What are the key mobile marketing trends and innovations that you need to watch out for and adapt to?

I will share some data here to motivate developers about one title. Pokémon GO! Do you remember that success? In its first month, Pokémon GO generated over 100 million times downloads and over $200 million in revenue. Okay, you will say that it is Pokemon, they are a brand, etc. But, if you try to build something new and similar to that in a market that is not that competitive, you have a higher chance to succeed rather than competing in a genre where you have multiple big names to compete. Think about it.

Artificial intelligence was a hot topic in 2023, and no one would disagree that neural networks will evolve in 2024, and specialists will delegate more mundane tasks to programmed assistants. ASO specialists already employ AI in various forms, e.g., using ChatGPT to compose descriptions and Midjourney to generate some fancy images. With artificial intelligence, professionals can save time, by assigning it to the tasks that require human involvement.

AI and ML are revolutionizing mobile marketing by enabling highly data-driven and personalized strategies. These technologies analyze user data—behavior, preferences, location, and feedback—turning them into actionable insights for more relevant and engaging content. They also optimize offers, recommendations, and communication strategies. Additionally, AI and ML automate bidding, targeting, segmentation, and testing, increasing efficiency. AI-powered tools like chatbots enhance customer service, making apps more responsive. Adopting AI and ML is essential for staying competitive in mobile growth.

A few years ago, Machine Learning and Artificial intelligence were booked only for big companies. But now, all AI models are open to us, game studios, and developers. Here is one example we used to create multiple levels in our game in my previous company and improve the development time and process. What did we do? We had our designers who generated new backgrounds for the levels that we designed for the Match 3 game. With AI generative images, we could develop multiple background ideas based on the concepts we built ourselves. We give a task to the AI tool and get 50-100 images to choose from, which we can touch on and give a little bump, and it's ready to get in the pipeline. You should utilize this as soon as possible.

Influencer marketing is a big thing for most companies, and in my case, gaming companies. Many of them see this as a high cost. But there is another side of the picture that is often overlooked, and that is micro-influencers. By hiring and engaging with them, you don't need to spend tons of money to get some quality users and get people to talk about your game, but you get more specific and quality people. How? You just need to select smaller influencers within your niche, offer them some special offer or a small amount of money to test your product/game, and believe me, you will be amazed by the results. Keep in mind that here, quantity is quality, which means 100 small influencers can be better than 10 big ones. Thanks for reading.

Video content is KING. We all know that. But the Live streaming is video content as well. You should consider partnering with live streamers or hosting a live stream yourself. Why? Get a reason. Think about it as a get-together place to discuss your challenges. People will connect with you and even help. Here is one scenario: You are an indie developer struggling to develop your game in some areas. If you every Thursday stream the process and people join you will get free commentary and live feedback for your game development. Initially, it can be only 1-2 persons, but if your game is specific and different, it can attract people to be interested in and check what is happening. Be confident; you can do it! It's not that hard.

I think video is especially useful for e-commerce category and I recently learn about the live commerce concept where the mobile app gets the placement for a streamer showcasing specific goods which the user can buy. BeLive is the vendor who introduced the concept to me personally

Balancing privacy and personalization is a core challenge in mobile marketing, but as privacy regulations evolve, acquisition costs rise. SKAN 4.0 (and now SKAdNetwork) offers more granular, privacy-centric data aggregation and new attribution windows. It’s a positive step, though data accessibility and detail still need improvement. Google’s Privacy Sandbox for Android further underscores the shift toward privacy-focused attribution frameworks. Best practices: refine consent strategies, leverage aggregated data, and use contextual data for personalised experiences. Respect for privacy and user choice are key to driving trust and growth.

Privacy regulations are a nightmare for all UA managers. Personalized tracking is not available anymore (or it's very limited), but for most scenarios, you should know who your target audience is. If you don't know it, here are some tips on how to find out. 1. Conduct an internal survey within your game to learn more about your players' pain points. This will help you better understand their needs and improve your game. 2. Create an interview session with Amazon gift cars for the participants. This will enable you to meet the person behind the screen. Then, think about your persona and do your best to make the best possible experience for them. You need to have data about the types of persons who devote their time to playing your game.

By far the biggest risk here is the lack of visibility into user value, especially for smaller advertisers, since being able to allocate budgets for max ROI is the core of the activity. Looking back at how UA folks felt about privacy rules vs how they turned out makes me happy. I think things turned out way better than we feared.

Stay abreast of the market leaders in your industry and remain vigilant about the innovations they're pioneering. It's crucial to familiarize yourself with their yearly index releases, as they provide invaluable insights that can significantly impact your strategies and decisions.