According to a recent Gartner report, global mobile advertising spend is poised to top $3.3 billion in 2011 – do you want a piece of that pie? Well, think in-app advertising. If you’re currently working on a new app, this is the perfect time to start strategizing on how to best monetize so you have a successful launch and make the most money possible.
The thing is, you may not have an idea of what to do or where to start when it comes to monetizing on a mobile platform. In an effort to help ease the pain in figuring out what words to type in the Google search bar, we’ve laid out some of the most common advertising terms to gear you up for an efficient and engaging conversation with your future ad solution provider.
1. Real-Time Bidding (RTB): RTB is a type of ad marketplace that allows brands to bid for individual ad impressions in real-time–basically meaning advertisers can bid on each ad impression as it is served to ensure they are reaching the right audience. It gives advertisers complete control over every impression for increased performance, and publishers significantly higher eCPMs. This new form of audience buying has already taken off in the online space and has been predicted by Google that by 2015, 50% of all targeted display ads will be bought using RTB.
2. Mediation Layer: A mediation layer is an ad solution provider that helps manage the connection between publishers (developers) and ad networks. Mediation layers allow developers to connect to multiple ad networks and manage how they allocate their ads in their app. They solve the issue of losing money on application traffic as you receive a much higher fill rate when accessing multiple demand sources. Examples of mediators are AdWhirl and Burstly.
3. Ad Exchange: An ad exchange is a marketplace that allows multiple demand sources (ad networks, advertisers, etc.) to bid on access to developer ad inventory (which is what we are!). The exchange sits in the middle of developers and networks, linking the two with an intelligent ad-serving platform. Developers download one SDK and make calls for ads, while the exchange uses data to find the ad within their system that will give the developer the most amount of money for that ad request. Developers benefit from using an ad exchange because advertisers give out the highest paying ads. Examples of exchanges are Mobclix and Nexage.
4. Fill Rate: Fill rate is the percentage of time that your ad solution provider returns an ad when your app makes a call for one. If your app makes 10 calls for ads and only receives 6 back, your fill rate is 60%. If your fill rate is less than 90-100%, you’re losing money on your inventory.
5. Display Ads: Display ads are the most common of mobile ad units and come in two banner sizes: 300×50 and 300×250. They typically represent approximately 90% of the mobile advertising inventory available in the marketplace.
6. Rich Media Ads: Rich media ad units include some sort of additional engagement within the ad. Examples include: expandables, interactive components (like gyroscope, access phone features) and video. They are typically displayed in-app or as an interstitial (placed in-between events in an app, i.e. a level transition) and pay three to five times as much as standard display units. See an example of a full-screen rich media ad here.
7. CPC, CPM & eCPM: Respectively, these are cost per click,cost per thousand impressions and effective CPM. A CPC campaign is where you are paid for every click of an ad within your app, while CPM is where you are paid for every thousand times an ad is viewed. eCPM is used for a CPC campaign to compare to CPM-based campaigns. A way to calculate eCPM for a CPC based campaign is CPC x CTR x 1000.
8. CTR: Click-Through Rate is the number of users who click on an ad divided by the number of times that an ad is shown. If ten people clicked on an ad out of 100 impressions, then the CTR is 10/100 or 10%. Many mobile advertisers measure campaign performance based off of CTR, deeming it very important in determining your CPM as well. Check out more tips on How to Increase Your Click-Through Rate.
9. UDID: Every mobile phone has a unique serial-number used for identification and verification purposes. Apple’s identification system is referred to as its UDID or “Unique Device Identifier” and is used by developers to provide personalized preferences for individual users within games, provision apps for users out of the app store, and is also used across the board for testing and optimization. Advertisers leverage the device ID for building rich profiles and serving targeted ads. Apple, however, recently announced the removal of UDID on iOS 5 devices, which will potentially have significant effects on the mobile app ecosystem. Alternatives to using the device ID can be found here.
10. Cross Promotion: Cross promotion is an opportunity to promote new apps on your already successful titles through in-app display ads. This is becoming a great way to generate more users and downloads for yourself, as it is easier to promote to your existing user base than a crowd that hasn’t downloaded your apps before. On top of that, most ad solution providers will give you the opportunity to run your own ads within your inventory–and each ad can be thought of as a newsletter headline, always changing to stay current with your upcoming releases and/or updates. The cost for this varies based on how much budget you have to put into the campaign. Some good examples/tips (e.g. Words with Friends’ in-app cross promotion) can be found here.
