Lian, Author at Consumer Acquisition by Brainlabs

TikTok UGC Ads Creative Guide

Posted on March 15, 2022April 14, 2022 by Lian

UGC on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram are driving profitable UA across app categories. Get expert recommendations on advertising with user-generated content in our new TikTok UGC Ads Creative Guide for 2022.

TikTok UGC Ads Creative Guide

2022 Edition

See how TikTok, Snapchat, or Instagram are investing in UGC
Understand how different styles of UGC ads work
Drive performance with improved UGC ads

Section 1: Advertising in the Creator Ecosystem

UGC on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram is driving profitable UA across all app categories and presents a massive opportunity for marketers. Based on managing $3.5 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers—including $102 million on TikTok— we are sharing expert recommendations on advertising with user-generated content. From micro-influencers and reaction videos to captions and meta-commentary, UGC ads across social networks— and on TikTok in particular— are a critical part of any successful growth marketing strategy.

Through social media, brands and consumers are enjoying an ever-growing symbiotic relationship. Consumers want to interact with and shape brands according to their own creative impulses. Conversely, brands inspire new content from consumers driven by genuine interest and trust, making content more transparent and credible. As consumers consider different brands, content created by people not “officially” part of the brand is deemed as trustworthy or authentic. The high value of authentic content is precisely what marketers are leveraging by sponsoring influencers or creating ads with regular people to mimic typical UGC.

Creators and Influencers, Micro and Mega

Influencers reach their status through their UGC and at least 50 million people worldwide consider themselves “content creators.” Looking at 2022 trends, Instagram reports, “creators have risen to the level of A-list celebrities. 1 in 4 13-24-year-olds agrees micro-influencers with loyal and highly engaged audiences are most important when creating new trends.” However, for effective advertising, Instagram recommends focusing on smaller creators: “people are influenced by shared interests, not necessarily popularity… consider expanding your creator partnership scope to include micro-influencers with highly engaged audiences.” Research firm RealEyes, analyzing TikTok content through attention metrics, confirmed: “the creators with the biggest followings didn’t necessarily deliver the best attention and engagement for brands.”

TikTok is the third most popular worldwide social platform following Facebook and Instagram, projected to reach a 25% market share by 2024. According to a TikTok-commissioned study by Kantar of 25,000 participants, ads on TikTok were perceived as “more favorable” than ads on other tested platforms, with 10% better ad receptivity. TikTok’s 2022 recommendations for successful ads encourage advertisers to “align with the native TikTok experience.” This means “lo-fi” video, “human, unpolished content,” direct address to the camera, voiceovers, and text overlays— all characteristics of the content TikTok users are already making and consuming.

UGC Ad Effectiveness

UGC ads—with mega influencers, micro-influencers, or just regular people—leverage shared interests and relatable human experiences so effectively 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.

With the loss of Apple’s IDFA and the development of Google’s Privacy Sandbox, one-size-fits-all, middle-of-the-pack ad creative won’t be optimized by deterministic tracking. To compete for relevant audiences, mobile app advertisers have no choice but to use contextual, motivation-led ad creative to target high-quality top-of-funnel users. Krystel Bitar, Global Gaming Product Manager at Facebook emphasized in an interview how critical creative diversification based on motivation is: “it’s time to make different creatives inspired by these motivators. The more unique these are, the easier it will be to ultimately determine what has attracted its audience.”

Just as TikTok and Instagram highlight, UGC-style ads are uniquely impactful because they highlight “shared interests” and “a genuine sense of engagement and conversation.” That authenticity comes from understanding a user’s interests, motivations, and desires and effectively attracts target audiences.

Source: Consumer Acquisition by Brainlabs

The Growing UGC Market

As creator ecosystems have evolved, marketers are setting aside budgets for influencer marketing campaigns that appear authentic, created in the same style as unpaid, organic content. By 2021, the UGC market reached $3.58 billion globally, with an expected CAGR of 26.6% from 2021 to 2028, amounting to a staggering $18.65 billion by the end of the period. Enterprise claims 64% of this market, while individuals account for the remaining 36%. Audio and video content generated the most revenue at 32% of the total share. In particular, video ads offer a very high potential for shareability, as a whopping 92% of users are likely to share this kind of content on their social media accounts.

Research from CreatorIQ has shown that two out of every three brands have increased their budgets for creator campaigns, with 96% of brands and 88% of influencers regularly using Instagram Stories. Influencer marketing as a sector is expected to increase by 19% over 2022, reaching $16.4 billion. According to a survey conducted by Influencer Marketing Hub, 77% of marketers replied they would set aside an influencer marketing budget in 2022 to capitalize on this rising trend. Of those planning to do so, 68% also claimed they would further increase the budget over the next year, with a majority of them committing to 10-30% of their overall marketing budget.

DOWNLOAD TikTok UGC Ads Creative Guide NOW

Section 2: Investments in UGC from TikTok, Meta, and Snap

TikTok Expands Video Length

Following last year’s bump up to a 3-minute limit, TikTok now embraces longer-form content with a 10-minute limit. Now in direct competition with other popular video content platforms, TikTok is poised to capture more traditional markets. This extension was eagerly awaited by creators interested in making in-depth tutorials, lessons, or those looking for more room to expand their creative approach without having to split their content throughout multiple videos. Efficient monetization of short-form videos can be challenging and advertisers benefit from the 10-minute format, as it allows for more convenient ad insertion and performance. This change also translates to more variety in supported ad formats. The update comes after extensive testing in which TikTok proved it could successfully extend user engagement in the app.

Meta Focuses on Video Content

With unprecedented competition from TikTok, Mark Zuckerberg has prioritized short-form video, according to a Bloomberg report. Facebook’s global release of Reels to 150 countries signals Meta’s change in directive, intended to get Facebook back in shape to stand a chance in the increasingly competitive social media market. The allure of Zuckerberg’s long-term vision through the Metaverse needs concrete drivers in the current environment, and he’s betting on marketable video content.

Just as TikTok adjusts to the market, Meta is evolving to keep up with social trends and expectations. Previously, only invited creators were paid by the number of views through Facebook’s Reels Play Bonus program. With this update, Reels is a renewed source of revenue for creators through new features:

Overlay Ads: Ad revenue for this format will be directly shared with creators, offering them a 55% cut of the total revenue.
Length is irrelevant: All Reels will be monetized the same way, regardless of their length.
IG monetization through cross-posting: Creators can monetize their IG Reels by posting them on Facebook.
Stars for Reels: Creators can now be paid directly by fans through Stars.

Advertisers can maintain control over their ad placement on Reels through Publisher Lists, Blocklists, Inventory Filters, and Delivery Reports. Meta also intends to optimize Reels accessibility across the platform through Stories and Feeds, while planning to enable Instagram crossposting in the future.

Source: Meta Blog

Snap Expands Creator Opportunities

Snap Inc. reported 319M daily active Snapchat users for Q4 2021, and a record-breaking revenue high of $1.3 billion, showing their investments in creator features are paying off. Since Spotlight’s debut in early 2021, Snap has paid out over $250M to over 12K Spotlight creators throughout the year, marking a strong entrance into the UGC market. The company continues to highlight and expand UGC capabilities and opportunities.

Discover syndicates video content from Spotlight creators with viewers subscribing to individual creators at double previous rates. Partnerships with Sony Music Entertainment and NBC Universal give Snapchatters access to an extensive library of songs and sounds. Snap’s Original “The Me and You Show,” which stars Snapchatters and their friends using the Cameos feature, reached over 50 million viewers. Snap’s Spotlight Challenge with Kim Kardashian West and Kris Jenner generated the most submissions ever for a challenge. And a Spotlight Challenge with Mariah Carey inspired the creation of over 3.5 million videos featuring “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

Several new features and opportunities for creators were also introduced in Q1 2022. Snap Stars can now place mid-roll Ads in their Stories. This feature lets creators earn a share of the revenue generated by these ads while advertisers enjoy a new opportunity for high-value placement of their content. Snap has renewed and expanded its content deals with Disney, NBCU, and ViacomCBS, including numerous high-profile shows that can now be shared freely on the platform and used for creator content. Snap also launched 523, a program dedicated to supporting small, minority-owned content companies. The first cohort of 20 winning startups receives $60K in funding to help them create content for Discover.

Social Platforms and Streaming UGC

People love to watch other people playing games. As social platforms increase streaming and interactive video capabilities, audience engagement with UGC only increases. Meta has captured a sizable portion of the game streaming market through Facebook Gaming, launched in 2018. More recently, Tiktok announced its own Live Studio platform, hoping to use the platform’s explosive growth to compete with streaming giants like Twitch and YouTube. Each social platform incorporates game streaming in its own way, unique to its brand and user interface. This is equally true for marketers; ads should be specifically tailored to the environment according to the platform’s expected behaviors. For UGC, it’s all about matching the authenticity of creators with ad concepts that resonate with their content and personality.

Source: Mobile Marketing Reads

Section 3: UGC Advertising Creative Trends and Motivational Triggers

Creative trends are like fashion – they keep changing and going in and out of style. Analyzing these trends gives advertisers a broad view of what creative is working and what isn’t across a category. Advertisers can reduce their failure rate by building on what is working using an endless supply of tested concepts and trends.

Facebook Ad Library lets marketers see every ad currently running on Meta’s ad network. TikTok For Business surfaces trends and Top Ads by genre, based on reach, engagement, and viewing duration. For implied success metrics, advertisers can also use Mobile Action, SensorTower, or AppAnnie competitor libraries. AdRules, our SaaS platform, analyzes 3.5 million videos and is updated daily.

Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, here are ad creative trends we’re seeing for UGC ads:

Faux testimonials using actors to deliver a key message
Actual testimonials with real users to deliver a key message
Influencer testimonials using paid celebrities to deliver a key message
Third-person video of playing, winning or using the app
POV video of playing, winning or using the app
Picture-in-picture footage of user and app at the same time
Social posts that reference the app
Tips and quizzes from actors using direct address
Casual real-time commentary and reactions
Highlighting emotional benefits of user experience with the app
Highlighting social connection or communication in or about the app

Whether your mobile app is fintech, fashion, or fitness, understanding user motivation is critical for a successful user acquisition campaign. Through “human, unpolished content,” UGC ads can effectively address common motivational triggers across genres and categories.

