Facebook Ads for Video Games: 4-Step Guide for Better Results

The power of Facebook Ads continues to grow, making it an increasingly effective platform for promoting mobile games. For smaller agencies operating with tight budgets, navigating the competitive landscape can be challenging. However, this is possible with a strategic approach.

Understanding the landscape

The gaming marketplace is incredibly competitive. By 2024, the video games market is projected to reach a revenue of USD 282.30 billion (Source: Statista). Meanwhile, The average revenue per user (ARPU) in the video games market is projected to be USD 215.20 in 2024 (Source: Statista). It showcases the immense potential and opportunities this industry offers and the importance of right strategy and plan to get the desired results. 

Why are Facebook Ads good for game promotion?

Facebook Ads excel at reaching your ideal audience, making them an excellent choice for game promotion, check out why:

Targeting capabilities

Facebook’s sophisticated targeting features allow you to reach potential players. Whether you're using audience lists based on game genres or similar titles or leveraging advanced and custom audience options, Facebook helps you connect with people who are highly likely to engage with your game at nearly any stage of its development. This precise targeting ensures your ads reach users who are most likely to convert.

Versatile ad solutions

Facebook Ads have evolved into a comprehensive platform where game developers build, launch, and monetise their games. Facebook offers custom solutions for mobile, PC, and console game marketers, helping them meet their goals. For instance, to build brand recognition for its new game Disney Dreamlight Valley, a global game developer ran a brand-focused Meta ad campaign, resulting in a 9.7-point lift in ad recall (Source: Meta).

Engaged gaming community

Each month, more than 900 million people engage with gaming content on Facebook (Source: Meta). It includes playing games, watching gaming videos, and connecting in gaming groups. This massive, engaged audience presents a significant opportunity for game developers to promote their games effectively.

When to use Facebook Ads for game marketing?

• Pre-Launch: Generate buzz and build anticipation for your upcoming game.
• Launch: Drive app installs and initial user engagement.
• Post-Launch: Retarget users, encourage in-app purchases, and promote updates or expansions.

By integrating Facebook Ads into your marketing strategy, you can effectively reach your target audience, ultimately driving higher conversions and achieving your marketing goals.

What kind of Facebook Ads should you use?

When promoting your game, selecting the right ad format is crucial. Each ad format has its specific purpose and can yield different results based on your campaign objectives, audience, and creative strategy. Here's a breakdown of ad formats for game promotion:

Image and video ads

These are highly effective and versatile, especially if you're starting out. These ad formats are straightforward to create and work for various campaign goals.

• Video Ads: Typically perform best in a 1.91:1 format. Video content is engaging and can showcase gameplay. It's essential for enticing potential players. Videos also demonstrate the gameplay, graphics, and unique features, offering a reason for users to download and play your game.
  
  
• Image Ads: Usually perform better in a 1:1 format. Static images can highlight aspects of your game, such as characters, environments, or special events. While less dynamic than videos, well-designed image ads can still capture attention and drive engagement.

In the end, remember that both these ad formats should have a clear call-to-action (CTA) to guide users towards downloading or engaging with your game.

Carousel ads

These ads allow you to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad, creating a slideshow effect. Users can swipe through different scenes or features of your game.

While carousel ads can be more engaging, they require a significant amount of high-quality creative content, which can be time-consuming. Given the effort involved, single image or video ads might be more efficient, especially if you're on a tight budget. However, if you have the resources, carousel ads can effectively highlight various aspects of your game and keep users interested.

Collection ads

Collection ads offer an immersive experience by expanding to full screen when clicked. This format is particularly effective for mobile users, providing a highly engaging and interactive ad experience.

Collection ads are great for lead generation, such as email signups, and can create a mini landing page feel within Facebook. This ad type combines a cover image or video with several smaller images, each with its own CTA. Despite the work required to create collection ads, the immersive experience can significantly enhance user engagement and conversion rates.

Key considerations

When choosing the ad format, consider the following:

• Targeting: Understand your audience and customise your ads to their preferences and behaviours. Facebook’s advanced targeting options can help you reach the right players at the right time.

• Campaign Objectives: Align your ad formats with your campaign goals. Whether it’s increasing app installs, driving engagement, or generating leads, choose the format that best supports your objectives.

