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Meta Audience Network introduced a new ad format Wednesday, rewarded interstitial ads.
The mobile monetization platform said in a blog post that rewarded interstitial ads are a new, user-friendly, skippable format that lets game developers reward players in-game for completing actions such as video views, encouraging longer sessions.
The ads are placed at gameplay moments when rewarding players is appropriate, and players can choose to opt out after five seconds, but they will only receive in-game rewards, such as coins or extra lives, for viewing the full video.
Meta Audience Network said in its blog post that rewarded interstitial ads enable game developers to:
- Improve user experience: Players are not interrupted during application events, leading to higher retention.
- Increase session length: Gamers are motivated to continue playing, resulting in fewer lapsed players.
- Make an impression: These interactive, full-screen ads can grab attention when placed at natural transition points or breaks in the game, such as between activities or game levels.
- Monetize more players: Rewarded interstitials can be tested to monetize players who may not engage with rewarded video and in-app purchases.
Suggestions for implementing the new ad option include reviewing the in-game economy and thinking strategically about placement in order to avoid cannibalizing other ad formats, as well as testing performance with a pre-prompt screen at the beginning of the video explaining what type of reward players will receive.
Meta director of product management Manish Gajria wrote in the blog post, “Publishers told us they wanted new opportunities to monetize gaming apps, and we listened. We’re proud to launch rewarded interstitial ads: an improved consent-driven interstitial experience aimed at driving higher eCPMs (effective cost per thousand impressions) and increased player engagement for Instant Games and native mobile game apps. Next, our teams will look into ways publishers can get the most out of this innovative format by sharing best practices and recommendations.”
