Comment & Opinion

The power of rewarded ads within your monetization mix

Adam Salamon has the right present for you

The power of rewarded ads within your monetization mix

Adam Salamon is a co-founder and COO at Perk.com and Appsaholic, which offers free, lightweight SDKs for apps that help you earn more while keeping users happy with rewards.

You want to make money with your apps.

Your users want the best experience possible.

And yes, to them, minimal interaction with your in-app ads is what makes a good experience.

Too much monetization hurts user experience, and too little means you're not bringing in enough revenue. It can be a tough balance to strike!

But did you know that rewards can turn an intrusion into an engaging, opt-in experience?

59% of consumers say they are happy to see ads on their smartphones that reward them in return. That's right: you just saw "ad" and "happy" in the same sentence.

In our experience with Perk's rewards platform over the past few years, we've discovered areas in which rewards are particularly impactful in your monetization strategies.

Drive retention and engagement

In your app ecosystem, rewards can drive app opens, level completions, competition entries, social sharing, and more.

And rewarded ad opportunities have a particularly huge impact on app retention and engagement.

Rescue moments are a great example of this.

When users need more moves or lives to continue playing, they're especially receptive to something that can keep them playing.

Why not offer an ad in exchange for that life or move? Users will spend more time in your game and will be grateful for the chance, while you get paid for the impression.

Within Perk's suite of apps, we've found that the average user spends over one hour each day engaged.

Rewarded ads offer users a choice. Do you want to engage with this ad in exchange for a reward? They have the control over their experience.

The average adult in the US spends nearly three hours a day interacting with their phone. That means our users are willing to spend more than a third of their smartphone time collecting rewards. Every day!

Now that's engagement.

Reduce ad sensitivity

With a reward on the table, your users have a clear incentive to engage with ads. According to eMarketer, more than two-thirds of US smartphone owners said that being offered a reward for viewing or engaging with an ad was their top preference.

On the other side, apps that offer rewards and brands that advertise alongside them see positive brand association.

Advertisers love this! The high engagement that comes with the brand being a "hero" when promoted alongside a reward attracts more ads. And that brings more revenue back to you.

This ties into the retention and engagement benefits of rewards. More users lead to more ad engagements. More ad engagements lead to more revenue for you. That's a pretty good cycle, right?

Place power in your users' hands

Rewarded ads offer users a choice. Do you want to engage with this ad in exchange for a reward? They have the control over their experience.

77% of the time, consumers prefer ads they can choose.

This applies to the reward itself, too. When you let users choose the kind of reward they receive, they can become even more willing to engage with your revenue-generating content.

You don't have to limit yourself to in-app rewards. Swag, prizes, and gift cards can all be rewards for your monetization strategy. We've seen great success with that approach over the last few years at Perk.

It's kind of like getting money on your birthday instead of a pink nightmare of a gift from your aunt Clara who thinks you're perpetually four years old.

Let your users choose the right reward for them, whether that be in-app points or real-world rewards.

Rewards put your users first!

Taking a rewards-based approach lets you meet your monetization goals while preserving, or even enhancing, your user experience.

We've all seen how bad monetization strategies can push users away.

So instead, try rewarding your users to hit the perfect balance between user experience and monetization.

As they say: what goes around comes around!


PocketGamer.biz regularly posts content from a variety of guest writers across the games industry. These encompass a wide range of topics and people from different backgrounds and diversities, sharing their opinion on the hottest trending topics, undiscovered gems and what the future of the business holds.