As mentioned in the previous article, game developers often face challenges in acquiring their own player base. We will continue to discuss on the steps needed to do so. If you have not read the first article, you can read it here.

Some of the first few steps in building a player base is to understand your game audience’s need, preferences and suitable monetization model. Then focus on acquiring high lifetime value gamers.

 

Test Several Acquisition Channels

The following step is to use and test more acquisition channel to know which is the best mix to reach your game target audience. Some mobile games is different and unique in its own way, is it better to find a variety of ideal media channel with analytics and tests in place.

Social Media

Social media is one of the most efficient tools to acquire users. It is a popular channel to acquire users because it has a huge active and engaged audience to capture their attention with advertisement. Besides, it also include features that customised your targeting based on certain parameters. It could target based on the phone type, current activities, installed apps genre, social connections and so on. Some of the best social media platforms to acquire your users are through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Applying analytics can also tell you which platforms are increasing your game downloads.

Video

Although video is not really a platform to acquire your gamers, it is more of an advertising format to capture your potential gamers’ attention. Video advertisements is actually more effective in retaining your gamers after they have downloaded it. This is extremely important as the average app on Google Play lost 77% of its users in the first 3 days after the install. Companies found their user retention is increased by as much as 40% when they use video ads rather than non-video ad formats. The reason is because video ad format can only effectively show the game’s gameplay. Thus, to reach your users effectively, using video advertisement will be crucial in your campaign.

App to App

Another effective method to reach and acquire your users is advertising your game app within another game app. As paying users are actually 6 times more likely to make an in-app purchase in another game. It will be effective to build and retain these users as your player base since they may be used to making in-app purchases. This can be done by direct partnering with another game app owner or publisher to place advertisement of your game within their game. This can also be done with your other owned game apps.

 

Apply Retention Marketing

Besides that, retention marketing should also be included within the game. You need to persuade your gamers to continue playing your game. There is certain retention marketing methods that can be used.

Onboarding Process

This process describes the game app’s features to a new interested player. Audiences’ engaging experience will be more stimulated if the process is done right. Showing the simplified process and appealing feature may just help your gamers to onboard your game and become loyal.

In-app Analytics

Moreover, including in-app analytics within your game app allows you to understand how are your gamers behaving and interacting with your content. This is crucial if you want to create retention. You can know which level or progress your gamers are stuck at or stop playing. This can be the case that your game is too difficult or easy to progress. With the data collected, you could then adjust your game difficulty to encourage retention. 

Media Channel

Deciding which media channel work best for your audience is important and having more than 1 is fine. Sending a brief message  or push notification to remind your audience can help increase your player retention as they are reminded of the game. After you have find specific channels, networks, campaigns and creatives that can reach loyal gamers. Focus on them.

 

Promotional Methods for Gamers base

Focusing on App Store Optimization (ASO) or blog for your game app may seem irrelevant or provide little value. In fact, those methods of content and social strategy can help engage potential users and improve your game branding.

Website/Blog

Websites and blogs is one of the best owned media for your game’s PR promotion that can help potential gamers to download your game. It can communicate the features of your game and help create interest in it. Constant updates and new content can also be included to create retention and longer term engagement.

Viral & Social Media

Earned impression has always been better than paid ones, although it is a challenge to achieve it. Gamers will share your game when you design it to do so. Include features that offer demanding in-game currency to gamers that encourage their friends join can motivate them to do so. Reaching out to opinion leaders and media to review your game app is also effective since it can spread the word about it. As mentioned previously, providing good promo video and appealing screenshot to share on their social media page is equally important to help capture attention.

ASO

App store optimization should also be constantly maintained to keep your game visible in the app store search results. This can help generate more organic installs since gamers searching for games are even more likely to download your game when it captures their attention. Paying attention to keywords of your competitors and market trend can help increase your result rankings.

 

Conclusion

Game developers will easily engage with their users after their game launch when they understand how do they interact with their game, what will they spend and why do they leave. This approach can help developers build their gamers base. If you wish to learn more about developing a game with good retention, reach us at Gameka.