Tag Archives: App Promotion

New ad formats and targeting to find, keep and monetize high-quality gamers

When mobile users are looking for entertainment they often turn to gaming apps. In 2015, an estimated 41% of all apps downloaded were games.1 However, while a user may be excited about downloading an app, it can soon be forgotten; studies have shown that 1 in 4 installed apps are never used.

For game developers, building a successful business has often depended on an approach of acquiring as many users as possible, then trying to keep them engaged in the game as their interest wanes. While volume is important, it’s more important to find the right kind of user, who’ll open the app and keep on playing. That’s why today, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), we announced a host of new features in AdWords and AdMob that make it simpler for developers to reach the right users at scale.

Let users try your app before downloading from Google Search
We recently introduced Trial Run Ads on the Google Display Network which let users stream your game from a display ad for your app before they download. In the next few weeks, we’ll extend these ads to search results on Google as a beta for selected U.S. advertisers. With Search Trial Run Ads, when a user searches for a game on Google, they can click ‘Try Now’ from within a search ad and try the app before installing it, similar to streaming apps from organic results. These ads will appear to smartphone users on WiFi, and the user can play for up to 10 minutes, then download the app in full if they choose. This format drives highly-qualified users who are more likely to stay engaged with the app after install. Contact your Google representative to learn more about using this new format.
SGN’s Search Trial Run Ad for Panda Pop

Showcase your game with portrait videos
More than 80% of video ad views in mobile apps on the Google Display Network are from devices held vertically, but often, the videos are created for landscape viewing. Over the next few weeks we’re launching Portrait Video Ads so users have a full-screen, immersive portrait video experience without having to re-orient their device. We’ve seen significant improvement in both click-through and conversion rates from game developers using Portrait Video, resulting in much lower cost per install and a larger number of downloads.
In AdWords, you'll be able to give us a portrait video and we'll display it full screen to the user.
Promote your app to game-lovers
Advertisers have long been able to control who sees their AdWords ads, and in the coming weeks we’ll be launching even finer options to reach high-quality users with Active User Targeting for Games. This new type of targeting for Android apps can show ads to users who have spent more than 30 minutes playing games, or who have played a Google Play Games integrated game in the last 30 days. Game developers can show their ads to game lovers, and combined with other types of targeting, such as a particular game category (e.g., Adventure), they can reach a very precise audience.

Earn money from rewarded ads with AdMob Mediation
AdMob helps app developers around the world earn through in-app advertising with best-in-class formats and smart tools to maximize revenue. Increasingly, rewarded advertising is becoming a popular form of game monetization: users are given the choice to engage with ads in exchange for in-app rewards. Today, we’re introducing a way for developers to easily monetize apps with rewarded video ads from a number of ad providers in AdMob Mediation. Supported networks and platforms include AdColony, AppLovin, Chartboost, Fyber, Upsight, and Vungle, with more being added all the time. So if you’re a developer monetizing with these providers, you can easily manage and optimize them through the AdMob interface. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to provide app developers with a first-class mediation solution, and follows our recent launch enabling SDK-less mediation.

We’re working closely with developers to innovate our ad solutions and help them build strong businesses. If you’re a game developer, come and meet with our ads teams at GDC at the Google booth between Wednesday and Friday, to discuss developing great games, growing your user base and earning more money. We’ll have a series of great talks in our booth mini-theater each day, and on Thursday morning we’ll be part of the main GDC sessions, with a discussion on user acquisition and monetization.

Posted by Sissie Hsiao, Product Management Director of Mobile Display Ads
1 App Annie, Mobile App Forecast, Feb 2016

Source: Inside AdWords


Increase customer activation and retention with easy app engagement

We've all downloaded useful apps with the intention of using them, but with many things fighting for our attention it’s easy to forget about the ones that we’ve downloaded. For app marketers, being able to reconnect with app users in those relevant moments is extremely powerful, and with our latest launch of bulk IDFA/advertising ID upload in AdWords, we’ve made it easier than ever.

Being present in context when a consumer needs you is crucial. For example, 91% of smartphone users reach for their phone to get ideas while doing a task - and that’s when you want your app to surface. To adapt to this shift, apps today are investing beyond the install and moving to engage their customers with smart retention strategies.

Introducing bulk IDFA/advertising ID upload
With this in mind, today we’re launching bulk IDFA/advertising ID upload across Android and iOS. Simply put, it’s a tool that allows a developer to upload their own list of existing app users that they’d like to engage further on their app. For example, say a retail app wants to get purchasers from their holiday sale to check out their new spring discounts. They can pull a segment of their app users’ IDs from their own analytics tools and upload them to AdWords. They can then run engagement campaigns across apps on the Google Display Network while targeting a group of potentially high-value users. The targeted campaign can incentivize users by providing a special discount on their retail app purchase and reduce friction by opening a specific section of the app upon ad click.

