Creating a game is only part of the job done.
The next challenge is getting it seen.
And it’s a big one.
Many developers struggle with mobile game visibility, especially when they are just starting out in the gaming business. For this reason, we’ve decided to compile a list of the top 5 strategies you can use to boost the visibility of your game.
Let’s dive right in!
1. Rank up With ASO
You want people to notice your game while browsing the app stores.
But, what are the odds of that happening if it’s buried below all those competitor apps?
That’s like being on the 20+ page on Google.
Here’s what you can do to change this.
Just like you would use SEO to boost your Google rankings, you can use ASO to increase your app store visibility.
To define, ASO (app store optimization) is a set of techniques game publishers use to optimize their app store listing. As a result, the game should rank higher in search results and stand out among the competition. Besides boosting visibility, ASO can also be very effective at increasing install rates.
Successful app store optimization involves many factors, including game title, description, icon, screenshots, keywords, etc.
Quick Tips for Effective ASO
Here are some tips to get you started with ASO and help you boost your mobile game visibility:
- Make the app title brief & catchy
- Find optimal keywords using ASO research tools
- Focus on both high-traffic keywords and long-tail keywords with less competition
- Make the game description easily readable (include emojis)
- Try to naturally include keywords in the game title, subtitle, and description
- Make visually appealing game screenshots that emphasize its main features
2. Use Video Advertising to Get Seen Quickly
Want to instantly increase your mobile game visibility? Got a decent budget?
Invest in video advertising.
Video ads have proven to be the most effective way to showcase a game and quickly reach new audiences.
By using different user acquisition (UA) channels, you can place video ads for your game in different places. Generally, UA channels for mobile game video advertising can be split into two major groups:
- Social media channels like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
- Ad networks for in-app advertising like ironSource, Unity Ads and AppLovin
Wherever your target audience is — video ads can find their way to their screens.
If you think they spend most of their time scrolling social media, place your video ads in between the content.
If you think you’re most likely to find your audience in other apps and games, that’s where you should reach them. There, your video ads can appear as full-screen ads between levels (interstitial ads) or as opt-in ads players can watch and get an in-game reward in return (rewarded video ads).
Quick Tips for Video Advertising
There are a lot of things you can do to maximize your mobile game visibility through video advertising. Here are just some of them:
- Place your video ads on multiple platforms
- Use short-form video ads (10–15 seconds)
- Start with an attention-grabber
- Highlight the most attractive features of the game
- Add subtitles for mute viewing
- Include a CTA at the end (e.g. Play now)
- Create multiple variations of the same video ad
3. Attract Quality Users via Offerwalls
Offerwalls are a type of paid advertising that can not only boost mobile game visibility but also bring in high-quality users.
Lately, they are getting rediscovered thanks to the impressive results they achieve. For example, offerwall users have 5-7x higher retention rates than non-offer wall users (ironSource).
Here’s how they work.
A user sees an offerwall within an app or on a website. It consists of a list of different actions players can take to receive rewards in return. For example:
- Download the X app
- Finish a tutorial in X game
- Complete a survey
- Reach level 5 in X game
Upon completing any of these offers, the player gets rewarded in the app/website where they found the offerwall (e.g. coins, diamonds, points).
How does this affect your visibility?
First, your game will get on the radar of many offerwall users. In-game offerwalls are especially effective for this. These people already play games, are engaged, and have a strong motivation to explore other titles as well.
Moreover, when many users complete the offer related to your game, this will result in a significant install boost. Consequently, this should improve your game’s app store rankings, making it more visible to users.
Get the Most Out of Offewalls
MAF has helped hundreds of advertisers in getting their games seen by a global audience. Reach out to us and let’s start talking about how we can help you increase your mobile game visibility with rewarded advertising!
4. Build Engaged Social Media Communities
Social media isn’t reserved just for paid advertising — you can also spread the word about your game organically.
One of the best ways to do this is through social media communities.
Social media communities are places that gather people passionate about your game. They use them as a platform to discuss your game, share their accomplishments, tips, etc.
Some of the popular channels for this include TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Twitter.
A great example of this is Stumble Guys, a game that became popular thanks to community building, among other things.
What’s the deal with these communities?
When people discover a gaming community, this naturally sparks curiosity and drives visibility.
You can think of gaming communities as your hardcore fan groups. These players talk about your game because they genuinely like it, not because they are paid to do it. Other people can recognize this, and that’s one of the reasons community building is so effective.
Quick Tips for Community Building
Building an engaged community takes a lot of time and effort. Here are some tips that will help you achieve your goals faster:
- Start with community management before launching your game
- Find your audience’s favorite social media platforms
- Encourage user-generated content
- Use different types of content (e.g. short video, influencer content, gameplay recordings)
- Be responsive
- Use hashtags
5. Partner with Micro-Influencers
For years already, influencer marketing has been a huge trend and one of the best ways to drive mobile game visibility.
It’s quite simple — influencer marketing can put your game in thousands of potential players.
You would like to do this, but are concerned that this marketing strategy is too expensive?
Not necessarily.
You don’t have to hire the world’s biggest, most popular influencers. In a lot of cases, influencers with smaller followings and engaging posts prove to be not only the cheaper but also the more effective option.
It all comes down to one thing — virality potential.
Even if a person has 10 followers, they can create posts that can make games go viral. This is especially true for short-form videos that have great potential to go viral and skyrocket your mobile game visibility.
Quick Tips for Influencer Marketing
- Work with influencers who create engaging short-form videos
- Look for authentic and relatable creators
- Examine the influencer’s audience demographics
- Watch out for influencers with fake followers
- Look for influencers with strong relationships with their audiences
- Give them the freedom to promote games in their unique way
Closing Thoughts on Tips for Mobile Game Visibility
Hopefully, this article has helped you pick up the ropes of mobile game marketing.
But, you should know there is much more to learn.
These are just some basic practices and trends that can boost mobile game visibility. But, when you dive deeper into each of them, you’ll discover many other details you need to pay attention to.
We’ll be covering some of these details in our future articles, so make sure you subscribe to our newsletter!
