Gun X Mobile is a casual game that lets you shoot your way through various challenges and missions. It is published by SohaGame, a leading game developer and publisher from Vietnam. The game was launched in 2022 and has been updated regularly with new features and content. The latest version is V2.0.1, which added more guns, maps, and modes.
How did Gun X Mobile become the number one casual game in the App Store in Vietnam? How did it attract and retain millions of players worldwide? In this article, we will use the data and insights from AppGrowing to analyze Gun X Mobile’s ad strategy and performance.
01 Gun X Mobile’s Ad Reach and Exposure
According to the data monitored and collected by AppGrowing, Gun X Mobile has created 1365 ads in total, covering 13 areas and 8 media. This shows that the game has a wide reach and exposure across different regions and channels. It also indicates that the game has a diversified and flexible marketing strategy that adapts to different markets and audiences.
02 Gun X Mobile’s Ad Formats and Creatives
Source: AppGrowing
One of the key factors that contributed to Gun X Mobile’s success is its optimization of ad formats and creatives. From 2023-06-01 to 2023-07-23, Gun X Mobile created 763 ads in total, around 66.67% of which are in the form of In-feed. In-feed ads are native ads that blend in with the content of the media platform, such as Facebook or Instagram. They are less intrusive and more engaging than banner or interstitial ads, which can interrupt the user experience and cause annoyance.
Source: AppGrowing
Moreover, Gun X Mobile’s ad creatives are mainly Horizontal and Square Video, which account for around 34.34% of its ads. Video ads are more effective than static images or text in capturing the attention and interest of potential players. They can showcase the gameplay, graphics, sound effects, and features of the game in a dynamic and immersive way. They can also trigger emotional responses, such as curiosity, excitement, or humor, that can motivate users to download the game.
Gun X Mobile’s video ads are well-designed and well-produced, with catchy titles, slogans, thumbnails, and calls to action. They highlight the unique selling points of the game, such as its variety of guns, maps, modes, challenges, rewards, and customization options. They also use social proof, such as ratings, reviews, testimonials, or influencers’ endorsements, to boost credibility and trust.
Source: AppGrowing
03 Gun X Mobile’s Media Platforms Selection and Diversification
Another key factor that contributed to Gun X Mobile’s success is its selection and diversification of media platforms to distribute its ads. According to AppGrowing’s data, Gun X Mobile so far advertised mostly on Facebook (FAN), with a total of 39.66% ads. Facebook is one of the most popular and influential social media platforms in the world, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of June 2021. It is also one of the most effective platforms for mobile app marketing, as it offers various tools and features to help advertisers target their ideal audience based on their demographics, interests, behaviors, location, device type, etc.
Source: AppGrowing
By advertising on Facebook (FAN), Gun X Mobile can reach a large and diverse pool of potential players who are likely to be interested in casual games or shooting games. It can also leverage the social and viral nature of Facebook to increase its brand awareness and word-of-mouth referrals. For instance, users who see Gun X Mobile’s ads on their news feed can like, comment, share, or tag their friends, which can generate more organic traffic and downloads for the game.
However, Gun X Mobile’s ad strategy is not limited to Facebook (FAN). It also advertises on other media platforms, such as Google AdMob, Unity Ads, Mintegral, and AppLovin. These platforms have different strengths and advantages in terms of reach, engagement, conversion, retention, monetization, etc. By advertising on multiple platforms, Gun X Mobile can optimize its marketing performance and ROI across different metrics and stages of the user journey.
Source: AppGrowing
For example, Google AdMob is the largest mobile advertising network in the world, with over 1 million apps using it as of 2020. It can help Gun X Mobile reach a global audience across various genres and categories of apps. Unity Ads is a leading platform for gaming ads, with over 23 billion monthly active users as of 2020. It can help Gun X Mobile target gamers who are already interested in or playing similar games. TikTok Ads is a fast-growing platform for short-form video ads, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of 2021. It can help Gun X Mobile tap into the younger and trendier audience who are looking for fun and entertaining content.
04 Suggestions and Recommendations for Casual Game Marketers
Based on AppGrowing’s analysis of Gun X Mobile’s ad strategy and performance, we can draw some suggestions and recommendations for casual game marketers who want to grow their app business:
- Use a variety of ad formats and creatives to suit different media platforms and audiences. Experiment with different styles, messages, lengths, etc. to see what works best for your game.
- Use video ads to showcase your game’s gameplay, graphics, sound effects, and features. Make your video ads catchy, engaging, and emotional. Use titles, slogans, thumbnails, and calls to action to entice users to download your game.
- Use social proof to boost your game’s credibility and trust. Include ratings, reviews, testimonials, or influencers’ endorsements in your ads. Encourage users to share or invite their friends to play your game.
- Choose and diversify your media platforms based on your target audience and marketing goals. Use AppGrowing’s data and insights to monitor and analyze your own and your competitors’ ad performance and trends on different media platforms. Discover new opportunities and best practices for improving your ad strategy and creatives.
*The content and media in this article are protected by copyright laws. Some information is cited from public sources for illustrative purposes only, with ownership retained by the original authors. This article provides general information only and is not meant as opinion or advice for specific situations.
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