In-game advertising is a relatively new and untapped territory. But as app users continue to spend more time in games, it’s a potentially lucrative opportunity for marketers looking to reach this engaged audience. So what are the best ways to go about incorporating in-game advertising into your mobile marketing strategy? This guide will provide a basic overview of in-game advertising, including its benefits and drawbacks, as well as some tips for overcoming the challenges associated with video advertising in games.
What is in-game mobile advertising?
In-game advertising generally refers to ads that are served in mobile games. These can include banner ads, interstitials, video ads, and even audio ads. The key here is that the ads are integrated into the game itself, as opposed to being served in a separate app or on a website.
Why should you consider in-game mobile advertising?
In-game advertising can be an effective way to reach new eyes and ears. First and foremost, games are extremely popular. In fact, people now spend as much time playing mobile games than they do watching traditional TV. This means that there is a large and engaged audience that you can reach with in-game ads.
In addition, in-game advertising allows you to target users based on their interests and behaviour. For example, if you know that a certain demographic is more likely to play strategy games, you can target them with ads for products or services that they are more likely to be interested in.
Finally, in-game advertising can be an immersive experience that captures users’ attention in a way that other forms of mobile advertising (such as banner ads) cannot. When done well, in-game ads can feel like a natural part of the game rather than a disruptive interruption.
The traditional approach: in-game video advertising
The most popular form of in-game advertising is video advertising. This generally takes the form of a short video ad that is played before, during, or after a game. Video ads are typically between 15 and 30 seconds in length, and can be either skippable or non-skippable.
The global in-game video advertising market is forecasted to grow from $6.8 billion in 2020 to $14 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 11.2% as the popularity of mobile gaming further increases from its already healthy audienced, boosted by the boredom of people being stuck at home during the COVID pandemic but retaining a high proportion of users, even as the return to normality has progressed.
The benefits of in-game video advertising
Reach a large audience
There are over 2.2 billion gamers worldwide, making the potential reach of in-game video advertising significant. And audience isn’t just Gen Z and Alpha age ranges, but spanning across the age groups as the older generations dabble in the endlessly enticing world of mobile gaming.
Reach an engaged audience
When you advertise using in-game videos, you’re not just reaching a large audience, you’re also reaching an engaged one. Gamers are typically deeply engaged with the game they’re playing and are therefore more likely to pay attention to in-game ads.
Build brand awareness
With its unique position within the game environment, and if you’re creating easily memorable and entertaining ads, users are more likely to remember your brand as their exposure to these ads is more frequent. Game users typically stay within a game for 3-10 minutes compared to one minute on most other apps.
So, if you’re looking for a new way to reach customers and build brand awareness, in-game video advertising is definitely worth considering.
The drawbacks of in-game video advertising
Despite these benefits, there are a number of potential challenges associated with in-game video advertising.
Video advertisements disrupt the user experience
The first and most obvious challenge is that in-game video ads disrupt the user experience. If an ad is not well integrated into the game, it can feel like an intrusive interruption that breaks the flow of the game. This can damage your brand’s reputation and discourage people from using your product or service.
Video ads are expensive to produce
Another challenge is that in-game video ads can be expensive to produce. Creating a high-quality video ad that looks good on a mobile screen is not easy, and can cost a pretty penny to hire a professional production team.
Users may experience ad fatigue
In essence, ad fatigue happens when audiences see your ads too frequently and lose interest. This then reduces the likelihood they will interact with them.
This is particularly prominent with ads that are served “mid game” often as a means to incentivise players for bonuses or to unlock new game levels. The frequent interruptions to the game can become frustrating, especially if the ads are too long and unengaging.
It’s important to keep in mind that in-game video ads are not the only form of mobile advertising that users are exposed to. In fact, most people see dozens, if not hundreds, of mobile ads every day. As a result, there is a danger that users will simply become numb to in-game video ads and stop paying attention to them altogether.
Overcoming the challenges with in-game audio advertising
If you’re looking for a more effective and less disruptive way to advertise in mobile games, in-game audio advertising can be the answer.
In-game audio ads are short, unobtrusive audio clips that play during a game.
Like videos they’re typically between 15 and 30 seconds in length. The stark difference with in-game audio ads is that they’re active while the user plays the game. This means there’s no cut from gameplay, improving the players experience, reducing frustration and the chances of ad fatigue.
Audio ads are less disruptive improving gaming experience, reducing frustrations experienced by in-game ads and reducing the chances of ad fatigue. And since players are less likely to be turned off by audio ads, there is a better chance they’ll actually experience the ad in full and remember the brand. In the end, this leads to a higher return on investment for the advertiser.
Research suggests that audio adverts can be more effective than other forms of ads, with brand awareness and recall seeing a positive impact in particular but what is essential is the quality of the creative.
Working with an audio advertising agency and creative studio like Audio Content Lab can greatly improve advertising performance so if you want help with the creation, execution, and distribution of your audio campaigns get in touch with Audio Content Lab today.