Facebook’s playable ad format is poised to deliver strong results for game advertisers.
Try Before You Buy
In a recent blog post, Facebook announced their playable ad format is now available for all brands who want to provide a more interactive experience of their mobile game.
Users who view the ads will be able to play a sample of the game – completely obligation free – before being redirected to the app store to make a purchase and download the full product.
Even though this type of format has only been available to select gaming brands up until this point, initial results have been overwhelmingly positive for the ad format. Bagelcode has reported seeing an average improvement of 2.3 times its return on ad spend on Android and iOS devices, and Rovio stated that it has seen a 40% lower cost per paying user.
New Features Being Tested
Additionally, Facebook has also announced two other solutions to help give gaming app marketers a clearer picture of how their ads are performing.
Select app advertisers have been given access to test a new utility called retention optimization, which is designed to help them reach only the most engaged players within Facebook’s massive userbase of over 2 billion people.
The second feature, minimum ROAS bidding, is starting to roll out to everyone. This option allows advertisers to set a minimum spend to find the players that are deemed most probable to actual make an in-app purchase. This bidding style will be available via Facebook, Instagram and its Audience Network.
A Lucrative Industry
Video game spending as a whole is expected to increase by 13% this year, equating to $137.9 billion globally. And even though it might seem like mobile apps are only a very small portion of the entire market, a Newzoo study revealed that the mobile game sector is growing even faster at 26%, and consists of more than half of overall video game revenue.
In-game purchases have also become an incredible profitable portion of the mobile game market, with gamers in the United States paying an average of $20 in their favorite apps within one week of purchase, and nearly $50 by their third month of playing.
Joining the Game
With the mobile games market growing at such a rapid rate, it’s not surprising to see Facebook implement new advertising features to try to capitalize on more of the revenue.
Advertisers who are either already promoting mobile gaming apps or interested in doing so will definitely want to take advantage this feature, as it’s both fresh for the platform and captivating for the audience.
So go ahead and hit the start button. Let your mobile gaming campaigns begin!