User Acquisition (UA) – Strategy and Process

Table of Contents:

1. Understanding User Acquisition Basics
   What UA means for mobile games and why it’s crucial to growth.

2. Setting UA Goals and KPIs
   Defining success: CPI, ROAS, LTV, and retention benchmarks.

3. Channel Selection and Budgeting
   Choosing between Meta, Google, TikTok, Unity Ads, and more; plus how to allocate your spend.

4. Creative Strategy and A/B Testing
   Crafting high-performing ad creatives and running effective tests.

5. Optimization and Scaling
   Analyzing data, iterating campaigns, and scaling what’s working profitably.

1. Understanding User Acquisition Basics

User Acquisition (UA) is the process of attracting new players to your mobile game through paid and organic channels. In today’s competitive app market, acquiring users at scale is one of the most critical components of a game’s growth strategy. Without a steady stream of new users, even the best-designed game can struggle to gain traction.

UA isn’t just about getting as many installs as possible—it’s about finding the right users: people who will engage with your game, retain over time, and potentially spend money. That means knowing your audience, understanding where they spend time online, and choosing channels that can deliver high-quality traffic aligned with your goals.

For mobile game developers and marketers, mastering the fundamentals of UA gives you a competitive edge. This includes knowing the key channels, how campaign automation works, and how to work with mobile measurement partners (MMPs) to track and optimize your results effectively.

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2. Setting UA Goals and KPIs

Before launching any UA campaign, it’s critical to define what success looks like. Common performance metrics include Cost Per Install (CPI), Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Customer Lifetime Value (LTV), and Retention Rate (D1, D7, D30). Your choice of metrics should align with your game’s genre, monetization model, and business stage.

For example, casual games that monetize through ads may optimize for low CPI and high retention, while midcore games with in-app purchases will focus more on ROAS and payer conversion. Without clear KPIs, it becomes difficult to evaluate if a campaign is performing or worth scaling.

It’s also important to benchmark your KPIs against industry averages, but remember: these are only a starting point. Your unique audience and gameplay loop will affect what “good” performance looks like. Always test and tune your goals based on real campaign data and user behavior.

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3. Channel Selection and Budgeting

The right UA channel depends on your audience, budget, and creative capabilities. Meta (Facebook/Instagram), Google Ads, TikTok, Unity, and Mintegral are some of the most commonly used platforms for mobile game UA. Each platform has strengths: Meta is great for precise targeting, Google for scale, TikTok for virality, and Unity/Mintegral for gaming audiences.

Budgeting is equally important. Rather than spreading your budget thin across too many platforms, start with one or two channels where you can collect enough data to learn and optimize. Use early campaigns to identify what creatives, audiences, and events convert best.

As your campaign matures, gradually increase your budget while monitoring ROAS and user quality. Consider allocating 70% of your spend to top-performing channels and reserving 30% for testing new platforms, creatives, or GEOs. Budget discipline is key to long-term UA success.

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4. Creative Strategy and A/B Testing

Ad creatives are your first and sometimes only impression with a potential player. In mobile UA, the best creatives are usually short, direct, and gameplay-focused. Different platforms also have different creative best practices: what works on TikTok might fail on Google.

A/B testing lets you identify which ad elements drive better results. Test variables like hooks, CTAs, gameplay footage, characters, voiceovers, and formats (video, playables, interstitials). Over time, patterns emerge that inform your overall creative direction.

Regular testing is essential to avoid ad fatigue. Even top-performing creatives eventually decline in performance. By building a creative pipeline and maintaining a rhythm of testing and iteration, you can keep engagement high and acquisition costs low.

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5. Optimization and Scaling

Once you have winning campaigns, the next challenge is scaling them without sacrificing efficiency. Optimization is about reviewing performance data (CPI, ROAS, retention, etc.) and making adjustments to targeting, bids, creatives, or audience segments to improve results.

