A Marketer's Guide to Different Types of Games and Players

 

The mobile gaming business is a rewarding one for those who are knowledgeable about their viewers well.

The players and game categories should not be overlooked by casino affiliate marketers, as they could be losing a lot of money.  Understanding the different types of games and the players behind them is the first step toward smarter campaigns.

Why Game Categories Matter for Casino Affiliates

Not every game is suitable for all the players. Every game category has its own audience, monetization and retention curve.

By assigning game types to player profiles, you can target more specifically. This eliminates wasted spend and enhances conversion on all channels.

Slots and Casual Casino Games

Slots are the most popular vertical in the casino. They’re designed to draw in players who are just looking for a game to play for fun rather than strategy.

These players prefer to deposit smaller amounts more often. They are receptive to bonus offers, free spins, and low barrier entry promotions.

Table Games and Skill-Based Players

Poker, blackjack and roulette attract a very different crowd. They are analytical and patient players.

They do research before betting. They must be maintained by keeping the game good and transparency in fairness. These are ideal for loyalty programs and VIP tiers.

Understanding the Different Types of Players

As crucial as game segmentation is, player segmentation is equally vital. The knowledge of who plays what alters the way you attract and keep users.

A dependable mobile measurement partner is the one who can tie in player data back to the campaign. This is the link between speculation and development.

The Casual Player

Players who are just playing for the fun of it play for short periods of time. They play for entertainment rather than for returns, and don’t really consider odds or house edges.

This audience is substantial, and very receptive to creative ad formats. They convert rapidly, but turn over just as fast without any retention hooks.

The High-Value Player

A small number of high value players, known as “whales,” account for a disproportionately large revenue. They visit more, sessionally and per session.

They are hard to come by. To keep them, experiences need to be tailored and strategies need to be based on data.

Hyper-Casual Games and Their Role in the Ecosystem

In the world, the fastest-growing mobile game category is Hyper-Casual Games. Simple mechanics and intuitive to use.

They have huge install numbers, making them good places to start affiliate funnels. By tracking mobile app analytics metrics, marketers can gain insights into how these various actors progress through the funnel.

From Hyper-Casual to Casino Crossover

Hyper-Casual Games is a leading-of-the-funnel acquisition tool for many casino operators. Players are brought in to play through games of no stakes before moving on to the real money games.

Event measurement is necessary to track the crossover rate. If we don’t have an indicator, the real benefit of this approach can’t be seen.

Performance teams use tools like Apptrove to accurately measure these journeys that cross over. At each step of this funnel, attribution tells you where to invest your money.

Using Cohort Analysis to Track Player Lifetime Value

Not all installations are created equal. There are some players that can create value for weeks. Others disappear after a single session.

If you understand the concept of cohort analysis, then you’ll be able to categorize players based on the time when they were acquired. Thereafter, it is possible to observe the actions of each cohort over time and monetize them.

Why Cohorts Reveal What Averages Hide

Averages smooth out variations between groupings of players. Cohort data provides a complete picture.

An average campaign might have one exceptional campaign and three bad ones. This early detection helps save budget and helps to increase targeting efforts in the future.

Protecting Campaign Data from Mobile Ad Fraud

Casinos are a rich source of fraud. Fake installs and click injection lead to inflated metrics and budgets.

Early detection of mobile ad fraud is a key to safeguarding the integrity of your player data. If you don’t have clean data, then you can’t expect your segmentation and targeting to have any credibility.

MMP software that includes fraud detection fills this void. It guarantees that all the installs and events measured are actual player activities.

Conclusion

All games have distinctive players. As a marketer, you make better decisions at each stage of the funnel when you comprehend this connection. Combine good knowledge of the game and players with accurate attribution data and sustainable growth becomes possible.