Casino Genre Hits #1 for U.S. Mobile Game Spend

In today’s post, we explain why the casino app genre continues to benefit from the pandemic activity boost and keeps growing in popularity.

  • Casino is the #1 mobile game genre by consumer spend in the US, and #4 worldwide (via Data.ai)
  • IAP revenue from casino games is expected to hit $6.9 billion this year
  • 68% year-over-year growth in time spent in casino games
  • $14.2 billion is the projected value of the casino games segment by 2026

Casino Genre Hits #1

For U.S. Mobile Game Spend

 

Casino App Market in 2022

2022 is turning into an incredible year for mobile casino games, with global downloads passing the 300M threshold for the first time in Q1, according to a forthcoming report from data.ai. With total revenue expected to reach $8.7 billion by 2026, the genre is holding on to its pandemic performance boost even as download rates fluctuate.

While traditional top-performing markets have continued to deliver, emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, and Brazil have drawn a lot of attention this year. India saw a whopping 140% boost in downloads, compared to 2021. The US continues to earn about half of global revenue for gaming apps overall, with 60% for the casino genre.

Key casino games to watch include BINGO Blitz, Slotomania, Jackpot Party Casino, Cashman Casino, DoubleDown Casino, and Cash Frenzy. While slot games continue to be the most popular subgenre by installs, the #1 top performer in the US and UK was BINGO Blitz.

casino games
Source: Data.ai

 

Slots Apps Dominate Casino Genre

According to data.ai, slots apps currently make up 25% of total downloads and two-thirds of consumer spend for the Casino genre. Compared to Q1 last year, they have seen a 14% increase in downloads globally. This very popular subgenre has a long history in the market and continues to innovate. Emerging slot games—often originating in foreign markets—are also introducing new monetization features including incorporating blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

 

The Social Casino Boom

Social casino games saw an incredible boost in popularity with the pandemic. They games provided a simulation of a live casino experience unaffected by health restrictions. Users can gamble with virtual currency earned by playing the game itself or buy extra currency through in-app purchases. While IAPs are the main avenue of monetization, many developers implement hybrid monetization models that incorporate in-app advertising to attract the casual free-to-play gamer crowd.

Some of these apps put an emphasis on social features, designing progression systems that necessitate constant interaction with fellow users. Along with social connection, these features stoke a competitive fire, a major user motivator and performance driver across game genres. Proven ad creative trends that are driving performance include:

  • Gameplay: “real-time” reactions of players hitting jackpots or earning “big money” in a few taps, may have stylized app UI
  • Free rewards: A time-sensitive promotion with an additional install incentive such as free spins or currency
  • User interaction: user experience featuring players outsmarting their opponents
  • Partnerships and IP: Using known brands or IP to attract users
Casino app
Still from Spades Royale ad by Consumer Acquisition

 

Total gross gaming revenue for social casino games amounts to $6.2 billion and is expected to reach $7.5 billion by 2026 according to Statista. This is hardly surprising given that the average in-app purchase rose to $11.92 in 2021, almost double the average of other popular genres. As it stands, the social casino genre has a lot of room to grow, leveraging current trends in popular social apps and multiplayer experiences. Augmented reality will be another logical path to growth as gamers want more realistic and immersive casino experiences.

 

How We Can Help

From cinematic trailers to influencer-style UGC, our Creative Studio provides clients with ad creative driven by Hollywood storytelling and quantitative analysis. Our creative expertise comes from managing $150m in monthly ad spend across Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Apple Search Ads with clients like Disney, Zynga, Rovio, Nickelodeon, Yelp, Sun Basket, NBA, MLB, Roblox, Glu Mobile, Jam City, and many others. Our creative team are masters of influencer-style UGC creative, live action, post-production, 3D animation, motion graphics, and illustration.

Creating and testing 100K videos and images each year for clients provides us unparalleled insights into the evolving mobile advertising ecosystem. From our strategic analyses of IDFA loss and media buying automation to tactical guidance for A/B testing, we ensure our clients can adapt and thrive. Contact us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to work with our elite creative team.

September 2022 Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup

Instacart’s high-performing mobile ads designed to look like cooking tutorials are winning on TikTokTravel app downloads are up 45% as consumers invest in experiences. And 44% of retail eCommerce sales in the US will be mobile by 2025. Get details on the latest user acquisition trends and more in our September 2022 monthly roundup for mobile app marketers.

 

September 2022 Mobile App UA & Creative Roundup

See UGC-Style Ad Creative in Action

UA and Creative Trends in September 2022

Travel App Ad CreativeTravel App Ad Creative: Why Hopper Ads Work

Mobile-first travel startups are driving an industry revival as 61% of US travelers prefer using a mobile device to book their trips.

 

UGC-Style Ad CreativeUGC-Style Ad Creative Earns Consumer Trust

Only 19% of consumers find brand-created content to be authentic and 77% prefer to purchase from a brand that markets with UGC.

