At their deepest level, video trailers are designed to get people excited and capture their attention for a short period of time. Done right, app trailers, can really heighten the anticipation factor prior to an app’s big release. The most memorable trailers create an instant “want” factor for the viewers within a few short seconds, without giving away too much.

With this post we wanted to dive into the art of creating captivating app trailers as well as share a few that have caught our attention. So without further ado, here are our 6 tips to create the perfect app trailer that’s sure to impress.

1 – Know who your intended audience is. Before jumping straight into the creation process, it’s a good idea to know who your intended end users are so you’ll know how to best proceed with the rest of the app trailer creation process.

2 – Create a storyboard for your trailer: You can use editing software or do it the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper. Yes those still exist. If you’re clear with your concept, it’ll save you time and frustration at the computer later.

3 – Use memorable sound to heighten the impact of the video. It’s always a good idea to use actual sounds from the app itself, especially if you’ve invested in good sound effects, but you can always enhance the action with a few extra sound clips purchased on any of the dozens of royalty free sound effect sites.

4 – Alternatively, the right sound score can set the mood for your intended users. If you’re app isn’t a game or very visually stimulating, set the pace for your video with sound score to liven it up!

5 – Play a section from the app, without giving away too much. People love knowing what to expect, so give them a small taste of the app, but remember, give them something to look forward to.

6 – Remember, Funny, Scary, Exciting, Warm and Fuzzy or Dramatic. If you’re app trailer doesn’t evoke at least one of these emotions, something’s missing.

Bonus tip – Watch other app trailers and take notes. Search for the trailers to some of your favorite apps and see how they present their apps to their audience. You might find a common link that has been proven to work, such as quick cut scenes or voiceovers.

The legal notice that users now see when they go to the LimeWire website sends a pretty strong message: “Downloading or sharing copyrighted content without authorization is illegal.” After a four year long battle, a New York judge finally put the kibosh on LimeWire’s lackadaisical methods for policing its peer-to-peer free music service. The industry has been in an uproar over the under-the-counter music that’s making its way into users’ headphones at the hands of LimeWire.  High profile labels are left to sit back and say, “Show me the money!” with multi-millions in damage claims. In the meantime, millions of users are left searching for a new source for free music.

The recent federal court order requiring LimeWire to cease distribution of its software is a boon to those who own the rights to many of the shared files.  While they did not receive a big check as back payment, they did get the satisfaction of seeing that their collective voices are being heard. Chalk up a small victory for copyright law.

The social media world is buzzing with news of the shut down as LimeWire users gradually become aware they no longer have access to their free music source. It has been suggested in numerous circles that people will discover a new means of getting the music they want for free. But, with this new crack down on piracy, it is wise to avoid sources that are less than reputable and dabble in the copyright infringement game.

The solution to LimeWire users’ dilemma is to utilize an alternative that takes a lawful approach to free music downloads. One legit player in the market is Music Oasis, owned and operated by W3i, who works directly with the artists and labels. These partnerships are legally defined through license agreement, thus making Music Oasis an exciting white hat option for discovering new artists and titles.  As the Music Oasis inventory of fresh, new music continues to grow, more users are finding it a refreshing change.  Moreover, Music Oasis is spyware and virus free since the download is done through InstallIQ, which is certified in the TRUSTe Trusted download program  which generates a level of security that file sharing companies like LimeWire have struggled to provide.

Is the free legal music download the wave of the future now that peer to peer file sharing has taken a mighty swat to the hand? Or, will we see more artists raising their collective fists in frustration as new players move in to take LimeWire’s place in the dark alley of infringement?

Randi Kucala, Marketing Specialist, W3i, LLC
A proponent for Internet users, Randi endeavors to make every interaction with W3i’s sites a positive one. She specializes in copy writing and on-page SEO.

Featured on ClickZ, September 7, 2010

Are you thinking about how you can annoy people less and be more effective with your advertising? If not, start paying attention, because your competition is.

Digital marketers are shifting their advertising strategies on how they reach people in social apps. The old, impression-based advertising model in social apps doesn’t work because it annoys people. Ever wonder why the cost of Facebook display ads is so low? People do not want to be interrupted by display ads when they are trying to play games with their friends. The same goes for display ads located within social apps in mobile. The mobile ad networks and publishers provide good air cover to help prop up their rates, but it is commonly accepted by most insiders that the majority of mobile ad impressions are going unsold. Marketers are finding that the right advertising strategy for social apps is to stop annoying people and to start focusing on ways to integrate with actual social activity.

Here are four examples of brands connecting with people through their true social activities:

Activity-Based Advertising on iPhone Apps In January, Bravo created badges that Foursquare users could earn by checking into locations linked to shows like “Top Chef” and “The Millionaire Matchmaker.” The Foursquare app saw a 31 percent increase in downloads those two weeks.

Bravo badges in Foursquare:

Powermat on MyTown: Powermat, a company specializing in wireless charging stations, worked with Appssavvy to advertise in Booyah’s MyTown. The Powermat campaign included a first-of-its-kind sweepstakes promotion on MyTown to enter to win Powermat’s Wireless Charging System for iPhone by physically interacting with Powermat products in-store. Powermat saw an increase in recall of 38.2 percentage points to 43.3 percent. 

Activity-Based Advertising on Facebook Applications

Cascadian Farm virtual good on FarmVille: Zynga, developer of the famous Farmville app on Facebook, launched a number of activity-based campaigns. Recently, over 310 million Cascadian Farm organic blueberries were planted by FarmVille players.

 MTV interview on Social Interview: Appssavvy also created a campaign for MTV that ran on Social Interview. A Facebook application, Social Interview has an audience of more than 11 million monthly active users and was used to promote MTV’s new original comedy, “The Hard Times of RJ Berger.” More than two-thirds of Social Interview users who saw the “Hard Times” branded interview clicked to start the application – nearly seven times the average engagement rate.

