Social Networks:
The New Marketplace
for Mobile Games?


  Michael
         Powers
  Founder CEO
About Us




  Web-Based
  Social Discovery
  for Mobile Apps
The Gold Rush is Over




  Going live on the App Store is not
   a marketing strategy.
  You are going to have to take your
   marketing into your own hands.
The Problem:
Long Tail isn’t long enough

  Physical
         limitations to
 discovery.
    Screen   size, bandwidth, patience.
  Feature    phones.
    95%   of game sales to Top 20
  iPhone
        is better
 (but not by much)
    Top   200 is the new Top 20
The Problem:
Long Tail isn’t long enough
The Opportunity:
Huge Untapped Market
The Opportunity:
Cross Platform Demand

                 iPhone   Android   BlackBerry
Game Interest    3X                 2X
Audience         2X
Register                  2X        2X
Revisit                   3X        2X
Apps per Visit            2X
Share per App    2X
Download Rate                       2X
The Target:
Casual Online Gamers

  Mobile     Games = Casual Games
    This   isn’t news.
  Casual     Demographics
    More  female than male; 20s/30s/40s.
    Plurality: married women.

  Hassle     adverse
    Not    going to work hard to get content
The Target:
Casual Online Gamers




  They’ve    seen the prime time ads:
    Their   next phone will be a smartphone
The Solution?
Three Ways to Go

  Schmooze
    Cozy   up to Apple, Google, et al
  Spend
    Drop   ~$50K on Admob
  Sweat
    Goguerrilla to maximize exposure
    using web and social marketing.
Solution:
Web Discovery
  It’s   where the users are
     7
      out of 10 casual gamers go on the
     web at least once a day
  They’re   wasting time already
     Notchecking Facebook ten times a
     day to stay productive
  Frictionless   discovery
     Highbandwidth, low latency,
     no hassle
Web Discovery

  Frictionless   Discovery
    66%  of our traffic is outside Top 50.
    Allows great content to bubble-up.


            Android   BlackBerry   iPhone
 Top 10     14%       12%          19%
 11 to 50   21%       21%          15%
 The Rest   65%       67%          66%
Web Discovery

  Playable       Discovery
    More than 50% click to play a video
    More than 50% watch the whole thing

   Most Played           Top Performing

            The Sims 3        Photoshop.com
            73%               5.1x
              T                 T
            iPeePee           Finger Physics
            69%               3.0x

            Pocket God        Cooking Mama
            60%               2.5x
Solution:
Social Discovery
  Peer-to-peer    is powerful
    53% of app discovery is via online
    buzz or word-of-mouth (AdMob)
  Vectors
    Link
        sharing via
    Facebook, Twitter, and Email
  Transmitters
    Bloggers
            and reviews, Organic, and
    In-Game traffic
Social Discovery
  What   it looks like
Social Discovery
  Targeting
          the
  Casual Demographic




  Mission   Accomplished!
Step One:
Web Landing Page
  Make     it Easy
    Easy to share, cross-promote apps,
    Easy to find, search engine optimized

  Optimize   for Desktop and Mobile
    Web means both; and users clicking
    social links are increasingly on device
  Measure,     Measure, Measure
    Track
         the analytics and
    Optimize for conversion
Step Two:
Embrace Video
  “Playable     discovery”
    50%+  of page views play the video,
    2X conversion on average.

  Do     It Yourself
    Hire
        a firm if you can afford,
    otherwise DIY is better than nothing.
  Video     Review Sites
    Ifyou can get them to review, and
    if the review is good, use it.
Step Three:
Learn to love PR
  Hire    some PR if you can afford it
     Alot of PR firms now have
     budget-minded app launch programs.
  Or,    Do It Yourself
     Cheap to release on PR Web et. al.,
     Keep it short and sweet.
  Build     an SEO Trail
     Each release increases the value of all
     the releases that came before it.
Step Four:
Chase the Review Blogs
  Make   a List
    Dothe work and build a contact list
    and work it aggressively.
  Promo   Codes
    Nosurprise, but promo codes are the
    currency of choice.
  Make   Friends
    Personaltouch matters with these
    guys; no site is too small.
Step Five:
Connect Your Users
  Integrate   Social Network APIs
    Implement   Facebook Connect,
    Twitter, et. al; more the better.
  Use   Community Frameworks
    OpenFeint,Score Loop, Playhaven,
    and others make the hard stuff easy.
  Make   sure you Drive Traffic
    Driveeverything back to your web
    landing pages.
Questions?




