Introduction to Attribution Models

In mobile marketing, attribution models are the guiding light for app developers and marketers. But what exactly are attribution models? Simply put, they are frameworks that help attribute credit to various marketing touchpoints along the user journey, from initial engagement to conversion. The key to understanding attribution models is not just understanding data but also gaining valuable insights that can apply to your app’s success trajectory.

The Significance of Accurate Attribution

Effective mobile marketing relies on accurate attribution. It allows marketers to determine which marketing efforts drive user acquisition, engagement, and conversions. Marketers can optimize their strategies, allocate resources efficiently, and maximize return on investment (ROI) by understanding the impact of each touchpoint.

Key Attribution Models in Mobile Marketing

Let’s explore some of the primary attribution models:

Last-Click Attribution

In marketing, last-click attribution attributes credit to the last touchpoint before a user installs or converts. Marketers can use it to understand which specific action led to the desired outcome at the end of the user journey. For example, if a user clicks on a Facebook ad and then installs the app immediately after, the Facebook ad would receive credit for the installation.

However, last-click attribution is insufficient to capture the entire user experience, and users’ decision-making processes are influenced by various touchpoints and interactions.

First-Click Attribution

On the other hand, the first-click attribution method pinpoints an initial touchpoint that piques a user’s interest and initiates the conversion process. The first interaction with an app or advertisement gives marketers insights into user interest and discovery. For example, if a user first discovers an app through a Google search and later installs it after viewing a promotional video, the Google search would receive credit for initiating the user’s interest.

Yet, determining the true first touchpoint can be challenging as users transition between devices and channels. Users may interact with various marketing efforts across different platforms before ultimately converting, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact moment that triggered their interest

Multi-Touch Attribution

A multi-touch attribution model offers a more comprehensive view of a user’s journey by evaluating all touchpoints contributing to conversion. Multi-touch attribution utilizes the entire sequence of interactions rather than just the first or last interaction to provide a holistic understanding of user behavior.

Customizing multi-touch models for mobile apps is essential to capture diverse interactions. A thorough analysis of the sequence and impact of each touchpoint can give marketers valuable insight into the effectiveness of their marketing efforts across channels and devices. For example, a user might first discover an app through a social media ad, engage with the app’s website, and finally convert after receiving a push notification.

Tracking Across Devices and Platforms

Users increasingly transition between smartphones, tablets, desktops, and different platforms, making it difficult to track their journeys. This presents a significant challenge for marketers to track and attribute user interactions accurately.

Cross-device attribution methods are essential for gaining a comprehensive understanding of user behavior. However, identifying users across different devices while respecting their privacy is no small task. A sophisticated cross-device tracking mechanism should be implemented to reconcile fragmented user journeys and provide a unified view.

Challenges of Attribution in Mobile User Acquisition

Privacy Concerns and Data Limitations

Talking about privacy, the heightened concerns and upcoming regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, marketers must navigate data limitations while adhering to compliance requirements and ethical data practices. User privacy is paramount, and marketers must tread carefully to ensure that data collection and attribution practices are transparent, secure, and respectful of user preferences.

Moreover, as data privacy regulations continue to evolve, marketers must stay abreast of the latest developments and adapt their attribution strategies accordingly. This includes obtaining explicit user consent for data collection and processing, implementing robust data security measures, and providing users with clear options to control their privacy preferences.

In-App Advertising and Promotions

Attribution becomes even more intricate with in-app advertising and promotions, where users engage with content within the app ecosystem itself. It is necessary to utilize specialized attribution models and tracking mechanisms to determine the effectiveness of in-app advertising campaigns.

Another layer of complexity is added to attribution efforts when determining which in-app touchpoints, such as banner ads, interstitials, and native promotions, are being tracked. Marketers should use advanced analytics tools and attribution platforms to attribute conversions and measure ROI from in-app advertising campaigns accurately.

Data-Driven Attribution and New Technologies

Modern attribution modeling relies heavily on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). In addition to processing enormous quantities of data, these technologies can identify intricate patterns and correlations. A machine learning algorithm analyzes user interactions and touchpoints by analyzing the most influential factors driving conversions.

Over time, machine learning models adapt and refine their understanding of user journeys and attribution pathways through sophisticated algorithms. Using this technology, marketers gain a deeper understanding of mobile user acquisition, allowing them to make confident data-driven decisions.

How can marketers leverage attribution insights to run successful campaigns and optimize user acquisition strategies?

Aligning Attribution Insights with Marketing Campaigns

It is essential to align attribution insights with ongoing and upcoming marketing campaigns. Using attribution data, marketers can identify which channels, touchpoints, and campaigns are driving the best return on investment (ROI).

With attribution insights, marketers can allocate budget and resources strategically, focusing on channels and campaigns that have the greatest impact. For example, if attribution data reveals that a particular social media platform consistently drives high-quality leads and conversions, marketers can prioritize investment in that channel and tailor messaging and creative assets to resonate with the target audience.

Customizing Marketing Efforts Based on Attribution Data

In addition to surface-level metrics, attribution data is essential for revealing patterns and trends in user behavior. With the help of attribution data, marketers can gain valuable insights into their target audience’s preferences, interests, and behaviors, allowing them to tailor marketing efforts to their specific needs.