 

Traditional Brands Profiting through mCommerceTraditional Brands Profit Through mCommerce

mCommerce retail sales increased 15% while the top 50 brand apps saw 13% more installs in Q2 2022. Bath & Body Works app hits #1 in the US in August.

 

TikTok & Mobile Games in July 2022 Infographic[Infographic] TikTok & Mobile Games in 2022

Understand TikTok ad placement, targeting, and creative tactics along the user journey.

 

grocery apps creative trends

Instacart’s high-performing mobile ads are designed to look like organic cooking tutorials. And this UGC-style ad creative is winning on TikTok.

84% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand that markets with UGC and Instacart’s user acquisition strategy clearly aligns.

September 2022 Instacart ads
Source: TikTok For Business Creative Center Top Ads

Overall, grocery delivery apps have seen 40% year-over-year growth, while 1 in 5 consumers do all or most of their grocery shopping online.

Read our post on how thematic UGC is driving growth for these apps.

 

Check Out Our Reels!

Reels May 2022

For more information on the UA trends we will be watching in 2022, please contact sales@consumeracquisition.com.

UGC, TikTok & Instacart Creative Trends for Grocery Apps

In today’s post, we explain the creative trends and strategies that dominate the online grocery market. Find out why grocery apps are continuing to benefit from the pandemic activity surge and becoming major players in the industry.

UGC, TikTok & Instacart  

Creative Trends for Grocery Apps

  • 1 in 5 consumers do all or most of their grocery shopping online
  • Grocery delivery apps have seen 40% year-over-year growth
  • 57% of consumers prefer to use one service for both online and in-person grocery shopping
  • UGC drives growth on TikTok for Instacart
  • 84% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand that markets with UGC
  • 77% of consumers are more inclined to purchase from a brand that markets with UGC

Grocery Apps and Online Services

Consistently earning $8-$8.5 billion in total monthly sales, online grocery platforms continue to benefit from the pandemic activity surge. Monthly revenue is 4x higher than pre-pandemic figures and shows how online grocery stores and apps have become major players in the industry.

In the past two years, nearly 60% of consumers started buying groceries online and one in five do all or most of their shopping online. Some popular grocery apps and online services include Amazon Fresh, Kroger, Instacart, Walmart, Whole Foods, Misfits Market, Peapod, Thrive Market, Boxed, and FreshDirect.

While pickup, ship-to-home, and delivery have all seen some growth, the delivery segment in particular is enjoying consistent growth year-over-year. The need for third-party retailers is decreasing as on-demand shipping platforms increase. A report from the Food Industry Association says 50% of retailers are increasing labor allocation towards facilitating online purchases and in-store pickups.

data.ai grocery apps
Source: Data.ai

 

Data.ai’s Worldwide State of Food & Drink on Mobile 2022 Report shows 40% year-over-year growth for Grocery Delivery Apps, with shoppers aged 45 and over (GenX/Baby Boomers) making up 51.4% of users in the United States. Though food delivery and carryout apps were not popular among the 45+ group, they represented the majority of users for brick & mortar store delivery apps such as Safeway, Publix, and Total Wine & More.

data.ai grocery apps
Source: Data.ai

 

As users access their favorite stores in new ways, the dynamic between consumers and retailers evolves. 73% of retailers are experimenting with the new options provided by mCommerce, such as dynamic pricing and mobile checkout services. Thanks to investment in digital infrastructure, retailers are able to capture customer data and turn it into actionable insights. 57% of customers prefer focusing on a single service for online and in-person grocery shopping, so large-scale platforms may have an advantage for user retention. However, digitally native direct-to-consumer (DTC) grocery startups advertising on Instagram and TikTok have already mastered a mobile-first marketing approach.

UGC and Instacart

Instacart, the grocery pickup and delivery app has seen considerable success investing in UGC advertising on TikTok. Favoring short ads with authentic, personalized content, the ads are designed to look like native, organic posts featuring recipes and cooking tutorials. By strategically placing their value proposition in the middle of the ad, Instacart is also able to maximize view-throughs.

instacart ads
Source: TikTok For Business Creative Center Top Ads

 

UGC Ads – with mega influencers, micro-influencers, regular people, or actors—leverage shared interests and relatable human experiences so effectively that they consistently outperform other ad styles.  A report from analytics company Comscore showed that combining UGC and paid content increased conversion by 28%. Research from RealEyes found that UGC ads outperformed other ad formats in holding attention, scoring 20-50% higher than conventional ads on the same topic. Grand View Research reported that user-generated video gets 12 times more engagement than any other type of UGC.

ugc ads
Source: TikTok For Business Creative Center Top Ads

 

Directly addressing the camera and sharing a personal experience with a product is nothing new for commercial advertising. However, testimonial UGC–even with actors–puts authentic experience above brand polish to drive consumer trust. This type of creative looks like a native social post of someone sharing their skills or their day-to-day experience. And a critical part of their daily experience is the app, product, or service they are advertising.

