Strategies for Reaching a Wider Audience with Video Game Ads
The gaming industry has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, with projections estimating it to reach a staggering $400 billion by 2028. Gone are the days when gaming was considered a niche hobby for "nerds" and "geeks," as it has now become mainstream and appeals to a wide audience. This shift has been further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to increased demand for entertainment options at home.
Moreover, the perception of gaming has evolved from being just a pastime to a viable career option, with countless individuals building successful careers in the gaming industry. As gaming continues to compete with traditional entertainment forms like film, television, and sports, the need for effective marketing strategies to attract and retain a wider audience becomes paramount.
Before learning how to use Ads for marketing your video game, let's learn about the difficulties you might face while doing so.
The Complexities of Marketing in the Gaming Industry
Despite the exponential growth of the gaming industry, marketing in the gaming space can be complex and challenging. With the increasing competition among game developers to capture players' attention, it is crucial to have effective marketing tactics in place. One popular platform for gaming-related discussions and trends is Twitter, which has its own dedicated trending category for gaming. Twitter also reported that there were 70 gaming-related tweets sent per second from 2020 through 2021, indicating a high level of engagement in the gaming community.
In the digital age, the success of video game marketing campaigns can be difficult to measure. It requires careful planning and execution to reach a wider audience and attract more players.
Now that you understand the complexities let's take a deep dive into video game ads.
Formats of Video Games
Pre-Roll Ads
These ads appear right before a player begins playing a game. They can either be skippable or non-skippable. They are usually about 15-30 seconds long.
In-Game Ads
These types of ads appear within a game itself and can take various forms, such as a billboard or product placements, or branded items available for purchase within the game.
Mobile Ads
These ads also appear within mobile games; however, they are in the form of banner ads, interstitial ads, or video ads that offer rewards in the end.
Why Should Brands Try Video Game Ads?
There are several reasons why brands should consider video game ads:
Industry Growth and Audience Reach
The gaming industry is one of the world's fastest-growing and most lucrative. Therefore, video game ads have the potential to reach a large and engaged audience.
Engagement and Purchase Intent
Gamers are known to be receptive to advertising. Nielsen's study found that gamers are more likely to purchase products that are advertised in games, with 44% of gamers reporting having made a purchase based on an in-game advertisement.
Novel and Immersive Advertising Experience
Video game ads offer brands a unique and engaging way to communicate with their target audience. In-game ads can be seamlessly integrated into the game world through branded items, product placements, or in-game billboards, creating a more immersive and memorable advertising experience for players.
Precise Audience Targeting
Video game ads allow brands to precisely target their audience based on demographic, behavioral, and location data. This means that brands can reach the right people at the right time, increasing the likelihood of conversion and engagement with their content.
Targeting Diverse Gamer Typologies
Understanding the different types of gamers can be valuable for in-game advertising campaigns. By knowing your target audience and their gaming habits, you can effectively reach them through their favorite games. Here are four common player typologies to consider:
Casual Gamers
Casual gamers typically play games for leisure and entertainment, and may not dedicate extensive time or effort to gaming compared to more hardcore gamers. Casual gamers often appreciate the social aspect of gaming, enjoying the opportunity to connect with friends or other players online.
Committed Gamers
Mostly male, aged 15 to 19, who play on their computers at least once a day. They may fit the stereotypical introverted gamer cliché, investing heavily in their favorite games and socializing with only a few people each year.
Geeks
Often playing on last-generation game consoles, as well as multiple devices (over 19 on average). They are typically men, and many of them are students.
Key Metrics for Video Game Ads
In order to assess the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns, brands need to measure various metrics such as impressions, CTR (Click-through rate), conversion rate, CPC (Cost-per-click), ROAS (Return on ad spend), engagement rate, VTR (View-through rate), brand lift, play rate, and completion rate. These metrics provide insights into how well video game advertisements resonate with the target audience, allowing brands to make necessary adjustments to increase their success.
The video game industry's rapid growth and gamers' receptiveness to advertising make video game ads a valuable addition to a brand's marketing mix. They provide developers and game brands with a unique and interactive way to engage with their audience.
With precise targeting options and the potential for high engagement rates, video game ads offer brands a promising opportunity to reach a large and engaged audience. By continuously measuring the success of video game ads, brands can enhance and optimize their advertising campaigns to achieve their desired outcomes and objectives.
Harness the Power of Visuals in Video Game Advertising
The essence of a video game lies in its movement and stunning graphics. Leveraging the visual aspect of the game in its social media handles can be easier than you think, as the game itself provides the visual assets needed for engaging social media content. Don't shy away from showcasing your game's visuals, whether it's a new feature, an upcoming twist, or a graphic of your latest update.
Remember that memes and GIFs can be powerful tools for engagement on social media. They are gifts that keep on giving, as they can generate ongoing interest and shares among gamers and fans. Incorporating memes and GIFs that align with your game's theme and tone can add a fun and relatable element to your social media content, further enhancing its appeal to visuals.
Consistency is Key
In the world of game marketing, all the strategies and efforts discussed above can only yield results if they are executed with consistency and regularity. It is crucial to maintain a consistent presence across different platforms and channels to build brand awareness, engage with players, and achieve desired outcomes.
Game marketing can be challenging and exhausting, as it requires dealing with various platforms, workflows, social media calendars, growth algorithms, and managing the influx of content and comments, both positive and negative. However, being in it for the long haul and remaining consistent in marketing efforts is essential to see meaningful results.
In the digital era, video game advertising through social media or mobile apps provides significant benefits. It enables players from around the world to connect and engage, despite the chaos of the ever-changing digital landscape. Consistent marketing efforts can help game developers effectively navigate the challenges and maximize the potential of video game advertising in reaching and connecting with diverse players globally.
The Power of Video Game Advertising
Video game advertising offers access to a large and growing audience in the fast-paced gaming industry. Gamers, who often spend more than 10 hours a week playing games, tend to have higher incomes compared to non-gamers. Video game advertising comes in various forms and can help achieve different marketing goals efficiently. In-game advertising allows for reaching a diverse user base and capitalizing on the rapid growth of the video game market.
The Value of a Marketing Agency
Marketing a product, including the gaming industry, involves navigating various technicalities and understanding the intricacies of the audience. While the points mentioned above provide a basic marketing structure, partnering with a marketing agency specializing in the gaming industry can be a valuable asset. A team of experts who are familiar with best media practices and have in-depth knowledge of the gaming industry can provide 24/7 assistance in developing and executing effective marketing strategies.
Rewards of Working with Game Development Companies
Working with game development companies can be challenging due to the complexity of game mechanics and the unique perspectives of developers. However, the end result of successful in-game advertising campaigns is worth the effort. With the dominance of mobile gaming on a global scale, launching in-game campaigns with video game ads can be a strategic move to tap into the growing market.
By organizing the content into different sections with appropriate sub-heads and content flow, the information is presented in a more structured and easily digestible manner, making it reader-friendly and accessible.
Wrapping Up
With the increasing appeal of video games, in-game advertising and game ads can offer accurate targeting and improved customer experience. The active and decision-making nature of gamers makes them a valuable target audience on social media and mobile apps.
Despite the challenges of working with game development companies, the rewards of successful in-game advertising campaigns can be significant, especially in the fast-growing video game market. Leveraging video game advertising through Waypoint can be a strategic move to reach and engage with the global gaming community.
Elevate your video game marketing to the next level with Waypoint! As a leading marketing agency specializing in the gaming industry, we can provide expert assistance in optimizing your game ads, reaching your target audience, and achieving your marketing goals.