For instance, if data indicates that users who engage with video content are more likely to convert, marketers can invest in video advertising and create appealing video campaigns that capture audience attention and drive action. Additionally, if certain demographics or segments respond more favorably to specific messaging or offers, marketers can customize their communications to maximize engagement and conversions.

Continuous Optimization of User Acquisition Strategies

The key to staying ahead of the competition and maximizing results in mobile marketing is continuous optimization. Marketers can use attribution data to identify improvement areas and opportunities in their user acquisition strategies.

Whether it’s refining targeting parameters, adjusting bid strategies, or testing new creative elements, continuous optimization enables marketers to iterate and evolve their strategies in real time, driving incremental improvements in campaign performance and ROI.

Conclusion

Mobile marketers need attribution models to understand the intricate pathways of user acquisition. From last-click attribution to multi-touch models, each approach helps marketers understand user behavior and optimize their strategies accordingly. Despite cross-device tracking challenges, privacy concerns, and intricacies of in-app advertising, data-driven attribution, and machine learning enable marketers to adapt and thrive in the mobile ecosystem. To sustain success in mobile marketing, marketers must align attribution insights with marketing campaigns, customize efforts based on data, and refine their strategies continually. In the end, mobile marketing attribution models are not just about deciphering data. They’re about leveraging insights to deliver meaningful experiences and tangible results.

The post Attribution Models in Mobile User Acquisition first appeared on AppSamurai.

To help you make the most of Valentine’s Day marketing in 2024, we’ve compiled 10 actionable tips to boost your app’s presence- and bonus ones for mobile games! The following strategies are designed to capture your audience, whether you’re in eCommerce, social media, or lifestyle apps. Let’s explore how to make your app stand out this Valentine’s Day!

First, let’s look at some data:

• According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. consumers spent $25.9 billion on Valentine’s gifts in 2023, the second-highest spending year ever.
• In February 2023, session lengths on shopping deals apps, food and drink apps, and social networking apps increased.
• App installs increased in most categories:

Now that we are reminded of the importance of Valentine’s for mobile apps, let’s move on to some actionable tips:

• Explore Alternative Audiences:

Valentine’s Day isn’t exclusively for couples. Depending on your app’s features, you may want to target singles, friends, and even pet owners. Customize your marketing materials for different segments by conducting A/B tests. For instance, if you have a food delivery app, offer special deals for singles hosting solo nights or virtual gatherings with friends or family. Customize your messages to appeal to each audience segment, maximizing engagement and expanding your app’s reach.

• Craft Irresistible Deals:

Promotions, discounts, and giveaways are powerful tools for engagement and user acquisition. Make sure your offers align with long-term marketing goals and are promoted across multiple channels. To entice users to download and explore the app further, offer users exclusive discounts or freebies within it.

• Go for Ad Placements on Dating Apps:

Use dating apps to reach active users who are looking for connections or planning special occasions during Valentine’s Day. Using this targeted approach, your app can capture the attention of individuals looking for gift ideas, date-planning tools, or romantic experiences.

• Update Your Ad Creatives:

Don’t be afraid to use Valentine’s Day imagery and messages. Ad creatives should incorporate established themes and resonate effectively with your audience. With so many apps trying to capture users’ attention, use the power of visuals to help you stand out. 

• Engage on Social Media:

Leverage platforms like Instagram and TikTok by sharing Valentine’s Day-themed posts, using trending sounds and memes. Additionally, you can create interactive content such as polls or quizzes related to Valentine’s Day themes, which will help you engage with your community.

• Share the Love with User-Generated Content: 

Featuring user-generated reviews and testimonials adds authenticity to your marketing efforts. Monitor trending hashtags and topics to ensure your UGC campaigns stay up-to-date. Consider running Valentine’s Day contests or challenges for users to share their Valentine’s Day experiences. Build a vibrant app community by offering attractive incentives like discounts and rewards.

• Customize Push Notifications:

Push notifications are a direct way to engage existing users and increase app interaction.  Notifications tailored to the user’s preferences and behavior can enhance open rates and bring back uninstalled users. Push notifications also enable app owners to highlight new features or content in re-engagement campaigns, enticing inactive users to return and explore the app.

• Review your ASO:

Optimize your app store presence by reviewing and updating your (ASO) strategies. Ensure your app title, description, keywords, and visuals reflect the Valentine’s Day theme and resonate with potential users. To improve discoverability, include relevant keywords such as “Valentine’s Day gifts” or “romantic date ideas.”

• Cater to Last-Minute Shoppers:

Offer flash sales and limited-time promotions to take advantage of the last-minute shopping rush. Create a sense of urgency with countdown timers and promote these deals across all marketing channels to capture procrastinating shoppers’ attention. Highlight your app’s features, such as the convenience of purchasing gifts or planning romantic experiences through your app.

• Measure and Plan:

Make sure your marketing efforts are spread across various channels to maximize exposure. Measure the performance of your campaigns and analyze user engagement to refine your strategies for future campaigns. To assess the effectiveness of your Valentine’s Day marketing initiatives and identify areas for improvement, track key metrics such as app downloads, user engagement, and conversion rates.

Special Valentine’s Tips for Mobile Games:

• Valentine’s-Themed Events:

Introduce special Valentine’s Day events, challenges, or themed levels to your mobile game, such as Valentine’s Day tournaments, challenges, or creative contests where players can showcase their skills. Incentivize participation and player engagement by offering attractive prizes or rewards.

