Report reveals ways to get mobile games noticed | AppLovin

AppLovin has released its first Creative Trends Report for 2023 to outline the key performance-driven creative trends driving mobile gaming adoption. Among observations: Customization increases player engagement, especially in renovation and makeover games.

As the competition for consumer attention intensifies, mobile game marketers are constantly finding new ways to grab attention and boost their in-app advertising campaigns, the company says.

To help mobile advertisers better understand and quickly identify the top marketing opportunities this year, the leading growth platform for developers, AppLovin, has released their report, which also highlights the top game design ideas that have been embraced by users. The company said the report will help companies come up with creative strategies to optimize the return on investment for their mobile advertising campaigns.

AppLovin’s in-house creative agency, SparkLabs, analyzed data from 52.3 billion impressions, 22.4 billion clicks, and 267 million installs, and tens of thousands of creatives (ads) in 2022. The report examines the concepts and variables that produced the greatest impact and highest ROI.

“Our goal with this report is to provide marketers and developers with insight and inspiration to increase the success of mobile advertising campaigns,” said Katie Jansen, CMO of AppLovin, in a statement. “The report is packed with proven performance-based ad concepts that have generated a significant boost to their campaigns by capturing the majority of ad spend.”

So what are the promising creative trends in mobile games in the coming year?

“Putting together the best creative pieces doesn’t always guarantee a win,” said Jansen. “To ensure your ads are consistently performing well, you need a combination of performance-driven analysis and continuous iteration and testing to find an optimal creative strategy for your app.”

According to AppLovin, game companies should engage with users by making their creative content relatable and accessible. Try speaking through a character and diversify voice-overs when possible. Variety makes a real difference.

The report also said developers should entertain users by capturing their attention and stimulating action. Try to incorporate a dramatic story, let users get creative with customizations, or make nostalgic references they’ll recognize.

And the report said don’t distract your users. Keep it simple and minimize drag. Focus on one or two key mechanics and a clear challenge or storyline.

Simply putting the best parts together doesn’t guarantee a win. Iterate and test continuously to find a creative strategy that’s optimized for your app and your users.

Other findings from the report

Customization of a character, item, or environment drives engagement, especially in match, merge, mid-core, arcade, and action titles. Remodeling and renovation schemes were the most successful, accounting for 75% of profits.

Classic games and puzzles coupled with multiple gameplay mechanics or complex narrative add to the “challenge” aspect of the game. Card, casino, and mid-core genres leveraged classic games and puzzles in 20% of top-performing creatives.

Dramatic storytelling, especially when characters become victims in dangerous situations, allows players to immerse themselves in the game’s story. The odds of incorporating narratives into card/casino and strategy creatives are 65% and 155% higher than average, respectively. AppLovin noted that in these ads, a character loses her home and needs to find shelter. “Can you help her?” The ad asks the player.

Voiceover messaging over visual content adds dimensionality and works best with genres that rely heavily on showing gameplay footage. Newly introduced in 2022, computer-generated voices quickly found success, taking over 29% of all top creatives.

Seasonal ads, especially for holidays, rich in visuals ensure timely, relevant engagement with campaign assets year-round. 40% of creatives created for Easter, 31% for July 4th, and 23% for Halloween were recognized as top performers, versus 13% for Father’s Day.

Real-time feedback creates better connections with users. Some of the best real-time feedback mechanisms include brain ages, counters, and character reactions.

“Creative performance advertising needs variety. It’s not enough to produce just one type of creative ad; You need to consider variety — character customization, for example — if you want to attract more exposure and ultimately new users to your app,” said Jansen. “Find out what this strain looks like.”

She added: “Performance ads need to be accountable. To capture new audiences, your ad needs to connect with them in a way that’s relatable and authentic. Whether it’s a familiar gameplay element, a compelling character, or something else, learn how best to interact with your users.