{"id":982,"date":"2020-04-27T10:58:27","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T10:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/blog\/?p=982"},"modified":"2021-10-05T11:16:02","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T11:16:02","slug":"mobile-game-retention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/","title":{"rendered":"Acquisition isn&#8217;t everything: Boost mobile game retention with these 5 strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_46 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"ez-toc-toggle-icon-1\"><label for=\"item-69e91af68119e\" aria-label=\"Table of Content\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-69e91af68119e\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-visibility-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#How_to_calculate_mobile_game_retention_rate\" title=\"How to calculate mobile game retention rate\">How to calculate mobile game retention rate<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#The_mobile_game_player_buyer_journey\" title=\"The mobile game player buyer journey\">The mobile game player buyer journey<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#5_strategies_to_boost_mobile_game_retention\" title=\"5 strategies to boost mobile game retention\">5 strategies to boost mobile game retention<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#1_Create_familiar_easy-access_content\" title=\"1. Create familiar, easy-access content\">1. Create familiar, easy-access content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#2_Offer_airtime_credit_and_data_rewards\" title=\"2. Offer airtime credit and data rewards\">2. Offer airtime credit and data rewards<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#3_Develop_rewards_programs\" title=\"3. Develop rewards programs\">3. Develop rewards programs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#4_Connect_culturally\" title=\"4. Connect culturally\">4. Connect culturally<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#5_Heavily_use_social_media\" title=\"5. Heavily use social media\">5. Heavily use social media<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/mobile-game-retention\/#Final_thoughts\" title=\"Final thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobile game retention is one of the most important metrics to track the success of gaming apps. It defines the size of the game\u2019s audience, the potential for growth, and the average time spent on the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Importantly, this metric also downplays the download rate, which has become a vanity metric.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To boost your mobile game\u2019s retention rate, we need to start with a quick review of how to determine this important figure. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you already know how and want to read the five strategies to improve mobile game retention, <\/span><a href=\"#jump ahead here\">jump ahead here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_calculate_mobile_game_retention_rate\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to calculate mobile game retention rate<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobile game retention is the percentage of players that return to play after the first launch of the app. It is typically measured in three periods after the initial download: Day 1, Day 7 and Day 30.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually, for free-to-play (F2P) mobile games, the standard retention rates are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40% for Day 1<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20% for Day 7<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10% for Day 30\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the famous formula used to get the rate:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Day N retention (%) = (Number of users who launched a game app on Day N) \/ (Number of users who downloaded that game N days ago) x 100<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>In F2P mobile gaming, the first few days are critical for retention. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The largest churn happens within the first week after a gamer launches a mobile game app for the first time. After Day 7, the churn continues until it levels out at Day 30.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the mobile game app is launched after 30 days, the user has a high likelihood to become a loyal player. This group has the highest potential to convert into paying customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thetool.io\/2018\/user-retention-mobile-apps-games\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mobile game retention graph<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> published by game developer analyst Vera Karpova best demonstrates this:<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_983\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-983\" style=\"width: 664px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-983\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Retention-Rate-Graph-1-300x165.png\" alt=\"mobile-game-retention-graph-n-day\" width=\"664\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Retention-Rate-Graph-1-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Retention-Rate-Graph-1-768x422.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Retention-Rate-Graph-1.png 827w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-983\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Day N mobile game retention:<\/strong> Mobile game usage decreases quickly during the first week and levels out after the first month.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(It should be noted here that there are two common metrics to measure mobile game retention. N Day retention measures users that return after the first launch, as above. Meanwhile, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amplitude.com\/blog\/n-day-retention-for-mobile-games\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rolling retention<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> measures the percentage of users who return to the app on a specified day or any day after that.)<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_mobile_game_player_buyer_journey\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mobile game player buyer journey<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Day 1 retention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is all about the first impression. If a player remains after the first day of download, then they are likely satisfied by the game tutorial, the onboarding experience, and the game\u2019s content and UI. These users will go on to explore more features.