Reach users across screens and platforms
You can also use this feature if you have both a site and a mobile app. If your site has had success targeting an audience who've shown interest in, for example, board games on your site, use your app analytics tools to create this segment of app users, and upload to target those users in AdWords. This helps you get in touch with users during those crucial micro-moments across platforms. Bulk IDFA/advertising ID upload is now available via AdWords and runs on the Google Display Network. Learn about additional best practices on app engagement here.

We understand that app engagement is important to lifetime value and are continually building and improving upon products that help reach those growth goals.

Posted by Tom Price, Product Manager, Display 

Source: Inside AdWords


Introducing new interactive ads to drive app installs

Developers are constantly looking for new ways to bring users to their apps. But because people’s attention on mobile is becoming shorter and more intent-rich, finding engaged users of your app is an ongoing challenge — both before and after an install. In fact, we found that one in four installed apps is never even used. We’ve focused our efforts on offering developers advertising tools that engage users and showcase an app at its best. We recently redesigned one of our in-app ad formats, and are building on our desire to create beautiful app ad experiences. That’s why today we’re introducing two new rich, immersive ad formats to our growing suite of creative app install solutions.

Play a game within an ad with Trial Run Ads
Trial Run Ads are an app ad format that lets a user play a game for up to 60 seconds by streaming content from the app before downloading. The immersive demo increases the likelihood that an install is coming from someone who enjoys playing the game. Users get a taste of the game before going through the download process,  and the app developer attracts better qualified users who’ve chosen the game based on their experiences in the app.

Trial Run Ads provide:
  • Ultra-immersive and delightful ads designed for games
  • The opportunity for gamers to trial before download 
  • More relevant ad clicks, app downloads, and pre-qualified app users
Cookie Jam's Trial Run Ad
Get ultra-creative with customized mobile ads
We’re also launching a beta for Interactive Interstitial ads, which are HTML5 ads that offer a completely customized user experience tailored to each advertiser's app. They give advertisers creative freedom to use HTML5 instead of standard templates and pull in data dynamically. Diversity potential is high with this format and it's not limited to just gaming apps. Interactive Interstitials offer a truly custom experience that can include your app’s value proposition and the functionalities you want to highlight, all painted in your personal branding strategy. This is particularly valuable for advertisers who are looking for higher user engagement in installers.

Interactive Interstitials provide:
  • A beautiful and flexible canvas for the advertiser to become truly creative
  • Unique testing and optimization capabilities
  • The opportunity to bring a piece of the app experience to the user before download
  • Unique brand building possibilities
Marketers are already taking advantage of these engaging ads to drive app installs. Zalora built a an ad that allowed users to swipe to discover an exclusive offer.
Zalora's Interactive Interstitial allows users to use a finger to
swipe a screen to discover a special promotion.
Customization can be as big or small as you want — from adjusting standard templates to developing a fully custom creative. Marketers can also use their live app content to create compelling, real time ad formats. With more control over layout and interaction, you can A/B test creatives and try various CTAs to increase conversions. Rather than just telling a user about your app, you can offer them an experience unique to your app that inspires them to want to spend time with your app.

Advertisers can use Interactive Interstitials to showcase their latest product offerings through galleries, highlight elements of their personal branding, and to more powerfully demonstrate the value of their app before someone installs.
Zalora showcases a gallery of products that users can
swipe through in its Interactive Interstitial ad.
We understand that experiences on mobile need to be made for mobile, and an ad is no different. We’re continually exploring new and better ways to build out interactive formats for the small screen.

Trial Run Ads and Interactive Interstitials are currently in beta and available to a limited set of advertisers. Reach out to your account manager if you are interested in joining the betas.

Posted by Sissie Hsiao, Director of Product, Display and Pasha Nahass, Product Manager, Display

Source: Inside AdWords


Appy holidays: ‘Tis the season of downloads, make sure your app is part of this seasons’ activities

The holiday season is around the corner and it’s a time of opportunity for app marketers — more people will be shopping on their mobile devices in shopping moments, and phone sales generally go through the roof on and around Christmas Day. Millions of apps will be downloaded as people customize their new devices. Shopping also doesn’t end after Christmas passes — the post-holiday season is enormous, with 58% of holiday shoppers planning on taking advantage of post-holiday sales and promotions.1

Top Tips for an Appy Holiday
For app marketers, the pre and post-holiday bump in traffic and purchases is a gift — so we got our experts together to help you get ready. Here are our 4 top tips to ensure you’re in the right place at the right time this holiday season.

1. Be there for the seasonal mobile bump with Universal App Campaigns.
With just one campaign you can drive app discovery across the entire Google network. Drive app installs at your target CPI throughout this peak period across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and the Google Display Network. It’s fast and easy to set up and reaches customers whether they’re already in an app, searching for new apps, watching YouTube, or browsing the web.

2. Enhance your Play Store Presence for Christmas Day
One in four app users discovers an app through search2 and now you can run ads exactly where users are searching for apps — on Google Play. And once you’ve gotten people to your Play store listing, make sure you’re turning visitors into installs by running Store Listing Experiments in the Google Play Developer Console. Use experiments to test variants of graphics and text on your Play Store listing and choose the option that drives the most installs.

