview videos offer a lot more depth to your story as to why users should consider adding your app/game to their home screen. On both the App Store and the Play Store, video previews are particularly recommended for games.

• The preview video will be one of the first things users notice when opening your listing page, and it will impact their decision-making process. If you want store visitors to download your app, you will need to convince them through your app’s visual assets. The preview video can increase your conversion rate by 40%.

• Last but not least, it is important to remember that you can’t have the same video for the App Store and Google Play. Not only using Google Play creatives on the App Store can lead to a decrease in installs, but each platform has different expectations. The App Store is more strict with what is and isn’t allowed in preview video, so be careful with what you’re planning to show. On Google Play, promo videos are loaded into the app/game’s store listing page via a YouTube link and can be optimized in a similar way as on the App Store.

Check out these often overlooked video elements that your app marketing video must have

Let’s check out these best practices that will help you create compelling preview videos for your app/game:

1. Understand your audience

The first step in preparing a good preview video is to define your audience. Your video should reflect who you’re targeting. If your app is already live, you can rely on existing data to know which part of your app users like best, or through which keywords they find you. If your app is not launched yet, you can take a look at your direct competitors to see who their target audience is and what they are showing in their visual assets.

2. Leverage keywords in your preview video for increased visibility

If your app is associated with certain keywords that users frequently search for, incorporate those keywords into the captions of your videos. This approach serves two key purposes.

• Firstly, it aids in visual word recognition. When users see familiar or relevant words in the captions, they are more likely to feel connected to the content. This increases their interest and engagement with your video.
• Secondly, using popular keywords can significantly boost your app’s visibility in search results. The app stores often prioritize content that includes frequently-searched keywords, thus improving your app’s ranking. This means your app could appear higher in search results, leading to increased click-through rates, more downloads, and ultimately, a larger user base.

3. Use storytelling & visual elements for effective app preview videos

You only have 30 seconds to make an impact (at least on the App Store) with your preview video, so use your time wisely. Use storytelling to showcase your app/game’s best features. A great way to start is to set up a moodboard, which will help you figure out what you want to say and how you can say it best.

It’s also great to choose a number of elements (like colors, fonts, and music) to help you convey your message in the most adequate way possible. Even just using textual clues to link information and features can be enough to bring your preview video to the next level.

4. Create engaging opening scenes in your preview video

Your video’s opening scene is the most important. You need to engage users for as long as possible. Whatever you choose to show first, it has to be impactful and intriguing. However, you also need to stay honest and show what your app/game really looks like. If it differs too much from the actual content, users will churn extremely fast.

Also, make sure that the pace of your video is not too slow.

5. Choosing right: App preview video or screenshots?

App preview videos are popular in certain store categories, including Games, Health & Fitness, and Photo & Video. Yet, it is not safe to assume that a preview video will always work better than screenshots for every app. Conduct thorough research and find out whether or not to use a video. Leverage product page optimization (iOS 15) to gauge the conversion rate of using a video vs. not using one, check if the apps/games at the top of your keyword/category list support the idea that users like videos more than screenshots, and also see if this preference changes in different countries.

6. Tailor your preview video for localization

When potential users arrive at your app listing page, they come with a set of preconceived notions and expectations. These might include the functionality of your app, its ease of use, or the unique features it offers. Your app preview video is an important element that can address these questions and needs head-on. But to do so effectively, you must first understand your audience.

It’s crucial to know your target demographic, their preferences, their pain points, and what they seek in an app. This knowledge should then be used to tailor your video content, ensuring it speaks directly to your intended audience and addresses their specific needs.

Localization of your app preview video is another important aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked. Different markets have different preferences, cultural nuances, and language subtleties that can significantly impact how your app is perceived. By localizing your video to cater to a specific market and language, you can make your targeted users feel seen and understood.

This could mean incorporating local languages, using culturally relevant visuals, or addressing region-specific problems your app can solve. Localization not only enhances the user experience but also increases the chances of your app being downloaded because it feels more personalized and relevant to the users in that particular market.

7. Use captions & larger text sizes in your preview videos

When creating preview videos for your app, it’s crucial to consider all potential user scenarios. One such scenario is a user watching the video without sound. To cater to this, always include captions in your videos. This ensures that even if a user can’t hear the audio, they can still understand the content through the captions.

However, merely including captions isn’t enough. The size of the text matters too, especially when your video appears in smaller search results views. If the text is too small, it becomes illegible and defeats the purpose of having captions in the first place. So, make sure to use larger text sizes for your captions. This will guarantee that the text remains readable irrespective of the viewing size, enhancing the overall user experience.

Discover the size and format guidelines for preview videos and other visuals on both the App Store and Google Play

Adapt to your target audience with CPPs

Custom product pages (CPPs) enhance the effectiveness of your app preview videos by providing a tailored space to showcase these videos. Both the App Store and Google Play offer personalized listing pages, and they are perfect opportunities to widen your audience.

Not everyone will come to your app’s listing page looking for the same thing. CPPs are a great way to implement a more personalized targeting strategy. Since your preview video must address a specific audience to be more effective, why not have one for each segment?

It doesn’t necessarily mean big changes to your video in itself. Sometimes, just moving around the order of the content you’re showing can be enough to entice another audience to your app.

For example, imagine you’ve developed a fitness app that offers personalized workout routines. Your target audience includes both beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts. With custom product pages, you can create a tailor experience for each group with your preview video. While for the beginners’ CPP, your app preview video can offer step-by-step instructions; you can choose to display a video showing more intense and challenging workout routines for your advanced users’ product page.

TLDR

A preview video for your app/game is a great tool that can boost your conversions if you play your cards well. Keep these tips & best practices in mind to create an effective preview video for your app: