Determining a game ads budget is a complex process that depends on numerous variables. There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but here's a breakdown of factors to consider:
Key Factors Influencing Your Budget:
Key Factors Influencing Your Budget:
- Game Type and Genre:
- Casual games might require a lower budget compared to complex RPGs or AAA titles.
- Different genres have varying Cost-Per-Install (CPI) rates.
- Target Audience:
- Reaching a niche audience might be more expensive than targeting a broad demographic.
- Geographic location also plays a role in ad costs.
- Platform:
- Mobile, PC, and console platforms have different advertising costs.
- Within mobile, iOS and Android can have varying CPIs.
- Marketing Goals:
- Are you aiming for mass user acquisition, or a smaller, highly engaged player base?
- Brand awareness campaigns will have different budgets than direct response campaigns.
- Ad Formats:
- Video ads, playable ads, and influencer marketing have different costs.
- Rewarded video ads might have a different cost structure than interstitial ads.
- Competition:
- Highly competitive genres will require a larger ad budget to stand out.
- Life Cycle of the Game:
- Pre-launch, launch, and post-launch marketing will have different budget allocations.
- Start Small and Test:
- Begin with a smaller budget to test different ad creatives and targeting options.
- Analyze the results and scale up your budget based on performance.
- Focus on Key Metrics:
- Track KPIs like CPI, retention rate, and lifetime value (LTV) of acquired users.
- Adjust your budget based on the ROI of your campaigns.
- Allocate Budget to Different Channels:
- Diversify your ad spend across various platforms (AdMob, Unity Ads, social media).
- Allocate budget based on the performance of each channel.
- Consider the LTV:
- If your game has strong monetization, you can afford a higher CPI.
- Balance Organic and Paid:
- Don't rely solely on paid ads. Invest in organic marketing strategies like community building and social media engagement.
- It's crucial to understand that mobile game advertising is an ongoing process.
- You'll need to continuously monitor and optimize your campaigns to maximize your ROI.
- It is very important to have very good analytics, so you can track where your spending is going, and what returns you are getting.