If you think we’ve missed any other crucial dev buzzwords, feel free to add them in our comments section below–we might just add them in!
As fall is approaching, temperatures are dropping, the sun is hiding for a longer period of time, and fishing in the deep blue sea doesn’t sound as appealing. But the developers at AFE Games have an app–actually two apps–for that. Cure your fishing fix with our latest Featured Mobster’s simple, fun and free fishing games: Super Fishing and Fishing Game!
We sat down with Delphi Yuan of AFE Games to ask more about how and why starting these games free with ads created much success for them. From downloads to monthly user numbers, here’s what Delphi had to say about their experience with creating a great game, with even better results.
Total Downloads: 1.5 million (Super Fishing & Fishing Game combined)
Monthly Unique Users:
Super Fishing: 150,000 – 200,000
Fishing Game: 600,000 – 1 Million
1) What inspired you to build the apps?
At AFE Games, we are all big fans of electronic games. To tell you the truth, we’ve been playing these kinds of games since we were children (and still do now!), so we have witnessed the growth of electronic games from 10 years ago until now. When we saw the opportunity of games beginning to increase, we started thinking one day about making one by ourselves–and that’s how Super Fishing, Fishing Game, and the rest of our games went from imagination to reality!
2) Why does the ad revenue model make sense for you?
We did a lot of research before we finally made up our mind to use this ad revenue model. When the library of our games grew, we realized we had apps both on iOS & Android and wanted to test how popular free games would be on each platform. Testing free apps first, we found that our free games with ads were actually popular, and more popular on the Android platform than iOS. Someday we may consider testing paid apps–but for now, this model has made sense for our downloads, users and revenue.
3) Why did you choose Mobclix?
Mobclix is really a nice platform that saved us a lot time and effort. Before signing up with Mobclix, we tried to implement in-app ads by ourselves! Though we did make some progress,when one of our friends recommended us to check out Mobclix, we realized it was the very thing we wanted to help grow our revenue. So, without any hesitation, we chose Mobclix as our ad platform.
With mobile continuing to play a larger role in the structure of organizations, GSMI is bringing another Mobile Marketing Strategies Summit to the bay area in the time most companies may need it–Q4!
Taking place from December 6 – 8 at Marines’ Memorial Club & Hotel, this conference will be the most in-depth of 2011 yet. You’ll get the chance to hear first-hand from the best and brightest in the industry on ways mobile can help get your brand, events, and/or launches attention beyond the PC or Mac. Not only will you be able to leave with a clear plan on how you want to craft your mobile marketing strategy for 2012, but you’ll walk away with the right contacts to help put your plans in motion.
Some topics to be covered are the pros and cons of creating a mobile app for your company, and integrating your mobile and online marketing strategies. Find out more on the Mobile Marketing Strategies Summit website, and if you’re interested in attending, use the code MOBCLIX10 for a 10% discount!
A couple weeks ago, Google hosted the IGDA’s Meet the Game and App Press event. It was an opportunity for developers to hear, first hand, from mobile press veterans about exactly what they’re looking for when they sit down to write about what’s happening in the app ecosystem.
As the number of industry heavyweights entering the app store continues to climb and the number of premium app releases grows exponentially, getting noticed by the right press is just as important as striking the right cord with users. Here are some additional best practices around working with the press:
Just the facts
PR folks, like ad networks, want just the facts: what platform(s) are you developing for, did your app break any records/achieve some ridiculous download numbers recently, is there any new tech your app is introducing, where can someone download and try out your app, what’s your relation with the app, what’s the best way to get in touch if they want to follow up, etc. After laying out the critical who, what, where, and how, now’s a great time in your pitch to tackle the why, but keep it concise.
Know your audience
Knowing that Wired Magazine is markedly different than Wired Online or that IGN covers games differently than GamesBeat is going to help you connect with contacts at those various outlets a lot faster. Put yourself in the mindset of their readers, and you’ll be able to tailor your PR pitch closer to what those authors write about.
Skip the Comparisons
Game reporters hate opening up e-mails with titles like “The Next Angry Birds/Doodle Jump/Words with Friends…”
These are smart people who get thousands of e-mails a week and have spent years in this industry, so they will connect dots on their own if they feel it’s a valid comparison. Usually, press is actually looking for angles that haven’t been covered, and apps that are bringing new, fresh features to the app store.
