Don't underestimate the first few seconds - make the most of it and draw viewers in! The hook is essential to attracting potential players to your game. Try out different creative topics that are relevant to your target audience's interests and personalities, to encourage them to watch for longer. The longer they watch, the more likely they'll be to download the game. On TikTok, we've observed that the following topics are effective for hyper-casual game ads:

💡 Think about it:

Where are you on your game's advertising journey?

• Early stage: Target core players with direct advertising. Use the hook to showcase game attractions or interact with core fans to capture their attention and start making a buzz.
• If you're looking to expand your hyper-casual game player base, use a broad eye-catching hook. It can be a relatable or comical scenario that will draw new viewers in, regardless of whether they know your game or not.
• When expanding beyond your audience, use trending elements and skits to attract players that are outside your core player base.

Sound is powerful on TikTok. Not only can it effectively capture the attention of your audience, it also provides them with the best possible TikTok experience in which visuals and sound combine for greater impact and immersion. Make the most of background sounds and effects by leveraging our pre-approved tracks in our audio library, and select the right one for your content.

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• Which parts of the gameplay or storytelling do you want to highlight? Which parts should stand out and be more memorable for your viewers? Try to emphasize it with the right background sounds!
• Spend time getting to know which tracks are currently hit and trending on TikTok, even outside of the gaming space. Jump on these trends as quickly as possible to attract more potential players!
• Get creative matching tracks that work best with gameplay or key message of your game. The ones that match best may not be obvious - it could be a surprising, fun, or interesting match!
• Remember, sound is a great way to elicit the emotions you'd like your audience to feel.

It's important to ensure a smooth transition from the hook to the main selling points of your game. Once you have your audience's attention, don't forget to showcase the gameplay itself or provide context as to why they would want to play the game, in order to hold their attention. Show the meaning and purpose of the game, and motivate players to keep watching or to download the game.

💡 Think about it:

Why do players play hyper-casual games?

• Killing time: hyper-casual games serve the basic purpose of allowing people to have fun with an easy game, especially when they're bored. A simple motivation is sufficient to captivate them, such as an emergency scenario or romantic or dramatic stories around the game. Once the motivation is there, viewers will then want to clearly see how the game works. This a great way to get them to try out the game for themselves.
• Pleasure from a good challenge or "fixing" chaos: "fixing" or organizing chaos is a natural instinct for humans, and a satisfaction that can be achieved through hyper-casual games. These games provide an easy way for players to feel this sense of accomplishment, without the physical burden of activities like household chores.

It's important to ensure a smooth transition from the hook to the main selling points of your game. Once you have your audience's attention, don't forget to showcase the gameplay itself or provide context as to why they would want to play the game, in order to hold their attention. Show the meaning and purpose of the game, and motivate players to keep watching or to download the game.

💡 Think about it:

The critical question for this part is: What can you provide for your audiences? The hook attracts potential players by resonating with them through an engaging opener. While this can be related to the game, it doesn't have to be. This game attraction part, however, should convey the main selling points of the game and hold the viewers' attention around the game, so they learn about the game and know what to expect. For this part, it's important to really understand the needs and preferences of your target audience when it comes to game experience. This is a requirement for creating great content that encourages game downloads!

Giving real-time feedback when players make choices in the game is a great way to captivate your audience and hold their attention. Use emoji, points, "right" or "wrong" visuals, or even emotional feedback via characters' expressions to agree or disagree with players' actions instantly.

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Having fun when playing a hyper-casual game is all about making meaningful choices that have a real impact on the outcome of the game. Players are always curious whether they're capable of changing the course of the game with their strategies. Instant feedback is the most efficient way of highlighting the "meaningful choices" that players make. The tricky part is combining feedback with gameplay - but when done right, it's a great way to showcase and promote the game itself along with the excitement and suspense of strategic decision-making!

Interact with audiences through engaging visuals like buttons or "hands" that serve as intuitive signals for gameplay instructions. Add special elements that add a layer of engagement and fun!

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Captivate your audience's attention through eye-catching visual add-ons on top of your gameplay experience. Try out the following to boost engagement:

• Select buttons with a shiny effect
• Use different shapes of "hands" in the game. Ideally, use your target audiences' hands if possible. This way, they can picture themselves playing the game.
• Build urgency around the situation in your game, to encourage audiences to respond quickly.

Don't forget to add a compelling call-to-action at the end of your video ad. Use your game's slogan, a catchy tagline, and a clear button to direct users to the next step. Keep up the momentum and transfer your audience's attention to the desired next action - downloading or purchasing the game.

💡 Think about it:

Usually, the call-to-action includes game slogans, a tagline, and download buttons, but there are other ways to be memorable! Feel free to think outside the box with your CTAs, and try to add a different type of motivational action that's more open-ended and stands out from all the rest. For example, it could be an unresolved story that encourages audiences to take the next step to find out the ending, while also learning more about the game. This can drive further engagement that will ultimately lead to game download.

Now that we've provided "creative patterns" for the Hook, Game Attractions, and Ending, it's your turn to give it a try! We encourage you to put together your own videos by leveraging a combination of patterns provided. Initially, test launch with a small budget in order to find the exclusive golden formula that works best for your video ads, and iterate from there.

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Through the lens of a real person talking his way through the game, the video appears credible and the commentary is trustworthy. The audience feels like they're being let in on certain shortcuts or "secrets" for getting ahead in the game, which can contribute to motivation for download.

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ASMR is a trending topic on TikTok. This video jumps on that trend while introducing the details of the gameplay that would appeal to audiences who love ASMR and beauty. Try to discover the hidden gems of your gameplay that would shine as selling points!

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Along with the exciting stories within the game, audiences will sense the high level of freedom of choice. With this intrigue and curiosity, players will feel compelled to see how their choices can influence their gaming world, and what the consequences are. Try to showcase skits and twists in your gaming stories, and illustrate how your players can influence the stories with their decisions.

Keep up with what's trending on TikTok, and what our users are loving. We have a few resources listed below at your disposal: TikTok Community, The Keywords Insights, and Trending Hashtags. Take full advantage of them! They're here to help you keep a pulse on what's currently trending by region and industry.