 

Consumers Prefer UGC to Brand Content

Despite strict brand guidelines demanding highly polished marketing assets, only 19% of consumers find brand-created content to be authentic, according to Social Media Today. In contrast, nearly 80% of consumers say that user-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions.

Similarly, a 2022 survey on consumer buying decisions found that for brands incorporating UGC into marketing initiatives:

  • 84% of respondents were more likely to trust the brand
  • 77% of respondents would be more inclined to purchase their products or services

 

How We Can Help

From cinematic trailers to influencer-style UGC, our Creative Studio provides clients with ad creative driven by Hollywood storytelling and quantitative analysis. Our creative expertise comes from managing $150m in monthly ad spend across Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Apple Search Ads with clients like Disney,  Zynga, Rovio, Nickelodeon, Yelp, Sun Basket, NBA, MLB, Roblox, Glu Mobile, Jam City, and many others. Our creative team is masters of influencer-style UGC creative, live action, post-production, 3D animation, motion graphics, and illustration.

Creating and testing 100K videos and images each year for clients provides us unparalleled insights into the evolving mobile advertising ecosystem. From our strategic analyses of IDFA loss and media buying automation to tactical guidance for A/B testing, we ensure our clients can adapt and thrive. Contact us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to work with our elite creative team.

Travel App Ad Creative

In today’s post, learn about the top Travel App Creative Trends and why Hopper Ads work, based on high-performing ad creative from Facebook Ad Library and TikTok For Business.

Travel App Ad Creative

Why Hopper Ads Work

  • Travel app downloads are up 45% compared to last year
  • 61% of US travelers prefer using their mobile device for booking tickets and hotels
  • Top ad trends include reshared UGC-style social media posts, hacks, and quizzes
  • See successful travel app ad creative from Hopper

2022 has seen a triumphant revival of the travel industry which had been severely impaired during the global pandemic. People all over the world have been enjoying long-awaited trips, in a phenomenon, some call “revenge travel.” Proving to be a valuable tool for travelers, travel app downloads are up 45% compared to last year. 61% of US travelers prefer using their mobile devices to manage tickets and make hotel reservations. And ironSource reported that 55% of consumers booked their vacation rental through phone apps, while 48% chose to book their flights through them. Of these users, 35% installed a new app specifically for this purpose.

With mobile-first information and accessibility, travel apps provide users with a one-stop solution to map an entire journey in just a few taps. While users may be willing to try new services, they will only stick with those that prove to be trustworthy and reliable over time. In this unprecedented market, both old and new industry leaders are leveraging cross-platform and omnichannel integration with a strong focus on user engagement and retention.

Some top competitors in the travel app market include Airbnb, Booking.com, Priceline, Expedia, Hopper, TripAdvisor, JetBlue, Kayak, The Dyrt, GyPSy Guide, Roadtrippers, Wanderlog, and TripIt. As summer travel cools off before holiday travel heats up, we’ve analyzed top-performing ad creative for travel apps to see what’s moving travelers.

 

Travel App Ad Creative Trends

Based on high-performing ad creative from Facebook Ad Library and TikTok For Business, below are some of the top trends we’re seeing for travel apps.

  • App Overview: screenshots and descriptions that quickly highlight the main features of the app
  • Key Feature: focusing on a single app feature and explaining its benefits
  • Virtual Reality: VR ads offering an engaging sneak peek of a high-profile destination
  • Tips & Quizzes: communicating app features through advice, lists, and quizzes
  • UGC-Style Testimonials: a portrayal of a user’s experience with the app
  • Limited-time offers: showcasing time-limited offers that urge immediate action from the user

 

Ad Concept Model

As part of our creative process using our Ad Concept Model, we identify different user motivations within an app category to target users based on their emotional drivers. Below are typical user motivations for travel app users.

  • Convenience: I want “seamless travel experiences” that encompass all elements of a trip in a one-stop solution
  • Information: I want to be informed about my options and travel opportunities
  • Accessibility: I want a user-friendly experience that is easy to navigate through to make decisions/purchases
  • Cost: I want to easily find the best deals and discounts
  • Expertise: I want a reliable service, backed by expert knowledge I can trust

 

Travel App Creative Trends x User Motivations

At the intersection of trends and user motivations, we develop ad concepts to target specific personas. Pairing five user motivations (across the top) with six trends (along the side), advertisers have a wide spread of concepts for creative teams and media buyers to explore.

Travel App Ad Creative

Winning Ads For Hopper

Hopper, the tech company offering a “world-class” travel agency experience through their app, is utilizing several creative trends along with specific user motivations. Below are some examples from Facebook Ad Library and TikTok for Business.

travel apps winning ads

Always Keep Testing

While these concepts work for Hopper, they may not be relevant to every travel app. By integrating performance data, competitive analysis, and UX, advertisers can build a comprehensive creative strategy that is relevant to target users. Iterative testing at the intersection of trends and motivations will yield winning concepts that perform. Once a winner is found, then it’s time to resize, localize and scale.
travel apps ad creative

How We Can Help

Testing different creative trends paired with different user motivations is the cornerstone of our creative process, the Ad Concept Model. From cinematic trailers to influencer-style UGC, our Creative Studio provides clients with creative driven by Hollywood storytelling and quantitative analysis. Our creative expertise comes from managing $150m in monthly ad spend across Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Apple Search Ads with clients like Disney,  Zynga, Rovio, Nickelodeon, Yelp, Sun Basket, NBA, MLB, Roblox, Glu Mobile, Jam City, and many others. Our creative team is masters of influencer-style UGC creative, live action, post-production, 3D animation, motion graphics, and illustration.

Creating and testing 100K videos and images each year for clients provides us unparalleled insights into the evolving mobile advertising ecosystem. From our strategic analyses of IDFA loss and media buying automation to tactical guidance for A/B testing, we ensure our clients can adapt and thrive. Contact us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to work with our elite creative team.

How Traditional Brands Are Profiting Through mCommerce

In today’s post, learn why mobile-centered advertising will be critical to retail profitability in the next few years. See how traditional brands like Bath & Body Works are profiting through mCommerce.

How Traditional Brands Are Profiting Through mCommerce

Bath & Body Works Bursts into Mobile

  • 44.2% of retail eCommerce sales in the US will be mobile by 2025
  • mCommerce retail sales increased 15.2% in 2021
  • Top 50 brand apps saw 13% more installs in Q2 2022 vs. 2021
  • Nike expects DTC to drive 60% of total revenue by 2025
  • DTC beauty and retail apps saw more daily engagement in August 2022 than previous record highs from December
  • Bath & Body Works drove record-breaking installs of their 5-year-old app this August based on data.ai research

By 2025, 44.2% of retail eCommerce sales in the US will be mobile, says Insider Intelligence. Digitally native direct-to-consumer (DTC) and eCommerce startups advertising on Instagram and TikTok have already mastered a mobile-first marketing approach and it pays off. 2021 retail mCommerce sales increased 15.2% from 2020 up to $359.32 billion. With two out of every five online shoppers making purchases through their smartphones and tablets, mobile-centered advertising will be critical to retail profitability within the next few years.

Social media platforms continue to test out native purchasing capabilities with varying degrees of success through “buy” and “shop” buttons that allow users to stay in-app. One-click payment options like Google Pay and Apple Pay streamline purchasing through mobile devices while also streamlining DTC offerings. While mobile-first GenZers hold massive spending power, mCommerce will increasingly attract consumers from other demographics as app usage grows and mobile payment capabilities evolve.

For example, as Nike moves away from traditional wholesale retailers like Macy’s, they expect their DTC arm to drive 60% of total revenue by 2025. According to data.ai, Nike’s iPhone app ranking hasn’t dipped below 13 for US shopping apps in the past year, usually sitting comfortably in the top five.

mCommerce D2C
Source: eMarketer

 

 

 

Traditional Brands Invest in Mobile DTC

In H1 2022, the top 50 brand apps saw 13% more installs in Q2 2022 compared to 2021 according to Sensor Tower. McDonald’s was the fastest growing brand app based on installs with three million more installs in H1 2022 compared to H1 2021. The fast-food giant spent $12.6 million on digital ads for its mobile app in July 2022, a 124% increase year-over-year.

mCommerce Apptopia
Source: Apptopia

 

Apptopia

An August report from Apptopia showed daily engagement in DTC beauty and retail apps saw more daily engagement in August 2022 than their record high from December 2021; DAU typically spikes in December. Notably, with the August launch of an app-based loyalty program, beauty retailer Bath & Body Works (known for its ubiquitous brick-and-mortar shopping mall presence) achieved 1.2 million new installs of their app.

mCommerce App Store Rankings
Source: App Store Rankings

 

 

 

Beauty Retailer Bath & Body Works Bursts Into Mobile

The Bath & Body Works app leverages a customer-first loyalty program aimed at the mobile consumer. Diving into app metrics through data.ai, ads for the updated Bath & Body Works iPhone app claimed a 1.24% share of all impressions across Instagram between August 28 and September 3, 2022. The app appears to have been advertised only on Facebook and Instagram within the United States during this time.

Bath & Body Works Rewards

iPhone App

While Bath & Body Works’ iPhone app has been around since 2017, the recent download boom was due to freshly launched mobile advertising promoting the new app-based loyalty program. Lifetime downloads of the B&BW app are 11 million, with over 10% of lifetime installs (1.2 million) occurring within August 2022. Data.ai shows the app rank peaked at #3 overall in the United States and #1 in US Shopping on August 23.

mCommerce iPhone Ranking
Source: data.ai

 

Traditional Brands

Traditional brands incorporating and embedding mCommerce into their growth strategies can learn from successful digitally native DTC companies. Hyperfocus on specific SKUs, customer-first responsiveness, and subscriptions/memberships are often part of DTC’s success. Arguably the most important tactic, however, is profitable customer acquisition through paid social campaigns and mobile ad networks.