Keep it professional (2 parts)
For developers, apps are like their babies; they want only the best for their little bundles of joy and to show the whole world how cute they are. So it’s easy to get carried away when reaching out to the press.
Part 1: Don’t carpet bomb everyone at a publication if you don’t hear back immediately–wait at least 24-48 hours before following up with e-mails/calls and understand that you won’t get a major feature your first time around. They may not feature you for a particular story or app list they’re working on, but come back to you 3 months down the road when they have a story that may be more appropriate–that is, assuming you haven’t been borderline harassing them to feature you in all of their writings.
Part 2: Test and proofread EVERYTHING, from your app to your press release to your PR e-mails. And be sure to avoid: different fonts, colors, excessive exclamation points. If hiring a PR firm isn’t currently an option, getting a consultation or leveraging professional help to create a template that you can reuse for press releases or reaching out to reporters is something that will go a long way in helping you distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd.
Leverage Your Partners
The number of developers going at it alone these days is steadily on the decline; whether you’ve built your app on a popular 3D game engine, are partnering up with social connectivity SDKs, or are plugged into major ad solution providers – you have a lot more outlets to help you get noticed than approaching PR head-on.
Mobclix, for example, is always looking to highlight up-and-coming developers and regularly puts together features and case studies showcasing the innovative ways devs are monetizing.
Likewise, almost any SDK or API provider you’re implementing would be thrilled to use your app as an example to show how awesome their product is and brainstorming creative angles that will get you both noticed will pique interest faster than touting your app by its lonesome.
Has your app been reviewed, featured, or highlighted by the press?
What other tips would you recommend developers employ when dealing with PR issues?
Put our new Facebook-enabled comments section to good use and let us know what’s worked for you!
There’s a first for everything–and this year, Velti, the leading global provider of mobile marketing and advertising solutions, is holding its very first Mobile Demo Day competition!
Mobile app developers have the chance to submit their application online from now until October 3, 2011, where the judging committee will then choose 5 finalists to present their mobile app in the beautiful Athens, Greece on October 21. If you are chosen as a finalist and live outside Athens, you will be responsible for travel to and from Athens.
But what’s in it for you? Below is a list of what each finalist, whether groups or individuals, can expect to take home:
Grand Prize – Two tickets for Le Web 2011, the #1 Internet event in Europe, including accommodations* (December 7-9, 2011)
2nd & 3rd – An iPad 2
3rd & 4th – An iPhone 4
*Accommodations only valid from Greece to Paris.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to showcase your creative work, and wow the mobile community worldwide. For more information on rules or where to apply, visit the Velti Demo Day homepage or follow them on Twitter @Velti_DemoDay!
Ever laid out your food on a picnic table, gone to close the cooler, and come back to find ants swarming all over your meal? Well, thanks to the guys at Best, Cool & Fun Games, you can get your revenge on their most addictive game yet, Ant Smasher! One of the top touch apps on the market, and staying solid in the Top 100 Apps list for over 7 months now,Ant Smasher has over 7 million addicts worldwide–and that’s on the iPhone and Android. The concept of the game is simple: smash ants with your finger before they reach your food. But the more you play, the harder it gets, as ants are coming from all different angles and in all different sizes, and you must continue to smash the ants while avoiding touching the swarming bees! Luckily, we had the opportunity to talk with Marcos and Guilherme from Best, Cool & Fun Games to learn a little more behind the success of Ant Smasher and their experience with Mobclix.
Total Downloads: 7 Million Downloads
Monthly Unique Users: 5.5 Million
1) What inspired you to build the app?
We like to stand out and create the most fun & innovative products that are ever to exist. But as we were trying to figure out an app that would not only have many downloads, but a long app-store life as well, we realized there was a gap on simple, fun, casual gaming. Games were either too complex for a large range of users to enjoy, or overall too geared towards a certain demographic. We wanted to make sure our app would be appealing to all ages–and so, Ant Smasher was born!
2) Why does the ad revenue model make sense for you?
Using this ad revenue model allows our apps to be spread through word-of-mouth, which increases our quantity of users. Not only that, but the “free, high-quality games with ads” business model also helps us archive millions of users fairly quickly. That kind of activity created just the attention we had hoped for, in order for users to get awareness of our app. After downloading, the game is so simple, free and addicting that most users end up continuing to play, which is a great indication of how well the app has done thus far.
