Creative insights are the driving force behind crushing your competition and boosting your returns on ad spend (ROAS) in mobile games and app marketing. In the first half of 2024, the adoption of playable ads by mobile gaming advertisers doubled compared to the previous year, demonstrating the importance of creative insights to securing and retaining audience attention.
What is Creative Insight?
The ability to analyze and interpret creative elements in advertisements – visual, copy, format – to identify what connects with your audience is creative insight. This is the magic you need to drive engagement and get people to click and convert from your ads.
When it comes to mobile games, creative insights means decoding what kind of imagery, gameplay videos, or ad elements grabs the audience they’re meant for. A digital marketing agency named ClearPivot says video ads are 30% more effective at driving up more clicks than their static image counterparts. In another test run on TikTok, discovered that video ads delivered a 58% higher CTR compared to image ads.
Why Are Creative Insights Crucial in Mobile Games Marketing?
- User Engagement:
The global gaming industry is mostly driven by mobile gaming; currently, it accounts for 56% of all gaming spends worldwide in 2023. This strong stat highlights the importance of understanding user engagement in mobile games to which creative insight is key. - Improved ROAS Predictions:
By 2032, the global in-game advertising market size is further analysed to grow from $8.2 billion in 2023 to $ 20.7 billion, at a CAGR of 12.30% during the forecast period. The growth here is a huge lift for game advertisers to earn more on ad spend (ROAS) when utilizing the right creative strategy. - Optimizing Ad Placements:
Mobile gamers have also come to prefer rewarded video ads. 76% of US gamers prefer ads that reward their watching. The results of this preference show the need for advertisers to determine ad formats that are consistent with user’s interests to maximize engagement.
Creative Insight Examples
- Game Mechanics as Hooks:
Since the mobile gaming industry accounted for majority of all worldwide game spending, this emphasizes the importance of leveraging unique game mechanics to capture and retain user interest. - Emotional Connection:
The in-game advertising market is expected to grow. This growth presents an opportunity for advertisers to create emotionally engaging content that resonates with a growing audience. - Ad Format Experimentation:
Playable ads have been identified as one of the most effective in-app ad formats, with 28% of US agency professionals ranking them as the most effective, followed by interactive ads at 23%. This data suggests that experimenting with interactive ad formats can lead to higher user engagement and conversion rates.
Types of Game Ads to Acquire Customers
- Rewarded Video Ads:
In the United States, 76% of mobile gamers favor ads that offer rewards for watching, whereas only 24% opt for mandatory advertisements. - Playable Ads:
Short, interactive ads allow users to try a mini-version of the game, boosting engagement and download intent. According to US agency professionals, playable ads are the most effective in-app ad format because they offer users the hands-on experience of the game. - Interactive End Cards:
Post-ad screens with engaging calls-to-action, directing users to download apps or explore additional features. According to US agency professionals, the most effective in-app ad format is interactive ads, which ranked second. - Dynamic Ads:
These are personalized ads that use real-time data to tailor content based on user preferences, behaviour, and interests, maximizing engagement. The global in-game advertising market is expected to grow on account of the integration of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) with in-game advertising, indicating an increased preference for more personalized and dynamic ad experiences.
Mobile Game Ads: How to Create Engaging Ones
Mobile game ads require creativity and knowledge of your audience, which will help you craft those irresistible ads. In the crowded world, success is about the ability to get creativity right, strategy right, and data-driven insights. Here’s how:
- Know Your Audience: Once you’ve found your target audience, researching their preferences, gaming habits, and interests will help you design ads through visuals, storytelling, or ads that show off unique game features.
- Leverage Game Assets: Turn the game’s audio and visuals into immersive ads. Video playable hybrids, for example, encourage deeper engagement and connection.
- Optimize for Platforms: One can even alter the ads based on the ad formats or placements - say interstitials, banners, or rewarded videos. Make sure creatives are optimised for screen size, and easily fit into the experience.
- Maintain Cohesiveness: To make your brand more recognised and have more conversions, build a consistent brand identity across all touchpoints: ads, to app store listings.
- Use Dynamic Optimization: Use tools to employ real-time testing and refinement of creative variations, optimizing for performance by metrics and user feedback.
If these strategies were combined, developers could get high-performing ads that attract attention and achieve results.
Monitoring Data: The Backbone of Creative Insights
To optimize ad performance, key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS) must be monitored. The predicted growth in the games advertising market calls for more data-driven strategies in mobile gaming.
Predictions for Creative Insights in 2025
- AI-Driven Personalization:
Moving to more personalized ad experiences, integration of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) with in-game advertising is expected to drive growth in the global in-game advertising market. - Enhanced Playable Ads:
Advancements in HTML5 will make playable ads more immersive, with engagement rates expected to rise by nearly one-third. The fact that 28% of US agency professionals consider playable ads the most effective in-app ad format, clearly predicts that this trend is forecasted to continue as advances improve immersive and engaging playable ad experiences. - Cross-Platform Integration:
The fact that the mobile gaming industry held 56 per cent of all the world's revenues in 2023 is an indicator of a new trend called cross-platform integration that creates a smooth and seamless user experience across devices.
Wrapping Up!
In mobile game marketing, UA teams need creative insights to stand out. With an understanding of what audience preferences are, employing the latest tools, and analyzing the most important metrics, you can turn your campaigns into high-performing and engaging success stories.
If you’re in search of one way to improve your ad insights, Segwise has you covered. Whether required from dynamic creative tracking or desirable as actionable insights, Segwise will enable your campaigns to engage your audience and increase ROI for everyone.
