Creating the Creatives: Video Ad Tips for Hyper Casual Games
Whether you’re trying to get a publisher to test your game or get new players to download it, video is key to your hyper casual game’s success.
Video’s crucial, but so is the audience, because different audiences need different things.
Let’s say you need a video for two main goals:
1- To show your gameplay to a publisher so they know if it’s worth testing.
2- To increase your install rate by reaching as many people as possible with a video ad.
Would you use the same video for these different purposes? Probably not. Yeah, you shouldn’t.
We made this mistake, and we lost a great chance to reach hundreds of people.
Let me tell you why.
Because pitching a publisher isn’t the same as attracting users
You’ve probably heard that publishers expect you to send a short gameplay video while pitching your game. They want this to see whether your game has the potential to be tested, whether it keeps up with the latest gaming trends or cool enough to answer user expectations.
So, they just want you to record your gameplay video without any text, sound effects, or music.
Usually, 15 seconds of your game where you can see clearly the most important parts is enough for a pitch video.
Let’s say this video worked, and they decided to test your game. Again, they’ll need a video. (They usually call this “creative.”) But this time, it’s all about getting people to install your game and then make sure they come back.
Would your pitch video work here? Definitely not.
Because your goal isn’t to show the publisher what you’ve made so far, but to convince players that your game is worth playing. So, you need a video ad for user acquisition.
Video Ads for hyper casual games
Video ads offer a more effective way to advertise mobile games when compared to image ads or gameplay screenshots. They let you show your game’s unique features in action and when done properly, they acquire users quickly.
A video ad helps you to:
· Grab attention and get noticed among hundreds of mobile games
· Make users think your game is worth trying
· Convince users to download your game and maximize installs
There are alternative platforms to advertise on like Google, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. It’s best to know your target audience and advertise on the platforms they use the most. If you’re after a wider audience target a wider audience, Facebook and Instagram might be a choice since their user base is so diverse.
How to create a video ad that works
With your video ad, you aim to create interest, make your game appealing to viewers, and show why your game is unique. Make sure you follow these 8 steps to make a video ad that works:
1- Show the actual gameplay
Players want to see the actual gameplay before downloading a game. Make sure your video ad shows your gameplay properly. Showing something that doesn’t reflect your actual gameplay just for the sake of pulling more attention might cause you to lose users. Because they might be disappointed to see something totally different than the one shown in the ad.
2- Focus on features
If your game has unique features, you should show them in your video ad. This would give viewers a better idea about your game. You can always pick one feature to emphasize and create separate videos for each feature. This way, you don’t bombard your viewers with multiple features that make things hard to follow.
3- Use the power of words
Using captions to describe some unique features of the game or supporting your narrative with an attractive copy can increase the impact of your video ad. Including a concise copy can help viewers easily understand what’s your game about and what’s unique about it to make it worth a try.
4- Increase the impact with audio
Include audio that makes the ad more immersive. This might cover background music, voiceover to describe your game, or sound effects. Whatever it is, make sure the audio is consistent with the rest of the elements in your game. Note that ads on social media are mostly auto played on mute. So, make sure that your video is still effective without any audio.
5- Use brand visuals to be remembered
Make sure you add your game icon and logo at the end of your ad. Thus, you make it easier to remember for those who don’t install the game immediately but plan to check it later. Besides, you increase brand awareness which increases your chances of being remembered when someone sees your visuals.
6- Pay attention to visual details
There are certain principles when it comes to visual design. Applying them in your video ad would help you reach more people. Having a contrast between the colors of your characters and background, using common color associations (like red for enemies and obstacles), and using a palette with bright colors can help your ad stand out.
7- Adopt a persuasive approach
You can try different psychological triggers or persuasion techniques to increase install rates. Showing something unexpected at the beginning of the ad can convince viewers to watch it till the end. Or you can challenge them by showing the fails only and ask whether they’ll fail too. This would increase their chances to try the game to see how they’ll perform.
8- Use an attractive call to action
Your video’s goal is to make viewers click the install/download button. You can use a general call to action like “Download now,” “Free install,” “Start playing,” etc. Or you can use a specific call to action that refers to a feature, character, or general gameplay of your game. It is always better to test variations to select the most efficient one.
What’s next?
As you now know what to include in your video ad, you can start creating yours. Here’s an idea: check out the ads in popular hyper casual games first.
Steal ideas from current game ads
Think about a game that’s similar to yours and see what kind of ads they use. For video ads, Facebook and Instagram are still the most popular. So, you can check the ads published on these platforms.
Facebook and Instagram have a common platform called Ad Library. You can search any ad published on these platforms by selecting location and using keywords or advertiser names.
Pick one of the most popular hyper casual games, find which studio published it and search this studio name or game name in the Ad Library. You’ll see all the options if they ran A/B tests for the ads.
Never ignore testing
Speaking of testing, make sure you create alternatives for your ads. You might change the colors, the speed of gameplay, the music, the copy, camera angles, etc.
As different people enjoy different things, there’s no way to know what they’ll like the best. So, try as many alternatives as possible to see the most efficient option. Testing will give you the chance to scale up the ads that work and shut down the ones that don’t. So, you don’t waste your money.
Even when you’re sending ad videos to publishers for testing, they’ll request you to send a few alternatives. Focus on different aspects of your game in each alternative. This would help them to pick the best one and increase your chances to get better results.
Good luck!
Paid video ads are among the best ways to get new users. When used correctly, they can help you reach thousands of users quickly. Whether you decide to promote your game yourself, or find a publisher to do this, you now know what to look for when creating your video ad. Well, best of luck with your game promo!
Stay tuned for future updates
If you want to make mobile games, our updates can be useful. We’re Why Not Labs, an indie mobile game studio. Follow us for tips on getting better at making mobile games and the latest updates in this field.