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 7 retention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tells us how many players like the mobile game. This benchmark is important for understanding how many users have spent a minimal amount of time needed to become familiar with the game\u2019s core characteristics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 30 retention <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shows a group of loyal users that have continued to launch the mobile game after one month. These players are the most likely to become high-frequency players that convert into paying customers. It is very likely that they will be hooked to the game and stay loyal for a very long time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_strategies_to_boost_mobile_game_retention\"><\/span><a name=\"jump ahead here\"><\/a>5 strategies to boost mobile game retention<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From Day 30 onwards, players begin to open up their wallets. To get to this point, the ideal journey mobile game players should take looks like this:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install app<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Onboard\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Return several times<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Register to make payments\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We asked experts in the mobile gaming industry in Africa about how developers boost retention to achieve this ideal user journey. Our research included an interview with the founder of Leti Arts, a Ghana-based game studio that is considered one of the continent&#8217;s pioneers in the industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_985\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-985\" style=\"width: 678px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-985 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/karmzah-run-1024x563.jpg\" alt=\"Karmzah run leti arts mobile game retention\" width=\"678\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/karmzah-run-1024x563.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/karmzah-run-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/karmzah-run-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/karmzah-run-1536x845.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/karmzah-run.jpg 1964w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-985\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Karmzah is a physically challenged superheroine with cerebral palsy created by Leti Arts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They identified the most successful rules to improve mobile game retention in emerging markets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To bring players to the coveted Day 30 retention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, these companies have optimized content for the market, improved access to mobile phone users and developed varied rewards programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is a list of what strategies they recommend other game developers to follow:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create familiar, easy-access content\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer airtime credit and data rewards<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop rewards programs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connect culturally<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heavily use social media<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Create_familiar_easy-access_content\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Create familiar, easy-access content<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making familiar content that can be easily accessed by gamers has become the main ingredient in retention success for <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.letiarts.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leti Arts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a video game studio with offices in Ghana and Kenya.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhile we have tested out a couple of ways to retain users, the best bet has always been to create content that they are interested in and make it easily accessible,\u201d says Eyram Tawia, the Ghanian founder of Leti Arts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis means preinstalling the games sometimes,\u201d he adds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Founded in 2009, Leti Arts has become one of Africa\u2019s leading mobile game developers, catching the attention of a new generation of gamers. This fanbase includes Kadi Yao Tay, the co-founder of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/squidmag.ink\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Squid Magazine<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a Ghana-based magazine for African comic book, animation and video game creators.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He points to Leti Arts\u2019 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.letiarts.com\/entertainment\/hottseat\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hottseat,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a kind of Who Wants to be a Millionaire variant, as an example of a successful mobile game in Africa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cThe reason for their success lies in the familiarity and simplicity of the game,\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> says Tay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWho Wants to be a Millionaire was a very successful show on Ghanaian TV,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHottseat leverages that to produce something that people are already familiar with. That and the fact that you can actually win stuff on the game is why I believe that it\u2019s been so successful.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More on rewards next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Offer_airtime_credit_and_data_rewards\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Offer airtime credit and data rewards<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enticing users to download your mobile game app is easier if they are offered the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/products\/data-bundles\">data<\/a> to access it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Africa and other emerging markets where smartphone users widely use prepaid mobile services this reward can be the key to acquisition &#8212; and retention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/products\/airtime\">airtime<\/a> is used as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/blog\/how-airtime-is-used-as-money\/\">currency<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in much of Africa, it is no wonder that gamers would be attracted to receiving such valuable rewards. For reaching Day 30 retention, this strategy has proven especially effective.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAirtime credit and data rewards is a smart marketing strategy that we have employed because data is relatively expensive,\u201d says Tawia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf users know they will get a tangible reward such as airtime or data, they are more inclined to play your game,\u201d Tawia asserts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cThis is a direct reward system that is hustle free and effective.\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the developer perspective, mobile games that do not instantly eat up the rewarded data tend to work best with this incentive strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cGames that don\u2019t use up too much bandwidth and data are the most sticky,\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> observes Tay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Airtime credit is especially fitting for those that are in the frequent mobile game player profile.