Debunking Myths About Mobile Gamers: Who They Are and How They Can Grow Your Brand

Working closely with brands has shown me that there are a lot of misconceptions about who mobile gamers are.

There's this common belief floating around that mobile gamers are just kids looking to pass some time. But trusting my gut feeling alone to clarify who these gamers truly are, didn't feel sufficient. So I basically started a new hobby – during the last year we here at Monetizr have surveyed over 300k gamers on a wide variety of topics.

I partly think of it as a hobby because it's fun coming up with questions to better understand mobile gamers and present them to brands. Watching the answers roll in and seeing those lightbulb moments from advertisers as they realize players are more than their stereotypes? Priceless.

Here's a little teaser for you to show how deep I've delved into the world of mobile gamers: 73% of our respondents confessed that they have played a mobile game while in the bathroom in the last 30 days ??It's a fun tidbit to share, but it underscores the pervasive nature of mobile gaming and its ability to engage people

I'm eager to share these insights with you. Firstly, to shed light on who mobile gamers are. And, more importantly, to uncover new ways for brands and advertisers to engage with the mobile gaming community effectively.

Before we jump in – I hope that reading this edition of “Game Changer” will pique your curiosity about mobile gaming. So if you have any questions you'd like to ask the audience, let me know here in the comments or fill in this form: https://bit.ly/3UL2wx6 ?

Without much further ado, let's dive in!

Fundamentals of mobile gamers

It's best to start by establishing the basics about what sort of audience we're dealing with.

According to statista , in 2024 there's gonna be 1.7 billion mobile gamers globally. That's a massive audience – more mobile gamers than there are active users on TikTok.

If we zero in on the US, there are 210 million mobile gamers. I'll focus on US since that's the audience brands I work with are usually the most interested in. Which by extension means that it's the audience I'm most familiar with.

There's a stereotype that gamers are usually youngsters. But that's not entirely true. While a lot of Gen Zers indeed play mobile (and other types of) games, over 60% of players are actually over the age of 30, with a significant portion of people aged 43 and over (Gen X and Boomers).

This means that mobile gamers have a lot of buying power. Which is great news for brands who want to tap into that power!

As additional proof for this, I also asked gamers what their household income level is. The biggest portion reported that it's over $100k per year. For context, the US Census Bureau reports that the median household income in 2022 was $74,580.

The next demographic marker that's worth mentioning is the gender split. There's a lot of research out there stating that men are more likely to identify themselves as gamers . But does it mean that men actually play more games than other genders?

First thing to note – it significantly varies depending on the game. For example, when I surveyed players in a game that simulates gym workouts, I found a striking gender split, with a significant majority of the players being male.

However, when including a more varied selection of games into the fold, this is what happens to the gender mix. The percentage of male gamers, while still high, falls lower, with other genders increasing their share.

This clearly shows that the world of mobile gaming is far from monolithic. The key takeaway for brands is that they need to find the right partners that can reach the games where their audience is located and that are transparent about their game network.

Last but not least – regularly talking with advertisers has also shown me that they're struggling with reaching communities of color through their existing advertising channels. In such a fragmented market, that's not a surprise. So brands need to look for new channels where to reach consumers.

When I asked mobile gamers what race/ethnicity they most identify with, I was honestly surprised by the results. There's a very even split between the different communities which showcases a rich diversity that defies the narrow stereotypes often associated with gaming.?

This variety in several demographic markers not only shows the universal appeal of mobile gaming across various cultures, but also emphasizes the importance of inclusive marketing strategies for reaching such a diverse audience effectively.

Having established this, what comes next?

What makes mobile gamers different

All the numbers I mentioned before are wonderful. But what do they mean in the context of the other advertising options brands can use nowadays?

There's plenty of content out there about Google Search and Meta ads, so I won't waste space by repeating information on those. I'm more interested in the relative newcomers of the advertising space that have managed to get brands talking about them (a no small feet) – TikTok and Twitch.

The reason why these two platforms are getting attention from advertisers is because they're pitching their audience as completely unique and engaged. An audience that can't really be reached anywhere else through the channels advertisers already use.

For example, Twitch showcases how young their audience is, with 70% of it aged 18 to 34. They also emphasize the community aspect of Twitch, underlining the link between a strong community and its engagement level with the content being viewed.

I was curious how the mobile gaming audience compares to both Twitch and TikTok. So I asked gamers if they have used TikTok or Twitch in the last 30 days. And in both cases, close to 60% of the audience said that they have.

So the mobile gaming audience matches and builds upon TikTok's and Twitch's audiences. This gives brands an additional channel where they can target Gen Zers and Millennials, while also reaching people outside of these age groups.

For advertisers, it doesn't mean that they need to abandon their established advertising strategies and put all their eggs in the mobile gaming basket. But just like with any other part of marketing – there needs to be a balance.

Integrating mobile gaming into their marketing mix can provide a fresh and dynamic way to engage with audiences, especially those that are harder to reach through traditional channels.

It's about complementing existing strategies with targeted efforts in mobile gaming, ensuring a holistic approach that resonates with a range of consumers.

Finding the mobile gamers for you

So now that we've established that mobile gamers have a truly wide user base, let's delve into some of the more detailed insights I've gathered about these players. Not all of them will be useful for all brands, but they do show how much information is out there if you have the time and resources to access it.

I came up with most of these questions after getting curious when talking with some of Monetizr's customers who are struggling with targeting and understanding their audiences.

For example, recently I had a chance to talk with a beauty brand who wanted to promote their latest product that's perfect for people with oily skin. And this led me to ask our gamers about their skin type. That's how I found out that 14% of the gamers we surveyed have oily skin.

Having this information on file means that we can target the gamers with this skin type and show the ad of the new product only to this particular group of people. In addition, I also found out how often people buy skincare products to better understand their shopping habits (spoiler – it's quite often).

In another case, I had a chance to speak with advertisers from an airline. They had never worked with ads in mobile games, so there was an understandable hesitation towards the channel. Would it even have people who'd be interested in learning more about the brand?

This hesitation was easy to get rid of by simply asking a question to the gamers – how often do they travel? Turns out – quite a lot!

This initial insight made me curious to learn what people spend the most money on when they travel. My guess was that accommodation and transportation would be the biggest categories, but it turns out that dining and food take a bigger piece of the pie.

I could go and on with these types of audience insights – what factors influence gamers' decision to purchase a specific brand of dog food? How often do they clean their kitchens? Do they care about a company's environmental agenda? And as I mentioned in the beginning – do they play mobile games while in the bathroom?

There's a billion questions that we can ask, and all of them will show a new facet of who the mobile gamers are and how brands can engage with them in the most cost-efficient way. Each question leads us closer to understanding the intricate dynamics of this audience and gives brands a chance to tailor their strategies for maximum impact.

What would you like to know?

And there you have it! We've taken a little journey together through the world of mobile gaming, peeling back some layers to reveal the true diversity and potential lying within the gamer audience.?

I hope you've found these snippets as enlightening and exciting as I did when I first discovered them. Mobile gaming isn't just a pastime; it's a dynamic and inclusive community that offers a wealth of opportunities for brands willing to dive in and engage.

This all is just scratching the surface – there are so many other things we could find out about mobile gamers. And if you now have questions of your own, feel free to drop them in the comments or fill in this form: https://bit.ly/3UL2wx6 ?

I hope that this edition of the Game Changer newsletter was as interesting for you to read as it was for me to write. Don't forget to subscribe to get bi-weekly advice and industry knowledge. You can also keep up with me here on LinkedIn for more content.

See you in 2 weeks!