User Motivations for Gaming Apps

Excitement: I want fast-paced, explosive action
Social Connection: I want to play with friends or compete against others
Expertise: I want to strategize for mastery
Success: I want to complete, level up, and win
Escape: I want an immersive experience
Creation: I want to customize, explore, and experiment

User Motivations for Dating Apps

Love/Friendship: I want an authentic connection
Casual: I want a variety of casual connections
Thrill: I want exciting new possibilities
Ease of Use: I want simple onboarding and customization
Validation: I want to feel good about myself
Trendiness: I want a novel or popular experience

User Motivations for Subscription Apps

Convenience: I want an experience that reduces friction
Cost: I want an experience that saves me money
Discovery: I want an experience that introduces me to something new
Consistency: I want a reliable experience
Access: I want to expand my experience
Belonging: I want a shared experience

User Motivations for Fintech Apps

Security: I want an experience that reduces my fears
Guidance: I want an experience that helps me learn more
Control: I want to make all of the decisions in this experience
Visibility: I want to see everything I need
Simplification: I want everything handled for me
Deal Seeking: I want something back

User Motivations for Telehealth Apps

Convenience: I want a streamlined experience
Expertise: I want proven methods, expert guidance, and reliable answers
Consistency: I want a reliable experience from a brand I can trust
Cost: I want to know I’m paying a fair price for access and services
Emotional Trigger: I want to feel understood and cared about

User Motivations for Productivity Apps

Organization: I want more clear and organized processes
Time-Saving: I want to do things more quickly and efficiently
Aspiration: I want the experience of self-fulfillment, accomplishment, and satisfaction
Emotional Benefit: I want to relieve stress and feel successful
Social Proof: I want to overcome doubts or objections through external assessment
Design: I want an experience that meets my aesthetic expectations

UGC Creative Trends and User Motivations in Action

Source: Mobile Action

Top-ranking Casino game Blackout Bingo uses real-time playing and winning, along with side-by-side reactions. This ad appeals to users seeking fast-paced excitement, competitive social connections, and success.

Source: Mobile Action

The music game Dream Piano uses first-person, side-by-side POV and highlights the social connection of playing the game. This ad appeals to users seeking social connections, expert mastery, and success.

Source: Mobile Action

Action arcade game 1945 Air Force uses picture-in-picture with choreography synced to the on-screen action and music score. This ad appeals to users seeking excitement, expertise, and social connection.

On any given day, the top five mobile game ads on TikTok For Business Creative Center consistently show UGC creative trends in action, with users sharing creative testimonials of success, expertise, or excitement.

Source: TikTok for Business Creative Center Top Ads

TikTok ads for the dating app Hinge almost universally use faux testimonials and direct address videos with text overlays that look like entirely native content. These ads appeal to users seeking validation, trendiness, and authenticity.

Source: TikTok for Business Creative Center Top Ads

In contrast to TikTok, Hinge Ads on Facebook also use UGC, though in a notably different way: messages are screenshots within a social media post to showcase the meta-commentary. These ads appeal to users seeking authentic relationships, validation, and trendiness.

Source: Facebook Ad Library

Lemonaid Health, the telehealth company promising “refreshingly simple” online healthcare and medication delivery, uses casual direct address commentary of emotional benefits in this UGC-style ad on Facebook. This ad appeals to users seeking expertise, consistency, and feeling understood.

Source: Facebook Ad Library

Productive Habit Tracker, a productivity app helping people “build a routine of positive, life-changing habits,” mimics UGC so well it includes the “actor portrayal” disclaimer. This ad appeals to users seeking a sense of accomplishment, emotional benefits, and social proof.

Source: Facebook Ad Library

Section 4: Driving Performance Through UGC Ads

Ad Concept Model

As dependence on upper-funnel campaigns increases due to automated buying and IDFA loss, mobile UA teams know they can no longer rely on the crutch of deterministic tracking to provide sustained financial performance. The deterioration of lookalike audiences and the black box of deeper funnel events means a user’s declared interests and contextual advertising are critically important for insights into user motivation and intent. Ad creative optimized to appeal to discreet personas is now the most efficient lever for sustained profitable user acquisition.

Based on over 100,000 videos and images we produce and test yearly for our clients, our research has shown that winning ads last only 10 weeks before they burn out. We have performed over 25,000 A/B and multivariate tests on Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Snap and have learned that 85-95% of new creative concepts fail to outperform the best ad in a portfolio. To survive in this volatile ad ecosystem, 20-50 new concepts are needed to find the next winning creative. And you’ll need to keep developing new concepts to stay ahead of creative fatigue.

To stay ahead of creative fatigue, we developed the Ad Concept Model as a tool for creative teams to:

Ensure ad creative aligns with your target audience
Use creative trends and user motivations to guide creative exploration
Develop 30-50 new ad creative concepts tied directly to your target personas
Organize and prioritize creative development
Track progress through evolving creative concepts
Overcome creative slumps with a reusable framework that uncovers fresh ideas
Discover “where to go next” when you think you’ve tried everything

Every app category or genre can leverage a unique combination of distinct emotional triggers and creative trends to attract users. Create lanes for your creative team to explore while eliminating unfocused ideation that doesn’t align with your target personas, motivations, or trends. In the empty model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept. User motivations appear along the horizontal axis and creative trends appear along the vertical axis.

See the model in action in our white paper: 200+ Mobile App Ad Concepts for TikTok, Facebook, and Google — 2022 Edition.

TikTok Media Buying Model

Our Media Buying Model uses a matrixed approach to systematize best practices for user acquisition campaign development. Any mobile app can leverage a unique combination of distinct UA strategies and campaign parameters to develop a robust testing harness for ongoing mobile campaigns across social platforms, including TikTok. The entire matrix is tailored to a respective ad network and operating system constraints.

Below is a sample Media Buying Model for TikTok. Geographies, languages, and bid types are all modified based on our client’s needs. Each campaign is structured to meet specific goals at the intersection of strategies and parameters. Here are trends we’re seeing in testing:

Creative: UGC creative is critical
Behavior Audiences, Interest Categories, Interest Keywords: Identify audiences to feed scale campaigns. Bridge volume of a broad and precision of LAL
Lookalikes, Time Zone Targeting, Broad Top Demo: Increase KPI performance
Behavior Audiences: Test video and creator interaction
Interest Keywords: Specific targeting but a limited scale
Time Zone Targeting: Broad targeting with dayparting splits

TikTok Creative Testing Recommendations

TikTok’s A/B testing capability is rapidly evolving, use Facebook Android if you can.
Test only two creatives at a time, due to two split audiences
Broad targeting recommended keeping CPMs low
Each ad set must spend at least $20/day
Split tests to run for 7 days, can be shortened
Optimization for Clicks, Installs, or In-App Events
Bidding: Cost Cap Bidding, Lowest Cost Bid (recommended)
Standard Ads and Spark Ads (Organic) can be tested
Musical iterations can be easily created and tested using the TikTok Video Editor

TikTok Advertising Tactics

App Retargeting

Re-engage users that already have an app installed on their device based on a postback from MMP and then optimize toward specific events. TikTok App Retargeting supports Traffic (CPC) and Conversion (oCPC/oCPM) objectives. For gaming apps, TikTok retargeting can engage and bring back inactive players and improve retention among existing players. E-commerce apps can feature specific promotions and timely products or discounts. Utility apps can re-engage through new services and features.

TikTok Instant Page

According to TikTok For Business, TikTok Instant Page is a “lightweight native landing page within the app that loads up to 11 times faster than standard mobile pages.”

The easy-to-build pages are customizable with videos, images, carousels, and buttons to explore a product or service without leaving TikTok. TikTok reports that optimizing towards conversions that occur on your Instant Page can drive up to 40% lower cost per action. Or, use the TikTok Pixel to enhance delivery optimization on an external site.

Source: TikTok For Business

Diverse Content Drives Results on TikTok

Without deterministic tracking on iOS or effective lookalike audiences, relying on general broad-stroke creative won’t be enough to profitably expand your audience. However, persona-led creative developed around player motivations, preferences, and interests is the key to sustainable user acquisition. In TikTok’s Creative Solutions: The Ultimate How-to Guide their recommendation is clear: “in order to captivate new audiences, the key is to continuously share fresh and diverse content.” With the platform built on a content graph instead of a social graph, “diverse discovery” keeps users “inspired and energized.”

Source: TikTok For Business

Want better results from UGC for Paid Social?

Our industry expertise comes from managing over $3.5 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers, including Glu, Roblox, Wooga, Zynga, and Skillz. Our proprietary full-stack marketing platform AdRules provides real-time business intelligence and creative research from 3.5 million video ads across social channels.

As the mobile advertising ecosystem has evolved, we have focused on being a reliable source of mobile app industry insights and trends. Our strategic analyses of IDFA loss and media buying automation, along with tactical guidance for user acquisition and creative teams, has helped advertisers remain profitable during an unprecedented era of change. Our industry expertise has earned coverage from CNBC, Forbes, SeekingAlpha, Business Insider, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Mobile Marketing Magazine, and many more.

Working with a knowledgeable marketing partner that can provide extensive quantitative creative testing ensures you get the best performance from your UGC ads. Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss your user acquisition goals.

DOWNLOAD TikTok UGC Ads Creative Guide NOW

Paid Search Best Practices: Responsive Search Ads

Posted on March 8, 2022May 12, 2022 by Lian

In this post, we share Google paid search best practices to make the most of your responsive search ad campaigns. By this July, responsive search ads will be the only available ad format for new paid search text ads.

Google Paid Search Best Practices:
Responsive Search Ads

We now offer Paid Search through Brainlabs! Contact us at Sales@ConsumerAcquisition.com to discuss the benefits of adding Paid Search to your marketing mix.

Paid search is a darling of data-driven marketing for good reason: it is a user-initiated opportunity to provide value. For each user query, an advertiser can provide the right answer to a declared need. For example, a unique auction for every search happens 5.6 billion times per day on Google alone. As with everything in digital marketing, all aspects of Paid Search are becoming increasingly more AI-driven. Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and other advertising ecosystems continue to enhance automation. Therefore, mastery of Responsive Search Ads (RSA) is a critical capability to drive higher performance.

Source: Google Ads Help

Similar to Programmatic Dynamic Creative Optimization, Responsive Search Ads use contextual signals to assemble text assets predicted to perform best for each individual user’s search query. Google’s Responsive Search Ads have been around since 2018. Then, they became the default ad format in 2021. And now they will also be the only ad type for new paid search text ads after June 30, 2022.