• Offer Limited-Time Rewards:

Offer special rewards and bonuses during Valentine’s Day to entice players. It may be useful to provide players with Valentine ‘s-themed items, skins, or power-ups that are only available for a limited time- adding excitement and incentive.

• Share Valentine’s Day Wishes:

Feel free to send heartfelt wishes or messages within your game to show your appreciation to your players. Send personalized messages to show your gratitude for their support and loyalty, and thank them for joining your gaming community.

• Utilize Rewarded Playtime

This Valentine’s season, transform players into champions with Rewarded Playtime, aka Play-to-Earn campaigns. This model offers incentives to players based on their game time, encouraging dedicated users to immerse themselves in your game continuously. Additionally, as players invest more time in the game, their inclination to make in-app purchases increases, simplifying scaling your mobile game. Learn more about AppSamurai for Games here. 

Final Thoughts

Valentine’s Day is a strategic opportunity for apps to enhance their presence and engage with users more deeply. As February 14th approaches, fine-tuning your marketing strategies becomes essential. Whether you’re in eCommerce, social media, or lifestyle apps, we hope this guide helps you take advantage of Valentine’s Day’s potential! Lastly, don’t forget to explore:

• AppSamurai DSP for a performance-guaranteed CPI-based programmatic buying strategy.
• AppSamurai OEMs for seamlessly placing your app onto targeted users’ screens through on-device, native app showcases.

The post Valentine’s Day App Marketing: 10 Tips That Actually Work first appeared on AppSamurai.

What is Rewarded Playtime?

Rewarded Playtime operates on a fundamental yet ingenious principle – rewarding players based on the time they invest in a game. Play-to-earn encourages dedicated users to immerse themselves continuously in the gaming experience.

The more time players invest, the more they gain, creating a symbiotic relationship between engagement and rewards.

Check out Faheem Saiyad’s insights on reward-based models from our latest webinar, Emerging Genres and UA Approaches in Mobile Gaming

Extending Gameplay 

Developers can significantly increase player retention by offering rewards tied to gameplay duration. This extension of gameplay is not just about keeping players glued to their screens; it’s about crafting immersive experiences that become an integral part of a player’s daily routine.

Elevating Lifetime Value (LTV): From Players to Champions

LTV is crucial to the success of any mobile game.  The model operates on a positive feedback loop. As players evolve into champions, they are more likely to spend on in-app purchases. The longer they play, the more invested they become in the game’s ecosystem, making them more willing to spend on virtual items, upgrades, or exclusive content. This streamlined connection between gameplay and purchases simplifies the process of scaling mobile games.

Getting Started with Rewarded Playtime

As enticing as the Rewarded Playtime model may sound, effective implementation is key to unlocking its full potential. Here are some insights the expert growth consultants in AppSamurai utilize to make the most out of campaigns.

1. Understanding Your Player Base

Before diving into implementation, we take the time to understand your player base. Analyze player demographics, preferences, and playing habits. This information will guide us in tailoring rewards that resonate with your audience, ensuring maximum engagement.

2. Design Engaging Rewards

Rewarded Playtime’s success depends on the appeal of its rewards. We collaborate with your team to create incentives that excite and motivate players while focusing on your goals.

Say that in your game, extra content is unlocked after level 5, and you want as many players as possible to finish that level and be introduced to content that will keep them engaged even more. In this case, Rewarded Playtime comes into play with an offer for completing level 5 to boost engagement extend gameplay, consequently increasing LTV and retention.

Did you know? 

According to the Mobile Gaming Loyalty by Mistplay, 84% of mobile gamers say they will include games that offer tangible rewards in their game rotation – or switch to those games altogether. 

The study also found that one in four players would stop playing a previous favorite if the new game offered tangible rewards like gift cards. 

Source: Mistplay

Case Study: Realizing Success with Rewarded Playtime

Unico Studio’s popular title, ‘Zen Life’ is one of the most popular puzzle games with 500K+ downloads and MAU of 100K+ across iOS & Android platforms. As eCPMs continue to rise, it’s getting harder to acquire high-quality users with good LTVs. This is why Unico Studio partnered with AppSamurai and utilized the power of Rewarded Playtime campaigns. Here’s what they achieved:

• 125% ROAS
• 15% revenue growth via In-App Purchases (along with the revenue generated from in-app ads.)

Click here to read the full case study!

Final Thoughts

In the dynamic mobile gaming world, AppSamurai’s Rewarded Playtime stands out as a revolutionary model. Using the model, you can segment your audience, tailor rewards to their preferences, and reach a diverse audience. With insightful case studies showcasing the model’s success, Rewarded Playtime emerges as a powerful strategy for developers seeking to transform player engagement into lasting financial success.

The post Rewarded Playtime for Mobile Games: Extend Gameplay, Elevate LTV, and Boost Earnings first appeared on AppSamurai.

Overview of Header Bidding and Programmatic Waterfall

There are two dominant approaches to programmatic advertising (with header bidding taking the lead): header bidding and programmatic waterfall. These methods have distinct characteristics that significantly impact ad monetization strategies and overall outcomes.

Understanding the Waterfall Method

As the name implies, the waterfall system is a sequential method for selling ad inventory by cascading ad requests through different ad networks or exchanges until a suitable ad is found. The sequential process ensures that every ad request is handled in a structured manner.