Scaling doesn’t mean simply increasing the budget. Doing so too quickly can break performance if the platform’s algorithm hasn’t fully optimized. Instead, scale methodically: increase budget in controlled increments, duplicate successful ad sets, or expand to similar GEOs and lookalike audiences.

Finally, maintain a habit of weekly analysis. Check which ad placements or campaigns are underperforming and which are driving the best ROAS. Use this data to inform your next round of creative testing or campaign adjustments. Optimization never ends—it’s the engine that keeps UA efficient and profitable.

1. Google Ads

Process

Google Ads offers Universal App Campaigns (UAC), which automate much of the ad delivery based on your campaign goal (installs, in-app actions, ROAS). You provide creative assets and targeting signals, and Google’s machine learning handles the rest.

• Campaign Type: App Installs / In-App Actions / ROAS

• Required: App Store listing, conversion tracking via Firebase or MMP

• Assets: Videos, images, headlines, and descriptions

• Audience Targeting: Automated (optional audience signals)

Strategy

• Start with Install Volume before shifting to Action-based campaigns (e.g., Level 10 complete or purchase).

• Use broad targeting with high-quality creative variety to feed Google’s algorithm.

• Track conversion values and events with Firebase or your MMP (e.g., Adjust, Appsflyer) to improve optimization.

Optimization

• Monitor event volume (100+ events/day is ideal) for algorithm learning.

• Use asset reporting to prune underperformers and double down on top creatives.

• Gradually adjust bids or tROAS targets—avoid abrupt changes that reset learning.

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2. Mintegral

Process

Mintegral specializes in performance-driven UA in APAC and other non-Western markets. Setup requires integration with your MMP and a dedicated account manager.

• Campaign Type: CPI, CPA, or ROAS

• Supported Formats: Playables, Video, Native, Banner

• Region Strength: APAC, MENA, LATAM

• Audience: Heavily contextual and placement-based targeting

Strategy

• Leverage playable ads and localized creatives for non-English markets.

• Run tiered GEO testing, starting with Tier-3 markets to test CPI and creatives at lower cost.

• Use Mintegral’s DMP (data management platform) for lookalike targeting when scaling.

Optimization

• Analyze placement-level data to blacklist underperforming inventory.

• Rotate in culturally tailored creatives regularly to reduce fatigue.

• Use dayparting and frequency caps to improve performance in saturated regions.

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3. TikTok Ads

Process

TikTok is ideal for viral-style UA. It offers in-feed ads and Spark Ads (boosting organic posts). Integration with your MMP enables event tracking for ROAS campaigns.

• Campaign Types: App Installs, App Events (CPA/ROAS)

• Creatives: Short-form video (9–15s), Spark Ads

• Targeting: Interests, Behaviors, Custom Audiences, Lookalikes

• Events: In-app purchases, tutorial completes, level completions

Strategy

• Focus on native, lo-fi video creative that mirrors UGC (user-generated content).

• Utilize Spark Ads to blend organic and paid performance.

• Launch broad targeting with interest overlays, then build custom/lookalike audiences.

Optimization

• Refresh creatives every 5–7 days to combat fatigue.

• Review thumbstop rate (3s watch rate), CTR, and event ROAS.

• Use creative clusters to test hooks, value props, and CTAs independently.

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4. Unity Ads

Process

Unity Ads is particularly effective for mobile games thanks to its access to engaged gaming audiences and rewarded video formats.

• Campaign Types: CPI, CPA, ROAS

• Best Fit: Rewarded Video, Interstitial

• Audience: Contextual targeting based on game genres and player behaviors

• Integration: Requires Unity Ads SDK or via MMP

Strategy

• Begin with rewarded video in casual or midcore genres.

• Segment creatives by genre affinity—e.g., puzzle-style gameplay for puzzle audiences.

• Test interactive end cards to boost post-view engagement.

Optimization

• Monitor CTR, CVR, and IPM (installs per mille) to assess creative health.

• Blacklist placements with low install quality or high bounce rates.

• Use return-on-ad-spend campaigns for scaling after install baseline is stable.