Let’s accept that our attention span is significantly shortened, and we want to consume as much content as possible quickly! Mobile game ad creatives are one of the contents we encounter almost every day, and it’s their goal to catch the little attention we have instantly. So, let’s look at some ad types, strategies, and key metrics that’ll help you accelerate your UA efforts.
Overall Tips and Tricks Before We Start
1. Grabbing attention instantly:
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, users have short attention spans, making it essential to design ad creatives that immediately catch the eye and stand out from the crowd in the first few seconds. To accomplish this, you should focus on visual elements and concise messaging. Use vibrant colors that evoke positive emotions and employ bold, visually striking visuals. Incorporate captivating animations to create an immediate impact and engage users. Consider using attention-grabbing headlines or short video clips highlighting your game’s most exciting aspects.
2. Keep it simple:
While making your ad creatives visually appealing is essential, keeping the design simple and uncluttered is equally crucial. A cluttered ad can overwhelm users and make it difficult for them to understand the key message or gameplay mechanics. Focus on highlighting the unique selling points of your game in a concise and visually digestible manner. Use clear, bold text that is easily readable on mobile screens and complements it with intuitive graphics that convey your message effectively. You should eliminate some graphics or text in the game rather than showing everything the way they are to avoid creative fatigue.
3. Choose a focus point:
With users’ limited time and attention span, choosing a focal point for your ad creative is vital. Identify the most visually striking or engaging aspect of your game and highlight it prominently. This could be a captivating character, an exciting level, or a visually stunning environment. Directing the user’s attention to a specific element creates a memorable impression and increases their chances of engaging with your game. This focus point should represent the essence of your game and entice users to explore further. It’s helpful to ask yourself ‘’What do I want to showcase about my game in this ad?’’ and focus on that rather than trying to show everything about your game all at once.
4. Think of ad Creatives as part of the game design process:
Ad creatives should not be considered an afterthought in the game design process. Instead, they should be integrated into the design strategy from the early stages. Viewing ad creatives during game development lets you see if your idea is readily marketable. This alignment between game design and ad creatives ensures it’ll go relatively smoothly when it’s time for marketing.
Auto-marketing tools
Big-scale studios create their own ad creatives tool that enables them to prepare more videos in a short amount of time. By looking at the best-performing creatives, you can create a database that automatically generates different videos or visuals for your ads. It’s safe to say that you should invest in such a tool only if you have enough resources.
1. Failed Gameplay: Turning Mistakes into Opportunities
In a sea of polished gameplay videos, showcasing failed gameplay might seem counterintuitive. However, embracing imperfections is a powerful way to capture the attention of potential players. Developers can create relatable and humorous ad creatives that resonate with users by demonstrating common mistakes, hilarious blunders, or unexpected outcomes. This approach piques curiosity and showcases the game’s unique mechanics and challenges. Viewers who witness the journey from failure to success are likelier to join the game and prove their skills.
2. Winner vs. Loser: The Thrill of Competition
Humans are naturally competitive creatures, and tapping this instinct can be a highly effective user acquisition strategy. By showcasing a head-to-head battle between a skilled player (the winner) and a less proficient player (the loser), ad creatives can evoke a sense of challenge and the desire to overcome obstacles. This approach highlights the game’s competitive aspect and instills a sense of achievement and the need to prove oneself. Users drawn to competition and the pursuit of victory will be enticed to download the game and test their skills against others.
Source: game-solver.com
3. Real Players and Celebrity Endorsements: Authenticity and Influence
Authenticity is vital in mobile game marketing, and leveraging real players and celebrity endorsements can be a game-changer. Developers can establish credibility and build trust with potential players by featuring genuine reactions, testimonials, or gameplay footage from real players. Additionally, collaborating with celebrities or influencers with a passion for gaming can amplify the reach and impact of ad creatives. The association with a well-known figure adds an element of prestige and can attract fans and followers to try out the game, boosting user acquisition significantly.
Source: Twitter @CommesDesHazons
4. Showcasing Normal Gameplay: Highlighting Core Mechanics
One of the most effective ways to attract potential players is by showcasing the normal gameplay experience of the mobile game. By featuring actual gameplay footage in ad creatives, developers can provide a glimpse into the core mechanics and features that make the game unique. Whether it’s fast-paced action, strategic decision-making, or immersive storytelling, these ad creatives allow potential players to visualize themselves actively participating in the game. Ad creatives can generate excitement and curiosity, demonstrating the game mechanics of gameplay and prompting users to download and experience the game firsthand.
5. Exaggerated Gameplay & Immersive Storytelling
Sometimes, mobile gamers seek an augmented experience that pushes the limits. Ad creatives that showcase aggravated gameplay with intense difficulty levels or story-focused puzzles can capture the attention of these gamers. Royal Match, one of the most successful mobile games in ad creatives, prepares unique stories and a bit of exaggeration to spark curiosity in players. Let’s look at an example where we see exaggerated gameplay and storytelling:
Iterative Optimization and Key Metrics
Creating compelling ad creatives is an ongoing process that requires iterative optimization based on critical metrics. Developers should continuously evaluate and analyze the performance of their ad creatives to understand what resonates best with the target audience. Metrics such as CPI, CPM, IPM, and Conversion Rate provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.
Testing is a crucial technique to optimize ad creatives. By comparing different variations of ad elements, such as visuals, captions, or calls to action, developers can gather data on user preferences and optimize their campaigns accordingly. It’s essential to track and measure the impact of each variation to identify the winning combination that yields the highest user acquisition and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Bonus: Will AI take over ad creatives?
Artificial intelligence (AI) in ad creatives is growing, but AI will only partially take over the creative process. While AI can assist with certain aspects of ad creation, such as generating copy variations or optimizing targeting, the creative and strategic thinking behind ad campaigns will still require human input. The creative process itself involves unique human insights, intuition, and the ability to connect emotionally with the target audience. Creative elements like storytelling, visual aesthetics, and brand messaging require human imagination and cultural understanding.
Advertising is about capturing attention and building relationships, conveying brand values, and evoking emotions. These aspects require the human touch to create authentic and compelling ad creatives that resonate with consumers.
Rather than replacing human creativity, AI is more likely to augment and enhance the ad creative process. Marketers can leverage AI to gather insights, optimize campaigns, and streamline operations, allowing them to focus more on strategic aspects of ad creation. Combining human creativity and AI-powered insights can lead to more effective and targeted ad campaigns.
