Before the revolutionary rise of the smartphone, video games were a niche hobby for a relatively small number of desktop and console gamers.
This changed with the increased adoption of smartphones and affordable data plans. Today, people all over the world are turning to mobile games in a big way. With over 2.2 billion mobile gamers all over the world, it’s time marketers monetize this massive opportunity.
And gaming advertisements (ads) can help spread the word about your products.
What Gaming Ads Are
Gaming ads involve the placement of advertisements within a game’s virtual environment. Doing this provides many benefits to stakeholders.
Game developers have a major monetization channel within their grasp. Customers can accept ads in gaming thanks to their opt-in nature. Advertisers love them because they provide a targeted and measurable channel for deploying promotions.
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Different Ad Formats for Mobile Gaming
It’s critical to understand the different ad formations available on the market. Each format has its benefits that every marketer should know.
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Freemium Ad Format
This one of the most popular advertising models where a mobile game is free and generates revenue from the audience that chooses the upgrade option. When using this model, game developers need to persuade the gamers to upgrade for a superior experience. This is usually as more features or an ad-free subscription service.
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Free-to-Play
These games are free. However, developers generate revenue by exposing gamers to in-game currency or in-app ads. While mobile gaming is free, it’s critical for developers don’t run a user’s experience by overloading the app with ads.
Three Types of Mobile Gaming Apps
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Banner Ads
Just like the traditional banner ad on the desktop, an HTML5 game banner ad can also be used within a mobile game. This format typically costs less compared to other formats and is also an unobtrusive way of showing ads to the audience.
As a marketer, you must know banner blindness. This occurs when the gamer is so accustomed to the banner ads that they do not notice what is in the advertisement.
Consider adding rich media elements such as video and dynamic images for creative mobile gaming ads. Since these ads offer little space to convey a message, introducing elements such as video can make the ad more noticeable and increase engagement.
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Interstitial Ads
These are full-screen mobile gaming ads that appear on a gamer’s screen at opportune moments during a session. The ad format is especially effective in games that have linear progression levels. Breaks within the gameplay provide several opportunities for users to notice your ad.
Interstitial ads are also suitable for campaigns with video or store locators to increase engagement. However, because the ad takes up the device’s entire screen, your ad must be appropriate to the game. Users spend up to 22 percent of their time looking for how to exit a full-screen ad, so make sure the Facebook gaming ad is related to something the user finds valuable.
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Rewarding Video Ads
These are usually 15- to 30-second videos that appear at opportune gameplay breaks. Since some gamers mute sound, you must have a CTA that conveys without and with sound. You also have the option of leading users to gamified ads that engage with the audience and offer rewards for actions they take.
The Takeaway
Mobile gaming ads provide a host of advantages over traditional advertising platforms. However, the key to real success lies in aligning the needs of gamers, developers, and advertisers.