Programmatic waterfalls begin with a preferred ad network, and then request ads from other networks if the first fails to deliver. This sequential process is repeated until an appropriate ad is identified and displayed. Even though waterfall is straightforward and easy to implement, it has its own set of challenges.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Waterfall Approach

Advantages

Simplicity: The waterfall method is straightforward and easy to implement, making it accessible for publishers.

Control: The order of ad network priorities can be controlled by publishers so that preferred networks can be prioritized.

Disadvantages:

Latency: Potential delays in loading ads can impact user experience as the sequential process might take time, leading to slower page load times.

Limited Revenue Optimization: As waterfall approaches may not always select the most profitable ad, they may not maximize revenue as effectively as other techniques.

Exploring Header Bidding

Header bidding, also known as advance bidding or pre-bidding, is an auction method where publishers simultaneously offer their ad inventory to multiple ad exchanges, enabling publishers to reach more demand partners and ensure the highest bid. Header bidding triggers an auction every time a user opens a webpage. Ad exchanges and demand partners are notified within milliseconds of an ad slot’s availability, and the advertiser with the highest bid wins. On mobile apps, this is called in-app bidding. 

Operational Mechanics of Header Bidding

In header bidding, a piece of code is embedded in the header of a web page or app, allowing multiple ad exchanges to submit bids at the same time. The highest bid is then selected, and the winning ad is displayed. This process enables publishers to access a broader pool of advertisers and select the highest-paying ad in real-time.

Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Header Bidding

Benefits:

Maximized Revenue: Header bidding enables publishers to sell more ad space and get the highest bid for their inventory, maximizing revenue potential.

Transparency: Publishers and advertisers benefit from header bidding since it fosters fair competition and transparency.

Optimization: Header bidding enables advertisers to access impression data to optimize their campaigns better.

Challenges:

Latency Concerns: When multiple bids are made simultaneously, the page load time may be slowed, affecting the user experience. Efforts are made to mitigate this challenge through optimization.

Technical Complexity:

Compared to waterfall bidding, header bidding requires a more sophisticated technological setup. Publishers must ensure seamless integration and ongoing management of their systems.

Header bidding has gained prominence due to its potential for revenue optimization and improved transparency in the bidding process. Even though it comes with its challenges, its benefits often outweigh its drawbacks.

The Transition from Waterfall to Header Bidding

Header bidding has been adopted as a result of several industry trends, which reflect greater sophistication and transparency in ad buying. Here are a few key trends:

1. Increased Demand for Transparency: There has been a growing demand for more transparency in ad buying from both advertisers and publishers. The header bidding process allows both parties to see how ad inventory is valued, giving them a clearer picture of the bidding landscape.
2. Real-Time Bidding Dynamics: The rise of real-time bidding (RTB) has contributed to the popularity of header bidding. Digital advertising is dynamic, so the ability to gather bids from multiple sources in real time is essential.
3. Growing Importance of Data:
   It is possible to target audiences more precisely with header bidding. With the increasing emphasis on data-driven advertising, publishers are leveraging header bidding to access richer sets of data for precise ad targeting.
4. Competitive Landscape: Advertisers are keen to ensure their bids are considered in real-time against competitors. Header bidding fosters a more competitive environment, encouraging advertisers to submit their best bids to secure premium ad placements.

How Publishers and Advertisers Are Adapting?

The shift to header bidding requires adaptation to header bidding involving strategic adjustments by both publishers and advertisers. Among the key considerations are:

1. Investment in Technology: The ad tech industry is investing in sophisticated solutions for seamless header bidding integration and management. This involves selecting or developing platforms that align with their specific needs.
2. Education and Training: In order to make informed decisions about header bidding, publishers and advertisers are educating their teams.
3. Dynamic Pricing Strategies: As advertisers compete in the real-time bidding environment, they adapt their pricing strategies accordingly. This involves analyzing data and adjusting bids based on performance.
4. Continuous Optimization: Publishers and advertisers are both adopting a continuous optimization mindset. For maximum revenue and efficiency, it is important to review and refine header bidding setups on a regular basis.

Best Practices for Implementing Header Bidding in Mobile Apps

Preparing Your Tech Stack for Header Bidding

Implementing header bidding successfully in mobile apps requires a robust technical infrastructure. Here’s an outline of the necessary components for a successful implementation:

1. Ad SDK Integration: You should ensure seamless integration with your ad SDK. The header bidding solution should effectively communicate with the ad SDK to request, process, and display bids within the app environment.
2. Header Bidding Wrapper for Mobile: You may want to consider using a header bidding wrapper specifically designed for in-app environments. Among the most popular wrappers for mobile apps are Prebid Mobile and PubMatic’s OpenWrap SDK.
3. Responsive Design for Mobile: You should optimize your mobile app for responsive design to accommodate header bidding without compromising the user experience. Responsive design ensures a smooth auction process across various mobile devices.
4. Data Management Platform (DMP) for Mobile: Utilize a mobile-friendly DMP to collect, analyze, and leverage audience data for more precise targeting within your mobile app. This enhances the value of your in-app ad inventory and attracts higher bids.
5. Page Load Optimization for Mobile: Optimise your mobile application’s ad loading times to minimize latency concerns. Implement asynchronous loading of header bidding scripts and strategically place them to minimize the impact on user experience.

