App promo video: how to make one that persuades
An app promo video is a short video, 15 to 30 seconds, that shows the reason to install, the app delivering on that reason, and the link to download or open it. It goes on Reels, TikTok, Stories and WhatsApp Status, almost always in vertical 9:16.
The most common mistake is trying to show the whole app. Nobody installs an app because it has twelve features; they install it because one of them solves a problem they have right now. This guide covers what to put in the video, in what order, and how to make it with AI without an editor on the team.
What does an app promo video need?
Four parts, in this order:
| Part | Time in a 20 s video | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0 to 3 s | the problem or the benefit, in a few big words |
| Demo | 3 to 14 s | two or three screens of the app solving that problem |
| Proof or offer | 14 to 17 s | a first-order discount, a real number, a review |
| Call to action | 17 to 20 s | one action only: "download", "order in the app", "link in bio" |
The Reels script template breaks each block down with sample lines.
What's the reason to install?
Before the video, write the reason in one sentence. It's the same sentence how to promote an app asks you to use on the QR code at the counter and in your Instagram bio:
- "Order in the app and skip the delivery fee on your first order";
- "Book your appointment without calling, any time";
- "Collect stamps and get your tenth coffee free".
That sentence becomes the video's hook and its call to action. If the video and the poster say different things, someone who saw both won't connect them.
Record the screen or use motion design?
Both work, for different jobs:
- a screen recording shows the real app and builds trust. It works well in a story or a short tutorial, but it needs a clean phone with no notifications, and an edit to cut out the dead time;
- motion design draws the screens, animates the text and adds music, in the app's colors. It works better for ads, promotions and launches, when the message has to fit in a few seconds.
One approach that works: a motion design video for the ad and the weekly promotion, and screen recordings in stories for people who are already interested.
How to make the video with AI
In Fabapp Motion, Fabapp's video tool, the steps are:
- Bring the app's brand. If the app was built on Fabapp, the brand comes from the project, with the theme's colors and logo. If not, paste the site's address and it reads the name, logo, colors and fonts in about 20 seconds.
- Describe the video in one sentence. For example: "Launch of the burger place's app: order in the app and get 10% off your first order. Show the menu, the cart and checkout. End with 'download from the link in bio'."
- Pick the style. The Live interface style puts the product's screen in action as the hero, which is what an app video calls for. You can also paste a link to a video you liked and follow its look and rhythm.
- Pick the format. 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Status. The same video comes out in 4:5 for the feed, as one more export.
- Adjust in the chat. "Make the hook bigger", "swap the music for something calmer". Each request changes only what you asked for.
- Export as MP4 and post.
The point that matters most in an app video with a price: the price comes from your data, not from the AI model. When the brand comes from a Fabapp project, products and prices are read from the app. When they come from a site, they're flagged for you to check, and a piece only uses a price after you confirm it. A wrong price in a published ad is an expensive mistake.
Where to post the app video
| Channel | Format | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Reels and Stories | 9:16 | link in bio, or the link sticker in a story |
| Instagram feed | 4:5 | same video, exported in 4:5 |
| TikTok | 9:16 | TikTok recommends vertical for ads |
| WhatsApp Status | 9:16 | reaches people who saved your number |
| App page or YouTube | 16:9 | a longer video with more screens |
Sizes and safe margins for each are in the guide to social media video sizes.
How much does it cost?
In Fabapp Motion, each piece has a fixed price in credits, shown on the button before you generate. The price varies with the model you pick and the video's length, and goes back to your balance if the generation fails. Motion is part of Fabapp's paid plans, starting with Starter at US$ 19 a month. See plans and pricing and what Fabapp Motion makes.
For the step by step inside the Studio, see the guide Your first video in Motion.
If the app is headed for the stores, the video and the listing go together: app store screenshots follow the same order of hook, demo and proof.
The short version
- an app video shows one reason to install, not the feature list;
- hook, demo, proof and call to action, in 15 to 30 seconds;
- motion design for ads and promotions, screen recordings for stories;
- the price in the video comes from your data, checked by you;
- 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Status; 4:5 for the feed.