Game developers often face the challenge of retaining and re-engaging users after their initial visit to a game. One effective way to address this is through engagement retargeting strategies. These strategies involve targeting users who have already shown interest in a game, but may need some extra push to continue engaging with it.
In this article, we will discuss various engagement retargeting strategies specifically for game developers. These strategies can be implemented through different platforms such as social media, email marketing, and display / video advertising.
1. Display Ads
When someone visits your game’s website or landing page, they are showing interest in your game. By placing a retargeting pixel on your website, you can track these visitors and target them with display ads across the web. These ads can showcase new features, updates, or promotions to entice users to return to the game.
The benefits of display ads for engagement retargeting include reaching a large audience, driving traffic to your game’s website, and increasing brand awareness. However, rising ad costs and ad blindness can diminish the effectiveness of this strategy. Placing display ads only on sites or apps that have a similar target audience to your game can help mitigate these challenges.
2. Email Marketing
Email remarketing is another effective strategy for engaging with potential customers who have already shown interest in your game. You can use email marketing automation tools to segment users based on their activity and send them personalized and targeted emails. For example, you can send a welcome email to new users, a reminder email for those who have completed certain levels or tasks in the game, or a special offer email for returning users.
Email marketing has a high ROI and allows for direct communication with potential players. However, there is a risk of being marked as spam if the emails are not relevant or engaging enough. To avoid this, make sure your emails are tailored to each user and provide valuable content that will keep them interested in your game.
Re-engagement efforts through email marketing can be effective because these people have opted-in to your list which shows that they have a genuine interest in your game. Additionally, you can track open and clickthrough rates to measure the success of your email campaigns and make adjustments accordingly.
For example, if your open rate is low for an abandoned cart email, you could try offering a discount or limited-time offer to entice users to return with a stronger subject line. If you aren’t already building a mailing list as a game developer, start now by adding a call-to-action in your game settings or on your website. Follow up emails can also be used to gather feedback from players, which can help improve your overall game experience.
3. Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer targeted advertising options that allow you to reach specific demographics or interests. You can also use these platforms to engage with your audience through regular posts and updates, promote special events or promotions, and build a community around your game.
Social media marketing is a cost-effective way to reach a large audience and create brand awareness. Viral campaigns and user-generated content can also help increase visibility and attract new players. With that being said, it’s important to regularly monitor and respond to comments and feedback on social media to maintain a positive image for your game.
With social media ads, you can even create a custom audience to advertise your game to people who have already shown interest in similar games or gaming-related pages. This targeted approach can help increase conversion rates and drive more downloads. If you’d like to advertise to those that visited a specific webpage or follow your profile on a specific social media profile, you can create a remarketing audience to reach them.
To fully utilize the potential of social media marketing, it’s important to have a strong presence on multiple platforms and consistently engage with your audience. This can help build a loyal following and promote word-of-mouth marketing, as players are more likely to share and recommend a game that they feel connected to.
Partnering with Helika To Drive Retargeting Results
As one of the leading game analytics platforms, Helika can provide valuable insights into your player base, including retention rates and churn analysis. By partnering with Helika, you can use this data to create targeted retargeting campaigns that will bring back inactive players or encourage current players to continue playing.
By integrating Helika’s expertise into your engagement retargeting strategies, you can improve the overall performance of your game and increase revenue. As a case study with Pixelynx, our team helped the game receive a 75% increase in daily active users by encouraging users to join via reward box claim engagement campaign.
Summary of Retargeting Strategies For Game Developers
Whether it be Google ads, email retargeting or social media retargeting, encouraging potential new players to continue with your desired action would be the next step to maximizing your potential reach. A successful retargeting campaign usually includes new products or special offers to encourage users to re-engage with the game. So, consider a lootbox with special rewards for inactive players or a limited-time discount for those who haven’t played in a while.
Re-engagement campaigns through Facebook ads are a common and effective way to reach out to inactive players, as the platform offers highly customizable targeting options based on user behavior and interests. Just make sure that the specific page that the ad is linked to gives users a clear and easy path back into the game.
Another effective retargeting strategy for game developers is email marketing. By collecting user email addresses, you can send personalized emails with special offers and updates to keep them engaged with your game. Use segmentation to target specific groups of players, such as those who haven’t played in a while or those who have completed a certain level. By doing so, you can create personalized copy and offers that are more likely to resonate with those specific groups.
Final Thoughts
Not all website visitors will become players of your game but many of them have the potential to do so. By utilizing the power of retargeting ads and marketing best practices, your sales funnel can be better optimized to capture curious potential players and lead them to become active users. Remember to keep track of your data and analyze the results of your campaigns so you can continue to refine and improve your retargeting strategies.
Each game developer will have a unique retargeting strategy and there are different ways to implement it, but the importance of retargeting and engaging with your audience cannot be overstated. With the right tools, partnerships, and tactics in place, you can build a successful game that keeps players coming back for more.
If you need help with your retargeting efforts as a game developer, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Helika as we have extensive knowledge in helping game developers grow their player base and increase revenue through retargeting campaigns.
