Brief Summary
This video features a panel discussion on creating effective retargeting strategies for mobile games. The experts discuss when to start retargeting, balancing retargeting and UA budgets, the impact of product development, creative approaches, and the future of retargeting with AI and personalization. They also touch upon the increasing importance of direct-to-consumer strategies in light of recent court rulings.
- Start retargeting early, even from the first month of launch, to recapture churned users.
- Balance UA and retargeting budgets, allocating around 5-10% to retargeting, adjusting based on ROAS.
- Product development, including events and updates, significantly impacts retargeting strategy.
- AI and automation are the future of retargeting, enabling more granular and personalized ads.
- Direct-to-consumer strategies, like web shops, are becoming increasingly important.
Introduction
Craig Chapel from pocketgamer.biz introduces Vera from RTB House and Silan Atard from TiltingPoint, who will be discussing how to create a retargeting strategy for mobile games. Silan mentions that he has been running retargeting campaigns for a long time. Vera adds that RTB House specializes in programmatic advertising and retargeting.
When to Start Retargeting
Vera says that retargeting is about recapturing churned users, and people churn from day one. So, as soon as you launch a game, you have people to retarget. Silan adds that retargeting should complement UA, and advertisers should be more aggressive with it. He mentions that an average of 70% of new installers drop out after three days, which is when retargeting should start.
Main Goals of Retargeting
Silan says that ROAS is the golden metric for a UA manager. Vera agrees that ROAS is the main goal, but other metrics become important as campaigns mature. Time spent or time per session is also important because the more a user plays, the more engaged they are. Some advertisers in the social casino space focus on campaigns targeted at daily active users.
Balancing Retargeting and UA Budgets
Vera suggests that the higher the UA budget, the higher the retargeting budget should be. A good amount would be around 5 to 10% on retargeting, but it depends on the strategy. Anything higher than 10% might be too risky because many churned users will never come back. Silan adds that if there are exciting updates in the game, it's important to work with the product team to keep the game innovative and attractive.
Impact of Product Development on Retargeting Strategy
Silan shares an example of a game where players' castles were gone when they returned, making them not want to come back. Vera says that new maps and specific creatives work best for retargeting campaigns. Silan mentions that a 7-day inactivity window is a good starting point for retargeting.
Creative Approaches for Retargeting
Vera says that the best UA creatives were also the best retargeting creatives. Silan adds that tailoring creatives to new content within the game can make a big difference. Season pass creatives and seasonal creatives also work well. He shares an example of a social casino game that used Valentine's Day creatives with couples who met in the game.
Retargeting Ad Variations and Cohorts
The panel discusses whether retargeting ads should always be different from UA campaign ads. Vera suggests using audiences tools like Adjust and AppsFlyer. Silan emphasizes the importance of tracking certain events to understand player behavior and target them directly. He shares an example of a game where they targeted players based on the distance walked within the app.
Player Progress and Rewards
Vera says that keeping the progress of the user is key. Rewards help engage users more in the game and eventually make another purchase. Silan jokes that they send a Slack message to the product team to take care of it.
Future of Retargeting
Vera says that everything is about technology and AI. She mentions that RTB House was the first DSP to integrate deep learning algorithms. Silan says that automation is important to make life easier for UA managers. Vera adds that AI can help make more granular and targeted ads. Silan says that creative iteration with AI is being tested.
AI and Automation in Retargeting
The panel discusses whether teams should be using AI. Vera says that AI is not yet able to understand emotions, and there still needs to be a human element. Silan adds that AI is never going to be able to understand why a user stopped playing the game.
Other Areas for the Future of Retargeting
Vera says that retargeting is starting to become bigger in terms of budgets. Silan adds that advertisers are allocating more budget to retargeting than before. Vera says that tailoring ads and granularity of audiences are key. Personalization is also big, especially in retargeting.
Drivers for Increased Retargeting Budgets
The panel discusses the drivers for increased retargeting budgets. Vera says that UA is definitely more expensive. Silan adds that it's always cheaper to keep a current customer than to acquire a new one. Vera says that UA will still target players that you would target through a retargeting campaign, so you will pay more for them.
Importance of Direct Consumer
The panel discusses the importance of direct consumer in light of the recent court judgment related to Apple and Epic Games. Silan says that advertisers are exploring different means of revenue that are not directly through the Apple Store or Play Store. Vera mentions that they are testing a web shop where they can use Xsolla as a web shop for one of the games at Tilting Point. Silan adds that it's a win-win for everyone.
