Optimizing for Reward Video Ads

The success of a Facebook or mobile app relies heavily on intuitive reward video ad placement. Think about when you’re in a comic book store, for example. You wouldn’t want to see a section for kitchen appliances because it does not fit the store’s atmosphere. This applies to apps as well; if you have unintuitive ad placement, it can affect the user’s overall experience in a negative way. So, how can you monetize your app with ads without ruining the user experience?

Choose Reward Video Ads

There’s a reason that reward video ads are becoming more and more popular these days. People like incentives. If your app rewards the user for watching video ads, they are more likely to interact with them and use your app more. Tap Titans, a popular mobile app, encourages players to watch reward video ads by offering them in-game “gold” which allows them to upgrade their characters. These ads are never interrupting gameplay or obstructing the vision of the player; they are merely offered as an option if the player would like to make some extra in-game gold.

Optimize your Ads

It isn’t enough to merely implement these ads in your app. It is important to make sure they fit within the theme of your app. Remember the comic book store analogy? You can’t place kitchen appliances within a comic book store – it just doesn’t work. Figuring out a way to build your game around monetization will allow you to optimize your reward video ads. Zynga’s Farmville 2, for example, is evolving from Farmville’s success by keeping monetization in mind while creating it. Water is a resource that is gained over time, but limits your ability to progress if you run out. Zynga’s monetization strategy is to create limitations within the game, which creates more incentive for players to buy in-game currency or recruit their Facebook friends. If your app has some sort of in-game currency, this is a great start to optimizing your ads. By giving the users a completely voluntary option to watch reward ads for in-game compensation, they will be more likely to enjoy using your app. While constructing your app, always keep in mind how it will be monetized. If you carefully build your app around monetization and implement your reward video ads carefully, you will find success.