  Michael
         Powers
  Founder CEO http://mplayit.com

GDC 2010 Social Networks: The New Marketplace for Mobile Games?

  • 2.
    Social Networks: The NewMarketplace for Mobile Games?   Michael Powers Founder CEO
  • 3.
    About Us   Web-Based Social Discovery for Mobile Apps
  • 4.
    The Gold Rushis Over   Going live on the App Store is not a marketing strategy.   You are going to have to take your marketing into your own hands.
  • 5.
    The Problem: Long Tailisn’t long enough   Physical limitations to discovery.   Screen size, bandwidth, patience.   Feature phones.   95% of game sales to Top 20   iPhone is better (but not by much)   Top 200 is the new Top 20
  • 6.
    The Problem: Long Tailisn’t long enough
  • 7.
  • 8.
    The Opportunity: Cross PlatformDemand iPhone Android BlackBerry Game Interest 3X 2X Audience 2X Register 2X 2X Revisit 3X 2X Apps per Visit 2X Share per App 2X Download Rate 2X
  • 9.
    The Target: Casual OnlineGamers   Mobile Games = Casual Games   This isn’t news.   Casual Demographics   More female than male; 20s/30s/40s.   Plurality: married women.   Hassle adverse   Not going to work hard to get content
  • 10.
    The Target: Casual OnlineGamers   They’ve seen the prime time ads:   Their next phone will be a smartphone
  • 11.
    The Solution? Three Waysto Go   Schmooze   Cozy up to Apple, Google, et al   Spend   Drop ~$50K on Admob   Sweat   Goguerrilla to maximize exposure using web and social marketing.
  • 12.
    Solution: Web Discovery   It’s where the users are   7 out of 10 casual gamers go on the web at least once a day   They’re wasting time already   Notchecking Facebook ten times a day to stay productive   Frictionless discovery   Highbandwidth, low latency, no hassle
  • 13.
    Web Discovery   Frictionless Discovery   66% of our traffic is outside Top 50.   Allows great content to bubble-up. Android BlackBerry iPhone Top 10 14% 12% 19% 11 to 50 21% 21% 15% The Rest 65% 67% 66%
  • 14.
    Web Discovery   Playable Discovery   More than 50% click to play a video   More than 50% watch the whole thing Most Played Top Performing The Sims 3 Photoshop.com 73% 5.1x T T iPeePee Finger Physics 69% 3.0x Pocket God Cooking Mama 60% 2.5x
  • 15.
    Solution: Social Discovery   Peer-to-peer is powerful   53% of app discovery is via online buzz or word-of-mouth (AdMob)   Vectors   Link sharing via Facebook, Twitter, and Email   Transmitters   Bloggers and reviews, Organic, and In-Game traffic
  • 16.
  • 17.
    Social Discovery   Targeting the Casual Demographic   Mission Accomplished!
  • 18.
    Step One: Web LandingPage   Make it Easy   Easy to share, cross-promote apps,   Easy to find, search engine optimized   Optimize for Desktop and Mobile   Web means both; and users clicking social links are increasingly on device   Measure, Measure, Measure   Track the analytics and Optimize for conversion
  • 19.
    Step Two: Embrace Video  “Playable discovery”   50%+ of page views play the video,   2X conversion on average.   Do It Yourself   Hire a firm if you can afford, otherwise DIY is better than nothing.   Video Review Sites   Ifyou can get them to review, and if the review is good, use it.
  • 20.
    Step Three: Learn tolove PR   Hire some PR if you can afford it   Alot of PR firms now have budget-minded app launch programs.   Or, Do It Yourself   Cheap to release on PR Web et. al., Keep it short and sweet.   Build an SEO Trail   Each release increases the value of all the releases that came before it.
  • 21.
    Step Four: Chase theReview Blogs   Make a List   Dothe work and build a contact list and work it aggressively.   Promo Codes   Nosurprise, but promo codes are the currency of choice.   Make Friends   Personaltouch matters with these guys; no site is too small.
  • 22.
    Step Five: Connect YourUsers   Integrate Social Network APIs   Implement Facebook Connect, Twitter, et. al; more the better.   Use Community Frameworks   OpenFeint,Score Loop, Playhaven, and others make the hard stuff easy.   Make sure you Drive Traffic   Driveeverything back to your web landing pages.
  • 23.
    Questions?   Michael Powers Founder CEO http://mplayit.com