The popularity of mobile gaming continues to rise around the globe. With that comes an increased number of games available in app stores, which now reaches 460,000 in the Apple App Store and 393,000 in the Google Play Store. Amid this fierce competition, it’s more important than ever to make your mobile game stand out.
If you’re a mobile gaming company, chances are a large portion of your focus (and spend) is dedicated to user acquisition and user retention. In this blog post, we’ll dive into strategies to acquire new mobile game users and explore which app features keep users coming back for more. By using Branch to power your mobile game marketing, you can deliver excellent player experiences and expand your userbase.
Power your user acquisition with Branch
Use the tips below to spread the word about your mobile game while providing players with unique and interesting experiences.
User acquisition level 1: Content sharing
Branch provides several content sharing features that help you promote your mobile game, including the ability to share screenshots and deep links. For example, imagine a player just completed a milestone, like finishing a level or defeating a boss. This is an opportune time to prompt a user to share their achievement on social media. With the Branch SDK, you can easily provide users with a share button that automatically captures an in-game screenshot and generates a Branch link that they can share via text, social media, etc.
The benefit of sharing a Branch link is that any user who clicks on the linked screenshot and does not yet have your mobile app installed will be taken directly to the app store to download it, creating a seamless user acquisition flow. By strategically utilizing Branch’s screenshot sharing feature, you can provide players with a simple way to share their victories with friends, while also acquiring new users whose interest is piqued by the engaging content.
User acquisition level 2: Unlocking unique content
Another way to drive users into your app is to entice them with unique content available upon install. For instance, if users register for your game using a specific promo link, you can offer them bonus in-game currency. Branch links make these types of offers possible with the ability to specify an alias — a unique identifier displayed at the end of the link — that you can leverage for branding.
Or perhaps you want users to gain access to a character that is only available if the app is installed through a specific promotion. With Branch’s QR code API, you can display an image of the character in the center of a QR code and automatically unlock it once the QR code is scanned to install the app. If you have physical stores or marketing material, leveraging custom branded QR codes is a quick, effective way to get users into your app. Don’t forget to reward them with some promotional content to sweeten the deal!
User acquisition level 3: Rewarded referral system
Rewarding users for referring their friends to download a game leverages your existing userbase to drive more users into your app. Be sure to check out this blog post for an in-depth look at building out a referral program for your mobile app.
In the context of mobile gaming, you can reward both the referrer and the referee with bonus content like in-game currency and promotional content. If your game happens to be multiplayer, players will naturally want to play with their friends, so you should capitalize on this opportunity to reward users for their loyalty while building your fanbase.
Use Branch to take user reengagement to the next level
Half the battle is getting users into your app, but the other half is retaining those users. Utilize the pro tips below to maximize the frequency at which users reengage with your app.
Reengaging users level 1: Push notifications
Push notifications are an ideal way to bring users back into your app. When users tap a push notification, they are taken directly into the app to resume their activity. By sending tailored and timely messages about new collectibles, missions, or content, you boost the chances that users will reengage.
Branch links make push notifications even more effective by deep linking users directly to relevant in-app content. For example, if a push notification mentions a new item available in the in-game store, a Branch-link-enabled push notification will open the app and take the user directly to the store screen, rather than dropping the user on the homescreen. By embedding Branch links into your push notifications, you can drive more seamless and holistic user experiences.
Reengaging users level 2: Tasks and missions
Providing players with a list of tasks or missions to choose from, along with rewards for completing each task, gives players agency and avoids linear gameplay. Branch takes this approach to the next level by tracking events to provide detailed insight into which tasks are most popular among players and how far they progress on certain missions. Branch provides standard events like Achieve Level and Unlock Achievement, but you can also create and track custom events through the Branch SDK.
Pro tip: Incorporate tasks that reward users for sharing content on social media to grow your userbase and keep existing users engaged as they pursue in-app rewards.
Reengaging users level 3: Daily rewards system
Want to increase your 30-day user retention metric? One way to do this is to create a daily rewards system. Each day that a user logs into the app, they get a small reward. If they log in for 30 consecutive days, they get a big reward, in addition to all the small rewards they’ve earned along the way. If they miss a day, the count starts over at one. This builds a habit for the player to open the app at least once per day, making it more likely that they’ll do so even after they receive the 30-day prize. And who knows? Maybe a 60-day or 90-day prize will be waiting for them next!
Acquire and reengage mobile game users with Branch
Branch’s mobile SDK can take your game to the next level by helping you acquire new users, reengage existing ones, and stand out among the vast amount of competition. Get creative with the ways users can unlock and share content in the app, and be sure to reward users for referring their friends.
Want to learn more? Check out our How To Increase User Value in Gaming Apps webinar, or request a demo with our team.