Unlocking Player Value: A Comprehensive Approach to the Gaming Journey

Achieving success in the mobile gaming industry is a multifaceted process that encompasses various stages of the player journey. From the initial discovery of a game to the moments that foster long-term engagement, every interaction plays a pivotal role in shaping the outcome. The key stages of discovery, engagement, and advocacy have a direct impact on Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), a crucial metric that guides performance-driven marketing decisions in the gaming sector. However, maximizing value at each stage requires a nuanced understanding of their interconnectedness, a challenge that many marketers face. According to Nielsen, while nearly two-thirds of global marketers emphasize the importance of measuring full-funnel ROI, only 54% are confident in their ability to do so. This disparity underscores the difficulty in linking upper- and lower-funnel efforts within a unified approach. Leading marketers are reevaluating their approach to the player journey, recognizing the potential of platforms like TikTok to enhance value at every level, from discovery to long-term fandom. Noam Zada, Head of Business Marketing for TikTok Global Mobile Gaming, notes, "The path to game discovery is no longer linear, and for many players, it begins on TikTok. To achieve real growth, marketers must view TikTok as a full-funnel platform that builds community and drives outcomes across the journey, rather than merely a channel for awareness." The gamer's journey has evolved beyond a linear marketing funnel, transforming into an involvement funnel where players connect, engage, and invest in a game. TikTok serves as a discovery powerhouse, introducing users to games they may not have known about through its vibrant ecosystem of creators and content. While 75% of mobile gamers cite TikTok as the most important touchpoint before a purchase, only 21% identify it as the last one, highlighting the underappreciated role of TikTok in influencing buying behavior early in the process. According to MetricWorks, 26% of TikTok's purchase impact is missed globally, with this number rising to 37% across EMEA, indicating that brands undervalue TikTok's early influence on players. TikTok not only drives discoverability but also delivers resonance, making the path to installation feel natural and entertaining. For developers, this is key to converting casual browsers into new players and launching performance-driven campaigns that encourage installation. Once a player is connected to a game, the next challenge is maintaining engagement. Game marketing must create moments that keep players returning, and TikTok is a crucial platform for this, with 81% of users finding TikTok ads entertaining and being 3.3 times more likely to engage with them compared to other platforms. Creating entertaining, interesting, and varied ads tailored for TikTok (TikTok-First) is essential for building impact. To support this, TikTok offers a range of creative solutions, including TikTok One and the bespoke creative studio powered by AI, TikTok Symphony. Noam Zada states, "AI is transforming how brands present themselves, and with tools like TikTok Symphony, we're making it easier for gaming marketers to scale high-performing creative. From ideation to execution, our AI solutions help teams work faster, smarter, and drive deeper engagement across the player journey." This approach moves to a higher level of involvement, where players who are invested play and ultimately share the game. TikTok's immersive ad environment and creator-powered culture make it ideal for building emotional loyalty and community. Players are 1.6 times more likely to recommend a game when TikTok is part of their journey, and while not every invested player becomes an advocate, those who do significantly enhance acquisition ROI. Advocacy is crucial as it builds loyalty, lowers acquisition costs, and creates communities that can sustain a title's momentum long after launch. TikTok's full-funnel solutions allow blending creator content with paid amplification, as seen with Miniclip Netherlands' use of TikTok One to promote Head Football Coach, resulting in a doubled ROAS. TikTok's ecosystem thrives when paid and organic efforts work together, allowing for sustained visibility, community building, and performance at a lower acquisition cost. It's not about spending more but about spending smarter. Despite these benefits, many marketers struggle to connect TikTok's upper-funnel impact to lower-funnel conversions due to traditional attribution models relying heavily on last-click metrics. TikTok offers advanced measurement tools like Media Mix Modeling (MMM), Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA), Conversion Lift Studies (CLS), and GeoLift Studies to help marketers assess the true impact of content across the funnel and optimize based on real insights. The question for marketers has evolved from "How do we get more installs?" to "How do we turn those installs into lasting impact?" The future of gaming growth is about who sticks around, who shares the game, and who helps it grow. Reimagining the player journey and leveraging TikTok's capabilities can help achieve wins at every level.