Top 10 Mobile Games Monetization Strategies
You are sure your concept for a mobile game is worth a million dollars, which is not enough.
Knowing how to make a game profitable can make all the difference, and mobile game app monetization is the right solution for you.
Mobile game monetization strategies are normally confusing, and asking yourself these questions can help you out immensely:
- What kind of game app do you have?
- What situation does it solve?
- Who are your main competitors?
- How are they monetized?
- Who are your end-users?
- What is their demand?
- Are they okay to pay?
- What is the most suitable monetization method?
The concept of game monetization is simple, but its execution is a task and takes more time to plan. Start to dream of mobile games ads revenue with the right ad mediation platform.
At AdPumb, we urge you to consider the most suitable mobile game monetization models for your game app for the best results.
Do you know how to monetize game apps?
We have compiled a list of trends and best app monetization strategies for mobile games that worked in 2023, and applying this to the mix can help maximize your app revenue.
- In-App Ads
- In-App Purchases
- Paid Games
- Subscription Model
- Mixed Game Monetization Strategy
- Video Pre-roll
- Pay-walls
- Direct deals
- Merchandizing
- Branded content
The top trend in 2023 is In-App Ads, which present developers with the most effective model. This trend enables app publishers or developers to generate more ad revenue by providing ads inside the app. When/if done effectively, users play games for free while developers earn from ads, which also presents a hidden benefit for advertisers in acquiring users by showing their ads.
According to a study by Ipsos, in-app ads proved effective as 47% of users remembered them, and 50% of users found in-app visually pleasing. In 2022, the emphasis is on user experience! Players don’t encourage irrelevant and intrusive ads. If they get bombarded with too many ads, they may suffer with your game app and leave you forever. So, please note: Make a balance between the number and quality of ads. This will be the same in 2023 and upcoming years.
In-app ads have four of the most popular formats:
Before choosing the suitable ad format for your game app, analyze the game type and well-suited Apple and Android game monetization strategy. You can maximize your ad revenue by choosing the best mobile ad mediation platform. AdPumb connects “you”—the publisher—with ad networks, promising a 99.99% fill rate and the best price per impression with ad revenue optimization. Let’s plan for the best mobile games ads revenue together.
A Big Yes to Rewarded Ads
Rewarded ads are the best and most effective ad format for game app monetization in 2022. Your mobile game app will reap the benefits instantly from this format in a short time. These ads get recognized as one of the best monetization strategies or models for mobile games. Here, a user gets rewarded for watching the ad video. Publishers experience the highest and most instant eCPM from such rewarded ads.
Players are always ready to watch ad videos to get rewards to gain extra lives, coins, energy, etc.
Are Playable Ads Effective?
Yes!
Playable ads are ones specially designed for mobile game apps. Here, a user can play a game demo before downloading the app. In recent years, playable ads have made a noticeable number of conversion rates, increased revenue, and shown user retention.
According to the survey by emarketer, 28% of the people in their team finalized playable ads as the most effective ad format. The fact is that playable ads are eight times better and more effective than Interstitial ads. Do you know? Google and Facebook have also recognized playable ads and have included them in their ad network inventory.
Are you a developer with a big fanbase? Are you already established in the game mobile app industry? Then, it is the right time to make your users pay for your game.
If you are a beginner as a developer, then in-app purchases (paid games) may not work. Still, you have the option to monetize the app with other monetization strategies for mobile games. Make your app free to download and go for in-app ads, but that does not mean you have no option to go for in-app purchases. According to the study of AppAnnie, the total amount spent by players in app stores in 2022 is 156.5 billion dollars.
In-app purchases are one of the effective mobile game monetization models. The purchase options will be coins, gems, extra lives, additional content, etc. Be highly strategic about pricing too. Tip: Offer both expensive and cheaper items. It is also worth noting that offers with validity are popular and effective.
We hope you already shared the idea of additional content purchases with users at the beginning of your app. It will avoid getting perceived in users’ minds! Moreover, your users must get an idea about the location of the store to purchase.
An effective game monetization strategy is to create offers based on the skill levels of the players in games. For instance, a gamer receives a starter pack bundle offer. A single click is enough to grab offers as most of them link their credit cards directly to their accounts everywhere on the internet. Do you know? It makes monetization effortless. So note that in-game purchases help to monetize your mobile game app and it is one of the best mobile game monetization models.
