Monetization Best Practices
So you just signed up with Social Media. You’ve been advertising with us, following our blog, and going to our events, but you’re still wondering if you’re getting the most out of our suite of products. Here’s a little guide of best practices to help guide you when using SocialMedia. These are by no means hard rules, but instead general guidelines that will change over time.
Ad Units
Ads aren’t any good if no one sees them. That’s why one of the most basic ways to improve your earnings is to check your ad placement.
Since apps vary so much by design, the general rule is to make sure that ads are placed in the user’s field of vision. The first principle is to place ads “above the fold”. Above the fold means that the user sees the ad before having to scroll down the page. Eye tracking studies have found ads above the fold more effective than below the fold. Check out these pictures of eye tracking studies for news sites to the right.
As your ad placement becomes more predictable, they become easier to ignore. Placing ads in the path of your user’s scanning eyes will yeild better performance. On pages with pagination, the ideal spot may be right under the page numbers.
Find the highest converting spot on your site. This is most likely on the home page underneath the navigation bar. Keep this in mind for when SocialMedia comes to you with higher value campaigns that aren’t just about burning through page views, but high conversions for branded campaigns.
Brand Sponsorship
If your application is looking to get sponsored by a brand, be sure to know your demographic and have a strong concept. Large brands think in demographic groups. Are they “hardcore gamers”, “suburban housewives”, “fashion conscious”?
You can’t necessarily start off aiming at a demographic, but you can start with an idea of what your demographic will be. Gifting apps tend to skew female. Violent games tend to skew male.
Focus on the production value of your application. Brands don’t always want to be associated with applications that don’t project the polish companies associate with their brands. Look to applications by Playfish and Fluff Friends.