Managing and Optimizing Header Bidding Setups

Once header bidding is implemented in your mobile app, ongoing management and optimization are essential. These guidelines will help you manage and optimize header bidding setups within mobile apps:

1. Performance Monitoring for Mobile Apps: Make sure you are continuously monitoring the header bidding performance within your mobile app. Determine areas for improvement specific to the mobile environment by tracking metrics such as fill rates, latency, and revenue.
2. Bidder Evaluation for Mobile Apps: Monitor different bidders’ performance in your mobile app regularly. It is important to consider factors such as the density of bids, the win rates, and the overall contribution to revenue. Adjust bidder priorities based on mobile-specific performance.
3. Header Bidding Analytics for Mobile Apps: To gain deeper insights into auction dynamics in a mobile environment, utilize header bidding analytics tools designed specifically for mobile apps. Identify the bidders’ behavior, the bids’ response time, and the competitiveness of auctions on mobile devices.
4. A/B Testing for Mobile Apps: Implement A/B testing for different configurations within your mobile app. Identify the most effective mobile setup by experimenting with timeout settings, floor prices, and bidder priorities.

The Role of Ad Exchanges and SSPs in Header Bidding for Mobile Apps

Ad Exchanges in Header Bidding for Mobile Apps

1. Facilitating Auction Dynamics: Ad exchanges are marketplaces where publishers and advertisers can engage in real-time bidding. Header bidding occurs almost instantaneously for mobile apps, allowing multiple demand sources to compete for impressions.
2. Offering Access to Demand Partners: Various demand partners are available to publishers through ad exchanges.This inclusivity is crucial in the mobile app environment, where different advertisers and demand-side platforms (DSPs) are vying to display their ads to targeted mobile audiences.
3. Ensuring Transparency: Transparency is a key consideration in header bidding, and ad exchanges play a pivotal role in providing this clarity. By facilitating a transparent and fair auction process, all demand partners are able to see the bids and publishers can gauge the value of their inventory.
4. Technology Integration: Publishers’ mobile apps can be integrated with ad exchanges through header bidding wrappers or SDKs (Software Development Kits). Through these integrations, bid requests and responses are able to flow seamlessly within the mobile app environment, ensuring a smooth auction process.
5. Fee Structures: When choosing an ad exchange partner, publishers need to take their fee structure into consideration. A transparent fee model is essential for publishers to understand how much revenue their mobile apps will retain from ad impressions.

SSPs in Header Bidding for Mobile Apps

1. Real-Time Decisioning: SSPs are crucial in the real-time decision-making process within the header bidding setup for mobile apps. They evaluate bids from multiple demand partners and determine the winning bid based on parameters such as bid values, targeting criteria, and overall campaign goals.
2. Header Bidding Wrapper Integration: In many cases, SSPs offer header bidding wrapper solutions that are specifically designed for mobile apps. The wrappers simplify the integration process for publishers, offering a unified solution for managing bids from various demand sources. This eases the technical complexities of header bidding
3. Unified Auctions: SSPs are moving towards unified auctions in the era of header bidding. This approach involves auctioning both direct-sold and programmatic inventory simultaneously, providing a comprehensive view of demand. Publishers can maximize revenue potential through unified auctions.
4. Optimization Tools for Mobile Apps: SSPs offer optimization tools designed for mobile apps. With these tools, publishers can fine-tune their header bidding configurations, including bid analytics, bidder prioritization, and floor price optimization. The features are designed to improve performance and revenue outcomes.

Conclusion

The strategic choice between header bidding and waterfall is crucial in programmatic advertising’s dynamic world and the industry’s siding with header bidding. The waterfall may cause latency issues and revenue limitations despite its sequential simplicity and control. In contrast, header bidding’s simultaneous approach maximizes revenue potential and transparency, requiring a more sophisticated setup. A successful adaptation strategy depends on education, technology investment, and dynamic pricing. It is vital to have a robust technology stack, header bidding wrappers, and optimization tools when implementing ads in mobile apps. SSPs play a key role in real-time decision-making and optimization, while ad exchanges facilitate auctions and ensure transparency. 

The post Header Bidding vs. Programmatic Waterfall: The Dynamic Landscape of Programmatic Advertising first appeared on AppSamurai.

Why is User Acquisition so Crucial in Casual Games?

User acquisition refers to the process of acquiring new players or users for a game or application. In the context of casual games, it involves attracting and converting potential players into active users. The growth of a casual game may stagnate without a steady inflow of new players, hindering its potential for success. When we look at mobile gaming genres with the largest percentage of advertisers, we see that casual games are at the top of the list with 27.8%. (Source: SocialPeta)

Users acquisition specialists around the world closely monitor metrics such as ROAS, LTV, and retention rates. Increasing a game’s user base and revenue significantly depends on user acquisition. The greater the player base, the greater the potential for in-app purchases and advertising revenue, as well as the likelihood of word-of-mouth referrals and organic growth.

What are casual game players like?

It’s crucial to understand casual game players’ demographics, preferences, and behavior before diving into user acquisition strategies. In general, casual games are enjoyed by a broad audience, spanning a wide range of ages and genders. Casual games are an ideal choice for these players who seek quick and accessible entertainment during their leisure time.

