App Demo Video: Why You Need It and How to Create One?

Myroslav Protsan

With multiple apps competing for attention in app stores, developers and companies may struggle to stand out. This is when having an app demo video comes in handy. An app video is a strong marketing tool that visually demonstrates the features and functionality of your mobile application, engaging potential customers and increasing conversion. 

In this article, we will closely examine what an app demo video is and offer tips on how to make it effective.

App Demo and a Demo App: What’s the Difference?

An app demo video is a brief visual display of a mobile application's features, functionality, and user experience of a mobile application. It is usually given in the form of a video that shows the app's essential features in action. On the other hand, a demo app is a fully working version of an application that allows users to test its features firsthand. Unlike a demo app, an app demo video gives a guided tour of the app's functionality without needing users to install or use the actual program.  

While a demo video for an app may increase awareness and excite interest in potential users, the best benefits come from pairing it with a demo app. By identifying and utilizing the distinctions between these two approaches, app developers and businesses may increase their marketing and user engagement through smooth onboarding.

When to Use App Demo Videos

App demo videos work well in various settings to boost your mobile application's marketing and advertising efforts. Here are some cases when and where the app’s promotional videos can be used.

App Launch

Launching a new mobile app to the public requires showcasing its most noteworthy characteristics, design, and functioning via an app demo video. It piques people's curiosity and excites them, leading to more downloads and use.

App Updates 

When a major update or a new feature is added to an existing app, a promo video is a great way to inform consumers about it. It emphasizes the changes and shows how the new functions improve the overall service.

App Website Promo

Included on the app's website or landing pages, such videos are a great method to get people interested in your app and give them a taste of what it can do. The more people see the value in your app, the more people will download and utilize it.

App Store Listings (ASO)

App demo videos are an integral part of ASO. They show consumers what the app can do, pique their interest, and encourage them to look around. The app's discoverability, downloads, and conversion rates in the app store can all benefit greatly from a professionally produced mobile app demo video.

Key Elements of an App Demo Video that Converts

Clear and concise message:

A good app demo video conveys the app's main benefits in a concise and clear manner. Put your app's unique selling points front and center by stressing its most important features and advantages. Don't bog down your audience with unnecessary details — there are other channels for this.

Dropbox App Demo Video

Demonstration of smooth user experience

Demonstrate the app's use by acting out a series of possible scenarios. Show how simple it is for users to find their way around the interface, use its features, and accomplish their goals. The unique interactions and intuitive motions that your software offers should be highlighted.

Creative visuals

Show your app's advantages with eye-catching images, videos, and animations. Ensure the demonstration video has a good flow, clear cuts, and striking graphics. Telling a story in such a way might help people visualize how the app will work for them.

Finversity App Demo Video

Call to action

Conclude the app demo video with a strong call to action that shows users what to do next. If you want people to do anything, whether downloading an app, checking out an app website, or signing up for a trial, you need to convince them to do it.

5 Tips to Create a Perfect App Demo Video

Creating an excellent promo video is critical for efficiently promoting your mobile application and attracting potential consumers. According to the latest research on the average person's attention span conducted by Microsoft, it has dramatically decreased by about 25% in just ten years and now is only eight seconds. But with an engaging video, you can hold the user’s attention for longer.

Use the five tips below to create an app demo video that captures users’ attention.

  1. Determine your target audience

The best way to reach your target audience is to learn as much as possible about them through market research. Identify which aspects of your app's functionality and utility interest your intended users. Draw focus to those features in your app's demo video to win over potential users and satisfy their specific concerns. By utilizing the daily planner apps, you can effectively design your plan out the script to tailor it precisely to the preferences and requirements of your target audience.

  1. Plan out the script

Establish an organized framework for your promo video app. Introduce the topic quickly, then focus on its most appealing aspects, and finally, urge the reader to take some action. Your screenplay should be clear and short and get your point across. Include real examples and use cases to show how the app addresses their concerns.

  1. Make an engaging and intriguing intro

Make sure the first few seconds of your promo video are eye-catching and interesting; use eye-catching graphics, fascinating animations, or intriguing comments. Explain your app's USP right away. Focusing on the issue it addresses or the advantage it provides is a certain way to get people engaged and involved.

  1. Include user testimonials or reviews

Gather testimonies from app users and read their evaluations. Pick the ones that emphasize useful features or memorable experiences that appeal to your intended customers. Strategically place these reviews and testimonials throughout your application demo video. Position them where they will have the greatest impact, such as after critical messaging or while showing the app in action.