Benefits of using Responsive Search Ads

Support for 15 headlines and 4 descriptions for a single ad
Adapting to device widths
Tailoring headlines and descriptions to locations
Ability to compete in more auctions and match more queries
Ad text may automatically appear in bold when it matches or closely matches a user’s search query

Source: Google Ads Help

Best Practices for Responsive Search Ads

Enter the maximum number of headlines and descriptions to create combinations that most closely match search queries.
Remember that assets can be shown in any order. So, craft modular copy that makes sense in any combination.
Write headlines in groups as if they would appear together to make the most of combinations.
Include at least one keyword among your headlines.
Make headlines as unique and differentiated from one another as possible.
Ensure one RSA per ad group reaches “Good” or “Excellent” ad strength.
Critical text that should appear in every ad must be pinned to Headline position 1 or 2. Or Description position 1.
Pin headlines or descriptions to control where they appear with the caveat that pinning will reduce possible combinations. Content pinned to Headline position 2 and Description position 2 may not show in every ad.
In regulated industries, pin legal copy to ensure compliance.
If Headlines or Descriptions are flagged as too similar, emphasize different value propositions and different customer/user motivations. Select those that may appeal to your target audience.

Target Each Stage of the Customer Journey

Test and Optimize

Google provides an asset report with KPIs for each ad combination to identify high-performing assets for optimizing your campaign. In addition, a minimum of 3,000 impressions per week and 5000 impressions in the “Google Search: Top” segment over 30 days are optimal to display an accurate rating. Finally, as specific assets emerge as winners, replace low-performing assets with new concepts to test. Brainlabs utilizes a proprietary account structure called D’Artagnan which increases the speed of insight for these metrics.

Source: Google Ads Help

How We Can Help

Consumer Acquisition has been acquired by digital marketing agency Brainlabs in an exciting move to expand our capabilities. In this next stage of growth for Consumer Acquisition, we are thrilled to bring Brainlabs’ strengths in SEO, paid search, and programmatic advertising to our clients. Brainlabs’ portfolio of clients includes Mars, Samsung, Walmart Canada, Formula 1, Adidas, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and F5.

Our methodology for Paid Search is underpinned by the following: restructure, automate, test, and learn. By closely aligning our strategy with your goals, we can work towards whichever KPIs you deem most important. We also stay ahead of the game by constantly focusing on future thinking and innovation. We also leverage our Google GMP Premier Partnership status and proprietary technology stack to deliver industry-leading results for our partners. Contact us to discuss how paid search can help you reach your 2022 marketing goals.

Productivity App Creative Trends

Posted on March 8, 2022March 4, 2022 by Lian

In this post, we will share productivity app creative trends and user motivations, and show you why productive habit tracker ads work.

Productivity App Creative Trends

Why Productive Habit Tracker Ads Work

See what’s working right now for productivity app ad creative
Discover user motivations for using productivity apps
Compare top productivity app creative trends
See successful ad creative from Cozi and Productive, based on Facebook Ad Library and MobileAction

From grammar checks to grocery lists, productivity apps have transformed how efficient we can be at work and at home. While different productivity apps focus on specific user needs, such as to-do lists or calendars, there are universal user motivations for productivity apps that drive their appeal among consumers broadly.

Using our Ad Concept Model, we’ve analyzed creative trends and user motivations for productivity apps. The model creates lanes for a creative team to explore while eliminating unfocused ideation that doesn’t align with target personas, motivations, or trends. Each ad concept model supports 30-50 ideas for each app category by pairing current creative trends with proven user motivations.

Productivity App Creative Trends

AdRules, our proprietary SaaS platform, analyzes 3.5 million videos and is updated daily. Reviewing top competitors in a category provides a broad view of what creative is working right now and what isn’t. Consider these creative trends like fashion – they keep changing and going in and out of style. To identify creative trends, use Facebook Ad Library to see every ad currently running on their ad network. You can also use Mobile Action, SensorTower, or AppAnnie competitor libraries.

Top mobile apps in the productivity space include Todoist, Grammarly, Evernote, Done, Productive Habit Tracker, Structured, Due, Cozi, Notability, Good Notes, IFTTT, TickTick, Trello, To-Do, Fantastical, Any.do, Notion, Airtable, Anylist.

Broad concepts and trends we see for productivity apps include:

App Overview: Overview of key features, combined with screenshots, reviews, user success stats, and more.
Key Feature: Focused on a single feature and its benefit.
Tips & Quizzes: Communicating features or benefits through advice, stats, or quick questions.
Testimonial/UGC: User or independent reviews of the app detailing features and/or benefits.
Visually Compelling: Photography featuring nature or other visually arresting scenes, imagery that leverage product design.
Animated Text: Kinetic typography or motion graphics.
Brand: Leveraging brand message/campaign to build trust and authority.
Competitive/Before & After: Comparing the app against similar apps, methods, processes; Before/After, Old way vs New way.

Productivity App User Motivations

Below, we’ve outlined high-level motivational triggers for a productivity app user. The included motivations are for productivity apps broadly, not a specialized app category such as habit trackers or note-takers.

Organization: Seeking more efficient, clear, and organized processes.
Time-Saving: Wanting to do things more quickly and efficiently.
Aspiration: Interested in self-fulfillment, accomplishment, and satisfaction.
Emotional Benefit: Interested in relieving stress, gaining peace of mind, feeling successful.
Social Proof: Requiring independent assessment, reviews, or testimonials to overcome doubts, objections, and fears.
Design: Attracted to design, synergy, UI, and aesthetics.

Productivity App Creative Trends x User Motivations

We map identified creative trends to user motivations within the category to develop and iterate on different concepts. In the model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept and we’ve included a sample set. Our ad concept matrix supports almost 50 creative concepts for productivity apps by pairing eight trends with six user motivations.

The proposed ad concept model acts as a foundation for an iterative creative process that can be customized and extended to develop endless ad concepts for an app, website, or service. By building a scalable infrastructure for creative ideation, we provide unique lanes for creative teams and media buyers to explore ideas. The model also acts as an archive of knowledge to ensure we are always optimizing what we’ve learned.

Test and Learn

While not all creative trends will work persuasively with each motivation, expand concepts even further by targeting specific personas within each pairing. Integrating performance data, competitive analysis, and UX, you can develop a bespoke creative strategy targeting behaviors, triggers, and preferences through individual concepts.

Optimize and Iterate

We’ve learned why it can be hard to beat your control video. But a constant stream of fresh creative concepts and smart, iterative testing means we can beat the algorithmic odds. Once you have a winner, then resize, localize, and scale.

Winning Ads For Productive Habit Tracker

Productive Habit Tracker, helping people “build a routine of positive, life-changing habits,” is utilizing several creative trends along with specific user motivations. Because Productive uses a subscription model, user motivations for subscription apps are also relevant. See our Ad Concept Model for Subscription services here.

Below are some top-performing ad examples from Facebook Ad Library.

Source: Facebook Ads Library

Why use an Ad Concept Model?

Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model ensures we always have new creative concepts to stay ahead of creative fatigue. We’ve designed our process so we know what works, why it works, and how to do more of it. From niche to mainstream, our Ad Concept Model means our clients get reliable top-performing creative in the most cost-efficient and scalable way.

Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss how we can help you stay ahead in 2022.

Snapchat UA Hot Tips and Updates for March 2022

Posted on March 1, 2022March 7, 2022 by Lian

Snap has released some new features to help UA and creative teams improve Snapchat ad performance. Read our Snapchat UA hot tips and updates for March 2022 to get insider details on fresh UA tactics including:

Catalog-Powered AR Shopping Lenses
Conversions API
Tips to Increase Mobile App Installs

Snapchat UA Hot Tips & Updates

Once considered just a messaging app for millennials, Snap Inc. reported 319M daily active Snapchat users for Q4 2021, and an all-time revenue high of $1.3 billion. With Snapchat reaching 75% of millennials and Gen Z, mobile app advertisers willing to test the platform will unlock new audiences with the right ad creative. To help UA and creative teams thrive in the evolving mobile advertising ecosystem, we’ve compiled the latest updates and guidance for Snapchat UA campaigns.

Source: Snapchat for Business

UA teams looking to tap into the Snapchat market have several new features to enhance their advertising capabilities. And if you’d like expert Snapchat 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.

Here’s what’s happening in Snapchat mobile advertising.

AR Shopping Lenses

Snapchatters have a new, seamless way to interact with multiple products at once. Brands can now connect a Product Catalog for users to view items directly on-screen and purchase them. Designed to surface a product’s name and price quickly within Snapchat’s UI, Shopping Lenses display dynamic Product Catalog information directly on Lens Product Cards. By swiping through the Lens Products Cards, users can try on an item and purchase it with a single click. Both consideration and conversion KPIs have largely improved thanks to the Shopping Lenses’ efficiency and scale.

Source: Snapchat for Business

Key Features:

AR integration lets users quickly purchase multiple products

Shopping Lenses let users browse multiple products through AR. By then scanning the Lens Product Card attached to any of them, they’ll directly access the associated URL from the Product Catalog.

Dynamic information updates

After the Product Catalog receives an update, the information displayed on the Lens will be automatically refreshed. This allows brands to update product information virtually in real-time through a feed or even a manual update, and push it directly into a user’s screen.

Easily review the performance of multiple products:

The Manage Ads Table offers quick access to SKU-level engagement metrics for every product. It’s easy to see which color schemes or styles are performing better than others. In addition, you can also review organic engagement for your Public Profile.

Currently, a maximum of 20 products can be loaded on a single Lens. Product Catalog Lenses are likely to earn their place in both small and large businesses, given their capability to drive product sales. The ability to visualize product display via AR will also have a huge impact in verticals such as Apparel, Beauty, Electronics, Accessories, and Home Decor.

Conversions API

Source: Snapchat for Business

Using Server to Server (S2S) integration, advertisers can pass on the web, app, and offline events directly from their servers over to Snapchat. While implementing Snap’s new Conversions API does require some technical expertise, this new privacy-safe interface can improve ad campaign measurement and performance. The overall match rate between the advertiser and Snap will increase as conversion data is shared through multiple channels, resulting in a more robust measurement framework.

