When running marketing strategies for mobile games, it's worth remembering that it's necessary not only to respond to constantly changing trends, but also to build strategies that are as relevant to our game as possible. Market orientation is not the only key to success. It should be approached very analytically and with the assumption that the developed strategies will have to change during their implementation. Contrary to common belief, strategic mistakes concerning the mentioned fields of marketing activity are quite common. In this post we would like to highlight the ones that are worth paying special attention to so as not to duplicate them in your actions.
Optimization mistakes
Inadequate steps taken to optimize an application can start both at the foundation of such actions and at later stages. A common mistake is to assume that a well-built strategy once is enough and the rest will somehow follow. Unfortunately, activities such as ASO are characterized by the need for constant refinement and implementation of changes in response to existing ranking analyses. You can read more about ASO in our guide titled App Store Optimization Guide and learn how to best perform actions in this area. You have to remember that of all the indicators, the number of downloads is the hardest to influence, so in addition to the optimization strategy, you should always take care about the promotion strategy of your game at the early stages of its development.
No monetization strategy
Game development has no chance if its monetization strategy is not properly attributed. Many times, it takes months or years to adjust such techniques, but you have to keep in mind that the right choice is the key to success. So you need to spend a lot of time thinking about monetization models. If you are at such a stage, we highly recommend that you take a look at our guide on mobile game monetization tactics, where you will learn what the strategies are and how to best adapt them to your needs and possibilities.
Incorrect data analysis
The topic of data analysis is directly related to gamer behavior and controlling in-app monetization methods. A common mistake is the belief that it is enough to conduct analytics once in a while, but the reality makes us realize that such actions have positive effects only when they are implemented regularly. The indicators you should base your analytics on should not focus on a few basic ones, i.e. user growth or session length. We must also remember about the retention rate (% of users remaining in our app after a given time), which we can measure according to a specific timeframe (for more words on this topic, see our post entitled Soft Launch of a Mobile Game, where we explain the importance of all metrics crucial in the app development process). Other important metrics are: ARPU (average revenue per user), number of downloads (important for ASO activities), number of active users and many, many more, which we write about in detail in the above mentioned article, which we encourage you to read! Remember that when analyzing data, it is worthwhile to test different tools designed for these goals. There is no point in focusing on the already known ones, because many times it is the testing of tools that brings very surprising, positive insights.
Using traditional marketing methods
Marketing itself is a lever that touches a lot of application areas. Focusing solely on traditional methods of promotion can bring disappointment, as these methods may be long overdue. Marketing (and mobile games in particular) has this in common that it changes extremely quickly and needs constant moderation. It is important to remember that first and foremost, we need to be where our potential users are with our strategy, and in the case of mobile games, these are online stores where mobile advertising or social networks can be used. Compared to such activities, traditional promotion channels will unfortunately never work properly.
No business plan for the game before the start of development
Both the launch and the whole process of game development should be planned well in advance. Already at the creation stage, the design and marketing departments should cooperate, so that marketing should systematically distribute information about the upcoming game. Creating a base of users waiting for the soft launch of the game is the key to success, which you will not get without a well written business plan for the game. In our guide we mentioned earlier (Soft Launch of a Mobile Game), we describe how preparation for the launch of the game should look both technically and in marketing, as well as through the activities of the various departments working on the game.
