"Five Clever Strategies for Generating Revenue from Mobile Applications"

In the world of free-to-play games and apps, monetization is a crucial aspect for success. Here are some strategies that can help you maximize your revenue and engage your audience effectively.

Refining targeting parameters is essential to reach your most relevant audience. By understanding and focusing on the most valuable customers, you can optimize ad formats and placements based on data analysis. Gaining a competitive edge can be achieved by paying attention to the customer lifetime value (LTV), which takes into account future profits until the app is no longer used.

Analyzing data from ad network partners and mediation networks is important when making decisions about app performance and campaign success. A complicated dashboard can sometimes prevent understanding the complete picture of performance, so focusing on the single most important metric, LTV, is recommended.

Engagement is essential for success. Advertising should be a welcomed interval in the user's experience. Interstitial ads, such as those that appear between game levels or during app transition periods, work well. Video ads, effective when introduced a little later in the gameplay, are particularly effective when presented in a vertical layout for additional ease to the audience. Short video ads, lasting 15 seconds, are recommended for ease of audience viewing and understanding.

If budget permits, consider using managed services offered by your advertising platform partner. Dale Carr, founder and CEO of Leadbolt, emphasizes the value of these services.

Researching successful advertising strategies in your app category is crucial for success. Competitive intelligence can be gathered from resources like forum communities, websites, and ad network whitepapers and case studies. Understanding your target audience is key to effective advertising. A more general audience will reach more people, while a specific audience will have a narrower reach.

Targeting can be done using device, carrier, geo-location, demographics such as age, gender, education, and income, and contextual factors such as special interests. Targeting valuable users and stopping the attraction of less valuable users can be achieved by ensuring LTV meets or exceeds customer acquisition cost.

A useful strategy for boosting engagement is the use of incentivized video ads. By rewarding players with game perks in exchange for watching the ad, you can keep users engaged longer. Re-targeting based on a user's suspected interest in your app can be a first step toward an advanced targeting strategy.

By implementing these strategies, you can optimize your ad strategies for free-to-play games and apps, ensuring a successful and engaging user experience.