Paid games were worth mentioning in 2022 as they are still effective for game monetization and the trend will sustain for the upcoming years. Are you a developer with a large fan base? Then don’t worry; paid games will work best for you. For instance, Minecraft is a paid mobile game with a position among the top-grossing games in app stores. Some gamers are interested in paying upfront and not with in-app purchases. They want to avoid ads or stages of paying for additional content (gems, extra lives, coins, etc.).
So, it’s up to you, the publisher! Find out what makes sense for your game app. Only you can find out suitable and effective mobile app game monetization strategy.
A noticeable change we have seen in 2022 is the addition of subscriptions to the game apps, which resulted in the mobile games ads revenue for many publishers.
Do you know how it works? Gamers are ready to make regular payments for free gaming experiences and additional content. You can choose between both auto-renewable and non-renewable.
There are three types of subscription games.
1) Individual subscriptions
2) Umbrella subscriptions
3) Battle pass subscriptions
Individual subscriptions apply to a specific game (on a monthly/yearly basis). Umbrella subscriptions offer access to different games (either from a third party or a single publisher). “Battle Pass” is a subscription that is most popular in 2022. For those who do not know what Battle Pass is – If a user purchases it, then they are eligible to unlock new content and rewards. Here, you can see a form of battle pass seasons. For instance, they set a time (15–30 days), and players go through the next level and unlock pass rewards.
Not all battle passes are paid ones. It has two versions: paid and free. The free version only brings a little reward, while the paid version gives a complete battle pass experience. The free version makes a tendency for players to taste the ‘real’ battle pass, while the paid version tends to experience premium game time.
This subscription method offers –
1) Effective monetization
2) Valuable retention
3) High engagement
In 2022, battle passes acquired their role in most games, including PUBG Mobile, Fortnite, Homescapes, and Archero. The methods of subscription are always additional mobile game monetization models. From here, we move to the next monetization trend; Mixed Monetization Strategy.
A game app developer should not miss their eye on the mixed game monetization strategy. The hybrid monetization model of this strategy makes you tap into multiple revenue streams, i.e., they combine in-app ads, in-app purchases, and subscriptions. Players have different interests, so it will be more effective than applying a single method.
Some people prefer to watch rewarded video ads to get rewards, some wish to make purchases, and the rest of the categories are ready for subscription. These depend on the mindset of every player and are rooted in the monetization strategies for mobile games. Before jumping into a decision, analyze your mobile game genre.
Aside from typical display banners, publishers could make use of video pre-roll. This method is also commonly employed for free-to-play games and displays a video ad while the game loads. Companies like Google are spending heavily on this form of advertising since it provides marketers with another way to reach their target demographic. The same criteria apply to this monetization method as they do to generic display advertising: you must achieve a critical mass to profit.
It’s much easier to get gamers to test your game if it’s free. You may experiment with a pay-wall strategy, in which consumers can play the game for free for a certain time before having to pay to continue playing. Again, the difficulty is to pique players’ attention enough to persuade them to pay for it. Of course, after the trial, you will lose some players, but if done correctly, this way may be an excellent monetization strategy.
You may add another game icon to the game menu or offer an appealing promotion after the gaming session. Each instal might earn you revenue as well as a revenue split.
The possibilities for merchandise include T-shirts, coffee mugs, bathrobes, and masks. You might open a website or sell your products in a store. The most obvious requirement is that your game has a fan base eager to spend their hard-earned money on merchandise. This is unlikely to become your primary revenue stream, but it might help your entire monetization plan.
Seek sponsors ready to pay for product placement or sponsored material in your game, which might be a secondary or primary revenue source. You may be pretty creative with this concept, such as advertising on the side of the road in a racing game or the main character wearing a certain brand of shoes.
Final Thoughts
Have you got an idea of the top mobile game app monetization strategies? Even before launching a gaming app, you should consider the process of monetization. Most publishers think about how much revenue my game app can generate.
Now, think beyond!
How do my mobile game monetization strategies provide a better gaming experience for users? Make it possible with AdPumb – the best ad mediation platform that boosts user experience and benefits from revenue streams. An effective and the best ad mediation platform can change your status of ad revenue growth to the next level.
AdPumb is a proven platform for every developer/publisher with the promise of instant ad revenue growth. You can successfully monetize your mobile game app with us in 2022. We expose you to the club of bidders, connect you with several ad networks, increase your eCPM and ROI, supply ad demand from 3000+ domains, and ensure a 99.99% fill rate.
We hope to hear from you!
Share your thoughts on the top mobile game monetization strategies.