3) Why did you choose Mobclix?
Mobclix is a reliable and trustworthy multi-platform ad company. Multi-ad platforms are appealing to most developers, including our company, because of the access to a number of different ad networks, including open allocation. Also, the number of platforms Mobclix supports is proportional to the number of users Ant Smasher has, and ultimately the profit we make. The larger these numbers are, the better–for us and for them!
4) What tips do you have for other developers?
As generic as it sounds, just do your best to develop quality games with love. If you take your time to produce a quality app, users will notice the creativity and uniqueness behind each element, and appreciate it even more. The better the games, the more users will download them. The more users, more adds, more profit!
As some of you may know, DIGIDAY:MOBILE & MOBILE APPS is a remarkable mobile conference that explores the ups and downs of mobile marketing, focusing on “Putting the Third Screen First” this year. Not only will this event provide valuable insights for how companies and brands can effectively increase their bottom line using mobile media & marketing, but also offers important networking opportunities to help carry out your mobile marketing initiatives–in the mobile web and mobile apps arena.
If you’re planning to attend, be sure to leave a comment below using your Facebook account to ask for the discount code information, and we’ll shoot you back a Facebook message.
New payment cycle terms ensure predictable, consistent earnings payout for our developers.
At Mobclix we’re constantly advancing the direction of our platform to better serve our developers. We acknowledge that unpredictable payment cycles have been a pain point, due to the payment life cycle in advertising: the advertiser pays the agency, the agency then pays the network, the network then pays Mobclix and then we pay you.
Effective today, we have transitioned to a guaranteed Net-90 payment cycle. This is one of many steps in solidifying a predictable, consistent earnings payout for our developers.
Moving forward, you will receive your earnings on a rolling Net-90 basis regardless of when an ad network makes payment to Mobclix.
Beginning today, August 15th, we’re catching developers up with pending payments stretching back to April 2011, and by August 30th, everyone on the exchange will have received their earnings through May 2011. June’s revenue will be distributed on September 30th, and so on.
With this transition, there will no longer be a need to worry about which networks have paid for which months, which are delayed, and when they will be caught up.
How will the switch work?
We’ll catch you up on all outstanding payments during the week of August 15th. This will bring you current for all earned revenue through April 2011.
On August 30th you’ll be paid for May’s revenue earned.
And on September 30th you will receive all of June’s revenue earned.
What has changed?
Previously your invoice would be created every month depending on what was collected from the ad networks. Revenue payout could take 90 days from Net 60 networks, 120 days from Net 90 networks and 15o days from Net 120 networks.
With our new guaranteed Net-90 payment cycle, you will be paid Net-90, regardless of when an ad network makes payment to Mobclix.
If you have any other questions or concerns, email adam (at) mobclix (dot) com.
As an app developer, you always strive to produce apps which make the lives of other users much easier. However, do you ever stop to look around and see what would make your life as a developer easier? Don’t worry–Mobclix has got your back! We’ve put together a list of the top apps that are most useful for developers, whether it’s iOS or Android that you code for!
Dropbox is one of those must-have apps, and if you’re a developer, its uses are unparalleled. Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your required resources wherever you go. You can back up and save your files to all of your computers, the Dropbox website, your iPhone and iPad all at the same time, allowing you to build your app on the go. Grab the app for FREE in the App Store today!
When you’re a developer working on multiple projects at a time it can be pretty overwhelming to keep things organized. Luckily, the Evernote app helps put eveything in order! It allows you to store and have easy access to all your notes, tips, tricks and tutorials to build your app effectively and efficiently. It even allows you to store all your passwords and private information with encrypted settings inside your notes.Try out the app for FREE in the App Store!
Nothing is worse than when you have issues with your sever while coding. The iSSH – SSH/VNC console is the best remote control server app out there, allowing functionality for ssh/telnet/raw connections, an X11 server, VNC tunneling as well as RDP tunneling. Get the app for $9.99 in the App Store today!
As a developer, keeping all your ideas and designs private and protected can seem like such a task. But not anymore thanks to the 1Password app! 1Password allows you to securely store your important information, automatically logging you into websites with a single tap. Gone are the days where you have to remember all of your different usernames, passwords, or even the website addresses you use! Get the app for $9.99 in the App Store.