Like its name, this mobile gaming vertical is popular among casual gamers as it requires little concentration, giving them an opportunity to escape boredom from everyday life or play while on office break, commuting or watching TV. Since the vertical is a broad one, it can include a simple puzzle or a wording game as well as a strategy game. This gives players a chance to choose between different games based on their mood.

The data indicates that women spend more time playing casual games than men with an average of 22 minutes per day (an average male casual gamer spends 19 minutes). When it comes to age, 40s and over 50s take the lead with over 22 minutes per day. As far as regions, Africa has the longest average time with 26 minutes per day. (Source: Adjoe)

User Behavior and Preferences

Game developers must understand casual game players’ behavior and preferences in order to successfully acquire them. In order to identify pain points and areas for improvement, data on playing patterns, session lengths, and favorite game features can be analyzed. For example, you can monitor the specific levels and moments in the game that players tend to quit and try to strike a balance between the levels to ensure challenging levels won’t drive future players away from the game. 

Another example would be, if you are experiencing low D1 retention, and see that the players quit playing during onboarding, this might indicate that the game’s onboarding process might be complicated or not enough. 

The gaming experience can be enhanced by catering to user preferences, ultimately increasing user retention. Casual games don’t require deep concentration and a large investment of time, so app performance metrics such as loading time and crush time can have a significant impact on user experience.

Casual Games User Acquisition Channels

It is possible to categorize UA channels into organic and paid channels:

Organic Channels

1. SEO and ASO (App Store Optimization)

Organic search visibility can be significantly improved by optimizing a game’s website and app store listing with relevant keywords and appealing descriptions. The goal of App Store Optimization (ASO) is to increase the chances of potential players discovering and downloading the game in app store search results. Your app title, app description, screenshots and management of user reviews are either get you a high rank or push you down on the lists.

2. Social Media

The use of social media platforms is one of the most powerful organic methods of attracting casual game players. Players can be attracted and retained by engaging content, such as gameplay videos, contests, and community interactions. A game’s social media presence can be boosted by leveraging influencers and gaming communities.

3. Word-of-Mouth and Referrals

There is still a great deal of power in word-of-mouth in the gaming industry. It is possible for satisfied players to become brand ambassadors, promoting the game to their friends and families. You can further boost organic user acquisition by implementing referral programs or incentivizing sharing.

Paid Channels

1. Paid Advertising

Developers can target specific user segments with precision using paid advertising. A variety of targeting options are available on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads in order to reach potential players based on their demographics, interests, and behaviors. To entice users to click and install the game, compelling ad creatives are crucial.

Read how to create creatives that make people click!

2. Influencer Marketing

A partnership with influential gamers and content creators can help bring the game to a broad and engaged audience. User acquisition can be greatly enhanced by influencer partnerships since players often trust the recommendations of influencers.

3. Reward-based UA

Play-2-Earn and Rewarded Engagement model work by offering rewards to players in turn for their time and engagement. When your game is listed on the offerwalls, users install your game and do certain tasks within the game that ultimately boost user engagement, ad revenue and IAPs.

Click here – AppSamurai for Games to learn more about how it works!

How to Create Effective User Acquisition?

And here are the answers.

• Creating a Compelling Game Proposition

A successful user acquisition strategy starts with the game itself. An engaging game with intuitive mechanics, visually appealing graphics, and engaging gameplay will naturally attract players. It is possible to lay the foundation for organic growth by focusing on the player’s experience.

• Optimizing Your App Store Presence

The app store accounts for a significant portion of user acquisition. The app store listing can be optimized through ASO, appealing screenshots, and positive user reviews to increase visibility and credibility.

• Designing Effective Advertising Campaigns

A well-planned and executed paid advertising campaign will yield the best results. Test different ad creative options and targeting options to determine the most effective combination. The performance of each campaign should also be tracked to allocate resources where they are most effective and yield ROAS+ results. Data analytics is your best friend when it comes to advertising campaigns. You can improve your games and acquisition strategies by analyzing user data continuously and discovering trends, pain points, and trends.

• Influencer Partnerships and Collaboration

Choosing influencers whose audiences align with the game’s target demographic is crucial when partnering with them. Developers can ensure that the promotions feel genuine and engaging to influencers’ audiences by allowing them creative freedom.

Retention: The Other Side of User Acquisition

Casual games require users to be acquired in order to expand their player base, but they must also retain their player base to maintain their success. In addition to nurturing loyalty and encouraging them to become valuable advocates for your game, retaining existing users is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones.

Additionally, high retention rates contribute to higher revenue generation. In-app purchases are more likely to be made by loyal players, leading to a steady flow of income for game developers. Retaining players also increases ad revenues and engagement metrics since they spend more time in the game.

Strategies for Retaining and Engaging Users

1. User Segmentation in Targeting: Segmenting users involves dividing them into specific groups according to their age, interests, playing habits, and in-game behavior. You can divide your users into paying users and engaged users. The goal is to increase revenue from existing paying users while converting non-paying users into buyers. Maintain regular buying cycles for them by providing them with interesting offers and ensuring they get value for their money. Users who are engaged are potentially paying customers, since the more engaged they are, the greater the chance that they will make a purchase. Identify what they are most interested in and provide more of it.

