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ARTICLE

Why audio ads could become the preferred method of advertising in mobile gaming

August 18, 2022 — by MediaMath    

Mobile gaming is fast outgrowing the gaming industry. It’s expected to hold about 61% of the entire gaming market share in 2022 and is estimated to be worth USD$139.5 billion by 2026. In a survey done by Statista, 60% of adults surveyed said that they were playing mobile games with 51% being female and 49% male.

Ads in mobile gaming have become the norm and people expect them. Some ads within mobile games come with incentives to view the ad, such as free content or rewards, however many people can find that these ads are intrusive and interrupt game play. Currently, the most popular format of ads being displayed in video games are Interstitial Ads and they’re often considered the most intrusive. These are full-screen ads that users can often only skip after watching them for a certain amount of time, these can either be static or video ads. These formats can drive some users to ad blockers or to click out of the ad as soon as they are able to.

So how can advertisers improve the gaming experience?

In a recent study with YouGov, it was found that players of mobile games would prefer audio ads over other forms of in-game advertising if they wouldn’t interrupt game play. The study showed that when it comes to apps monetising their ads, 18% preferred video ads, 26% In-App Purchases (IAP) while 28% see audio ads as their preferred monetisation model.

Audio ads have been proven to have one of the highest engagement rates and are one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise. The YouGov study found that long-term retention of audio advertisements is 36-39% stronger when compared to video ads and revealed that 61% of people listen to music on their mobile phones whilst playing mobile games, meaning that audio advertising is a great way to tap into an audience that is already listening to audio. To do so, the audio ad pauses what’s currently being listened to, plays the ad and then resumes what the user was listening to on their streaming platform of choice while displaying a banner ad at the bottom of the screen, all without interrupting game play. This allows for a more user-friendly experience with a higher chance that the consumer is going to remember your ad and engage with your content, even at a later date.

To have an advertising method that is both truly user friendly and yields good results is rare, so make sure you take advantage of this highly effective strategy and MediaMath’s partnerships with some of the largest audio publishers and networks such as AudioMob so you’re easily able to deliver your consumers with high-quality audio ads. Click here to learn more about how MediaMath can help with your audio ad campaign or email your client services representative.