Mobile apps have the power to do many things, and you’ll need to make choices as you decide which features to build into your app. One decision you might not have considered: video.

No matter what your app is or does, you should think hard about adding a video component. I can hear you wondering: Why would my app to help create a budget or play a game need video? Plenty of reasons! Here are just a few.

User interface

Humans are visual creatures who’d rather watch a video than read. Video within the app can provide an introduction, explain how to use various features or serve as a small advertisement about your app and what it does. Such videos will increase user satisfaction and engagement during time spent in the app.

Statistics

The stats around mobile video are astonishing. According to Statistica, the majority of consumers around the world mostly use mobile apps to access videos on their mobile devices. You need to be part of that.

Promotion

A 30-second video will get users excited about your app in ways a screenshot simply can’t. (Check out this beautiful video for the SkyGuide, which lets you view the night sky.) Videos can sell the app in an advertising format, offer a brief preview of your app’s functionality or do both. These videos are displayed prominently in Google Play and iOS stores. Plus, more than 300 alternative stores exist to help you promote and sell your app. Most of them, including Amazon, allow you to display a video.

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