VB Insight, VentureBeat’s research arm, published a report on “App store optimization — a practitioner’s guide to ASO,” revealing that video plays a significant role throughout the app marketing process. Author of the report, mobile analyst Peggy Anne Salz interviewed 35 ASO professionals, integrated data from a survey of over 500 ASO users, and examined techniques of successful app developers. The report details best practices for app marketing and looks at what’s coming down the pike for ASO.

VentureBeat reports that, “brand-building is top of the agenda, and video plays a significant part in determining if you fly high or fall flat.”

“The timing is right for app developers and companies to borrow a page from successful consumer brands and engage in emotive and effective marketing using images that leave a lasting impression,” it concluded, encouraging use of video even if the app developer doesn’t have a big budget for “mobile video ad formats, TV spots and creatives.”

At Finnish developer Rovio Entertainment, user acquisition lead An Vu said that “video is a priority,” noting that the video trailer for “Angry Birds 2” in the app store, “improved conversion by 60 percent” and “cut CPI in half.”

“Users from video ad networks have about 20 percent higher retention on average than other ad networks,” she said. “We have a good ROI on video but the real value is linked to the quality of users. Their value is much higher because they are engaged in marketing that really shows, not just tells, the awesome features of our games that formats like icons, screenshots, and text descriptions simply can’t communicate.”

A sneak peek of an app or game’s features not only gets potential users to download it but, as AdColony EMEA head Andrew French says, “it can shave a sizeable percentage off your overall UA budget.”

“Video campaigns also cut down on wasted efforts and spend because users know precisely what they are getting into; they know what to expect, and they genuinely want the app for that reason,” he added. “The result is more users who are aligned with the app from the get-go and more likely to spend more time (and money) to savor the full experience.”