New To App Advertising on Snapchat? Get Started Here

Advanced Create Workflow

Snapchat for Business recommends using the Advanced Create workflow over Instant Create. This will allow you to select a campaign objective to specify the kind of targeting you want for your ads. There are three options you can pick to align your campaign objective with your business goals. They include App Installs, Drive Traffic to App, and App Conversions. Depending on where you are in your product lifecycle, you may focus on installs to prove market interest, re-engagement to increase MAU/DAU, or conversions to hit revenue goals.

Goal-based Bidding

Once you’ve completed your initial ad setup, you can look into Snapchat’s Goal-Based Bidding to optimize toward the event that matters for your campaign. When configured properly, this feature will serve ads to Snapchatters that are most likely to act the way you want them to. You can allow Snapchat to automatically set bids relevant to your campaign goals via Auto Bid. Or, you can leverage your CPA a bit more in-depth with either Target Cost or Max Bid.

Custom Audiences

Reach your target user with Custom Audiences. This will allow you to build highly-targeted campaigns based on location, demographics, purchasing patterns, and more. You can select from a range of options that include targeting former or similar users. You can also try targeting according to your app data or engagement metrics. Or even reaching Snapchatters according to their purchasing or browsing history.

Source: Snapchat for Business

Any ad you create should support mobile app advertising:

App Install Ads to drive users directly to the app store
Re-engagement Ads to drive existing users back to the app
App Install Attachments with a swipe up functionality to download the app
Deep Link Attachments to re-engage users and direct them to a specific place in the app

First, run standard single image or video ads to see what creative and messaging performs. Then, try out more complex Snapchats Ad formats. Here are a few examples of Snapchats Ad formats:

Story Ads: A series of ads centered around building brand awareness.
Collection Ads: Feature your latest collection of products.
AR Lenses: Interactive AR experiences that can be shared among users.

Want better results from Snapchat UA?

Working with a knowledgeable marketing partner that can provide extensive quantitative creative testing ensures you get the best performance from your Snapchat ads. Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss your user acquisition goals.

Animation Talent in Mexico Expands Consumer Acquisition’s Capabilities

Posted on March 1, 2022March 7, 2022 by Lian

Animation talent in Mexico is expanding Consumer Acquisition’s capabilities. Mexico is now a rising star for CGI, 3D animation, and motion graphics. In this post, we will share what we learned from our experiences while growing our international team.
En Español

Discover why Mexico is a rising star for CGI, 3D animation, and motion graphics
Hear from our Mexico-based team on emerging trends
See how our international workforce benefits our clients
Get tactics to overcome “the language barrier”

Mexico a Rising Star in Animation

Our “Hollywood” storytelling is something we are proud of here at Consumer Acquisition. But part of what makes our creative so successful is the inexhaustible innovation that comes from our diverse, international team. As the 3D animation market grows globally— with an estimated CAGR of 11.5% between 2021 and 2028— Mexico is emerging as a state-of-the-art hub for animation and becoming a key player within the medium.

Capable of churning out animated productions of the highest caliber, Mexican animators are about to take a big step into the international scene with the upcoming release of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022). This production is a milestone in the legendary filmmaker’s efforts to nurture talent in Mexico as part of his directorial debut on an animated feature film. As we’ve grown our international team, we’ve been thrilled to tap into this exceptional talent pool coming out of Mexico.

Here’s what some of our Mexico-based team had to say about the growth of the animation industry in Mexico.

“Mexico’s animation industry has received a lot of attention recently. Mainly because its academic offerings have grown exponentially for the past 10 years, approximately. Many professionals have come out of the animation programs but, unfortunately, labor opportunities haven’t kept up, and most end up looking for work in Canada and other countries.

There are programs available in public institutions, which makes it easier for many young people to access this career. We also have animation festivals – the largest being pixelatl – which prior to the pandemic brought together highly regarded animators, mainly from animated series, to teach workshops, courses, lectures, etc. There are many branches of animation that I would pay attention to, but I think that motion graphics, 3D animation, and cut-out will be at the top for a while to come.”

— Ingrid, graphic communication for advertising, 2D animation, and illustration

“In my opinion, the success of the animation industry in México is due to the growth of educational offerings, which in turn has been made possible by the exposure that young people have had to the industry and their genuine interest to learn and be better prepared. Many students look for options abroad, like Canada or Spain, to gain knowledge and/or experience that they can then bring back to Mexico. But thanks to this growing interest several options have become available here, like schools, careers, and online courses, so now it’s possible to get a high-quality education without leaving the country, or even find scholarships and financial aid to study animation both here and abroad.

I think 3D animation for video games and motion graphics animation has a lot of opportunities for growth in the future and, in the case of motion graphics, so many options to explore like market niches. I would love to see AR grow and mature.”

— Mayra, motion graphics design and animation, post-production, VFX color correction

“Academic offerings have been on the rise in the fields of 3D animation, motion graphics, and graphic design. I think that the accomplishments of our compatriots in animation and film direction have been very influential, like Guillermo del Toro and so many others. Likewise, I think it really helps that so many films have featured themes and customs from Latin America, in particular Mexico.”

— Zalma, graphic design and animation

Wooga’s Switchcraft ©

Wooga’s Switchcraft © Read our Case Study here

How our international workforce benefits our clients

We’ve been a fully-remote company since our inception in 2013 and started hiring internationally within our second year of doing business. Now, over half of our workforce is working remotely outside of the United States, with a third of our team based in Latin America. For over seven years, our team has worked seamlessly across time zones and cultures to produce the exceptional work we are known for. With international talent, we provide our clients with diverse perspectives, skill sets, and creative approaches. Our global team also expands our capabilities for non-English speaking clients while providing fresh cultural and contextual insights.

In a creative industry like mobile app advertising, trends change constantly and new perspectives are critical to staying ahead of creative fatigue. Based on over 100,000 videos and images we produce and test yearly for our clients, our research has shown that winning ads last only 10 weeks before they burn out. We have performed over 25,000 A/B and multivariate tests on Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Snap and have learned that 85-95% of new creative concepts fail to outperform the best ad in a portfolio. To survive in this volatile ad ecosystem, 20-50 new concepts are needed to find the next winning creative. Learn how we use creative trends and user motivations to guide creative exploration aligned to a target audience through our Ad Concept Model.

What about the language barrier?

As we build our international teams, we expand in regions where new hires are supported by established employees that were once in a similar position. Learning firsthand about experiences in the company from colleagues helps them to adapt quickly to a new work environment. At the same time, this allows for the creation of regional teams that can choose to communicate in their native language for increased efficiency. Our English-proficient team managers facilitate communications between their team and the rest of the company.

Given the currently available resources dedicated to increasing accessibility, the language barrier isn’t nearly as intimidating anymore. Modern remote work platforms allow workers to contribute directly through text, spreadsheets, and real-time chat. This means they can make full use of advanced machine translation (MT) software, which has seen some remarkable progress over the past few years. The MT sector is currently growing by 7.1% per year, as it tries to meet the steadily increasing demand from international companies.

Live translation software is making its debut in global business as well, featuring the ability to add live machine-translated subtitles to spoken audio through speech recognition. This is a very cost-effective solution that can get around hiring translators and interpreters. Conversely, the same software can be used by HR personnel to reach additional candidates in the desired foreign market.

Always ahead of the remote culture curve

In the aftermath of 2021’s Great Resignation, businesses all over the country were suddenly plunged into fierce competition to fill out their ranks as soon as possible. The market is the tightest it’s been in decades as there are significantly more job openings than applicants. According to Reuters, workers are incentivized to quit their jobs knowing there are so many career opportunities that could be better suited for them. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in February that the unemployment rate is below 4% and quit rates are steadily increasing, reaching 3.7% in January.

Job seekers are firmly in the driver’s seat. This means companies must step up their game and invest more time and resources into robust talent acquisition and retention. Many companies are slow to embrace global hiring, even as remote culture has become the norm. The world has been turned on its head over the last two years. So, now is the time to broaden your horizons. This is especially true as companies scale. The decision to incorporate international talent increases capabilities for clients. It also improves the rate at which a company can grow and mold teams into globally flexible workforces. There may be apprehensions about working with international talent. But we know it has made us into a truly world-class team.

Here’s what some of our Mexico-based team had to say about working at Consumer Acquisition:

“Working with Consumer Acquisition has been, without exaggeration, the best work experience I have had in all my years working as a motion graphics artist. The work environment is very friendly, colleagues are very professional which motivates me to grow day by day, and at last, I feel that I have fair compensation for my work.”

— Ingrid, graphic communication for advertising, 2D animation, and illustration

“Ever since I joined the CA team, I am convinced that I have found a paradise for motion designers, especially for those who are looking to work remotely and collaborate with talented people around the world. Being a part of this team has been very satisfying. I enjoy animating concepts developed by several writers for a variety of clients. Every concept is itself a challenge, both in terms of creativity and animation.”

— Mayra, motion graphics design and animation, post production, VFX color correction

“The Consumer Acquisition process motivates you to improve by learning from your colleagues. My favorite part of the day, besides animating, are the Dailies, a session with all the animators and animation supervisors, during which I get positive feedback. Everyone here is very friendly, talented, and professional. Animating motion graphics with this process similar to traditional animation is so fun!”

— Zalma, graphic design and animation

We recently welcomed our first non-U.S.-based brief writer to the company. Maritza L. joins us from Mexico as a Junior Creative Director and Brief Writer. For those considering international, remote hiring, Maritza said, “making the shift to an international model provides people with diversified knowledge that directly impacts performance. It opens new collaborative opportunities based on flexibility and openness. And it is in this flexibility that we can transform and develop new creative models. It’s a panorama of worldwide, connected creative production.”

How we can help

Our industry expertise comes from managing over $3.5 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers. Some of these advertisers include Glu, Roblox, Wooga, Zynga, and Skillz. Our proprietary full-stack marketing platform AdRules provides real-time business intelligence and creative research from 3.5 million video ads across social channels.

The mobile advertising ecosystem has evolved. During this evolution, we have focused on being a reliable source of mobile app industry insights and trends. Our strategic analyses of IDFA loss and media buying automation, along with tactical guidance for user acquisition and creative teams, has helped advertisers remain profitable during an unprecedented era of change. Our industry expertise has earned coverage from CNBC, Forbes, SeekingAlpha, Business Insider, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Mobile Marketing Magazine, and many more.

Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss how we can help you stay ahead in 2022.