The meteoric rise of the Bath & Body Works app is a direct result of Facebook and Instagram advertising, buoyed by the virtuous halo effect of the top ten app store rankings. Actual revenue impacts remain to be seen. But the initial response to this traditional beauty retailer’s mCommerce investment and subsequent app advertising appears to be a positive one.

 

How We Can Help

From cinematic trailers to influencer-style UGC, our Creative Studio provides clients with ad creative driven by Hollywood storytelling and quantitative analysis. Our creative expertise comes from managing $150m in monthly ad spend across Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Apple Search Ads with clients like Disney, Zynga, Rovio, Nickelodeon, Yelp, Sun Basket, NBA, MLB, Roblox, Glu Mobile, Jam City, and many others. Our creative team is masters of influencer-style UGC creative, live action, post-production, 3D animation, motion graphics, and illustration.

Creating and testing 100K videos and images each year for clients provides us unparalleled insights into the evolving mobile advertising ecosystem. From our strategic analyses of IDFA loss and media buying automation to tactical guidance for A/B testing, we ensure our clients can adapt and thrive. Contact us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to work with our elite creative team.

August 2022 Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup

Instagram’s branded content ads let advertisers easily connect to creators while maintaining brand control and performance visibility. Updates to Facebook’s Advantage+ campaigns bring new A/B testing features. And studies show that consumer trust in UGC drives purchasing decisions. Get details on these trends and more in our August 2022 roundup for mobile app marketers.

 

August 2022 Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup

See UGC-Style Ad Creative in Action

UA and Creative Trends in August 2022

facebook advantage+ app campaignsFacebook Updates Advantage+ App Campaigns

Get guidance on bulk ad creation, 7-Day click attribution, and campaign level A/B testing.

UGC-Style Ad CreativeUGC-style Ad Creative Earns Consumer Trust

Only 19% of consumers find brand-created content to be authentic and 77% prefer to purchase from a brand that markets with UGC.

Instagram Branded Content AdsInstagram Updates Branded Content Ads

Advertise through creator accounts while maintaining brand control and performance visibility.

TikTok & Mobile Games in July 2022 Infographic[Infographic] TikTok & Mobile Games in 2022

Understand TikTok ad placement, targeting, and creative tactics along the user journey.

For apps and mobile games looking to scale their paying user base, look no further than TikTok. Skeptical about the platform? TikTok owner ByteDance generated $1 billion of player spending across its mobile games in the last year.

 

Consumers Prefer UGC to Brand Content

UGC Brand Trust

Despite strict brand guidelines demanding highly polished marketing assets, only 19% of consumers find brand-created content to be authentic, according to Social Media TodayIn contrast, nearly 80% of consumers say that user-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions.

Similarly, a 2022 survey on consumer buying decisions found that for brands incorporating UGC into marketing initiatives:

Read the full article for more on UGC and consumer trends.

 

On-Demand Webinars 

webinars

Explore our On-Demand Webinars here, including our most popular topic ever, Influencers vs. TikTok: Get the Right Ads For Your Brand.

Performance marketers using influencers for direct response campaigns must focus on how over who: how well ad creative performs, regardless of who is in it. Based on managing $3.5 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps—including $102 million on TikTok— we are sharing expert recommendations on advertising with talent-driven and influencer-style ad creative.

Watch this webinar to learn about:

  • How influencer-style and user-generated content work together
  • How to focus on people over product
  • When to use actors instead of creators to minimize brand risk
  • The value of scripts vs. improvisation
  • How much of your brand is too much

Check Out Our Creative Reels!

Reels May 2022

For more information on the UA trends we will be watching in 2022, please contact sales@consumeracquisition.com.

Instagram Branded Content Ads

In today’s post, we’ll share the new features and updates of Instagram Branded Content Ads. Learn how you can use branded content ads to thoroughly engage your audience, build your brand identity, and catch up to your top-performing competitors.

Instagram Branded Content Ads

Features & Updates

Posting branded content on Instagram is an integral part of building a brand identity. On average, Instagram business accounts can expect to grow their followers by around 1.7% per month. But with the right paid social advertising, a business itself can grow much faster than its follower count. 58% of users say they’re more interested in a brand after seeing it in an Instagram Story, with 50% of users actively visiting the brand’s website to make a purchase. To capture this intent, some brands post up to 17 Instagram Stories per month.

Instagram creators can now directly help brands distribute content by allowing a brand to boost their posts. This means any post, Story or Reel can be turned into a Branded Content Ad with a creator’s permission. By boosting a post, a brand expands its reach well beyond the creator’s usual audience, targeting people relevant to their business. The creator additionally benefits from the increased exposure, which has made this kind of partnership very popular.

