With greater insight and technology social brands will become stronger through mobile optimization
The extent to which social gaming will grow is dependent on whom you ask. The good news is that whomever you do ask, they are likely to tell you that 2015 will see the sector continue to grow with mobile playing an integral role.
Last July, Eilers Research came out with a favorable Q2 report for social casino games, indicating that it had become a $2.7 billion industry, a number largely credited to Facebook and mobile growth. The synergy between those two catalysts was evidenced in the report, which stated:
"The growth is also shifting to mobile. Facebook’s desktop canvas revenue for social casino games was $329 million, up only 0.9 percent in the quarter. But mobile games grew 15.7 percent to $335 million, making mobile the biggest platform for social casino games now with 51 percent share of global revenue."
Optimism was further bolstered in December when SuperData Research put forth their prediction that the social casino market would grow to $3.4 billion in 2015, which would represent a 13% year-over-year increase. They were also bullish about mobile’s influence, forecasting that it could capture as much as 55% of the social casino market in 2015.
Optimizing for Engagement
Mobile is increasingly prominent in society’s day-to-day operations, including communications, purchasing power and when seeking out entertainment. This has resulted in a greater focus on mobile optimization that provides a tailored user experience (UX) across a range of devices, whether it is mobile phones, tablets or the ever more trendy phablets.A comparison can be made between mobile’s march towards optimized ubiquity and driving down a highway:a) You need it to get where you’re going.
b) You best not slow down too much once you’re on it.
c) You may hit traffic along the way, so be prepared to put your patience to the test.
The aforementioned traffic is highlighted as part of the 2015 State of Marketing Survey created by Salesforce. In the survey, Salesforce found that 34% of marketers worldwide are planning on releasing a mobile app this year. This not only means that there are more cars in the merging lane – they’re also not inclined to yield.
For brands looking to penetrate the mobile gaming market there are no shortage of expert recommendations, such as VentureBeat’s recently published “8 mobile game marketing trends for 2015”. A combination of such resources and an examination of the recent standout performers across various social game genres (i.e. slots, match 3, farm simulation and construction and management simulation) will help brands lay a solid foundation upon which to build.
Tracking Your Mobile Ascent
Just as there are more services than ever to help you build your website, there are a diminishing number of excuses for not incorporating mobile data in the initial planning of you social gaming product. As Dave Stewart, EVP of Technology at CAKE, said in March of last year:
“Treating mobile data as a standalone silo is like focusing on only one piece of a complex puzzle. Harnessing and combining data that streams in from mobile, as well as other high-value digital channels, provides richer insight, and ultimately allows for well-informed, intelligent decision-making.”
It’s for this reason that Income Access has continued to grow our Social Gaming Network, which brings together the sector’s affiliates and operators, and further strengthened it with our mobile app tracking. With this tandem of products available to brands hoping to succeed in social gaming and leverage their mobile channel, we’re able to provide both the expertise and technology to build and optimize traffic.
Choices made by marketers and affiliate marketers have grown increasingly dependent on real-time data that allows for a more responsive strategy. Income Access is able to support this need for instant intelligence and flexibility through pixel and event tracking.
As social and mobile each gain stronger footholds through harmonized growth, brands will need to ask bigger and smarter questions about how and where to invest resources to grow their business in 2015.
Contact Income Access for more information about our Social Gaming Network and mobile tracking solutions.