En Español

Telehealth and Healthcare App Creative Trends

Posted on March 1, 2022March 7, 2022 by Lian

Telehealth and Healthcare App Creative Trends

Why Lemonaid Health Ads Work

See what’s working right now for health app ad creative
Discover user motivations for using healthcare apps
Compare top health app creative trends
See successful Lemonaid Health ad creative based on Facebook Ad Library and MobileAction

From telehealth access to medicine delivery, healthcare apps have transformed how we receive healthcare services. While different healthcare apps focus on specific user needs, such as mental health or prescriptions, there are universal user motivations for healthcare apps that drive their appeal among consumers broadly. Distinct from health and wellness apps that focus on lifestyle, healthcare apps can be highly regulated and require specific messaging.

Using our Ad Concept Model, we’ve analyzed creative trends and user motivations for apps that provide healthcare services. The model creates lanes for a creative team to explore while eliminating unfocused ideation that doesn’t align with target personas, motivations, or trends. Each ad concept model supports 30-50 ideas for each app category by pairing current creative trends with proven user motivations.

Telehealth and Healthcare App Creative Trends

Top competitors in the telehealth and healthcare app space include Hims & Hers, Lemonaid Health, Nurx, Teladoc, MDLIVE, Talkspace, Doctor On Demand, Amwell, Telehealth by SimplePractice, Ro, One Medical, Zocdoc, 98point6, NowClinic, PlushCare.

Broad concepts and trends we see for healthcare apps include:

App Overview: Overview of key features, combined with screenshots, reviews, and more.
Key Feature: Focused on a single site feature and its benefit.
Tips & Quizzes: Communicating features or benefits through advice or quizzes.
UGC: User filmed concepts that detail features and/or benefits.
Emotional Benefits: Leveraging emotional benefits of using apps, such as peace of mind or relaxation.
Social Connection: Simulating social media interaction or communication (texts, posts, etc.).
Brand: Leveraging brand message/campaign to build trust and authority.

Telehealth and Healthcare App User Motivations

Below, we’ve outlined high-level motivational triggers for a health app user. The included motivations are specific to the mobile app healthcare model itself, not a specialized healthcare category.

Convenience: I want a streamlined way to get the care I need and navigate the healthcare system.
Guidance/Expertise: I want proven methods of care, expert guidance, and reliable answers to health questions.
Consistency: I want a reliable experience from a brand I can trust.
Cost: I want to know I’m paying a fair price for site access and services.
Emotional Triggers: I experience fears, social stigmas, or negative responses about my medical conditions and I want compassionate care.

Telehealth and Healthcare App Creative Trends x User Motivations

We map identified creative trends to user motivations within the category to develop and iterate on different concepts. In the model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept and we’ve included a sample set. Our ad concept matrix supports over 30 creative concepts for healthcare apps by pairing seven trends with five user motivations.

Test and Learn

Optimize and Iterate

Winning Ads for Lemonaid Health

Lemonaid Health, the telehealth company promising “refreshingly simple” online healthcare and medication delivery, is utilizing several creative trends along with specific user motivation. Below are some examples from Facebook Ad Library.

Why use an Ad Concept Model?

Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss how we can help you stay ahead in 2022.

February 2022 Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup

Posted on February 22, 2022March 28, 2022 by Lian

February 2022 Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup

Our February 2022, Mobile App UA and Creative Roundup brings you expert guidance on TikTok mobile advertiser updates, best practices for programmatic dynamic creative optimization, and our newest white paper: 200+ Mobile App Ad Concepts for TikTok, Facebook, and Google — 2022 Edition. To save your creative team time, we’re sharing dozens of ad concepts for five top mobile app categories: mobile games, dating apps, mobile streaming apps, fintech apps, and subscription apps.

Brian Bowman discussed our Ad Concept Model in a recent episode of GameMakers with host Joe Kim, CEO of Lila Games, and Bradly Bifulco, Creative Director at Zynga. See the conversation here.

Google announced they are launching “a multi-year initiative to build the Privacy Sandbox on Android, with the goal of introducing new, more private advertising solutions.” But don’t panic. Read why we trust they’ll continue to look out for mobile advertisers.

In addition, we are hiring across all departments for fully-remote positions! Find out how working remotely has immense advantages for work-life balance, productivity, cost savings, and more.

As the mobile advertising ecosystem has evolved, we have focused on being a reliable source of mobile app industry insights and trends. Continue reading today’s post to see our creative work and learn how to minimize IDFA’s negative impact.

See Our Creative Work in 30 Seconds

UA and Creative Trends in February 2022

Google’s Privacy Sandbox Announcement

Google announced they are launching “a multi-year initiative to build the Privacy Sandbox on Android, with the goal of introducing new, more private advertising solutions.” We are here to say: don’t panic.

TikTok UA Hot Tips and Updates For February 2022

TikTok For Business has quietly released some new features to help UA and creative teams improve TikTok ad performance. Get insider details on fresh UA tactics, like App Retargeting, Sneak Peek! Hashtag Behavior Targeting, and TikTok Media Buying Model.

Programmatic Best Practices: Dynamic Creative Optimization

Increase relevance and personalize messaging for each stage of the customer journey. See how programmatic can drive engagement by meeting the needs of a user at different points of the funnel.

Improve productivity and work-life balance with a fully-remote, distributed team

Understand why remote work is here to stay. Uncover the benefits of remote work for employees and employers, and see how employees thrive in distributed teams.

[Case Study] Wooga’s Switchcraft gets CGI makeover

Read our Case Study to see how we developed a 30-second CGI game trailer, 50 original concepts, and over 150 videos for Switchcraft to bring high-value players to the game.

UA Media Buying Model: Facebook, TikTok, & Google

Structure your media buying with proven best practices using our Media Buying Model. Mobile apps can leverage a combination of UA strategies and campaign parameters to develop a robust testing harness for ongoing mobile campaigns across social platforms.

Over 200 Mobile App Add Concepts

Get inspiration from over 200 mobile app ad concepts to develop and test! Overcome creative slumps with our newest white paper: 200+ Mobile App Ad Concepts for TikTok, Facebook, and Google — 2022 Edition.

To save your creative team time, we’re sharing dozens of ad concepts for five top mobile app categories: mobile games, dating apps, mobile streaming apps, fintech apps, and subscription apps.

Download the Ad Concept Model whitepaper, it is a collaborative communication framework that:

Details our creative approach
Ensures creative aligns with your target audience
Provides a platform for ongoing concept development
Tracks progress through evolving creative concepts
Documents creative concepts to be explored next

Programmatic Best Practices

Is your target customer standing at a bus stop or stuck in rush hour traffic? Or both, depending on the day? Programmatic advertising lets you meet your audience exactly where they are— in the funnel or out in the world.

Get best practices to make the most of your programmatic campaigns

Get insights into dynamic creative optimization
Leverage external data sources and tailor messaging to weather or local trends
See which programmatic platforms work best at each stage in the customer journey

As dynamic advertising has become a standard tool for data-driven marketing, dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is a critical capability to drive higher performance. DCO leverages machine learning for real-time media buying to deliver the best possible creative at the right time. Ads are customized and changed in relation to a user’s past behavior or current situation with individual components of an ad personalized in real-time.

We now offer Programmatic through Brainlabs! Contact us at Sales@ConsumerAcquisition.com to discuss the benefits of adding Programmatic to your marketing mix.

GameMakers Podcast: Ad Concept Model

Consumer Acquisition founder Brian Bowman discussed the Ad Concept Model in a new episode of the GameMakers’ podcast with Joe Kim, CEO at LILA Games, and Bradly Bifulco, Creative Director at Zynga.

They discussed how Zynga “leaves no stone unturned” when developing creative concepts, tying personas to user intent, and how the Ad Concept Model helps generate winning ad creative with a structured process.

Join Our Team!

We are hiring across all departments for fully-remote positions! Read our blog post to see how working remotely has immense advantages for work-life balance, productivity, cost savings, and more.

Our employees with families appreciate having the flexibility to attend their children’s events or family appointments as they need to. Employees who love to travel enjoy working from anywhere they like. Working with us, night owls and early birds all have a chance to thrive. And everyone benefits from working with people from different cultures and different perspectives.

See all of our current openings

Consumer Acquisition in the News

More Creative Trends

Helpful Content

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

Google’s Privacy Sandbox Announcement. Mobile Advertisers, Don’t Panic!

Posted on February 17, 2022March 4, 2022 by Lian

Google’s Privacy Sandbox Announcement

Mobile Advertisers, Don’t Panic!

Google announced they are launching “a multi-year initiative to build the Privacy Sandbox on Android, with the goal of introducing new, more private advertising solutions.” In light of the devastating impact of Apple’s IDFA loss, this announcement could drive more fear into the hearts of mobile app developers and advertisers.

We are here to say: don’t panic.

Google’s stated goal is to provide a “clear path forward to improve user privacy without putting access to free content and services at risk.” Historically, Google has been vocal about supporting advertisers, especially as they develop new approaches to privacy. In their 2021 Q3 Earnings Call, Alphabet’s Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler addressed their commitment directly:

“So, from our standpoint, we see ATT (ph) is one aspect of the many broader ecosystem changes that are on the way, and we’ve been investing in privacy preserving technology for many years. Our focus is on supporting developers, small and large advertisers, creators’ publishers, so that they’re able to mitigate impact to their businesses. And we really see the future of digital advertising being built on advances and privacy preserving on device technologies which support the free and open Internet.”

This statement from Schindler stands in stark contrast to how Tim Cook addressed the feedback he’s “received from [Apple] advertisers and users and how it has also impacted search ads, your own ad business.”

The feedback from customers is overwhelmingly positive. Customers appreciate having the option of whether they want to be tracked or not. And so, there’s an outpouring of customer satisfaction there on the customer side. The reason that we did this is that — as you know, if you followed us for a while, we believe strongly that privacy is a basic human right and we believed that for decades. Not just in the last year or so. We’ve historically rolled out more and more features over time — to place the decision of whether to share data and what data to share in the hands of the user where we believe that it belongs. We don’t think that’s Apple’s role to decide, and we don’t think that’s another company’s role to decide. But rather the individual who owns the data itself. And so, that’s our motivation there. There’s no other motivation.

Cook described “customers” aligning with Apple users as if advertisers are not also Apple customers when asked about advertiser feedback. The omission of advertiser feedback is unfortunately consistent with their anti-industry and anti-developer practices, such as changing the entire iOS mobile app reporting and measurement system without any industry participation.