Instagram Branded Content Ads
Source: Meta’s July 2022 Global Branded Content Ads Setup Guide

Advantages of Branded Content Ads

  • The paid partnership feature provides brands more control over the post coming from the creator’s account. Just remember that an influencer’s creative freedom is why people follow them, and why you want to partner with them.
  • Advertisements can feel more authentic when reaching an audience through a chosen influencer rather than a brand handle. This workaround amplifies brand content, while not giving up control over it.
  • Brands get direct access to performance data, which is essential in building a comprehensive marketing strategy over time
  • Brands and agencies have a more secure alternative to sharing Business Manager information
  • Reels branded content ads massively increase discovery and reach to global audiences
  • Instagram can deliver branded content ads dynamically from either the creator handle or the brand handle, depending on the user
  • Advertisers with an Instagram shop can run branded content ads with product tags for seamless shopping through the native Product Details Page
  • Once a creator accepts the brand permission from the Meta Business Suite, they will not need to accept any further permissions from the brand, saving approval time

Branded Content boosting is done through Ads Manager, and we’ve set up a handy guide below to help you get started. Branded content can run on Facebook and Instagram for maximum exposure as long as both profiles are linked to each other, along with creator partners.

 

Get Started With Branded Content Ads

 

Connecting With Creator Partners

To partner with a creator, head into Meta Business Suite and access the Paid partnerships tab, under Settings. Find a specific creator partner by Instagram handles or check out “recommended partners,” which are those creators who have interacted with your brand in the past. By partnering with a creator you both gain Account Level Permissions, which lets you create Branded Content Ads without having to request access for every single post.

Instagram Branded Content Ad Partners
Source: Meta’s July 2022 Global Branded Content Ads Setup Guide

 

Launching Ads Through Ads Manager

Once paid partnerships are set up, head into Meta’s Ads Manager to start creating Branded Content Ads.

Creating an ad from an existing creator post
  • Select +Create and pick Branded Content. You’ll be prompted to select your campaign objectives, just like any other type of ad
  • For Ad Identity, ensure your brand is populated in both the Facebook page and Instagram account drop-downs
  • For Ad Setup, pick “Use Existing Post” to browse eligible posts made by creators you’ve partnered with
  • Pick “Select Post” then enter the Branded Content tab to see the list of available posts ready for boosting
Instagram Branded Content Ads Select Post
Source: Meta’s July 2022 Global Branded Content Ads Setup Guide
Creating an ad without a pre-existing post

Proceed as above until reaching the Ad Identity section. Access the Creators section and select the desired creator from the drop-down list. The system will automatically check all boxes corresponding to Branded Content. Ensure the Facebook page and Instagram account fields are filled in properly, with the creator’s username at the top and the brand’s name at the bottom, as shown below. Then create an ad by uploading an image or video.

Instagram Identity
Source: Meta’s July 2022 Global Branded Content Ads Setup Guide

 Want better results from Instagram UA?

Working with a knowledgeable marketing partner that can provide extensive quantitative creative testing ensures you get the best performance from your Instagram ads. Our creative expertise comes from managing $150m in monthly ad spend across Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Apple Search Ads with clients like Disney, Zynga, Rovio, Nickelodeon, Yelp, Sun Basket, NBA, MLB, Roblox, Glu Mobile, Jam City, and many others. Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss your user acquisition goals.

UGC-Style Ad Creative Earns Consumer Trust

In today’s post discover how UGC-style ad creative can earn consumer trust and foster authenticity.

  • 80% of consumers say UGC highly impacts purchasing decisions
  • Only 19% of consumers find brand-created content authentic
  • 84% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand that markets with UGC
  • 77% of consumers would be more inclined to purchase from a brand that markets with UGC
  • Discover how different types of UGC-style ads drive trust

UGC-Style Ad Creative Earns Consumer Trust

Pre-pandemic, pretty product shots and feature highlights were reliable tactics to attract consumers. Over the past 2+ years, consumers increasingly turned to their mobile devices to buy essentials and find entertainment, alongside connecting to loved ones. In fact, 56% of consumers said they were now more influenced by social media images and videos when online shopping than they were before the pandemic. Brands that sought to meet consumers where they were, began moving their messaging from products to people.

To earn the attention of mobile consumers, brands need to show they understand their audiences, both potential customers and existing ones. Consumer trust and loyalty are founded on authenticity, and brands can foster authenticity through UGC-style ad creative.

Consumers Prefer UGC-Style Ad Creative to Brand Content

Despite strict brand guidelines demanding highly polished marketing assets, only 19% of consumers find brand-created content to be authentic, according to Social Media Today. In contrast, nearly 80% of consumers say that user-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions.

Similarly, a 2022 survey on consumer buying decisions found that for brands incorporating UGC into marketing initiatives:

  • 84% of respondents were more likely to trust the brand
  • 77% of respondents would be more inclined to purchase their products or services

UGC-Style Ad Creative

As consumers consider different brands, content created by people not “officially” part of the brand is seen as trustworthy or authentic. The high value of authentic content is precisely what marketers are leveraging by creating ads with regular people to mimic typical UGC. For pitfalls and pointers when making UGC, check out our on-demand webinar: Influencers vs. TikTok: Get the Right Ads For Your Brand.