  1. Optimize for mobile devices

Create a demonstration video with mobile viewing in mind. Ensure your images, text, and animations are readable and enjoyable, even on small screens. Minimize the video's file size, so it may be downloaded quickly and played without interruption anywhere. Also, adapt your video to the platform you will be streaming it on, use the correct YouTube bitrate, and optimize the video's resolution and frame rate to ensure smooth playback and high-quality viewing.

Video Requirements for App Store and Google Play Market

To effectively showcase your mobile application on the App Store and Google Play Store, it's crucial to have a solid grasp of the video requirements for both platforms. 

App Store

  • Format: MOV, M4V, or MP4 is the preferred format for app store preview videos. These formats guarantee cross-platform and device compatibility.
  • Length: The maximum video duration is 30 seconds; for Apple Watch apps, the maximum video length is 15 seconds. 
  • Resolution: The video resolution should be at least 1080p.
  • Main restrictions:  Must not contain graphic overlays, device frames, or borders that could hide the app's user interface. Refrain from employing copyrighted materials without the necessary permission.

Google Play Store

  • Format: MP4 is the preferred file type for app promotion videos on the Google Play Market. 
  • Length: No more than 2 minutes. Better keep it brief.
  • Resolution: A minimum of 480p should be used in the video resolution to ensure crisp graphics.
  • Main restrictions: Avoid utilizing borders, device frames, or any other graphic overlays that can hinder the app's user interface, much like the App Store. Do not use any deceptive or overstated material.

Tools to Make a Demo Video of a Mobile App

Let’s take a look at a variety of tools for making captivating and informative mobile app demo videos. These solutions can be used by businesses of all sizes to promote the benefits of their apps, attract new users, and increase app downloads. 

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is an app demo maker for editing videos on a Mac. It has all the tools you need to make professional-looking software demo films and some other sophisticated capabilities. Final Cut Pro isn't free, but it's still worth having for companies of any size that need professional-level video editing tools and employ a committed video staff.

Animoto

Creating app demo videos is a breeze using Animoto, a web-based video-editing software. It's aimed at those without much expertise with video editing by providing a simple interface, premade templates, and a drag-and-drop feature. The paid premium plan has access to even more features and perks than the free plan does.

VEED

VEED is an intuitive online platform that simplifies the creation of app demo videos. Designed with ease of use in mind, it enables users to turn text into lifelike voiceovers and complement their footage with stock visuals and background music, ensuring an impactful audiovisual experience. Although it offers a free plan with essential features, upgrading to a premium plan unlocks advanced capabilities, making it a versatile choice for businesses looking to produce professional-quality demo videos with minimal effort.

Animaker

Create animated app demos with ease with Animaker, a cloud-based video production tool. It is perfect for crafting entertaining and aesthetically appealing videos because of its extensive collection of pre-designed characters, props, and animated GIFs. There are various Animaker price options to choose from, including a trial version with certain functional limitations and paid plans for more sophisticated users.

Adobe Audition

You can record, edit, and enhance the audio for your app demo video using Adobe Audition. Users may enhance the sound quality by adjusting the volume, eliminating ambient noise, and using a variety of effects. Businesses that need customized control and editing powers over their app's audio may choose the suitable paid Adobe Audition plan.

QuickTime

QuickTime is a video player and screen capture utility included within macOS. It's great for filming app demos since users can record their device's screen. QuickTime is a free and easy-to-use program.

Great Examples of App Demos from Well-Known Brands

The demo video examples below can show us how to create captivating app demos that leave a lasting impact.

Spotify

The app demo video of Spotify highlights the extensive music library, personalized recommendations, and intuitive interface for the DJ feature. It also shows key functionalities, resulting in an immersive and enlightening showcase.

Calm

The app demo video of Calm effectively conveys its mission of offering relaxation and mindfulness. The app features visually appealing content, serene audio, and expert-led meditation sessions, highlighting its ability to alleviate stress and enhance sleep.

Headspace

The benefits of Headspace, a meditation and mindfulness app, are well presented in the example. It explains how the app's guided meditation sessions and mindfulness activities may help users relieve stress, sharpen concentration, and establish regular meditation practice.

Wrapping up

An App video is an important tool for efficiently advertising mobile applications, capturing audiences' attention, and increasing user engagement. Developers and organizations can make a captivating mobile demo video that converts viewers into passionate users, eventually boosting the success of their mobile applications by following the suggestions described in this article.

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