Mobile gaming has become a highly competitive industry, with millions of games available in app stores. Mobile games are still resilient to the post-COVID atmosphere, but with the increasing CPI and the decreasing mobile game revenue, developers and marketers are looking for ways to improve user engagement and retention. Mobile gaming retargeting is one of the most effective ways to achieve this. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of mobile gaming retargeting, its benefits, and best practices to improve user engagement and retention.
What is mobile gaming retargeting?
Mobile gaming retargeting is an advertising strategy that targets users who have interacted with a mobile game. Retargeting allows game developers and marketers to reach out to users who have shown interest in their game, promoting personalized ads to them when they are browsing the web or using other apps.
Sometimes, ‘’there’s no need to reinvent the wheel’’ and utilizing the existing interest and interaction can benefit mobile games. Retargeting for mobile games is known to impact retention rates and overall engagement positively. Types of mobile gaming retargeting include:
- Website retargeting
- App retargeting (push notifications)
- Email retargeting
How mobile gaming retargeting works
Retargeting works by placing a cookie on the user’s device when they interact with the game or make an in-app purchase. This cookie allows the game developer or marketer to serve personalized ads to the user when they are browsing the web or using other apps. Successful examples of mobile gaming retargeting campaigns include personalized ads with special offers or discounts. Retargeting campaigns can also be used to encourage users to return to the game and complete unfinished levels or to make additional in-app purchases.
Best practices for mobile gaming retargeting
To make the most out of mobile gaming retargeting, it is important to follow the best practices:
Audience segmentation
One of the essential practices in mobile gaming retargeting is audience segmentation. Segmentation involves dividing a vast audience into smaller groups based on characteristics such as demographics, interests, behaviors, or other attributes. By segmenting your audience, you can create targeted ad campaigns that resonate with specific groups of users. This approach can help increase the likelihood of conversion, as users are more likely to engage with ads that are relevant to their interests.
Personalized content
Another crucial aspect of mobile gaming retargeting is creating personalized content. Personalized ads can be created by leveraging user data such as their behavior, preferences, or past interactions with a game. By tailoring ad creatives to specific users, creating more engaging and impactful campaigns that resonate with them on a deeper level is possible. This can lead to higher engagement rates and increased conversion rates.
Timing and frequency
Timing and frequency of retargeting ads are also important considerations. It’s important to refrain from bombarding users with too many ads or showing them at the wrong time. This can lead to ad fatigue and banner blindness, where users become desensitized to ads and are less likely to engage with them. Retargeting ads should be scheduled at appropriate times, avoiding times when users are less likely to engage with ads, such as during work hours or late at night.
Lastly, make sure to keep an eye on how your ads are doing. Metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition can provide valuable insights into the performance of campaigns. Based on this data, it’s possible to identify areas for improvement and optimize campaigns for better results.
Metrics to measure the success of mobile gaming retargeting
When measuring the success of mobile gaming retargeting campaigns, there are a few key performance indicators (KPIs) to keep in mind. These metrics can help you understand your campaigns’ performance and where you might need adjustments.
- Click-through rate (CTR): This is the percentage of people who clicked on your ad after seeing it. A high CTR can indicate that your ad is relevant and engaging to your target audience.
- Conversion rate: This measures the percentage of people who clicked on your ad and then took a desired action, such as installing your game or making an in-app purchase.
- Return on ad spend (ROAS): This measures the revenue generated from your retargeting campaign compared to the cost of running the campaign. A higher ROAS means you’re generating more revenue from your ad spend.
- Cost per acquisition (CPA): This measures the cost of acquiring a new user or customer through your retargeting campaign. Lower CPA means you’re getting more value for your ad spend.
Tools to measure retargeting campaign success
There are several tools available that can help you track and measure the success of your mobile gaming retargeting campaigns. Here are the two most popular ones:
- Google Analytics: This free tool from Google can help you track website traffic, user behavior, and conversions. You can use it to measure the success of your retargeting campaigns by setting up conversion tracking and monitoring key metrics like CTR and conversion rate.
- Meta Ads Manager: If you’re running retargeting campaigns on Facebook or Instagram, you can use Ads Manager to track metrics like CTR, conversion rate, and CPA. You can also set up custom audiences and track how different ad sets are performing.
By using these tools and monitoring key performance indicators, you can gain insights into how well your retargeting campaigns perform and make data-driven decisions to improve them.
Challenges and solutions in mobile gaming retargeting
-
Ad blockers
One of the significant challenges in mobile gaming retargeting is ad blockers. Ad blocking has become more prevalent in recent years, with many users adopting the technology to reduce intrusive ads on their mobile devices. Ad blockers can impact retargeting campaigns, preventing ads from being displayed to users who have installed them. This can result in lower visibility and reach for retargeting campaigns, making it more challenging to engage with potential customers.
One solution to this challenge is to create more relevant and personalized ads that users are less likely to block. By creating ads that resonate with users and are tailored to their interests, you can increase engagement and reduce the chances of ad blocking.
Another challenge in mobile gaming retargeting is ad fatigue and banner blindness. Ad fatigue occurs when users are exposed to too many ads, leading to disinterest and a lack of engagement with retargeting campaigns. Banner blindness is when users become desensitized to banner ads and ignore them altogether.
It would be best to use retargeting sparingly and strategically to avoid such challenges. It’s important not to bombard users with too many ads and instead focus on showing them relevant and targeted campaigns. By using frequency capping and scheduling ads at appropriate times, you can reduce the likelihood of ad fatigue and banner blindness and increase engagement rates.
-
The role of AI and machine learning in mobile gaming retargeting
AI and machine learning can help identify patterns in user behavior and preferences, enabling more personalized and targeted campaigns. They can also help optimize real-time retargeting campaigns, adjusting the targeting and creative elements to improve performance. You can create more effective retargeting campaigns that deliver better results by leveraging these technologies.
Conclusion
Mobile gaming retargeting is a powerful tool for game developers and marketers to improve user engagement and retention.
Retargeting campaigns can increase conversions and revenue by following best practices, measuring key performance indicators, and overcoming challenges.
With the increasing competition in the mobile gaming industry, retargeting is a must-try strategy for any game developer or marketer looking to improve user engagement and retention.