Advertisers (and Publishers) now have the ability to include or exclude app categories within their campaigns. Category targeting can help you identify top performing creatives by app category and discover the best practices behind their performance. Take the Strategy genre, for example. We have a strong set of Strategy games advertising on the Chartboost Network and we’ve analyzed their creatives to find a few best practices that can apply to other categories. Here are some common themes amongst top performing Strategy game creatives:
Customize the call to action
Tailoring your call to action can give better impact than a simple “Get it now!” button. In Strategy games you can ask players to “Join the Battle” or “Fight With Us” which puts the focus on the gameplay instead of reminding players of the tedium of installing or price sensitivity.
Localize creatives
Creative performance is likely to vary by country. Separate your most important target countries into different campaigns. This allows you to learn from what works in each country and to optimize which creatives are served.
As performance in categories can deviate from the average by country, testing can lead you to pockets of gamers who are highly interested in playing your game and increase ROI.
Include abstract images of the game or characters
Strong images of the game or characters often perform better than creative design based around gameplay screenshots. Strategy games come in all shapes and sizes. Some are based in the future or in medieval times. Some are hyperrealistic and others take place in magical worlds. Make sure to feature what sets your game apart.
If your game is about building an underwater empire of battling sea creatures, then you’re better off setting the environment of that game in your creatives instead of showing gameplay images. In the example below Galaxy Empire showcases a galactic scene to create curiosity and encourage installs:
Category Targeting: A Path to Better Campaigns!
Category targeting opens up new doors to optimizing your creatives for different gamer audiences. Researching each category and testing campaign creatives within them, will help you make better informed decisions with your advertising, leading to better results.
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