2. Regular Content Updates: It is important to keep players interested by adding new features, challenges, and levels regularly to the game. It is possible to build anticipation and excitement among players by providing a roadmap of upcoming content.

3. Social and Community Features: Incorporating features like leaderboards, multiplayer modes, and Discord channels allows players to interact with one another, which fosters a sense of belonging and healthy competition. It is more likely that players will stay engaged in a game if they can connect with other players who share the same interests and the developers.

4. Customer Support and Feedback: In order to address issues promptly, developers should offer excellent customer support and actively seek feedback from players. The key to building trust and loyalty is to engage players and show them that their opinions matter.

5. Push Notifications and Email Marketing: Email marketing and push notifications are powerful tools for retaining users. Players can be reminded about the game and enticed to return by push notifications, which allow developers to send timely and personalized messages directly to their devices. It is important to take care not to spam and to deliver notifications that are relevant to the recipient.

Marketing via email is just as effective, especially when it comes to engaging dormant players. You can encourage players to rediscover the game and get involved again by crafting compelling emails that contain enticing offers, updates, and personalized messages.

Measuring User Acquisition

Tracking and analyzing specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) help developers determine user acquisition success.Some essential KPIs include:

1. Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Calculates the average cost of acquiring a single user.
2. Conversion Rate: Measures the percentage of users who take the desired action, such as installing the game after clicking an ad.
3. Retention Rate: Indicates the percentage of users who continue to engage with the game over time.
4. Lifetime Value (LTV): Estimates the revenue generated by an average user throughout their entire engagement with the game.
5. ROAS (Return on ad spend): Measures the revenue generated from the ad compared to the cost of the campaign, indicating the effectiveness of the investment.

Check out how we helped Unico Studios’ popular game ‘Zen Life’ go ROAS+ and increase IAPs by acquiring engaged users.

The post Casual Games User Acquisition: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Player Base first appeared on AppSamurai.

User acquisition is the lifeblood of every mobile game developer’s success. This involves creating targeted advertising campaigns to attract new users, drive installs and achieve high user engagement. This competitive process requires a delicate balance of creativity and data-driven strategies to entice potential players.

What’s click spamming about?

In the race to gain an edge over competitors, mobile game developers face an insidious threat – click spamming. Here’s how it works:

• Click IDs collected with click spamming 
• Organic install happens
• Publisher X attributed for the underserved install 

Since clicks are made by real and engaged users, it’s advantageous for fraudsters to claim quality installs.

Understand and Combat Click Spamming 

The effects of click spam go far beyond numbers; it poses severe consequences for user acquisition managers and the success of an entire mobile game. Protecting investments, maintaining integrity, and cultivating loyal users require understanding click spam tactics and putting in place effective countermeasures.

At its core, click spamming is an unethical practice aimed at gaming the advertising system. Automated bots and manual efforts are used to repeatedly click on ads, giving the impression that real users are interested in the ads. Because of this, measures of user acquisition are distorted, which leads to inaccurate evaluations of advertising effectiveness.

How Click Spamming Affects User Acquisition and Mobile Game Performance

In its wake, click spam leaves a trail of destruction that impacts every aspect of user acquisition campaigns and mobile game performance. As a result, budgets are wasted on fraudulent clicks, which drives up user acquisition costs.

Secondly, misrepresenting click data skews conversion rates, making it difficult to determine the real return on investment (ROI).

Last but not least, non-genuine users may reduce the game’s engagement and retention, which would be detrimental to its long-term success.

Key Indicators of Click Spamming Activity

User acquisition managers must be vigilant for telltale signs of click spamming:

• Suspiciously high click numbers that do not align with the number of installs or downloads
• Unusually low conversion rates (click-to-install)  despite significant ad engagement

Analyzing Data Patterns for Signs of Click Spamming

The use of data analytics is crucial to detecting click spam. Analyzing user data closely can reveal abnormal patterns, such as a high number of clicks originating from a single IP address or region.

It is wise to examine click-to-install times (CTITs) by publisher. Because click spammers cannot control when the app is organically downloaded, CTITs are generally longer than real non-organic installs and CTITs will show an abnormal distribution.

Generally, most conversions happen in the first two hours after the user clicks on the ad, but this timeframe is exceeded with click spamming. The market standard is having this exceed 20% maximum, otherwise the possibility of fraud increases.

Detecting Click Spamming: Adopting Best Practices

Constant Monitoring of Click-Through Rates:

Continuous monitoring of click-through rates (CTR) is a fundamental step in detecting click spam.  A sudden surge in clicks without corresponding increases in downloads or installs may indicate fraudulent activities. Managers can detect anomalies quickly and respond proactively by establishing baseline CTR metrics and comparing them with real-time data.

Conducting Data Pattern Analysis:

The use of data-driven analysis can help uncover click spamming activities. IP addresses, device types, user behavior, and geographic locations are among the key data points to analyze. An unusual pattern of clicks, such as a cluster of non-human devices clicking or disproportionately high numbers from a single IP address, could indicate click spam.

Leveraging Advanced Fraud Detection Tools:

In order to improve their ability to detect click spamming, user acquisition managers should equip themselves with advanced fraud detection tools. Using machine learning algorithms and real-time analytics, these tools help identify fraudulent activities in an automated and sophisticated manner. Managers can take immediate actions to prevent further damage by leveraging such technology and detecting click spam early on.