As Damon Burrell, VP, marketing, at MTV Networks puts it, “Currently there is a fundamental shift going on in digital marketing, which we are embracing, especially as it relates to social media. The Hard Times of RJ Berger on Social Interview exemplifies this shift, as true engagement isn’t about users clicking on a banner and coming to our site, but rather integrating them into the experience and providing something of value.”

The trend toward activity-based advertising in social apps is not only a win for marketers, but it helps the publisher maintain a high level of engagement with its audience. As most social app developers will tell you, their most important measure of success is how large and how active their audience is in engaging with their social app. That’s why application metrics sites like AppData for Facebook focus on the amount of active users of a unit of time, and not just the number of installs of a particular app.

When developing your advertising strategies for social apps, be sure to connect with people while the social activity is taking place in the app.

Rob Weber, Vice President of Business Development and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Rob is an Internet marketing pioneer with over ten, profitable years evolving W3i in the consumer application industry.

Online media player provides monetization and marketing opportunities for artists and record labels

St. Cloud, MN, June 5, 2009 – W3i, a provider of marketing solutions that increase revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins, and RightsFlow, a provider of music licensing and royalty services, announced today the creation of an integrated music marketing platform designed to help artists and labels monetize free music downloads through media support.

“W3i has developed solutions to enable the distribution of free content for over nine years,” comments Robert Weber, Vice President of Business Development at W3i. “Our proprietary technology, Install IQ, and W3i’s Application Network can help downloadable content providers increase their revenue as well as ensure speed-to-market while utilizing minimal artist resources.”

As traditional music business models continue to change, artists and labels are looking for innovative sources of revenue in the digital space. “We are very excited to offer record labels and artists access to the W3i Media Player,” stated Alex Holz, Director of Client Relations for RightsFlow. “This system helps artists and labels reach music lovers searching for free music, while still generating revenue from their recordings.”

The media-supported initiative involves reaching fans searching for free music and offering DRM-free downloads of unreleased and difficult-to-find digital tracks. The initial rollout features 100 tracks across Rock, Pop, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Latin, Alternative, and Country music genres, including artists such as Say When, Carey Ott, Michael Olatuja, and Drunken Barn Dance.

“We are pleased to work with W3i and RightsFlow on this exciting program,” said Gary Taylor, manager of Carey Ott and co-manager of The New Congress. “Finding creative ways to market and monetize music is especially important for D.I.Y. artists, and earning revenue while rewarding fans with free music is an unmatched deal.”

Install IQ was the first installation system certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download program, and users have demonstrated high satisfaction in online surveys.

About W3i:
W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset. W3i’s Application Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program. Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 7.1 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Application Network.

About RightsFlow:
RightsFlow offers Mechanical Licensing & Royalty Solutions for labels, distributors, and online music services. We specialize in obtaining bulk mechanical, DPD, and ringtone licenses including streaming, tethered, and limited downloads rights. Our proprietary “FLOW” system allows us to license, account, and pay royalties directly to the Harry Fox Agency (HFA) and the thousands of publishers not represented by HFA. Today, RightsFlow services over 1,500 labels for mechanical and DPD licensing. Some of the many clients we service include marquee companies such as imeem, E1 Entertainment, Muzak, EMI Music, Active International, Tapulous, CD Baby, IODA, Audible Magic, YouLicense, Constellation Wines (Blackstone), X5 Music Group, Zebralution and Disc Makers, among others. For more information on RightsFlow’s services and management team, visit www.rightsflow.com.

Media Contact for W3i:
Deborah Manthei +1.320.257.7571 / deborah.manthei@W3i.com

Media Contact for RightsFlow:
Gideon Kalischer, +1-212-937-6955 / gideon.kalischer@rightsflow.com

St. Cloud, Minnesota, May 7, 2009 – W3i, provider of marketing solutions that increase distribution, revenue, and engagement for Windows applications, announced today that VoloMedia is now part of W3i’s Download Network (WDN).  VoloMedia, provider of advertising and reporting solutions for portable media, is using W3i’s Download Network to broaden its user base for its iTunes plug-in to grow its panel of users for more effective advertising.

“W3i’s Download Network can be a significant source of new users for growth companies with Windows applications and various types of plug-ins,” said Rob Weber, VP of Business Development at W3i.  “VoloMedia joins a network of application companies in their efforts to ramp up user acquisition at a known ROI.  During the installation process, WDN leverages the demand for popular free or trial downloads by matching them with other download companies seeking distribution, like VoloMedia, giving the user a value-add.”

“W3i’s distribution capabilities are helping us reach our target users,” notes Jeff Karnes, VP of Marketing and Products for VoloMedia. “Their installation and download process is a great way for us to promote our unique iTunes plug-in.” 

W3i used its consultative services to optimize this distribution channel for VoloMedia, demonstrating how using proven techniques to engage the user can increase lifetime value and make their marketing spend more effective.

About W3:
W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset.  W3i’s Download Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 15 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Download Network.

About  VoloMedia:
VoloMedia provides a unique combination of products with a nationwide ad sales team to deliver advertising and reporting solutions for portable media, extending the reach and monetization of video and audio podcasts. The company’s products and services are utilized by some of the largest and most well known media companies, including ABC News, FOX News, MSNBC, Washington Post/Newsweek, and Public Radio International in its Business, News, and Politics podcast verticals.  Other VoloMedia content verticals include Entertainment, Health, Music, Sports, Technology, Video Games, and Women. http://www.volomedia.com.

Contact:
Deborah Manthei
Director of Marketing Communications
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com

Jocelyn Johnson
212-924-9500
PR Contact for VoloMedia
jjohnson@gravitas-pr.com