Ultimately, how well Google supports advertisers is critical to their success.

In their blog post, Google distances itself from Apple’s actions. They acknowledge “that other platforms have taken a different approach to ads privacy, bluntly restricting existing technologies used by developers and advertisers.” Google has committed to supporting “existing ads platform features for at least two years,” and has provided an opportunity for developers to review their initial design proposals and share feedback on the Android developer site. “Our goal with the Privacy Sandbox on Android is to develop effective and privacy-enhancing advertising solutions, where users know their information is protected, and developers and businesses have the tools to succeed on mobile”. We trust that the “businesses” they refer to here will include advertisers.

So don’t panic, review the plans, and provide your feedback!

Just as mobile advertisers survived IDFA loss, they can survive the Privacy Sandbox on Android.

Mobile app advertisers in 2022 are better prepared for the evolving advertising ecosystem than they were last year. We can now quantify the impact of IDFA loss and understand the iOS A/B testing implications and automated buying and privacy restrictions. Based on public comments, IDFA impact is generally being accepted as the new normal, with lower-level setting and -30% margin compression due to the complexity of targeting and measurement on iOS. Mobile app businesses are acclimating and many are growing within these new constraints.

Dependence on upper-funnel campaigns continues to increase. So, UA teams know they can no longer rely on the crutch of deterministic tracking to provide sustained financial performance. The deterioration of lookalike audiences and the black box of deeper funnel events means a user’s declared interests and contextual advertising are critically important for insights into user motivation and intent. Ad creative optimized to appeal to discreet personas is now the most efficient lever for sustained profitable user acquisition. Even without deterministic tracking, UA teams that understand their target personas can scale by attracting high-quality users.

Staying Ahead of Mobile App Advertising Developments

As the mobile advertising ecosystem has evolved, we have focused on being a reliable source of mobile app industry insights and trends. Our strategic analyses of IDFA loss and media buying automation, along with tactical guidance for user acquisition and creative teams, has helped advertisers remain profitable during an unprecedented era of change. In addition, our industry expertise has earned coverage from CNBC, Forbes, SeekingAlpha, Business Insider, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Mobile Marketing Magazine, and many more.

This industry expertise comes from managing over $3.5 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers. Some of these advertisers include Glu, Roblox, Wooga, Zynga, and Skillz. Our proprietary full-stack marketing platform AdRules provides real-time business intelligence and creative research from 3.5 million video ads across social channels. Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss how we can help you stay ahead, no matter how the mobile advertising ecosystem evolves.

Improve productivity and work-life balance with a fully-remote, distributed team

Posted on February 17, 2022March 7, 2022 by Lian

In today’s post, we explain how to improve productivity and work-life balance with a fully-remote, distributed team. Here’s some of the good stuff we will cover:

Understand why remote work is here to stay
Uncover the benefits of remote work for employees and employers
See how employees thrive in distributed teams
Hear from our first Brief Writer based outside of the U.S.

A Fully-Remote, Distributed Team

#Remotework has been a trending topic since the beginning of 2020, and for good reason. The challenging circumstances of the last two years have caused unemployment rates across the globe to spike, while those who remained employed may have adjusted to working from home during lockdowns. And if there’s a positive takeaway from this, people came to enjoy the flexibility of working remotely. An impressive 62% of employees expect their employers to allow remote work.

The U.S. has seen a plummet in the unemployment rate from 14% in 2020 down to 4% in January of 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. And, for almost a year, the job market has been shifting in favor of the job seeker as resignation rates skyrocketed. One major criterion for workers is finding a truly remote-friendly company.

Remote work has always been an ideal solution for improved employee satisfaction, productivity, and other benefits, even before the pandemic. According to Newsweek, despite the majority of CEOs wanting to return to the office, only 10% of workers want to return full time.

Many companies claim to support a remote work model, yet it’s common for management to require periodic attendance at an office. At the same time, a growing number of forward-thinking businesses have embraced the trend and reap the benefits of adopting a remote and hybrid working culture.

Consumer Acquisition is one such company. We have been fully remote since our founding in 2013, and we’ve thrived in this model. We’ve proven how working remotely has immense advantages for both employees and employers alike. Here are the benefits we’ve seen and how we do it.

The Good Stuff

Increased Productivity

Working remotely—even without your manager constantly looking over your shoulder— increased the number of actual work people performed in a day. Over 261 working days, remote workers spent an average of 58 hours more on core tasks and 256 fewer hours spent on communication than those working in the office.

Improved Work-Life Balance

Have you ever considered how much of your time is squandered commuting to and from the office daily? The U.S. Census Bureau clocks the commute at approximately 27.6 minutes each way. That adds up to over 240 hours per year, which means employees spend ten days of their life simply traveling to work! In high-density driving cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas, those metrics can be considerably worse.

Comparing that commute to the time walking from a bedroom to a workstation, workers gain back flexible time otherwise wasted. According to Forbes, work-from-home mothers reported a massive 30% increase in job satisfaction due to telecommuting, citing improved work-life balance by working remotely.

More Cost-Effective

Time is money, but can we put a price tag on time? According to FlexJobs, the benefits of working remotely add up to a whopping $4,000 a year in savings. If you aren’t required to go into the office, you’re not tied down to a location because of work. Employees can work from places with lower living costs and get the most bang for their buck.

Increased Freedom

One of the most significant benefits of working remotely is the freedom you have over how you work. For some of us, that may mean taking our laptops outside on a sunny day or setting up shop in a favorite cafe. Or for the digital nomads, working from a different city every few weeks. Why not work from the beach in Hawaii one week and a cafe in Berlin the next? If that’s not exciting, we don’t know what is.

Employers Benefit

When it comes to remote working, employers get a pretty great deal too. We have access to a significantly wider talent pool and greater levels of diversity since we don’t limit ourselves to the geography of our employees.

Remote and distributed teams also reduce turnover. OWL Labs found a 62% increase in employee company loyalty of employees allowed to work remotely. Additionally, Flexjobs states that 58% of workers said they would look for a new job if their current one discontinued remote work.

How do we work with a distributed team?

We hire passionate employees who are the best at what they do, no matter where they are located. Our distributed team currently has 55 employees across 11 countries.

We’ve learned to embrace asynchronous progress. Working across time zones means projects may evolve in different and unexpected ways. We leverage Google suite, dropbox, slack, and Monday.com to help us stay organized. We prioritize tangible benefits over perks because mandatory team “fun” or a fancy break room in a hybrid office won’t make up for time away from family. Ultimately, to ensure our employees remain productive, loyal, and happy, we share expectations early and adapt to challenges as they arise.

We recently welcomed our first non-U.S.-based brief writer to the company. Maritza L. joins us from Mexico as a Junior Creative Director and Brief Writer. She helps to expand our capabilities for Spanish-speaking clients while providing fresh cultural and contextual insights. For those considering international, remote hiring, Maritza said, “making the shift to an international model provides people with diversified knowledge that directly impacts performance. It opens new collaborative opportunities based on flexibility and openness. And it is in this flexibility that we can transform and develop new creative models. It’s a panorama of worldwide, connected creative production.”

Want to work for a company that embraces remote working culture and means it? Check out our current job openings and apply!

Over 200 Mobile App Ad Concepts for TikTok, Facebook, and Google Advertisers

Posted on February 15, 2022March 11, 2022 by Lian

In today’s post, we share over 200 mobile app ad concepts for TikTok, Facebook, and Google advertisers in this 2022 edition whitepaper. Starting with an advertising ecosystem update, we explain what you need to do to survive in this now volatile ad ecosystem in 2022.

Over 200 Mobile App Ad Concepts
for TikTok, Facebook, and Google Advertisers

2022 Edition

Section 1: 2022 Advertising Ecosystem Update

As dependence on upper-funnel campaigns increases, UA teams know they can no longer rely on the crutch of deterministic tracking to provide sustained financial performance. The deterioration of lookalike audiences and the black box of deeper funnel events means a user’s declared interests and contextual advertising are critically important for insights into user motivation and intent. Ad creative optimized to appeal to discreet personas is now the most efficient lever for sustained profitable user acquisition. Even without deterministic tracking, UA teams that understand their target personas can scale by attracting high-quality users.

At scale, agile persona-led creative is now the most efficient way to support the ongoing experimentation now required for profitable user acquisition. Based on over 100,000 videos and images we produce and test yearly for our clients, our research has shown that winning ads last only 10 weeks, before they burn out. We have performed over 25,000 A/B and multivariate tests on Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Snap and have learned that 85-95% of new creative concepts fail to outperform the best ad in a portfolio. To survive in this volatile ad ecosystem, 20-50 new concepts are needed to find the next winning creative. And you’ll need to keep developing new concepts to stay ahead of creative fatigue.

Read on for recommendations to:

Organize and track creative development through our Ad Concept Model
Find the creative trends popular within specific categories
Use personas to tailor ad creative
Use creative trends and user motivations to guide creative ad concept explorations
Develop over 200 mobile app ad concepts for mobile games, dating apps, mobile streaming apps, fintech apps, and subscription apps

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Section 2: Increase Paid Social Creative Success

Using Our Ad Concept Model

Our Ad Concept Model is a collaborative communication framework designed to organize and track creative development. The model creates lanes for a creative team to explore while eliminating unfocused ideation that doesn’t align with your target personas, motivations, or trends. Each ad concept model supports 30-50 ideas for each app category by pairing creative trends with user motivations.

Here’s how we use it:

Using these steps, we’ll show you how we create dozens of persona-led ad concepts efficiently and effectively within our Ad Concept Model. Every app category or game sub-genre can leverage a unique combination of distinct emotional triggers and creative trends to attract users.

Step 1: Analyze competitor and creative trends within your genre/category

Start with your internal data on what creative is working best already, then go deep on what’s working for competitors. Use Facebook Ad Library to see every ad currently running on their ad network. For implied success metrics, you can use Mobile Action, SensorTower, or AppAnnie competitor libraries. AdRules, our SaaS platform analyzes 3.5 million videos and is updated daily. Your goal is to get a broad view of what creative is working and what isn’t across the category. Identify the creative trends you’re seeing and segment those trends. Consider these like fashion – they keep changing and going in and out of style.