Remember that being proactive in identifying irregularities is the first line of defense against click spamming.

Tools and Technologies to Combat Click Spamming

1. Adjust Fraud Prevention Suite:

The Adjust Fraud Prevention Suite is a comprehensive ad fraud detection and prevention tool that offers real-time protection against click spamming, SDK spoofing, and other fraudulent activities. It uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to analyze data patterns and identify suspicious behavior, allowing advertisers to take immediate action and protect their campaigns from fraud.

2. AppsFlyer Protect360:

AppsFlyer Protect360 is a leading mobile ad fraud prevention platform that leverages advanced AI and predictive analytics to detect and block fraudulent activities in real-time. The software provides accurate attribution and offers robustprotection against click injections, click spamming, and other fraudulent practices, ensuring advertisers only pay for genuine conversions.

3. Kochava Fraud Console:

Kochava Fraud Console is a powerful ad fraud detection tool that helps advertisers identify and combat fraudulent activities across their mobile ad campaigns. It uses a combination of rule-based and machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior, detect anomalies, and prevent fraudulent clicks and installs.

4. Singular Fraud Prevention:

Singular Fraud Prevention is a feature-rich mobile ad fraud software that enables advertisers to detect and prevent ad fraud across their marketing campaigns. It provides real-time fraud alerts, offers device-level fraud protection, and utilizes deterministic attribution modeling to ensure accurate and reliable attribution.

5. Interceptd:

Interceptd is a user-centric mobile ad fraud prevention tool that uses behavior analysis to identify and block fraudulent activities. It offers insights into the quality of traffic sources, protecting advertisers from click fraud, attribution fraud, and install hijacking.

6. FraudScore:

FraudScore is an all-in-one ad fraud detection and prevention platform that offers real-time protection against various fraudulent activities, including click fraud, attribution fraud, and bot traffic. It provides a comprehensive fraud risk assessment and helps advertisers optimize their campaigns for better performance.

The role of AI and machine learning

The use of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the way user acquisition managers combat spamming. Using these technologies, advertisers can identify and prevent click spam, making them indispensable tools in the fight against ad fraud.

The key strength of machine learning and AI lies in their ability to continuously learn from vast amounts of data. These systems can distinguish legitimate user engagement from fraudulent activity by analyzing historical user behavior, click patterns, and campaign data. As click spammers adapt their tactics to avoid detection, machine learning algorithms can update their fraud detection models accordingly.

The real-time analysis capability of machine learning and AI is a game-changer in click spamming detection. While traditional rule-based systems may struggle to keep up with click spamming techniques, machine learning algorithms are adept at recognizing new patterns and anomalies as they appear. As a result of this real-time detection, user acquisition managers can take immediate action, protecting their campaigns and budgets.

What to Do If You Encounter Click Spamming

Immediate Steps to Take 

If you suspect click spamming is affecting your campaign, you should take immediate action. Ad campaigns should be temporarily halted until an investigation into the unusual click patterns is conducted. By pausing ads, managers can prevent further financial losses and analyze the extent of click spamming.

To mitigate the damage caused by click spamming, relevant authorities, such as ad networks and platforms, must be notified. Informing these entities of the fraudulent activity will enable them to prevent further harm to other advertisers and developers.

Legal Avenues and Protections for User Acquisition Managers

It may be necessary to take legal action against click spammers in some cases. To protect themselves from click spamming perpetrators, user acquisition managers should consult with legal experts. In order to seek compensation for damages caused by ad fraud, managers need to understand the legal framework surrounding it.

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate

Mobile game developers and user acquisition managers are not the only ones facing click spam; it is an industry-wide problem that needs to be addressed collectively. Collaboration among various stakeholders is essential to combat click spamming and maintain the integrity of the mobile gaming ecosystem.

Click spamming must be addressed by mobile game developers, advertising networks, and platforms working together.The sharing of information on emerging threats can enhance the industry’s collective knowledge and enable a united front against fraud.

It is possible for the industry to establish standardized practices and guidelines for detecting and preventing click spamming through collaborative efforts. These shared frameworks can serve as a reference for all stakeholders, helping them stay informed about evolving fraud tactics and reinforcing their defenses.

Moreover, pooling resources and expertise can lead to the development of more robust and sophisticated fraud detection tools. When user acquisition managers, ad networks, and developers work hand in hand, they can invest in cutting-edge technologies that continuously evolve to stay ahead of click-spamming perpetrators.

Final Thoughts

Click spamming remains a persistent threat in the mobile gaming industry, but with vigilance and strategic planning, user acquisition managers can protect their investments and maintain the integrity of their campaigns. Embracing technological advancements, collaborating with industry peers, and staying informed is key to successfully combating click spamming.

As the mobile gaming landscape continues to evolve, user acquisition managers must stay informed about the latest click spamming tactics and prevention methodologies. Being proactive in implementing the best practices and utilizing cutting-edge tools will fortify their defenses against click spamming threats.

Share the knowledge!

Raise awareness about click spamming by sharing this article with other user acquisition managers, industry peers, and stakeholders. Together, we can build a robust and fraud-resistant mobile gaming ecosystem. 

Feel free to share your experiences, tips, or success stories in combating click spamming!

The post Click Spamming in Mobile Game User Acquisition: How to avoid? first appeared on AppSamurai.