3. Get Your App on New Phones
Customers personalize their new phones around the holidays. These happy new phone owners will be looking to personalize their gift by installing new apps after unwrapping, and New Device Targeting will allow you to reach them during these exciting moments. Use this easy and quick targeting option in your AdWords app install campaigns within the 'Interest & remarketing' section, adjust your bids based on the value of those users and see your user base grow.

4. Engage holiday shoppers with video
Video is a great medium to reach new app users — the average YouTube user is 2x more likely to download apps.3 It is particularly useful for retailers, as 42% of online shoppers use video as part of their pre-purchase research, and 64% use YouTube to find products.4  Make sure you’re using your latest video assets not just for brand building but for driving app installs as well. You can show up alongside relevant content, or target viewers with interests related to your app with YouTube app promo. It’s now easier than ever to control costs with our new new bidding feature that lets you cap at your own target.

We hope with these tips, you have a successful, merry, and appy end to the year!

Posted by Alexandra de Sá Moreira, Global Product Expert, Search Apps
1 Google / Ipsos MediaCT, Consumer Holiday Intentions Study, Sep 2015.
2 Google / Ipsos, Mobile App Marketing Insights: How Consumers Really Find and Use Your Apps (U.S.), May 2015.
3 Internal Google data, 2014.
4 2 U.S. Statistics, Google Consumer Surveys, March 2014. Surveyed: YouTube, Hulu, ESPN.com, Facebook, comedycentral.com, Tumblr, Instagram, Vimeo, AOL, MTV.com.

Source: Inside AdWords


Drive sales and app downloads with video this holiday season

The holiday shopping season is upon us once again, and advertisers are at the ready to make sure it’s their products that fly off the shelves. And this holiday, video will play a bigger role than ever in how those products fly off the shelves. Across a wide range of brands and categories, we’re seeing the power of TrueView video for driving consumer intent in addition to driving awareness. In a recent analysis of TrueView campaigns, 57% of campaigns saw lift in consideration and 24% saw a lift in favorability. Plus, 35% of campaigns saw a lift in purchase intent.1

Video can be an incredibly powerful tool in creating demand for your products. So over the past year, we’ve focused on creating tools on YouTube to help you connect the dots between inspiration and purchase. Today, we’re making these tools readily available to advertisers through AdWords. Here is a rundown of the features we’re launching.

New campaign set-up tailored to your marketing objectives
Setting up a video campaign should be as simple as telling us what action you want consumers to take – and today we’re announcing a way to do that right at the start of the campaign creation process. Whether your end goal is to drive sales, app downloads or to generally build your brand, you can now declare these goals right up front. Further, we’ll tailor the rest of your campaign set-up and optimization for your chosen marketing objective.
Shopping campaign option
App promotion campaign option
Drive app downloads at your set price with target cost-per-acquisition bidding
The holiday season is incredibly important for app promotion, as consumers outfit their new devices with apps. To start an app promotion campaign with video, select the new “app promotion” option to access settings specifically tailored for promoting apps. You can now use target cost-per-acquisition (CPA) bidding, which lets you define the amount you're willing to pay for a conversion, and then automatically sets your bids to give you as many conversions as possible at that price.

Clients participating in our beta have seen great results, including Com2us, the maker of the game Summoners War, whose Marketing Manager Eric Cho had this to say:
“At Com2us, we use TrueView for app promotion to acquire new app customers at scale across Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia. Our campaigns are exceeding expectations around volume while maintaining our ROI goals. Target CPA bidding has allowed us to achieve our goals on Android and we look forward to expanding in the future.”
Target CPA bidding
New shopping formats now available in AdWords
And today, two powerful performance-oriented formats are available to all advertisers – both TrueView for Shopping and Shopping ads on YouTube are now available in AdWords.

TrueView for Shopping campaigns create interactive video ads that highlight the value of your products and drive consideration. These TrueView video ads have actionable shopping cards embedded in them which provide an easy bridge to purchase for viewers. They are also a powerful audience solution, enabling you to remarket to viewers who may have visited your site or viewed your other videos.
TrueView for shopping
Shopping ads on YouTube work even lower in the funnel, by enabling shopping cards on creator videos that feature your products. This is a great way to capture demand when viewers are most interested in exploring and researching products. These also allow you to extend the reach of your Shopping campaigns beyond www.google.com.

To extend your Shopping ads to YouTube, make sure your Shopping campaigns in AdWords are opted into search partners.

These new TrueView features are made possible thanks to our recent migration of TrueView video ads into the core AdWords front end, and represents only the first first step towards a simpler, goal-oriented video ad experience. Now get out there and drive some sales and app downloads with video!

Posted by Diya Jolly, Director, Video Ads Product Management
1 TrueView Brand Lift Meta Analysis of US Q3 2015 campaigns
Consideration n=708 studies
Favorability n=118 studies
Purchase intent n=211 studies

Source: Inside AdWords