When it comes to growing a mobile game, acquiring users is only half the battle. The real challenge is to figure out the best monetization strategy. For many studios and marketers, a pain point is not knowing which monetization strategy works best.
With multiple monetization models to choose from: ads, in-app purchases, subscriptions, it’s easy to get lost. What works for one game might not work for another, and testing strategies blindly can be expensive and inconclusive. Worst-case scenario, this results in wasted ad spend, low LTV, and a UA strategy that feels like navigating in the dark without a radar.
But what if you could align your monetization model with your UA strategy, using actual purchase behavior tied to creative performance? Here’s our solution.
Problem: Lack of clarity in monetization strategy
You launch UA campaigns, you see installs, but you’re not sure: Which creatives bring in the users who actually spend money? Are you optimizing for CPI or LTV? How do different user segments respond to your monetization hooks?
Is IAP your best route, or maybe a hybrid model?
Without connecting monetization outcomes to the source of those users, you’re stuck with siloed insights. And that makes it hard to refine your monetization model based on real data.
Solution: Creative-level attribution with Audiencelab
Audiencelab gives you a deeper layer of visibility tying IAP data and user behavior back to the exact ad creative that brought the user in. This means you can identify not just which campaigns perform, but which messages and visuals drive high-value users.
Understand which creatives drive paying users
Not all installs are created equal. Some creatives bring in high-intent users who go on to spend, while others may only deliver volume without value. Audiencelab gives you visibility at the creative level, helping you identify which concepts actually convert viewers into paying users. You can uncover which messages resonate with big spenders (the so-called “whales”) versus more casual purchasers. It also lets you analyze how different themes or visual styles influence monetization behavior. This means you’re no longer stuck optimizing for surface-level metrics like CPI, you can double down on the creatives that drive revenue.
Test monetization models with confidence
If you’re exploring different monetization models whether it’s pure IAP, a hybrid model with ads, or subscriptions, Audiencelab lets you optimize towards what works. By segmenting performance based on creative, you can pinpoint which models work best for users brought in by specific messages. You’ll see how each creative angle impacts progression through the monetization funnel, and whether the way you’re presenting your game in ads needs to be adjusted to match your in-game monetization strategy. This helps you make informed, data-backed decisions.
Build a sustainable monetization strategy
When you bring together IAP analytics and creative-level attribution, you get a powerful toolkit for modeling user LTV with accuracy. Once you identify which creatives attract high-value users, you can fine-tune your audience targeting and build look-alike audiences based on spending behavior. You’ll also be able to reduce churn by ensuring that your creatives set the right expectations from the very first touchpoint. It becomes a cycle where better creatives lead to better users. This in turn helps refine your monetization strategy for sustainable growth.
Conclusion
Monetization shouldn’t be an afterthought. With Audiencelab, you can treat it as a strategic, data-driven component of your UA funnel.
By tying IAP data to creative-level attribution, you get more than just visibility. You gain the ability to experiment, optimize, and scale the right monetization strategy for your game. When you know who is converting and why, you’re no longer playing the monetization guessing game.
If you’re still navigating in the dark, let’s talk!