There are so many blogs and articles out there to help better your developer skills, but who has the time to keep up with all of them? Instapaper helps you out by allowing you to save articles and blogs so you can read them whenever you have a little down time. Best of all, they get saved in ‘offline’ mode, so that you can catch up with your reading in areas with no wi-fi. Grab this app for $4.99 in the App Store today!
Lets face it, your monitor screen is valuable real estate! Sometimes, no matter how big your monitor is, there is never enough room to display all the windows you need to have open for efficient app building. Luckily, the Air Display app comes through allowing wireless display of your computer screen on your iPhone or iPad. Grab this must-have app for $9.99 in the App Store today!
FTP On The Go is one of the essential apps needed for any developer for the purpose of simple file transferring so that you can work with code on the go. It is useful for connecting with existing FTP sites, downloading and uploading files from there, and best suited for managing websites through straight-forward FTP management. Get the app for $6.99 in the App Store.
The Analytics App is the ultimate app for Google Analytics! The Analytics App brings together all the important stats in a simple and efficient interface, providing a much faster, cleaner format than checking Google Analytics directly from your browser. Now you can see charts and graphs much more vividly to analyze how your app is doing. Get the app for $6.99 in the App Store.
iMockups is a pretty unique mobile wireframing and mockup app for your iPhone and iPad projects. This app, made exclusively for the iPad, combines a great interface with intuitive functionality, taking full advantage of the touchscreen device. Now you can pull together and outline all your ideas in one simple interface! Get the app for $6.99 in the App Store today.
Source Viewer is a great app to extract codes from any website you visit. It shows the HTML, CSS and Javascript source codes in an easy-to-read format, highlighting keywords and showing embedded links within the code itself. Grab the app for just $0.99 in the App Store.
Similar to Source Viewer for iOS, with View Web Source you will be able to view the source codes of any website. View Web Source will allow you to be able to select text, search for text, as well as copy and paste the HTML encoded directly into a website. Get the app for FREE in the Android Market.
AndFTP is the premiere FTP client for Androids and is compatible with FTPS, SCP, SFTP clients. It simultaneously manages several FTP configurations while providing download, upload, synchronization and share features with resume support. For a developer on the go, AndFTP is an essential app. Grab the app for FREE in the Android Market today!
If you’re an Android developer looking for a reliable iSSH console, look no further! ConnectBot is a powerful open-source Secure Shell (SSH) client which manages simultaneous SSH sessions, creates secure tunnels, and copy/pastes between other applications. The ConnectBot app allows you to connect to Secure Shell servers that typically run on UNIX-based servers. Get the app for FREE in the Android Market.
mAnalytics is the Android answer for viewing Google Analytics on your smartphone! The mAnalytics app supports multiple accounts, profiles, basic statistics and charts for visits and pageviews–all so that you can efficiently keep on top of how your app is doing! Try out this app for FREE in the Android Market.
Remote Desktop Client for Android is the ultimate must-have for developers on the go. No more lugging your laptop around, as you can connect remotely from your Android device! Xtralogic Remote Desktop Client for Android enables you to connect to your Windows computers across the Internet from a mobile device powered by Google Android platform. Get the app for $24.99 in the Android Market.
More and more we are living in an “Always On, Always Connected” world, which is why this year’s Mobile 2.0 conference aims to focus on how this constant connectivity has impacted the mobile industry.
However, what’s unique about the 6th edition of Mobile 2.0, compared to other mobile events, is that the Mobile 2.0 Organizing Committee structured the event to ensure all your questions on mobile get answered! They’ve built the afternoon agenda to consist of six 90-minute interactive workshop sessions where you and your fellow mobile enthusiasts can drive the agenda however you prefer. By interacting more and constantly asking questions, you have the ability to create your own schedule within each workshop, rather than follow one!
Each session will be hosted by key players in the mobile industry, where you can ask them questions and spark discussion among the whole group. Our very own Mobclix co-founder, Vishal Gurbuxani, will be a workshop leader for Workshop A, focusing on new models of the next generation of advertising from 1:30 – 3:00pm. Be sure to attend–and don’t be afraid to ask him some tough questions!
Mobile 2.0 will be held on September 1, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt hotel in San Francisco, CA. For more information and/or to register for the event, visit the Mobile 2.0 site. To receive a 25% discount on tickets, tweet us @mobclix, leave a comment here or e-mail barbara [at] Mobclix [dot] com and ask to receive the discount code!