UGC-Style Ad Creative

Top creative trends for UGC-style ad creative include testimonials, POV, picture-in-picture video, tips and quizzes, social connection, and commentary. We’ve outlined some of our favorite UGC styles that specifically help brands earn the trust of potential customers and users.

 

Testimonials

Directly addressing the camera and sharing a personal experience with a product is nothing new for commercial advertising. However, testimonial UGC–even with actors–puts authentic experience above brand polish to drive consumer trust. This type of creative looks like a native social post of someone sharing their skills or their day-to-day experience. And a critical part of their daily experience is the app, product, or service they are advertising.

 

Third Person, Picture-in-Picture & Commentary

These UGC styles highlight the experience of a person using a product or app in real-time but from different perspectives. This approach helps earn consumer trust by highlighting scale, features, and user interactions so new customers or users know exactly what they’ll be getting. Picture-in-picture mimics live streaming like Twitch, while third-person and commentary mimic reaction videos. As ads, these may require some suspension of disbelief (who’s holding the camera, how was that edited?). But as organic UGC increases in sophistication along with native platform capabilities, brand counterparts can follow.

 

Tips & Quizzes:

Stylized and presentational, this type of UGC ad creative often includes a person listing off statistics, steps to a process, or quick facts in a direct address. This conversational style brings the viewer into a relationship with the narrator and pairs well with comedy. Using both facts and innuendos, this approach opens up highly personal and potentially embarrassing topics for discussion. By illuminating these topics, marketers build a sense of trust with the target audience. The combination of absurd humor with earnest discussion is a novel break from the ordinary which helps keep viewers’ attention.

 

Want better results from UGC for Paid Social?

Our creative expertise comes from managing $150m in monthly ad spend across Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Apple Search Ads with clients like Disney, Zynga, Rovio, Nickelodeon, Yelp, Sun Basket, NBA, MLB, Roblox, Glu Mobile, Jam City, and many others. Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss your user acquisition goals.

Facebook Advantage+ App Campaigns

Today’s post guides you through the new features and updates for Facebook Advantage+ App Campaigns, including:

  • Bulk Ad Creation
  • 7-Day Click Attribution
  • Campaign level A/B testing

Facebook Advantage+ App Campaigns

New Features & Updates

To help UA and creative teams adjust to the evolving ad ecosystem, we have compiled the latest updates and guidance for Advantage+ App Campaigns (A+AC), previously known as Automated App Ads. Meta has introduced several new features to enhance its advertising capabilities, so UA teams have some great new tools to try out. And if you’d like expert Facebook recommendations from our UA team, feel free to contact us here. Our market insights and creative expertise come from managing over $3.5 billion in creative and social ad spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and web-based performance advertisers.

According to Facebook, key benefits of automation include:

  • Real-time machine learning provides up-to-date, optimized placements
  • Sustained performance facilitated by continuous operation versus naturally slower reaction time of human input
  • Optimization across the audience and creative settings, which considers both well-established and newly added creatives
  • Scale, as the algorithm is trained for broader reach, allowing you to engage audiences beyond your core performing sectors
  • Efficiency in the number of inputs required thanks to bulk ad creation

Top new features for Facebook Advantage+ campaigns include bulk ad creation, 7-day click attribution, and campaign level A/B testing. Facebook has also implemented compatibility for placement asset customization, dynamic language optimization, and deep linking.

 

Advantage+ Bulk Ad Creation

This new feature enables advertisers to automatically create ads by uploading up to 50 videos and images into the platform, thus removing the need for manual ad duplication. By also uploading up to 5 headlines and lines of text, the system will dynamically test which combination of these performs best for each resulting asset. The ability to upload images, videos, and text in bulk lead to a much more efficient campaign process.

bulk ad creation
Source: Meta Advertising: What’s new with Advantage+ App Campaigns?

 

Advantage+ 7-Day Click Attribution

For Android and Non-SKAN iOS campaigns with longer conversion events, advertisers can now utilize 7-day click attribution which is effective when most purchase events are expected between days 2 and 7 after installing. When using the setting “Automatically Set Attribution,” Facebook will select the attribution window that is most likely to perform best based on an app’s historical conversion data across optimization type and event.

Historical data is taken from manual campaigns but if an app is new to Facebook or does not have data for manual campaigns, the automated default is based on similar apps using the same optimization type and event. Advertisers that would like to change the default window can do so by changing the attribution window selection for the optimization type in app settings.

7-day click attribution
Source: Meta Advertising: What’s new with Advantage+ App Campaigns?

 

Advantage+ Campaign Level Split Testing

Advertisers can now directly compare performance through campaign level A/B testing. By analyzing variables such as creatives, targeting, and optimization, advertisers can quickly test and identify the best-performing strategies at their disposal.

campaign level split testing
Source: Meta Advertising: What’s new with Advantage+ App Campaigns?

 

Testing Automation

Split tests are available for both manual and automated campaigns, so this should be your first stop if you want to test automation. First, find an A+AC setup that matches your current campaign goals. Facebook has provided a handy diagram that can help find the right setup for you.

