Ads that are incorporated into a game environment create a best play experience for your users. Also, in-game ads are a great monetization strategy for game developers to boost their games revenue, increase in-app purchases, and boost engagement and retention.
Here, we put together a list of in-game ad formats that can help your brand be more visible, and enhance the user experience.
One of the most popular video game ad format today. Playable ads allow users to play a mobile game and get a sense of the play experience before downloading it. A “try before you buy” strategy can be highly engaging for players and beneficial for advertisers.
The general playable ads are made up of three parts. You start with the short video of your demo. Then add an interactive part, where a user will be able to play your game without having to install it. And finish with a strong call-to-action (CTA). Keep your ads short (from 15 seconds to a minute) and simple; represent your game accurately, and test your creatives to encourage more users to play.
Creating playable ads requires advanced programming experience, and A/B testing to improve your Click-Through-Rate (CTR), but it worth a try. Playable ads create authentic relationships between players and brands, increase retention, and decrease uninstalls.
That is the type of ads that players can choose to view in exchange for in-game rewards like extra lives, virtual currency, a new outfit, etc. 32% of players find rewarded video ads useful; 27% find them interesting, and 12% think they are enjoyable (Facebook Audience Network).
Implement your rewarded ads as a logical sequence in the game, not an obstacle. Offer a valuable reward that connects with the player’s goal in the game. That way your ad will be less annoying for players. It will keep them engaged and offer a better game play experience.
To enhance user experience, drive more engagement, and increase retention, try to leverage the power of the rewarded ads in your next campaign.
Offerwalls are dedicated places, like mini-stores inside a game, that provide players with rewards in exchange for completion of specific actions. These actions include: watching a video ad, downloading a game, making an in-app purchase, and more.
Offerwalls are user-initiated. Just like rewarded video ads, they give players a glimpse of the premium experience. It helps increase your retention as long as you offer players a way to earn virtual currency and continue playing.
This ad format is not supported by many networks, and Apple’s police restrict ads from incentivizing users to download another game or app. However, offerwalls can be your opportunity to increase engagement, retention, and revenue, from non-paying app users as well.
According to research among players, 76% of ads they see in a game are interstitial video ads (Facebook Audience Network). This is a full-screen ads that is typically displayed during the pause between levels in a game. When an ad appears, the player has a choice to either tap on the ad or close it. So it’s crucial to make it memorable, amusing and engaging.
It’s essential to place the interstitial ads only where appropriate, during pauses or level transitions. In that case, you’ll offer less disruption to your players game experience. Also, it’s a good idea to cap the frequency of your interstitial ads.
Generally, interstitial ads generate high conversions and impressions, and can deliver higher eCPM rates that some other ad types.
By 2023, there will be 3.7 billion mobile players worldwide (Newzoo). That makes mobile games an effective advertising channel to reach consumers. In-game ads are now reaching wider audiences and can provide a better user experience, improve retention and engagement rates than traditional channels.