The techniques of viralization and socialization of mobile games and applications

Everyone knows how user acquisition works, it is also User Acquisition, UA. The effect of virality / virality is more “elusive”, at first glance. Basically, due to the lack of a universal formula, combining the components of which you will get a 100% viral effect. Some tactics are suitable for some applications, but not at all for others. But still there is a must-have action that will bring you closer to the effect of virality.

A common mistake is to assume that the release itself will give your application the necessary visibility for installations and virality. In app store, you can really do a lot with the help of ASO, picking up the perfect keywords, the most eloquent screenshots and purchasing users for the first time. But in order that users do not have to buy all the time and in equal quantities, you need something more. Viralization.

The first step towards viralization is to embed its mechanisms in the design and functionality of the application. In other words, you have to do the sharing processes through social networks, instant messengers, mail, etc. light, fun and user friendly. In mobile games, these features are realized thanks to the login through social. networks, followed by inviting friends, awards with soft or hard currency for social activity, the ability to boast gaming achievements, etc.

The second step is to cultivate the success of your application being virtualized by integrating viral mechanics into a promotion strategy, in other words, developing an effect of being outside the app store.
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Landing optimized for touch-devices can be one of the ways to achieve the effect of presence.

Creating an attractive informative landing will help generate an initial interest in the application even before its release in the app, make itself known in social networks, tell the opinion leaders, bloggers, journalists and potential users about the application. Ask landing visitors to leave their e-mail for launch notification, so you will receive your first users. After starting, ask them to put the first assessment to the application, thereby re-activating them after a long wait.

In addition to the obvious boost in the search engines and the above set of users, use the landing page to tell about your application, place colorful screenshots, videos, reviews, a competent call to action and a link to the application in the pages. And, again, make your landing so that they want to share! If we are talking about the game, place on it a short but high-quality HTML5 version of the game.

Let's return to our built-in mechanics. In order not to get confused in all the variety of possibilities for obtaining the effect of virality, decompose the topic of the built-in mechanics in the following fields:

• How?
• When?

Offer to share, you can show all users at least every minute of the game, but it does not bring you the desired result. In addition, the intrusiveness scares.

People tend to brag about achievements. Offer to share a message about the incredibly difficult level passed, a picture of a downed dragon, a built castle, a folded number (yes, this is a reference to 2048). A relatively new technique is recording and sharing the passing level. In the settings, the user allows to record the passage of levels, then he can lay out the record in the social. network and boast their mastery, such as reprisals against zombies.
Proposing to share a funny file also has chances for success. I, for one, would love to share a failure from Dumb Ways to Die or Crossy Road. My followers would be delighted, sure!

Also, if you want to ask to evaluate your application or game - do it at the moment when the user experiences positive emotions. Create a complaint and suggestion form inside the game or application. In this way, you can minimize the negatives in the app without harming the user’s communication with the developers and improving the product thanks to feedback.

Authorization through social networks is the easiest and most used login. But you should leave the user the right to choose. Give him the opportunity to log in through the guest login, recalling that the history of his achievements is not saved. And glory is not to be seen. Logged in through social. network, invite friends to the game, and for those invited, reward them with soft or hard currency, ace, artifact, or any other values ​​used.
Dragging friends into the game can be beneficial not only for you, but also for the user himself. When proposing to invite friends to the app, tell us about the benefits. For example, within a game, friends can give each other life or playing time.

Leaderboards and their sharing are a great way to turn a user into an ambassador for your application. Remember the delight of your friends when they managed to force you out of the post of mayor of some spot in FourSquare. A friend of mine was offended and wrote angry posts for his 1000+ friends when someone dared to check in his favorite store more often than himself.

Integrate the possibility of using promotional codes in the game. Allow me to share promotional codes, give them and send. Users will be pleased with your generosity.
Talk about promo codes to reporters during the pitch. Free application + the opportunity to get for free what is not available to others = more chances to get a sincere positive publication that will be “shared”.

In-game tournaments are a reason for a user to tell others how cool he is.
Tournaments are necessary for this type of players as achiviers. Without a competitive moment, the game loses its meaning for them. Read more about who the achievers are. The reward to the winner can be both in-game currency and real prize.

Achiver or Socializer?

Users of mobile games and applications can be divided into 4 groups: socializers, achivers, researchers and murderers. Last should not be afraid. In the context of the game's viralization, we are interested in the first two groups. They support each other in the game.



Achiver is focused on scoring, passing difficult levels and boasting. For them, and need tournaments, leaderboards and, in fact, achivy.
Socialists are interested in social, communication aspects. They need an in-game chat and a community around the subject of their interest. At the same time, the achivors are not interested in the social aspects of the game, but they have the advantage of having socializers in the game. Socialists, on the other hand, do not pursue first places, but support Achievers in this.
By adding multiplayer to the game, you will keep Achievers and Socializers in it.

Your user, however, did not engage in the virtualization of your product. Do not leave him alone with this activity. Maintain accounts on social networks, gather a loyal community there and maintain its interest. Post information about the events taking place in the application, discounts, distribution, competitions, give out promotional codes to subscribers. Competitions can be carried out both within the game and directly on the page in the social. network. Beware of likegate, invite users to share ideas for improving gameplay, heroes, original screenshots to comment.

Do not forget that you are also a living person. And don't let the fans forget about it. Even the most callous hardcore player is grabbed by the cute photo of the developers of his favorite game with kittens and Labrador puppies under the Christmas tree.

Run on the basis of the messenger . This advice should be paid special attention to those who are planning to conquer Asian markets. Line, Kakao, WeChat, Weibo - these platforms will allow you to reach a large number of new users at once. For greater virality, take the time to localize the application, taking into account local trends and features of the mentality. Make free branded messenger stickers as a bonus for players.
Viber Messenger went from the opposite, running games with already beloved heroes, a girl with purple hair Violet and a cat Legcat.
Viber also releases localized stickers, which gives him a boost in socialization. The application for the desktop offers a huge number of a wide variety of stickers for free, unlike the mobile application. Thus, from the mobile messenger, he was able to become a full-fledged cross-device application, which will give him the opportunity to earn a lot of money on the in-app advertising.

Use push notifications . Return users, reminding them of the upcoming in-game event, sale in the app, uncollected harvest, a new player from their circle of friends. Dead Trigger 2 uses not just a push notification, but a voice notification. A hoarse male voice reminds of the game with the phrase “What do we have here?”. Unforgettably.
Applications for tourism, shopping, etc. notify about discounts, games arrange events for passive users. Periodically, they are invited to return to the game to get an unprecedented bonus, making a meager effort.
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Below are the formulas for global and local K-factor. Use this formula to measure virality, and may the force be with you!