Rewarded video gives the user something valuable in return for the time the user offers to watch a video ad. Therefore, the best place to have rewarded video is at points in the game where the user might need something extra (i.e. more coins, an additional life, a hint on how to pass a level, speeding up an action, etc.). Some users will make an in-app purchase for these extras so it might not always be optimal for your overall revenue to offer an advertisement. You should test to see which users, and in what places, you make more money offering rewarded video vs. not offering rewarded video.
Ninja tip: some app companies report that adding rewarded video to your game actually boosts overall in-app purchases since this offers users a low cost way to see the value of the extras like power-ups, coins, etc.
Common Traits of Successful Rewarded Implementations
- The reward is highlighted as part of the game tutorial or via a daily notification so users are aware of the placement.
- The reward has high value to the user, which in turn maximizes engagement.
- Placement is naturally frequency-capped to ensure the reward doesn’t become saturated (only offer one or two per day).
Examples
- Period Boost
- Increase player strength or other game benefit for a limited portion of time in exchange for watching a video.
- Daily Bonus
- “Watch video in exchange for daily bonus.”
- Speed Up User Action
- “Watch video to finalize building now.”