Powerful Weapons for Mobile Game ASO Managers

Player Archetypes – Before conducting creative research, it is important to understand who your target audience is across a number of variables, like age, gender, geography, and more. For that you can use some companies such as 12traits (more on this later), surveys, or your own data. Once you specify your target, the next step is to determine these users’ motivators to play your game, which will help you better understand what to show in screenshots. The outcome of this exercise is what we call Player Archetypes. 

The matrix shown below splits players into four categories: Compete, Express, Collaborate, and Explore, representing four different types of players. Each type includes subcategories (build, win, etc.) which can be considered the players’ motivators. Think about each motivator in this matrix and ask if your game offers it. If the answer is yes, then you can start thinking about ways to show it in store assets.

GameUIDatabase – This library of creatives is built mainly for UI/UX designers, but it can be also applied to ASO. For example, checking the loading screens of existing games can give you some ideas for your next feature graphic.

Facebook Ad Library – This is a free tool to search for ads from any app or game. What works for the UA team can also work for ASO, and it’s always important to stay informed on what competitors’ ads look like. This can spark inspiration for new feature graphics, videos, or screenshots.

12traits – This is a player survey service that helps you better understand your target audience, so you know what you should avoid or include in store assets. 12traits will prepare all the most relevant questions and then a developer will send those questions to users. After collecting all the responses, their algorithm will put together a deep psychological analysis for your review.

GameRefinery (Player Motivators) – Here’s a tool that shows what aspects of gameplay being offered drive users to play competitors’ games. Below you can see the biggest motivators for users that play Homescapes, and an aggregated average for Match 3 Puzzle games.

Sensor Tower (Creative Gallery) – This is another resource you can use to spy on your competitors’ best performing ads. If you find ads that have been running for a long period of time, it might be worth testing a similar design for your own store assets.

Apptweak (Benchmark) – Apptweak also has a feature that benchmarks the amount of testing per category. With this, you’ll be able to see the list of apps or games that are testing the most in a particular category, and what precisely they are testing.

Milanote – This is a perfect tool for storing all your asset ideas in one place. There are many templates to choose from, and you can also use it as the backlog of your past experiments. It features a drag-and-drop interface and is a very intuitive space to tinker around in.

Tip: Work closely with your UA team if possible. They can provide great insights about what ads have worked for them in terms of graphics and content. Keep in mind that if the UA team is testing video ads with landscape orientation, you can also use them for testing on the Google Play Store!