Key points
- The first ten seconds decide everything: open with the user’s problem, not with the name of the app.
- Show three screens at most, the ones where the user gets something. Nobody cares about settings screens.
- A launch video runs 30 to 60 seconds and ends on the two app stores.
- Show only what exists today in the published version.
What a launch video is really for
The video will be seen on the store page, on your social accounts, in a message forwarded to a friend. In every one of those places, the viewer decides fast whether to keep watching. They do not know you, they owe you nothing, and something else is one swipe away.
So a good launch video does not try to say everything. It creates one wish: “I have that problem, I want to try this.” The full list of features belongs on your website, not here. If you remember one rule, make it this one: a launch video is about the user’s day, not about your roadmap.
The first ten seconds
Open on the user’s situation, in the user’s own words. “Still writing your expenses on a scrap of paper?” speaks to someone. “Discover our new management app” speaks to no one.
- The question: a sentence your user could say out loud.
- The name and the icon: they come right after, as the answer.
- The first screen: the one that shows the result, not the welcome screen.
Which screens to show, and which to leave out
| Show | Leave out | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The screen where the user gets the result | The sign-in screen | People want to see what they gain |
| One simple gesture: a button, a field | Settings and menus | A gesture is understood, a menu has to be read |
| An example filled with believable data | An empty screen | An empty screen shows nothing |
Take your screenshots on a recent phone, in light mode, with no notification at the top of the screen. Three sharp screenshots are enough. Four is a maximum. Check each one for anything private: a real name, an email address, an amount. Replace it with believable sample data before you capture.
Building it, step by step
Choose one user
Not “everyone”. One precise person: a student, a tradesperson, a parent. The video talks to that person.
Write the problem in one sentence
What annoys them today, in their words, not in yours.
Show the gesture that solves it
One screenshot, one gesture, one result. This is the heart of the video: give it the most time.
Add a proof
A true number, a real review, or simply the result on screen. Invent nothing: a false promise is paid back in the reviews.
End on the stores
The name of the app, its icon, the App Store and Google Play badges. Nothing else on the last image.
A 40-second outline
- 0 to 8 s: the user’s question.
- 8 to 14 s: the icon and the name.
- 14 to 30 s: two screens, one gesture each.
- 30 to 36 s: the proof.
- 36 to 40 s: the app stores.
Where the video goes, and in which shape
One film, several places. On social media it must be vertical, because that is how people hold their phone. On your website it can sit next to the download buttons. In a message to your first users it is the quickest way to explain what you built. Each store has its own rules for preview videos: read its official help page before you upload.
- Launch day: the full video, on every account you own.
- One week later: the same video again, with a new first sentence.
- Each update: a short film about the one thing that changed.
If you want to go further on the look of the film, our guide to making a motion design video explains the five styles.
The most common launch mistakes
- Starting with the logo. Five seconds of logo is five seconds in which the viewer leaves.
- Showing a feature that is not out yet. The video should reflect the app as it is today. A viewer who downloads it and does not find what they saw will say so in a review.
- A desktop screen in a vertical video. Unreadable on a phone. Crop to the part that matters.
- Publishing once. A launch video is published again: on launch day, a week later, at every update.
Before launch day
- The video starts with the user’s problem.
- Three screenshots at most, sharp, with believable data.
- Everything shown exists in the published version.
- The last image shows the two app stores.
- A vertical version is ready for social media.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an app launch video be?
Between 30 and 60 seconds. On social media attention drops after a minute, and a short film is watched to the end more often.
Do I need a voice, or is music enough?
A voice helps people understand, but the video must also work with the sound off, thanks to the words on screen. Plan for both.
Can I make the video before the app is published?
Yes, to announce it, as long as you say that it is coming and show only screens that will exist on release day.
Where should I publish the launch video?
On the app’s store page, on your social accounts in vertical format, on the home page of your site and in the message you send to your first users.
With Meratek
How Meratek makes your launch video
In the Motion tab, choose Motion design, then the Launch style. You describe your app in a few lines and add up to four screenshots. Meratek looks at each screenshot and asks you what it should show, then builds the film: the icon coming out of the light, your screens in space, the voice, and the app stores at the end.
The price in credits is shown before you start, and one hundred and forty credits are offered when you sign up. Your screenshots are shown as they are: you remain responsible for what they display.
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