Launching a new app to the market is a daunting thing to do. Even when you have a great idea as a starting point for the app, there are so many other factors that could make or break your new app once it is launched on to the market. Stiff competition and the fight for exposure are only some of the challenges you will need to overcome in order to take your app to success. Being able to win the hearts of users early on is how you secure a place in the app market.

With both the App Store and Play Store filled with thousands of new apps, you need to make sure that users feel right at home the moment they start using your app. There are several ways to achieve this, but in this article, we are going to focus more on how you can integrate whiteboard animation into your user journey and why it is a strategy worth pursuing.

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The Discovery

Before you can take your users on a journey to discover the great features you offer within the app, you need to make sure that they discover your app. More importantly, you need to persuade users to give the app a try and actually follow through with the first step of their journey. With digital marketing and other instruments in your arsenal, getting the right exposure for your app is easier these days.

I said the right exposure because you want the app to be seen by those who spot its value and truly benefit from using the app. This type of user is the first one you want to target; it is the first user group you want to make happy since it is also the group of users that will gladly promote your apps to other potential users.

A good way to build interest around the app is by creating a story and telling it the right way. This is where whiteboard animation comes in handy. According to a recent study by Dr. Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, whiteboard animation has the ability to retain viewers better while encouraging higher user engagement.

Seamless On-Boarding

The onboarding phase is the next important step to really pay attention to. You want to get users through the process of downloading and installing, starting the app for the first time, creating an account, and onto the dashboard or main page of the app as quickly as possible. At the same time, you want the entire process to be seamless and highly enjoyable.

Instead of displaying a slideshow of images to present the best features of the app, use whiteboard animation to add a unique feel to your onboarding process. When implemented correctly, users can swipe through different parts of the whiteboard animation in order to learn more about the app itself. At the end of the process, they are already familiar with the features within your app.

Pair the whiteboard animation with a kickass tutorial. Use overlays to explain how different functions inside the app work. Make sure users can skip the tutorial entirely so experienced users and those who would rather jump right in can do so with minimum disruption. A well-placed overlay is capable of explaining the different functions of the app in great details, allowing new users to get up to speed and start benefiting from the app right away.

A New Beginning

Keep in mind that getting users to try the app is only the beginning. To retain the users you have acquired, you also need to offer certain things. Added value and content that users actually love are some of the elements that are known to help boost user retention and engagement for apps and games.

At this point, most of your supporting content will be posted externally. This is the time to build a genuine relationship with new and existing users alike, and you can do so with the help of social media. You already have a story to tell and the majority of them followed your story from the beginning. What you want to do is continue to build on that main story to strengthen your relationship.

We’ve been using whiteboard animation to deliver great content in an effective and engaging way. Of course, this approach isn’t the only way you can benefit from the impact produced by animations, particularly by a well-executed whiteboard animation. You can, for example, add other content to the mix to create a more compelling video.

Pushing It Further

Not too long ago, a genre of YouTube videos became very popular overnight. Do a search for “Draw My Life” on YouTube and you will instantly find thousands of videos that combine drawing – the primary ingredient for whiteboard animation videos – and good storytelling. Some content creators take the concept even further by adding great beauty shots and incredibly cinematic video footage.

Now, take a part of your app’s journey and use a similar approach to share the story. You can talk about how you worked on the idea behind your app. You can feature those who helped develop the app to its present state. Skip the games but learn how to create a killer whiteboard animation from Spiel Creative’s guide, derived from their years of experience in making videos and animations.

You can also get the audience involved and let them be part of the story by submitting their ideas and showing how you integrate those ideas into future iterations. These are small things that strengthen the users’ bond with the app they love so much. They are the things that will set your app apart in today’s crowded app market.