Hi,
I'm thing about spending some money on advertisement. Maybe pay for a banner for a couple of weeks at some app-review site. What's you experience with this? Have you tried it? Was the result good? Was it worth it?
Thanks
Your experience with paid advertisment
(32 posts) (14 voices)-
I haven't done this but I know @itlgames did recently. He said that he didn't really see increased sales or any other major benefit based on the amount he spent. Personally, I don't think these adverts really work unless you've got enough money to put them everywhere - and even then that'll only get people to know the name of your game, it won't necessarily get them to download it.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Yes exactly, I did pay 600 GBP for a week banners on pocketgamer.co.uk website, good website but downloads during that week didn't even cover the invested money. I think you need to spend on the thousands and post in several websites.
Even so, there are many other factors, like the banner artwork itself, the game first impression (from screenshots),... also and pretty important, if the game is paid or free, I also believe banners are good for free games (perhaps with IAP), as conversion rates are higher.Posted 7 months ago # -
XRayCharlie
MemberI tried a different approach.
Not having that much to spend on advertising I tried offering a cash prize $100usd to the first person that could complete all challenge levels and mentioned it in the press release.
Nobody seems to have cared as the sales didn't increase at all so I'm thinking the prize approach works about as well as the 'couple of banners' approach.
Regards,
Posted 7 months ago # -
FBryant
MemberBanner ads are terrible business in this case tbh.
Take the £600 example, assuming an app sells for £1 and Apple still takes 30%, then you need to sell:
857 in a week just to break even!!!!
That means you'd need to be lucky enough to get 857 sells to have successfully wasted your time!
To add insult that's 857 iPhone customers who won't be downloading your app again, and you've made no profit from.
Of course if the game is VERY good then they might tell their friends, then you're in business.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I have searched this topic extensively, and read a lot of fora and blogs. I still have to read a story, where the advertising payed off.
I even think, the advertising by major publishers does not pay off, but a good publisher is of course good for many other things than advertising.I am sorry to say, but my belief is, that unless you get a major feature by Apple ( and of course have a really good game ), there is not much you can do about it.
If you have a reasonably strong portfolio, with several games ( like ex. Szeleney has ), there is a slim chance that you can make a living from mediocre games, or at least make a nice bonus. There will obviously be some spill from facebook, and link to other games in app, but at the end of the day, I dont think it makes that much of a difference.
Posted 7 months ago # -
$3k spent on TouchArcade along with a price-drop from $1.99 to $0.99 - effect was double sales, flat revenue, out of pocket $3k.
$1k spent on prize money to attract more coverage from Journalists and news-sites - zero coverage other than the automated prMac sources. One very happy (eventually) customer. One less happy investor.
Go buy Jabbit now, so I can spend more money on trying these things out for you all :-)
Posted 7 months ago # -
@cocojoe
I think Apple featuring major releases, is to be expected.
It is vital to Apple ( and indies ), that the big developers keeps supporting the platform, so while the games maybe not always justifies it, they probably have a higher chance of getting major features, than we do.Posted 7 months ago # -
Regarding being on lists, top 25, etc, it doesn't work as well as you might think. I've managed to push myself to top 15 in the sports games subcategory by spending thousands and the number of organic downloads from being on the list was too small to even come close to cover advertising. I tried again and pushed myself into the top 25 arcade subcategory and top 15 adventure subcategory (2600+ sales via advertising over 3 days) and again organic sales didn't come close to paying for advertising. It could be that my games just weren't good enough to attract enough buys or that my cost was too high (my avg cost was $1.98 / app for a 99c game). The game was later on N&N games both in iTunes and the device so that saved me from a big loss.
Maybe if I had put up even more money for advertising I would've gotten somewhere. Or maybe not.
[edit] In the first sentence, meant to write top 25 subcategory, not top 25 overall.
Posted 7 months ago # -
@DonomaGames we have been in Top #10 for both Arcade & Puzzle sub categories, this resulted in Top #25 for games and Top #50 overall. Again the only one that really matters is the overall ranking as this is where the lions share of eyeballs are.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Agreed. I ended up spending many thousands to figure out that not many people browse top 25 subcategory lists. Maybe top 10 arcade/action, but not the others. Top 10 arcade/action is very hard to achieve though.
So my rankings translated into #128 overall top paid list and #76 in games list in the US. I was hoping for a boost into top 50, but it never happened for me.
All in all, don't spend money thinking getting on a list somewhere will help you out big time.
Edited my previous post to clarify that I didn't mean top 25 in the overall paid is useless, but top 25 subcategory where most of us will end up before falling into the oblivion.
Posted 7 months ago # -
@DifferentSparks Once upon a time, maybe. Back when there were few games on the market then yes, making a good one would stand out. Now you can make a truly excellent game and there is a good chance you'll get very few sales, simply because there are so many games in the app store.
As you've seen above, spending money on advertising doesn't work. Reviews might not be effective. Cash prizes don't work etc....
As others have said, it seems the only way to make a lot of sales is to be published by Chillingo or similar (this is something I don't really want to do though), be EA / Ubisoft etc (and probably none of us are) or be features by Apple (which really is pot luck).
This is a very bleak thread!
Posted 7 months ago # -
@letmeknow
Chillingo obviously is a successful publisher, but it is not a matter of them being able to boost mediocre games, but them being able to spot trends and good games.
So if you get accepted by them, give yourself a pad on the shoulder.Because the only distribution channel being iTunes, no one, but those who controls what is on the front pages, really decides what sells. I am certain that Apple takes that responsibility very serious.
So even the most stellar publisher, really only can prep you before release. They can tell you where you need to improve your game, where you should put in extra effort, and fill your mind with great ideas - but after release date - it is pretty much out of their hands.To be honest, I like it this way, because at the end, it will favor quality over hype and marketing.
Posted 7 months ago # -
cocos
Member@DifferentSparks some sources report negotiable 30% cut
Posted 7 months ago #
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