Video as an application monetization tool. 5 interesting ways

In one of the articles on “Megamind”, the company Appodeal has already told that with the help of the video, you can attract additional users to your application. However, the video can be used not only for this, but also for the monetization of the application. In addition, back in May, we integrated the possibility of making money on video advertising into our own service . In fact, if the advertising industry is a rocket, then the video can be called advanced rocket fuel.

The mobile advertising market is now developing very actively, and mobile video is considered to be the fastest growing segment in this area. Well, since the segment is developing, it would be nice to get into the clip, right? Now developers are creating new ways to integrate advertising video and its new formats. One of them is “rewarded video” - a modified video ad, viewing of which gives the user certain bonuses. This may be in-game currency, life, bonus items. For all this, it is proposed to view a short video. Let's analyze a few examples of the implementation of this type of promotional materials.

The pursuit of interactivity

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Simple placement of the commercial before and after the game level does little. This is predictable - users want another. Yes, they want interactivity. Therefore, make your video in such a way that users interact with it even before turning on the video - for example, they launched the “drum of good luck” to receive the next rewarded video and corresponding gifts.

Jelly Button's Pirate King uses exactly this method of engaging users in the process of watching a commercial and getting a bonus. The game realizes the dream of any pirate - here it is necessary to plow the sea in search of adventure and treasure. The central element of the gameplay is a rotating drum, which allows you to win virtual gold, attack an enemy island or protect yourself. Winnings can be used to purchase or upgrade game elements, enhancing protection against enemies. You can rotate the drum a limited number of times, but this limit can be increased with the help of IAP (in-app purchase - in-game purchase).

Sometimes in the sea you can find a vessel floating on the surface of the water, which means you can watch rewarded video. And the video is launched only at tapa on the vessel. After watching the video, the pirate may receive an additional spin of the reel, which brings some kind of bonus.

Try to integrate the advertising video in your application, make it part of the game, and then users will not be annoyed, on the contrary - they will want to watch this video again and again.

Full control over advertising

The user's consent to view advertising materials, as well as providing him with an advertising control tool, is a powerful trend actively used by mobile games. Indeed, forcing a user to view ads is the best way to lose an audience. To avoid this problem, it is worth keeping a balance between the display of advertising and the user's ability to manage advertising materials.

In Another Case Solved by Chillingo player acts as a detective who investigates the strange disappearance of sweets in the city. The player needs to discover various objects, solve riddles, put puzzle elements together as one. In the above example, the detective's phone is an interactive element that rings if the rewarded video is ready for viewing. In this video can be controlled, including pausing or even quitting the game viewer.

It is important to remember that control over promotional materials really needs to be complete. Make sure the video can pause, turn down the volume, run it again, or exit the viewer.

Freemium is not just for gaming

Rewarded video can be used not only in gaming applications. For example, NextPlus, one of the leaders in the field of communications applications, uses this format to provide its users with premium features.

According to statistics, about 80% of NextPlus users are 13-24 years old. Representatives of this group are usually not active IAP-users, they simply do not have enough funds. And this is not a problem - the application offers virtual money that can be spent on a conversation. This “currency” the user receives when viewing the bonus video.

The CEO of the company states that if it were not for such a scheme of work, the application might never have become so popular as it is now.

Bonuses for promotion in the game

In many games, the number of lives of a game character is limited. At the same time, losing all lives before the main checkpoint or crashing into the side of the track before the finish line is a common thing.

It turns out that such cases can be monetized. For example, a person who would like to continue the game, rather than start all over again, often agrees to view the rewarded video, which gives him the opportunity to continue from the place where the game was interrupted.

Here, as an example, you should take Kongregate's Epic Skater .

The character of the game is equipped with a helmet and a skateboard by default. A skater can show his skills in a completely empty city where practically no one is there.

Gameplay is to perform tricks and get points. Subsequently, these points can be spent on improving their abilities. If the user fails to go through any stage of the game, he is offered three options to choose from: watching video ads, buying lives for real money or resuming the game from the very beginning. At the same time, the commercial is not too long - 15–30 seconds; watching it does not take too much time. Here the player's emotions, his desire to continue the game usually lead to viewing rewarded video. Quite an interesting way to monetize the application.

Jackpot!

In the Zynga Hit It Rich application, the user at the very beginning of the game is shown a video with a jackpot - a stream of coins pouring from a tray. After some time, this video is offered to be viewed again, and while watching a player it is quite possible for several tens of thousands of game coins to win.

Interestingly, the re-video is not always shown, this process is random, and the player receives a commercials spontaneously, in a random order. Naturally, almost all the players in this application are looking forward to the appearance of a new rewarded video and a virtual currency win.

Conclusion: there can be only one recommendation - you need a balance between the monetization of the application and the priorities of the user. If you have questions about the integration of video advertising in your application - go to the Appodeal website, contact support and see what you can do in your case.