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a great incentive for the casual gamer who\u2019s looking to while away time,\u201d adds Tay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_989\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-989\" style=\"width: 643px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-989\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-04-16-at-4.56.19-PM-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"Leti-arts-mobile-game-retention\" width=\"643\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-04-16-at-4.56.19-PM-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-04-16-at-4.56.19-PM-1024x682.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-04-16-at-4.56.19-PM-768x511.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-04-16-at-4.56.19-PM.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-989\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Leti Arts team, with founder Eyram Tawia (fourth from left)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Develop_rewards_programs\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Develop rewards programs<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobile games are designed for casual players looking for short time interval game experiences. This type of person is particularly enticed by quick wins, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/mobile-rewards\">mobile rewards<\/a> programs are engineered to produce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cInstituting reward and loyalty programs has proven to be an excellent marketing tool as people get excited about winning,\u201d says Tawia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leti Arts actively seeks out businesses to partner in their programs, giving movie tickets, airtime, data, free wallpaper and more prizes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have also recently started partnering with telecommunication companies and other distribution platforms, which have helped boost our marketing efforts tremendously,\u201d Tawia says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loyalty and rewards make good companions <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and have long been a core tenant to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/blog\/incentive-marketing-telecom\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">incentive marketing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> strategies in the emerging world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOffering frequent, limited-time offers and rewards (in-game or out) is a strategy that can retain users,\u201d says Tay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis could be in the form of in-game coins, airtime and data packages, shopping vouchers and raffles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Connect_culturally\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Connect culturally<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing your customer has always been a cardinal rule. If you can provide mobile game content that connects with the culture and history of a market, then you have already given them a strong reason to discover your app.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This especially rings true in emerging markets, where high-quality localized game content is in short supply. If you get a higher Day 7 retention rate, the chances are you are improving how you connect with your audience on a more cultural level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cWe reimagine historic figures in a 21st-century reality <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and cast them in scenarios that mimic prevalent issues in present-day Africa,\u201d says Tawia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe believe that digitizing our stories is the best way to preserve our culture and get the current generation to intentionally engage with it,\u201d he adds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developers also need to localize by translating their content, including push notifications, UI messages and tutorials.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Heavily_use_social_media\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Heavily use social media<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not underestimate the power of social media. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are invaluable for sparking conversations about mobile games in emerging markets, especially in Africa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cWe have relied heavily on social media to push our content out,\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">observes Tawia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing social media accounts that interact with users is also important. Just publishing updates on Facebook won\u2019t cut it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media updates need to give users a reason to share content. Therefore, this interaction should also strive to promote content that resonates with your target market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just take a look at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LetiArts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leti Art\u2019s Facebook account<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; the page has a lot of fun quizzes that are relevant to their community. This strategy does a great job of keeping fans engaged, pushing up the valuable Day 30 retention rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAt the end of the day, you need to figure out what works for your audience. It can be as simple as a social media shoutout for being at the top of the leaderboard,\u201d says Tawia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_thoughts\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Final thoughts<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many mobile game developers focus on acquisition rates, which are still important, but they often end up neglecting retention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It should be underscored that the above rules can equally be used to drive or reinforce acquisition. For example, airtime incentives are proven to have a cost-per-acquisition as low as $0.20.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But acquisition is only part of the equation. A truly successful mobile game project will eventually need to prove its longevity. To do this, developers will have to master mobile game retention strategies outlined here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In emerging markets, the mobile game industry still has a lot of room for growth. To truly conquer these markets, the trick is to maintain that growth once companies begin to acquire it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mobile game retention depends heavily on creating easy-to-access content that users will be incentivised to keep coming back for. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[168],"tags":[176,177,179,178,175],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Boost Mobile Game Retention Using These 5 Strategies | Reloadly<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Follow these 5 rules for how to improve mobile game retention in emerging markets, according to the founder of one of Africa\u2019s top game developers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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