Depending on the app category, some creative trends may include:

An app overview focused on overall user experience and/or specific features
An app overview using tips and quizzes
Testimonials and reviews from users
Influencers and celebrities delivering the primary message
Social connection, social media, and chatting
Achievement opportunities like level progression and mastery
Vignettes featuring short scenarios or stories

Step 2: Identify user motivations and target personas

Before building out a matrix for a particular set of ad concepts, identify different user motivations driving your target personas and break down those motivations by underlying values, desires, and behaviors.

Depending on the app category, some user motivations may include:

Excitement
Connection
Expertise
Success
Escape
Creation
Learning
Access
Simplification
Discovery

Step 3: Map competitive trends to user motivations to guide creative concept development

Map identified motivations to creative trends within the category to develop and iterate on different concepts. In the empty model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept. User motivations appear along the horizontal axis and trends appear along the vertical axis.

Step 4: Test and Learn

Step 5: Optimize and Iterate

Why use a model like this?

Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model ensures we always have new creative concepts to stay ahead of creative fatigue. We’ve systematized the process so we know what works, why it works, and how to do more of it. From niche to mainstream, our creative concepting model means our clients get reliable top-performing creative in the most cost-efficient and scalable way.

Each of the following ad concept models supports 30-50 ideas for each category by pairing creative trends with user motivations. Across five top app categories, get inspiration from over 200 ad concepts to develop and test.

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Section 3: Gaming Mobile App Ad Concepts

Because game genres are so varied, we’ve compared fashion games to sports games to show the distinction between categories. The creative trends for these two gaming audiences are notably different from one another while sharing triggers and motivations.

Step 1: Analyze competitor and creative trends within your genre/category

Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, here are ad creative trends we’re seeing for mobile sports games:

Gameplay and game overview that showcase graphics and players (Home Run Clash, NBA 2K, Boxing Star)
Distance or performance challenges for viewers to propel an object to reach a target (Baseball Boy, Slap Master)
Competition videos dramatize head-to-head competition between rival players or teams. (Darts of Fury, Home Run Clash)
Noob vs. Pro videos displaying bad and good gameplay (Darts of Fury, Mini Golf King)
Real player footage replacing game characters and gameplay (Tennis Clash, Sniper Arena, Draft Kings)
Cinematic techniques like slow-motion and camera pan utilizing game characters (Johnny Trigger, Mr. Bullet, Sniper Arena, Tennis Clash)

Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, here are ad creative trends we’re seeing for fashion and style simulation games:

Choosing what’s next from the player POV to direct narrative while interacting with the game’s characters
Game trailer/overview that showcases user experience, core objectives, and other game features.
Fashion and style challenges
Using social media or texting to convey the narrative or primary message
Character focus using countdowns, origin stories
Vignettes featuring short character scenarios or stories
Achievement opportunities like level progression and mastery of a game
Success vs. Fail gameplay contrasting experienced and amateur players

Step 2: Identify user motivations

General Gaming User Motivations

Here’s how sports game creative trends appeal to user motivations:

Real player footage and cinematic techniques provide immersion, fantasy, and excitement
Distance challenges and Noob v. Pro videos appeal to mastery, competition, power, and fantasy
Player rivalries appeal to competition, mayhem, action, challenge, power, and fantasy
Gameplay and controller overlays appeal to immersion, excitement, challenge, and competition
Augmented gameplay provides social appeal and story immersion
Team creation scenarios appeal to creativity, customization, strategy, and making decisions

Here’s how fashion game creative trends appeal to user motivations:

Choosing what’s next appeals to self-expression, progression, and escapism
Fashion and design challenges appeal to self-expression and escapism
Using social media or texting appeals to social connection
Focusing on character stories and vignettes appeal to discovery, relaxation, and escapism
Achievement opportunities and Success vs. Fail gameplay appeals to expertise, power, and progression

Step 3: Map competitive trends to user motivations to guide creative concept development

Sports Game Creative Concepts

Create videos that incorporate statistics into the gameplay:

Overlay graphics to show the distance of tape measure shots and challenge viewers to play
Overlay stats graphics on characters, challenging viewers to beat their opponent
Appeals to players motivated by competition, power, challenge, excitement

Create a countdown of featured players in the game:

Showcases animation style, range of players, and stats
Style graphics like collector cards
Spark curiosity about who is (or is not) included
Appeals to players motivated by completion, surprises, competition, community, and power

Add trash talk over gameplay:

Showcases gameplay and graphics alongside subtitles
Appeals to players motivated by competition, community, being on a team, mayhem, interacting

Feature gameplay with emoji overlays and talk bubbles to communicate emotions:

Humanizes and adds humor
Showcases game graphics
Appeals to players motivated by community, being on a team, interacting, fantasy, and surprises

Intercut gameplay with real footage, so that it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s the game:

Showcases game graphics and simulation
Appeals to players motivated by immersion, fantasy, action, discovery

Re-create the feel of a famous announcer calling a legendary game with gameplay and voice over:

Creates emotional “what if” scenarios
Engages viewer’s curiosity
Highlights the passion of sports fans
Appeals to players motivated by community, being on a team, immersion, fantasy, action, discovery

Create videos using cinematic techniques and voiceover to up the emotional ante of the game:

Showcases game graphics
Utilizes nostalgic sports documentary feel
Appeals to players motivated by community, being on a team, immersion, fantasy, action, discovery

Create side-by-side videos of good (Pro) versus bad (Noob) gameplay:

Shows the difficulty of the game
Highlights both “wins” and “fails”
Appeals to players motivated by competition, power, challenge, excitement

Create a sing-along music video of gameplay with a famous sports chant:

Most chants are in the public domain
Showcases graphics and gameplay
Appeals to players motivated by community, being on a team, immersion, fantasy

Fashion & Style Games Creative Concepts

Create ads based on choosing what’s next:

Use diverse characters and situations
Offer multiple quick choices
Use popular themes like jealousy, cheating, hooking up, fantasy, and revenge makeovers

Insert player into the narrative:

Have character interact directly with the player
Use meters to rate player responses
Feature simple situations, not complex narratives
Use popular themes like what to wear, hooking up, fantasy, and revenge makeovers

Fashion & Style Challenges:

Event-based fashion choices like what to wear on a date
Revenge-based makeovers from being rejected by a character
Male makeovers based on rejection or aspiration
Self-acceptance makeovers reject perfection in favor of body positivity
Design a perfect date by choosing the right movie, food, etc.
Hyper-customization including avatar skin tone, facial features, room design, etc

Feature gameplay with emoji overlays and talk bubbles to communicate emotions:

Humanizes and adds humor
Showcases game graphics
Appeals to players motivated by community, being on a team, interacting, fantasy, and surprises

Create side-by-side videos of good (Pro) versus bad (Noob) gameplay:

Shows the challenges
Highlights both “wins” and “fails”

Create gameplay videos that explain the experience in detail:

Detail benefits of playing (customization, escapism, social connection)
Explore live-action to differentiate from category
Feature influencers or players discussing the game
Explore CG concepts to differentiate from category

Section 4: Dating Mobile App Ad Concepts

Step 1: Analyze competitor and creative trends within your genre/category

Top competitors in the mobile app dating space include Tinder, Hinge, Skout, Clover, Match, Plenty of Fish, OKCupid, and Coffee Meets Bagel. Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, dating app creative trends we’ve identified include:

App Overview: Overview of the app that showcases features and user experience
App Content: Captured content and screen grabs from the app
Testimonial: Focused on a user’s review and/or experience of the app
Influencers: Utilizing influencers and/or celebs to deliver the primary message
UGC: Content a user would upload to social media regarding the app
Tips & Quizzes: Communicating features or benefits through advice or quizzes

Step 2: Identify user motivations

Dating app ad creative perfectly illuminates how persona-based creative concepts appeal to the unique motivations of different users, from long-term romance to casual connections.

Dating App User Motivations

Step 3: Map competitive trends to user motivations to guide creative concept development

Focus on success stories to appeal to users seeking love, authentic connections, and validation:

Show a dating journey
Highlight real user testimonials
Use high-quality photography to show happy couples
focus on one-to-one attention

Highlight app features by inserting the user into the experience:

Have user choose from actual profiles
Simulate chat with potential dates
Have user set up a mini profile

Highlight app features for users seeking casual connections:

Model fast onboarding
Reveal “new singles” in the area
Prompt users with “See More” to tease a surplus of profiles to access

Focus on the app experience to highlight ease of use:

Rotate through dating profile photos with minimalistic UI
Use captured content and screen grabs to communicate the interaction process
Rotating through a swath of potential users

Leverage faux testimonials and UGC-style videos:

Use direct address toward the audience and text overlays to look like native content
Use screenshots of personal messages to show dating experience
Show newness and popularity of the app

In the model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept. This dating app model supports over 30 creative concepts for streaming apps by pairing six trends with six user motivations.

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Section 5: Streaming Mobile App Ad Concepts

Step 1: Analyze competitor and creative trends within your genre/category

Top competitors in this space include Netflix, Hulu, Philo, Pluto TV, Sling, Starz, SyFy, Vudu, Shudder, FXNow, AT&T TV, BET Now, Paramount Network, Crackle, Disney+, Maimovie, TikTok, Uplive: Live it Up, Replika: My AI Friend, Roku, Youtube TV, and HBO Now.

Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, broad concepts and trends we see for streaming apps include:

Movie Trailers: Videos with movie trailer style content, featuring one or multiple titles. (Starz, Shudder, BET Now)
Promoting Exclusive Content: Videos or images promoting exclusive or original content. (Netflix, HBO Now, TikTok)
Special Offers: Videos or images with special offers. (Hulu, Starz)
Range of Programming: Videos or images touting breadth of content. (Philo, Pluto TV, Vudu)
App Overview: Videos or images focused on the workings of the app, including exclusive services. (Vudu, Maimovie, Replika)

Step 2: Identify user motivations

Streaming apps and mobile content services range from hard-to-find content to broad appeal favorites, pay-per-view to subscription. While different mobile content services may focus on specific user interests, there are universal user motivations for content and streaming services that drive their fast-growing popularity across all categories.

Streaming App User Motivations

Step 3: Map competitive trends to user motivations to guide creative concept development

In the model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept and we’ve included a sample set. This ad concept model supports over 40 creative concepts for streaming apps by pairing seven trends with six user motivations.

