In a recent interview with PocketGamer.Biz, Digital Marketing Manager, Shawn Aguilar, revealed his top tips for game developers. Creating a platform where your games become more appealing to big brand advertisers is the key to success, but that’s easier said than done, right? Aguilar places great emphasis on monetisation efforts, saying that this is a key aspect to securing the attention of big brand advertisers.
According to Aguilar, there are four main points to which you should focus your efforts:
- Premium Inventory at Scale
- Feature High Quality Content
- Have a unique and differentiated offering, and;
- Develop your brand as a mobile game developer
Source: http://www.tapsense.com/
When it comes to Premium Inventory at Scale, Aguilar states that, “Your mobile game needs to have significant reach to create the scale that is attractive to brands.” Many game developers struggle with reaching such a large scale, commonly due to the poor quality of impressions. While many developers have no problems getting their mobile game to throw off millions of impressions, if these are not premium ad impressions, you’re wasting your time. “The best approach is to segment – clearly define your premium inventory”, says Aguilar.
It’s imperative that you take the time to Feature High Quality Content in your mobile app. Consider what it is that your game offers users and choose a route that is “brand safe”. While almost any app can find some kind of advertising, you’ll soon discover that the apps which contain graphic or adult content do not attract big brand names, such as Disney or Coke. Apps such as the infamous Words with Friends or Angry Birds offer great choices for developers, as they already have scale and high quality content.
“Brand advertisers are always searching for interesting ideas and opportunities. Going beyond the standard banner ad is a great way to attract them. Rich media, video, and other unique display formats are all very attractive.” In order to have a Unique and Differentiated Offering, it is important to step away from the norm and implement your own distinctive ideas to your advertising strategy.
This may sounds like an incredibly simply strategy, but never underestimate the power of Developing your Brand as a Mobile Game Developer. I couldn’t have said it better myself, as Aguilar states, “Brand advertisers are attracted to other brands. Building your brand as a mobile game developer will work wonders when trying to attract brand dollars from advertisers.”
While there’s no one way to ensure that you attract the attention of big brand advertisers, guidance from industry professionals, such as Shawn Aguilar, Marketing Manager at TapSense, is a great place to start. When you set out to create your advertising strategy for your new iOS or Android app, be sure to consider these four key aspects, in order to guarantee that you’re on the road to success.
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