User Acquisition (UA) managers are continuously seeking innovative strategies to attract new users and improve campaign performance. Outside the traditional realms of Facebook and Google, playables have emerged as a potent tool in the UA arsenal. Playable ads are interactive ads that allow potential users to experience a snippet of the game or app before downloading it. This hands-on approach can dramatically enhance engagement and conversion rates.

This blog post was inspired by valuable insights from Matej Lančarič, a leading expert in user acquisition. For more insights and detailed strategies, visit lancaric.me.

The Importance of Regularly Updating Playables

To maintain freshness and relevance in your campaigns, it’s essential to regularly update your playable ads. Industry best practices recommend producing at least one new playable every month, and ideally two. This ensures that your content remains engaging and that you are continually testing and refining your strategies to maximize effectiveness.

Effective Testing of Playables

Once you have your new playables ready, the next step is to integrate them into your campaigns and test their performance. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to efficiently test your playables:

Combine with High-Performing Videos

Integrate your playables with the best-performing videos from previous campaigns. This combination leverages the strength of both content types, potentially boosting overall engagement and effectiveness.

Testing Structure

To determine the most effective playable, use the following structure for a dedicated creative testing campaign:

1. Control Group: Best-performing video + best-performing playable (control)
2. Test Group 1: Best-performing video + playable A
3. Test Group 2: Best-performing video + playable B
4. Test Group 3: Best-performing video + playable C
5. Test Group 4: Best-performing video + playable D

Duration and Evaluation

Run the campaign for 5-7 days, which is typically sufficient to gather actionable data. Evaluate the performance of each group based on key metrics such as spend efficiency, Install Per Mille (IPM), and Return On Ad Spend (ROAS).

Selecting the Winner

Choose the playable that demonstrates the best balance of spend, IPM, and ROAS. Integrate this winning playable into your Business As Usual (BAU) campaigns along with the control group.

Integrating Playables into BAU Campaigns

Once testing is complete and the best performing playable is selected, it should be added to your ongoing BAU campaigns. This integration helps to maintain a dynamic and effective UA strategy, continuously optimizing based on real-world data and performance metrics.

Tips for Those Without In-House Development

For smaller teams or those without the resources to build playables in-house, there are several third-party platforms available. For example, PlayableMaker.com offers a user-friendly interface and tools to create high-quality playables without needing extensive technical skills or big budgets. Start now FOR FREE!

Conclusion

Playable ads are a transformative tool for UA managers looking to drive user engagement and acquisition efficiently. By regularly updating playables, testing them rigorously, and integrating the most effective ones into your BAU campaigns, you can significantly enhance the performance of your UA efforts. Remember, the key to success in UA is continuous testing, learning, and adapting based on data-driven insights.