The mobile game industry is more competitive than ever, making effective advertising strategies essential for developers aiming to stand out. Mobile game advertising is a multifaceted approach, encompassing a range of techniques and platforms to reach potential players. One popular method is through in-game ads, where developers incorporate advertisements directly within the gameplay experience.
These game ads can take various forms, each with its unique strengths and weaknesses. From interstitial and rewarded video ads to native and banner ads, the types of mobile advertising available to game developers are diverse. If you’re wondering how to advertise a mobile game most effectively, consider starting with a deep understanding of your target audience and crafting a strategy that reaches them where they are most engaged. Best in-game advertising practices recommend creating ads that feel as natural and non-disruptive as possible, enhancing the player experience rather than detracting from it.
In a world where mobile gaming ads can make or break a game’s success, staying updated with the latest strategies and trends is crucial.
Let us guess you own a mobile game and want to monetize it, right? Well, lucky for you that we just thought to make a list with different types of ads available for this category of apps. Stick with us, and you will make the right decision by the end of the article.
Varied Types Of Mobile Game Advertising
Having so many options is good and bad at the same time, but a short discussion about the main solutions for adding ads inside your game will help you a lot.
Around Mobile Game Ads
Like a little break, you can display the following ads before the game starts or between different levels.
Playable Ads
Playable ads are much appreciated because it allows users to have fun while you increase your revenue. We already mentioned before that 2017 is the year of this type of ads. Here are 8 Quick Tips To Create Compelling Playable Ads.
Expandable Ads
Expandable ads are created with the purpose of revealing more information about a specific brand without leaving the game. With rich media elements, you have the opportunity to increase users’ interest.
Static Interstitial Ads
Interstitial ads are static images really efficient if and only if they don’t interrupt users’ experience. You need to analyze the situation and to find the right place to display them because they occupy the entire screen and users can close them instantly without paying attention to the product.
Video Ads
Video ads are similar to static interstitials with the only difference provided by the informative content which is enhanced by video format. Plenty of studies prove its efficiency due to the various options to place them.
In-Game Ads
This type of ad refers to the content which appears right in the middle of the action.
Banner Ads
There is a general misconception regarding mobile game banner ads generated by the wrong methods some advertisers use to annoy users with ugly and irrelevant content. Mobile game banner ads can be a solution for your game if you follow the rules because it is effortless to design and integrate them inside your game.
Incentive Ads
Rewarded ads are one of the most efficient formats in mobile game advertisements because they offer valuable items for your players. It is harder to implement them since you need to integrate them into your gameplay. Choose the mobile game advertising platform carefully. But it is worth the entire effort if you manage to create the right atmosphere around them.
Advergaming
If gamification is such an effective strategy for almost all types of apps, why not considering it when it comes to promoting a product by advergaming?
Product Placement
Adding elements from games in the advertising world is a technique that enriches customers’ experience. You can transform your game into space where users can also ingeniously play with different products.
Critical Features The Best Ad Format Should Have
And now, let’s discover where to look when choosing the ad format that fits your game.
High eCPM Rates
When you want to select the type of ad which will help you monetize your game it is essential to think about eCPM rates and to go with the ad which will bring you more money for one thousand impressions served. After all, mobile game advertising revenue should always be higher than mobile game advertising cost. For this reason, you can select the most engaging types like playable ads or video ads.
Not Interrupting Game Experience
Well, we have an entire article with Tips For Effective In-App Ad Monetization With Great UX which will help you to find the right balance between increasing your revenue and allowing players to enjoy the game they love. No matter what ad format you select, you shouldn’t attack users with promotional content. This should be the number one rule of your mobile game advertising strategy. Offering useful information and maybe some bonuses are the right way to act.
Taking Place In Natural Points
Imagine that: You are having a blast with a fantastic game, and right in the middle of the action an interstitial ad ruins everything. The best solution with this type is to wait until users complete a level or when they seem to require a little timeout.
Not Excluding People From Game
Whatever you choose, you need to be careful not to determine users to leave the game. There are big chance that customers interested in the product presented by your ad will search for more information about that specific brand. In case you observe this type of reaction, you can add a message which will warn players that are about to access another page far from the game.
Not Giving Place To Banner Blindness
At the same time, you have to remember that many users can simply ignore your ad if it isn’t relevant enough. To ensure you obtain the desired results, you should find the right place for your ad. And we point now to banner ads for which user can develop banner blindness syndrome.
Pay Attention To Ad Blocking
People tend to block ads when they become annoying. You must prevent that by any means. Ad-blocking tools usually work with banner ads, so if this becomes a real issue, you need to change your strategy and to adapt your approach to users’ preferences.
Final Thoughts
Let’s clarify a few things here. When you want to select an ad suitable for your game, you have to take a little time and understand each method’s characteristics. Remember that it concerns the results you want to achieve and the resources invested in each technique. And we are not talking only about money. Rewarded ads followed by video ads seem to be the winners of this dilemma, but many factors will influence your decision. Think about all the features listed above and choose the one approved by your target audience. They are your inspiration if you allow them to help you.