To broaden the reach and engagement of Episode in key markets such as North America, ANZ, Western Europe, and Brazil, Pocket Gems aimed to develop a robust user acquisition strategy. The approach encompassed a variety of targeted methods, each tailored to address the unique gaming landscapes and user preferences in these diverse markets.

Precise Targeting with Whitelisted Publishers:

In this step, analysis was conducted to identify high-quality publishers that align with the campaign’s goals. By carefully selecting and applying these publishers to the campaigns, Pocket Gems ensured that the promotion of the Episode app was exclusively through channels most likely to attract high-quality users. This approach streamlined the user acquisition process and significantly enhanced the performance and effectiveness of the campaigns.

Flexible Bidding Strategies and Optimization:

Leveraging Channel Hive’s machine learning technology, Pocket Gems implemented a dynamic bidding strategy, particularly during the crucial learning phase of the campaign. During this phase, bidding was optimized twice weekly by increasing bids for top-performing publishers to secure more traffic while decreasing bids for publishers not meeting KPIs. This machine learning phase facilitated a balance between volume and performance. Following the initial learning phase, the frequency of bid adjustments increased to 1-2 times weekly to surpass and stabilize performance KPIs, ensuring continual improvement in the campaign’s effectiveness.

A Diverse Traffic Mix to Unlock More Inventory:

An integral part of the strategy involved diversifying traffic sources. As the campaign progressed, we identified new publishers demonstrating notable performance. Recognizing this, we actively sought out similar publishers to direct additional traffic for testing. This approach allowed us to uncover and utilize more inventory from varied traffic channels, broadening the reach of the Episode app and helping to identify and capitalize on untapped potential within different publisher networks.

Customized Interactive Endcard Creatives to Improve User Engagement:

Pocket Gems harnessed the capabilities of our in-house creative studio, Mindworks, to design interactive endcard creatives. These customized creatives were a resounding success, accounting for 85% of the app installs, surpassing the initial benchmark of 75%. The use of interactive elements in these endcards significantly contributed to heightened user engagement, proving that engaging visuals are key to capturing and maintaining user interest and driving higher install rates.

Creative Optimization:

Recognizing the impact of creatives on traffic performance, we performed regular creative optimizations. These optimizations were driven by both basic metrics (such as impressions, click-through rate, and install-to-view rate) and performance metrics like ROI and user retention. Through continuous testing and iteration of the creatives, the team ensured that the visuals and messaging remained effective, appealing, and aligned with the evolving preferences and behaviors of the target audience.