Testing Advantage+ App Campaigns
Source: Meta Advertising: Testing Advantage+ App Campaigns

 

Comparing Campaigns

Once your automated campaign is up and running, the next step is to compare it against your manual campaign. Testing both across different markets and audiences help to ensure the automated structure is a good fit for you.

Test only one variable at a time while all others remain constant throughout both campaigns. This will ensure you acquire accurate data. When evaluating performance, focus on the relevant KPI for the optimization type you chose for your A+AC campaign.

However, keep in mind that extending the testing process for a longer period of time can bring negative results. Recent research done by Facebook shows that having both Manual and Automated campaign types active at once will end up increasing CPM. Thus we recommend you aim for no more than 20-30 days for the duration of your initial tests.

Once the tests are finished, the platform will let you know which campaign came out on top. In the case of no clear winner, you’ll have to pick which one to keep. If the Advantage+ App Campaign proved to be successful, you can pit it against another of its kind in your next split test. By continually testing campaigns of the same type against each other, you’ll further refine your results over time.

Here are some suggestions on A+AC variables you can focus on when testing:

  • Single Country/Country Grouping
  • Amount of Creatives/Creative Layouts
  • Different Media Types
  • Different Asset Placement
  • Dynamic Language Optimization

 

Want better results from Facebook UA?

Working with a knowledgeable marketing partner that can provide extensive quantitative creative testing ensures you get the best performance from your Facebook ads. Our creative expertise comes from managing $150m in monthly ad spend across Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Apple Search Ads with clients like Disney,  Zynga, Rovio, Nickelodeon, Yelp, Sun Basket, NBA, MLB, Roblox, Glu Mobile, Jam City, and many others. Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss your user acquisition goals.

July 2022 Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup

Unity user acquisition, Tinder vs. Peanut, and gaming ad trends on TikTok are all included in our July 2022 roundup for mobile app marketers.

Watch our most popular webinar on-demand: Influencers vs. TikTok: Get the Right Ads For Your Brand. And see how INK Games will launch their upcoming game with a treasure trove of tested ad creative.

July 2022 Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup

3D & Live Action Creative For INK Games

UA and Creative Trends in July 2022

TikTok & Mobile Games in July 2022 Infographic
[Infographic] TikTok & Mobile Games in 2022

Understand TikTok ad placement and targeting for each stage of the user journey, along with creative specs and recommendations.

creative trends for friendship apps july 2022
“Like Tinder, but for Besties!”

We compare dating apps to friendship apps to show how understanding emotional triggers makes ad creative and targeting more effective.

user acquisition on unity infographic banner july 2022
[Infographic] User Acquisition on Unity

Unity and ironSource’s merger brings exciting opportunities for advertisers looking to diversify their mobile app acquisition portfolios.

 TikTok Marketing Partner Program
Consumer Acquisition Joins the TikTok Marketing Partner Program as an Official Creative Partner

Our global network of experienced storytellers, designers, and video editors helps advertisers scale the volume and quality of their TikTok advertising.

 

For apps and mobile games looking to scale their paying user base, look no further than TikTok. Skeptical about the platform? TikTok owner ByteDance generated $1 billion of player spending across its mobile games in the last year.

 

Game Growth Journey on TikTok July 2022

tiktok mobile games infographic
Click to view the full infographic

TikTok & Mobile Games

Our TikTok & Mobile Games infographic summarizes ad placement and targeting for each stage of the user journey, along with creative guidance and inspiration. For in-depth creative strategies, also check out our white paper TikTok UGC Ads: 2022 Creative Guide.

INK Games Case Study: Launching With 130+ Tested Ads

INK Games Prize Kingdoms

In our newest case study, we share how INK Games will launch worldwide with a treasure trove of 130+ tested ad creatives to help them scale as fast as possible.

  • An early partnership with a creative studio can improve creative strategy
  • Early ad creative testing can reduce development cycles by validating game mechanics and user motivations
  • A repository of tested ad creative enables faster scaling upon launch
  • A creative studio with media buying expertise reduces the UA burden on the internal development team

INK Games Prize Kingdoms

On-Demand Webinars

webinars

Explore our On-Demand Webinars here, including our most popular topic ever, Influencers vs. TikTok: Get the Right Ads For Your Brand.

Performance marketers using influencers for direct response campaigns must focus on how over who: how well does this ad creative perform, regardless of who is in it. Based on managing $3.5 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps—including $102 million on TikTok— we are sharing expert recommendations on advertising with talent-driven and influencer-style ad creative.

Watch this webinar to learn about:

  • How influencer-style and user-generated content work together
  • How to focus on people over product
  • When to use actors instead of creators to minimize brand risk
  • The value of scripts vs. improvisation
  • How much of your brand is too much

Check Out Our Creative Reels!

Reels May 2022

For more information on the UA trends we will be watching in 2022, please contact sales@consumeracquisition.com.

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