The COVID-19 is having a vast impact on the mobile game industry and APAC gamers are on the rise.
Mobile game downloads have seen great deal of growth the past few years, with 2023 seeing a 17.9% increase in app downloads compared to 2020 (Statista).This growth has been in the mobile gaming market’s value increasing around 12.5% from 2020 to 2023 (Statista). Most of this revenue came from in the APAC region, where the gaming culture is quite extensive, and casually playing games while commuting or to relax is not unusual.
The APAC region boasts 5 out of the top 7 countries in terms of average time per year spent playing mobile games, based on one study looking at global rates of consumption of mobile games created with Unity, the most popular game engine (Nature).
As gaming continues to grow, so does the interest of gaming companies and marketers on which marketing strategies work best to drive gaming app installs. How can companies effectively target gamers in the APAC region? How are the player preferences evolving and what kind of content resonates with them?
Mobile Game Marketing with YouTube
YouTube Marketing is a great channel to drive app installs in the Asia-Pacific region since the popularity of mobile games is reflected in the content people watch on YouTube. Last year more than 35 million channels uploaded a gaming video or streamed on the platform in 2019. And in 2022, there were over 443 thousand streaming channels on YouTube Gaming Live. So, how can marketers better engage with gamers on YouTube?
- Collaborate with influencers to drive interest in your app. A basic one that brings results. With the help of YouTube Creators, your mobile game can attract a larger audience’s attention and awareness, especially if you focus on more practical content such as video tutorials or showcasing the unique features of the game.
- Create buzz to deepen relationships with fans. YouTube Premieres function is a very interesting tool to connect with fans. It is essentially a live stream of your new video, where viewers can chat and comment on it while watching it live. Kinda like how TV shows used to air live, but after that were available to watch on On-Demand, your video will air live and afterwards viewers can watch it like a normal YouTube video. The great thing about it is that the connection is in real-time and generates a community of concurrent viewers who are willing to know news about games.
- Focus on Live events to keep gamers engaged. Like Premieres, YouTube Live is a good way to engage users with real-time interactions. Live events encourage viewers to interact with the stream, and allow you to adapt to audience feedback.
Targeting Female Gamers in Asia
Nowadays, the number of genres and variety of storylines has increased, and the gaming industry is attracting more female gamers every year. Mobile has become the most popular platform among female gamers, due to its on-the-go appeal and low barrier to entry. Their engagement with mobile games is also unique — 60% of them spend up to seven hours per week playing.
The fast-paced growth of female gamers is a key point in the evolution of the APAC gaming market, so marketers should find more effective ways to engage with them.
3 ways to better engage with female audiences:
- Plan mobile-first. Considering the facts and market trends, a mobile-first approach should be an essential part of your strategy.
- Add storylines, character options and gameplay elements that resonate with female gamers.
- Search for female gamer communities and investigate their preferences and perspectives.
Ads that drive conversions
Before starting a new Google Ads campaign, marketers should analyze gamers’ motivation. Why are they playing and how are they engaging? The world of gaming is divided into two categories: “core” or “heavy” players and “casual” gamers. Understanding the differences between these 2 segments is key to effectively reaching them.
To drive app installs, gaming ads should differentiate which kind of gamer they are targeting, and which creative elements and trends are the most effective at appealing to them.
Core gamers
Create an immersive experience by showing them gameplay dynamics:
- Showcase details like customization, characters, leveling up and maps.
- Highlight what the player can do or control
- Avoid leaving the game world and featuring real-world scenes.
- Use strong calls to action that reflect the desire to be challenged rather than simple CTAs like “install” or “download”.
Here is an example of an effective ad
Casual Gamers
Keep it simple and show them how easy it is to play:
- Use the fingers and hands.
- Show gameplay in a real-world environment, to enhance the need for a break.
- Use CTAs that focus on relaxing.
- Avoid confusing elements that may make the game look too complicated.
Here is an example of an effective ad:
Conclusion
The Asia-Pacific region has been for a while a leader in the video game industry for awhile, driving in 2023 a total revenue of more than 79 billion dollars (the 64% of the world’s total gaming revenue) (Globaldata). Since the impact of COVID-19 has heavily affected the industry for the better, marketers should focus on making the most of this opportunity and improve their marketing efforts in the region.
Data and graphic sources: ThinkWithGoogle