Compare the app experience, price, and other factors against other apps or games. Here’s what to do for viewers interested in the following:

Discovery Seekers: use a new content comparison
Access Seekers: use a content library comparison
Value Seekers: use a cost comparison

Showcase features and user experience through screen grabs from the app.:

Convenience Seekers: highlight ease of use to get to the content fast
Deal Seekers: highlight promos or discounts
Discoverers and Access Seekers: new releases and a variety

Use UGC and testimonials to highlight content and user experience:

Highlight ease of use to get to the content fast
Show what it’s like to discover a new favorite
Highlight niche and hard-to-find content

Section 6: Fintech Mobile App Ad Concepts

Step 1: Analyze competitor and creative trends within your genre/category

Top competitors in this space include: Acorns, Fisher Investments, Lending Tree, The Penny Hoarder, Northern Trust Wealth Management, Dave: Banking for Humans, Current: The Bank for Modern Life, Coinbase, Crypto.com, M1 Finance, Finimize, Kabbage: Small Business Loans, DOSH, Edward Jones, Edelman Financial Engines, Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, myFICO, YNAB, Mint, The Balance, Personal Capital, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Wealthsimple, Robinhood, Nerdwallet, Stash, Earnin, Motley Fool, WalletHub

Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, FinTech ad creative trends we identified included:

App Overview/Feature Benefit: An image or video that communicates overall user experience and/or specific features. (Dave, Current, Coinbase, M1 Finance, Finimize, Edward Jones, Credit Karma, many others)
App Overview/Tips & Quizzes: Communicating app features and/or benefits through advice or quizzes. (Fisher Investments, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Persona Capital, Penny Hoarder, Nerdwallet)
Testimonial: Focused on a user’s review and/or experience of the app. (Penny Hoarder, Dave, M1 Finance, Dosh, Credit Karma, YNAB, Personal Capital, Wealthsimple, Robinhood, Earnin)
Influencers: Utilizing influencers and/or celebrities to deliver the primary message. (Personal Capital)
Promotional: Contests, promotions, gift cards, and other rewards for using and/or downloading the app. (Lending Tree, Current, Coinbase, Crypto.com, M1 Finance, Robinhood)
Current Events/Topical: Having to do with recent news or impactful events. (Lending Tree)
Social Connection: Involving people connecting on social media or via text. (Dave, Finimize, Earnin)
Meme: Comedic text on an image, often building on something that’s already viral. (Credit Sesame)

Step 2: Identify user motivations

FinTech and Financial App User Motivations

From milestone birthdays to selling a house to job changes, there are many motivational triggers that drive people to use fintech apps.

Step 3: Map competitive trends to user motivations to guide creative concept development

In the model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept and we’ve included a sample set for a first-time homebuyer below. The expanded ad concept model supports almost 50 creative concepts for streaming apps by pairing eight trends with six user motivations.

Create concepts that focus on the overall site experience, as well as specific features:

Appeal to different financial triggers (home buying, job change, retirement, college, etc.)
Try copy tied to a positive emotional benefit rather than fear-based messaging (e.g., “Retirement? You got this.”)

Feature advice and/or quizzes:

Communicates key benefits/features by engaging with the user
Appeal to different financial triggers (home buying, job change, retirement, college, etc.)
Explore a diverse range of user representations
Explore refined illustration in addition to portraits

Feature user and media reviews:

Written reviews are easiest to produce
Can test versions that feature independent media reviews and user reviews
UGC testimonials are a simple way to review the site
Explore individual user profiles

Utilize celebrities or influencers to promote the features:

Inset or split-screen, combining influencer with site graphics
Full-screen influencer testimonial, before cutting to app use and end card
Can also work with static images/quotes from the endorser

Create a promotion where visitors to the website can register to win money or other prizes:

Creates an incentive to visit the site
Prizes could include:
- money for retirement fund
- Help with house down payment
- Pay off of a credit card
- Free financial planning from a fiduciary for a year

Create concepts that leverage social platforms:

Texting can be a good way to tell narrative stories in an inexpensive, easy-to-produce format

Section 7: Subscription Mobile App Ad Concepts

Step 1: Analyze competitor and creative trends within your genre/category

Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, creative trends we’ve identified for mobile subscription apps broadly include:

App Overview: An image or video that communicates overall user experience
Key Feature: Focus on the specific benefits of a core feature
Testimonial: Focus on a user’s review and/or experience
Animated Text: Kinetic typography or motion graphics
Visually Compelling: Focus on arresting photography
Brand: Focus solely on brand messaging

Step 2: Identify user motivations

Mobile app subscription services range from weekly food boxes to productivity tools to fitness trackers. Borrowing from the value propositions of software-as-a-service, mobile subscription services promise an ongoing value for a recurring payment. While different mobile subscription categories focus on specific user interests, there are universal user motivations for subscription services that drive their popularity across all verticals. Below, we’ve outlined high-level motivational triggers for a mobile app subscriber. The included motivations are specific to the mobile app subscription model itself, not an individual category such as fitness or productivity.

Subscription Mobile App User Motivations

Step 3: Map competitive trends to user motivations to guide creative concept development

Our ad concept model supports nearly 40 creative concepts for mobile subscription service apps by pairing six trends with six user motivations.

Showcase features and user experience through screen grabs from the app:

Convenience-seekers, highlight ease of use, fast set-up, and support
Deal-seekers, highlight promos or discounts
Discoverers and access seekers show new products and features

Use testimonials to show subscriber experience:

Highlight ease of use to get products fast
Show what it’s like to discover a new favorite
Highlight niche and hard-to-find products

Use arresting photography to differentiate:

Show exclusives and limited editions
Highlight niche and hard-to-find products
Highlight community spaces and social connection

Section 8: Staying Ahead of Mobile App Ad Concepts

Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com to discuss how we can help you stay ahead in 2022.

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TikTok UGC Ads Creative Guide

2022 Edition

Section 1: Advertising in the Creator Ecosystem

Creators and Influencers, Micro and Mega

UGC Ad Effectiveness

The Growing UGC Market

Section 2: Investments in UGC from TikTok, Meta, and Snap

TikTok Expands Video Length

Meta Focuses on Video Content

Snap Expands Creator Opportunities

Social Platforms and Streaming UGC

Section 3: UGC Advertising Creative Trends and Motivational Triggers

Based on information from Facebook Ad Library, TikTok For Business, and MobileAction, here are ad creative trends we’re seeing for UGC ads:

User Motivations for Gaming Apps

User Motivations for Dating Apps

User Motivations for Subscription Apps

User Motivations for Fintech Apps

User Motivations for Telehealth Apps

User Motivations for Productivity Apps

UGC Creative Trends and User Motivations in Action

Top-ranking Casino game Blackout Bingo uses real-time playing and winning, along with side-by-side reactions. This ad appeals to users seeking fast-paced excitement, competitive social connections, and success.

The music game Dream Piano uses first-person, side-by-side POV and highlights the social connection of playing the game. This ad appeals to users seeking social connections, expert mastery, and success.

Action arcade game 1945 Air Force uses picture-in-picture with choreography synced to the on-screen action and music score. This ad appeals to users seeking excitement, expertise, and social connection.

On any given day, the top five mobile game ads on TikTok For Business Creative Center consistently show UGC creative trends in action, with users sharing creative testimonials of success, expertise, or excitement.

TikTok ads for the dating app Hinge almost universally use faux testimonials and direct address videos with text overlays that look like entirely native content. These ads appeal to users seeking validation, trendiness, and authenticity.

In contrast to TikTok, Hinge Ads on Facebook also use UGC, though in a notably different way: messages are screenshots within a social media post to showcase the meta-commentary. These ads appeal to users seeking authentic relationships, validation, and trendiness.

Lemonaid Health, the telehealth company promising “refreshingly simple” online healthcare and medication delivery, uses casual direct address commentary of emotional benefits in this UGC-style ad on Facebook. This ad appeals to users seeking expertise, consistency, and feeling understood.

Productive Habit Tracker, a productivity app helping people “build a routine of positive, life-changing habits,” mimics UGC so well it includes the “actor portrayal” disclaimer. This ad appeals to users seeking a sense of accomplishment, emotional benefits, and social proof.

Section 4: Driving Performance Through UGC Ads

Ad Concept Model

To stay ahead of creative fatigue, we developed the Ad Concept Model as a tool for creative teams to:

TikTok Media Buying Model

Below is a sample Media Buying Model for TikTok. Geographies, languages, and bid types are all modified based on our client’s needs. Each campaign is structured to meet specific goals at the intersection of strategies and parameters. Here are trends we’re seeing in testing:

TikTok Creative Testing Recommendations

TikTok Advertising Tactics

App Retargeting

TikTok Instant Page

Diverse Content Drives Results on TikTok

Want better results from UGC for Paid Social?

Google Paid Search Best Practices: Responsive Search Ads

Benefits of using Responsive Search Ads

Target Each Stage of the Customer Journey

Test and Optimize

How We Can Help

Productivity App Creative Trends

Why Productive Habit Tracker Ads Work

Productivity App Creative Trends

Productivity App User Motivations

Productivity App Creative Trends x User Motivations

Test and Learn

Optimize and Iterate

Winning Ads For Productive Habit Tracker

Why use an Ad Concept Model?

Snapchat UA Hot Tips & Updates

AR Shopping Lenses

Key Features:

AR integration lets users quickly purchase multiple products

Dynamic information updates

Easily review the performance of multiple products:

Conversions API

New To App Advertising on Snapchat? Get Started Here

Advanced Create Workflow

Goal-based Bidding

Custom Audiences

Any ad you create should support mobile app advertising:

Want better results from Snapchat UA?

Mexico a Rising Star in Animation

Here’s what some of our Mexico-based team had to say about the growth of the animation industry in Mexico.

— Ingrid, graphic communication for advertising, 2D animation, and illustration

— Mayra, motion graphics design and animation, post-production, VFX color correction

— Zalma, graphic design and animation

How our international workforce benefits our clients

What about the language barrier?

Always ahead of the remote culture curve

Here’s what some of our Mexico-based team had to say about working at Consumer Acquisition:

— Ingrid, graphic communication for advertising, 2D animation, and illustration

— Mayra, motion graphics design and animation, post production, VFX color correction

— Zalma, graphic design and animation

How we can help

Telehealth and Healthcare App Creative Trends

Google Paid Search Best Practices:
Responsive Search Ads

Over 200 Mobile App Ad Concepts
for TikTok, Facebook, and Google Advertisers