• Creative Quality: High-quality visuals and compelling content are essential. Invest time creating eye-catching and informative ads that will stand out in users’ feeds.

By carefully selecting and optimising your ad formats, you can effectively promote your game and achieve your marketing goals. Experiment with different formats, analyse their performance and refine your strategy to maximise results.

4-step guide to creating high-performance ad campaigns for your game

1. Creative assets

Before you launch your Facebook campaign, you need compelling creative assets. This step is crucial for capturing the attention of potential players.

Videos or images:

While images can be effective, video ads are far superior to game advertising. Videos provide a dynamic and engaging way to showcase gameplay, giving potential players a real taste of the game. They tend to capture attention more effectively and result in higher conversion rates compared to static images.

Creating effective video ads:

Facebook auto-plays videos, which means your video needs to grab attention within the first few seconds to prevent users from scrolling past. Here are some tips:

• Impactful Intro: Start with a strong, attention-grabbing intro.
• Engaging Storyline: Keep viewers engaged with a well-thought-out storyline.
• Visuals are king: Use visuals more than text to convey your message.
• Include subtitles: Since Facebook videos auto-play on mute, include subtitles but keep them concise.
• Keep it simple: Aim for videos between 15 and 30 seconds.
• Clear CTA: End with a powerful call-to-action, encouraging viewers to download the game.

Quantity of creatives:

Not all creatives will perform well. Typically, only about 5% of your ads will achieve your desired KPIs. Start by producing and testing a variety of videos to identify the most effective ones, then scale up production based on those insights.

2. Setting up Facebook campaigns

Once you have your creative assets, it’s time to set up your campaigns strategically.

Selecting the campaign type:

Selecting the right campaign type is crucial for simplifying the conversion process and ensuring users take the desired action.

Budgeting and optimisation:

• Budget Allocation: Set a budget that provides enough data for analysis without overspending.
• Optimisation Choices: Use Ad Set Budget Optimization (ASBO) for initial testing to control spending on different ad sets. Transition to Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) once you identify what works best, allowing Facebook’s algorithm to allocate the budget more efficiently.

How many ads per set should you have?

Include three to five ads per ad set to ensure sufficient data for analysis while keeping the testing process manageable.

Testing ads:

Start with simple variation tests (changing CTAs, text headers, formats), followed by advanced variations (colours, copy, background images). Test for three days, analyse the results and identify winning creatives. Scale successful strategies and discard underperforming ones.

3. App Event Optimization (AEO)

After achieving about 10,000 installs, you can transition to AEO to target users more likely to complete specific in-app events, enhancing user quality and monetisation potential.

Setting Up AEO Campaigns

• Select ASBO or CBO: Make a choice based on your testing phase results.
• Audience size: Aim for audience size over five million. For smaller countries, target three percent of the audience.
• Bid strategy: Choose 'Highest value of lowest cost.'
• App events: Optimise for events like, 'achieve level' or 'purchase.'
• Monitor performance: Track metrics such as results, mobile app purchases, and ROAS.

4. Maximising Revenue

The final step involves using the Highest Value bid strategy to maximise revenue from your acquired users.

Creating a Highest Value campaign

• Choose ASBO or CBO: Based on your previous results and current goals.
• Bid strategy: Select, 'Highest value or lowest cost.'
• Optimisation for ad delivery: Set to 'Value.'
• Budget: Ensure your budget is sufficient to exit the learning phase quickly.
• Creative Management: Use three to seven creatives per ad set to maintain effective testing.
• Audience and placement: Use data-driven decisions from previous steps to refine your targeting. 

Performance Monitoring: Track, analyse and adjust your strategies based on performance data.

Takeaway

By identifying your target audience and effectively communicating your game’s unique value, you can leverage Facebook Ads to create meaningful connections with potential players. This approach ensures consistency throughout the player’s journey—from their first interaction with your ad to the moment they start playing your game.

Facebook advertising offers the tools and features needed to cater to your audience at every stage. However, to truly maximise these tools, it’s crucial to use them effectively. Partnering with campaign experts with years of experience running successful Facebook ad campaigns can make all the difference. At Game Marketing Genie, our team optimises campaigns and budgets to ensure your game achieves the desired results.

Take advantage of the powerful opportunities social media platforms like Facebook offer. Ensure you get the best return on your investment by working with professionals who understand the nuances of game marketing. Get in touch with us today!