When playable ads were first introduced in 2014, they were a game changer. Four years later in 2018, Facebook finally brings the format to its platform.
Playable ads are those ads that entice gamers to play games. As the name suggests, the ads are interactive and allows people to try a game before they download it. After a lot of testing, Facebook is rolling out its own version of playable ads to the News Feed.
According to Rick Kelly, vice president of gaming at Facebook, playable ads allow advertisers to pitch games with interactive ad experiences in app-install campaigns on Facebook.
This kind of ads can be a lot more effective than usual ads because they give users a good idea of what the game entails. And once users download the game, the are more likely to stay (not uninstalling it after a short period of time) because they know the game is something that they like.
"With 6 million apps on the app stores, it’s super hard to get discovered," Kelly said. "Companies are shifting from volume to quality users, and it’s imperative we give them the tools to do that."
Combining the interactive experience of playable ads with Facebook's ability to target users in a scarily-effective way, game marketers can ensure themselves that their ads can drive quality installs.
But in Facebook's own version of playable ads, the social media launch the video of the game first, before showing the interactivity. According to Kelly, Facebook's playable ads use HTML5 for "a more rich experience."
Kelly acknowledge that Facebook is late in implementing this kind of ads, coming out of beta after more than a year of testing. Facebook has lagged behind Google and some others in developing ad products and features that are designed specifically for app marketers.
"With playable ads, advertisers can now give players a chance to experience a game in Feed before they install it, creating higher intent," continued Kelley. "And through two additions to our value suite, game developers can more efficiently reach their most valuable players — whether they’re optimizing for payers or for retention."
Facebook’s initial partners for the playable ads include Bidalgo, CrossInstall, ConsumerAcquisition, CyberAgent, Kaizen, Kenshoo, MakeMeReach, Nanigans, Septeni Original, Smartly.io, Soft-World, TreSensa, and Wisebirds.
Introducing Retention Optimization
Besides introducing playable ads, Facebook also introduces retention optimization with a limited number of app advertisers.
Retention refers to the percentage of players who return to a game after certain periods of time. For mobile games, calculating retention can be difficult, with only 4 percent to 5 percent of people coming back after the first 30 days after downloading an app.
"If you are paying for installs, that’s not good," Kelly said.
To manage this, Facebook is testing a way to optimize retention to help game developers in finding highly-engaged players to achieve a better ROAS (return on ad spend) through higher ad and subscription revenue.
According to Facebook, the retention optimization works by using the "app launched" event that is sent from the Facebook software development kit (SDK), to estimate the likelihood of a player opening the app on day two or day seven after the app is first installed.
The ad’s bid is then adjusted automatically based on this estimation, allowing game marketers to deliver ads to those that are more likely to use the app more often.
When the test is over, Facebook has plans to roll the feature out to more advertisers for ads on Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network.
Introducing Value Optimization
And for last, Facebook is also introducing value optimization, which should help developers spot their most valuable users and reward them.
In modern games that have their own "in-game currency," paying users who remain active in a game tend to increase their spending over time. These playerrs who make in-app purchases, are very valuable to game developers.
Facebook launched value optimization in 2017 to help businesses drive more efficient ROAS by optimizing ad campaigns for their most valuable users. Since its launch, game advertisers said they want more control over their campaign performance to ensure they achieve their business goals.
This is why Facebook is adding minimum ROAS bidding to give those advertisers the ability to set a minimum limit to their return on ad spend when using value optimization.