Navigating mobile app marketing: 3 ways real money gaming marketers can develop sustainable growth

At this year's Global Gaming Expo (G2E), real money gaming (RMG) experts — Brian Murphy, Head of Gaming & GTM at AppsFlyer, and Anthony Francis, Growth Director at Moloco — convened for a fireside discussion about trends within mobile advertising, specifically exploring strategies RMG marketers can implement to scalably grow their revenue by advertising to users across the open internet. 

Serving as the backdrop to the discussion is the opportunity for acquiring valuable users across the open internet such as mobile applications, smart TVs, and other connected devices. While nearly two-thirds of all internet consumption occurs outside the internet's walled gardens, such as Google and Meta, only one-third of total digital advertising is spent on acquiring users through these alternative, open internet channels. 

During their discussion, the experts underscored three areas RMG and mobile gaming marketers should focus on that will help them efficiently and successfully advertise on the open internet.

1. Have a mobile app strategy to scale acquisition and retention

In an increasingly competitive and innovative industry, RMG mobile applications are essential for providing differentiated and preferred customer experiences. With roughly 90% of mobile internet usage spent within apps, mobile apps offer a stickiness unmatched by web applications. By providing optimal native mobile experiences — where slots can be sized appropriately to fit a screen, or gameplay can continue offline — users are more likely to frequently play the games and become loyal fans.

Given Google Play and App Store's restrictions, web apps still have a strategic use. But these applications have several limitations, particularly when it comes to providing immersive experiences users' expect. Take sports betting for example, users watch live streams and are conditioned to use their mobile apps to place real-time bets.

"Building a scalable RMG business starts with an engaging mobile experience that keeps your brand front center. Given the restrictions on Android and iOS, marketers should look to alternative advertising channels to grow their user base," said Anthony Francis.

2 . Utilize first-party data to improve ad targeting and overcome challenges of probabilistic attribution

Deterministic attribution — where marketers track a user’s last action before achieving a desired marketing goal (e.g. click-through, download) — is increasingly difficult amidst growing privacy concerns. Meanwhile, opt-in rates have fluctuated for Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT). While a 40% opt-in rate offers marketers some data viability, it still falls short of comprehensive analysis across all industries. Additionally, the SKAdNetwork (SKAN) offers marketers other challenges, leading many to explore probabilistic matching methods outside the SKAN environment, which have become essential for enhancing campaign performance.

Amidst these challenges, RMG marketers have a unique advantage: a trove of first-party data of users' interactions online and offline. This data coupled with conversion insights, can signal what users return the highest lifetime value (LTV) and are worth targeting. 

"RMG marketers are rightfully cautious with how they use their proprietary data, but valuable solutions are available. Marketers should seek a partner who understands the industry restrictions and regulations and how to leverage their data in a protected and anonymized way," said Brian Murphy. 

3. Identify partners that can strategically enable user acquisition, while abiding by restrictions

There are a growing number of solutions that enable RMG marketers to leverage their data to drive desired outcomes more efficiently. Businesses like Google, Databricks, AWS, and AppFlyers have created what's known as data clean rooms that protect and anonymize the user-level data, as well as follow standards emplaced by GDPR, CCPA, etc. For RMG marketers, identifying these solutions is just the first step, followed by understanding the company's partnered integrations. For example, AppFlyer and Moloco’s partnership allows these marketers to safely leverage their proprietary data and integrate it into Moloco’s platform, helping improve Moloco’s smart ad targeting.

"With AppFlyer's Data Clean Room, these marketers can combine their first-party and Moloco conversion data to help train Moloco's machine learning-based model, honing the platform's ad targeting to similar high-value users. These users are more likely, based on the RMG’s data, to have higher LTV and therefore reduce CAC,” said Anthony Francis. 

RMG marketers are positioned for success on the open internet

Casino and gaming businesses already have quickly innovated, adapting physical to digital experiences for their users. By engaging users where and how they expect with mobile applications, RMG businesses can build customer loyalty.

There is a tremendous opportunity to scale user adoption of RMG apps by marketing across mobile apps and the open internet at large. Having the right partner can help these marketers navigate the complexities of the open internet. The open internet is an incremental channel. Growth can be scaled sustainably when done correctly. Having first-party data about your target users, like most RMG companies, is a major advantage. With a partner like Moloco, which uses machine learning to improve targeting, this proprietary data can support the model’s inferences on who and where to target users and at what price. But utilizing this first-party data requires also having a partner like AppFlyer that can ensure the information is protected in accordance with regulations and restrictions. And here is the rub: RMG marketers aren’t just seeking the right partners, they’re seeking the right network of partners that together provide them a robust solution that serves their needs.

Please contact us if you're interested in learning how Moloco and AppFlyer's partnership can help you acquire users on the open internet.