The Biggest Mistakes Mobile Marketers Still Make With UA in 2025
- Fátima Castro Franco
- Sep 11
- 3 min read
Mobile user acquisition (UA) has changed more in the past five years than in the decade before it. Privacy rules reshaped targeting, CPIs hit record highs, and new channels like rewarded ads and influencer marketing moved to the center of the mix.
Yet despite these shifts, many marketers are still running UA strategies with blind spots that limit growth and waste budget. Here are the biggest mistakes still holding teams back in 2025 — and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Chasing Installs Instead of Retention
Too many campaigns are optimized for CPI and install volume. The problem? A cheap install that churns after Day 1 has no value.
Better approach:
Track Day 7 and Day 30 retention alongside ROAS.
Use predictive models to forecast long-term value.
Treat installs as the starting point, not the end goal.
Mistake 2: Treating Rewarded UA as “Low Quality”
Rewarded ads used to be dismissed as install farms. In 2025, that thinking is outdated. Rewarded UA platforms now deliver some of the highest-intent cohorts because the opt-in model attracts motivated players.
Better approach:
Integrate rewarded into the core channel mix.
Design smarter rewards tied to progression, not one-off freebies.
Optimize campaigns for retention, not just CPI.
Mistake 3: Over-Relying on Paid Social
Meta and TikTok are still big drivers of scale, but CPIs are rising and targeting precision has dropped post-ATT. Teams that put all their eggs in the paid social basket are stuck paying more for lower-quality installs.
Better approach:
Diversify with influencers, communities, and rewarded UA.
Test emerging channels in Tier 2/3 markets.
Treat paid social as one part of the mix, not the foundation.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Creative Fatigue
Many UA teams still underestimate how fast creative burns out. Running the same ad concepts across multiple networks tanks performance — no matter how good your targeting is.
Better approach:
Use AI-driven creative testing to refresh quickly.
Rotate playables, video ads, and native creatives.
Focus on ad themes that match player motivations (progression, social, achievement).
Mistake 5: Measuring Success on Day 7 ROAS Alone
Day 7 ROAS is still treated as the gold standard, but it’s a flawed metric for midcore and IAP-heavy games. Many valuable players don’t monetize until Day 30, 60, or beyond.
Better approach:
Pair early ROAS with retention signals.
Use blended metrics that include ARPU and engagement.
Scale campaigns only after predicting long-term payback.
Mistake 6: Treating Communities as “Organic” Only
Discord, Reddit, and even WhatsApp groups are often ignored as formal channels. In 2025, communities are powerful UA engines that drive discovery, retention, and advocacy.
Better approach:
Invest in community managers.
Incentivize referrals and word-of-mouth loops.
Track community-driven installs as seriously as paid UA.
Key Takeaway
Mobile UA in 2025 isn’t about chasing cheap installs or over-indexing on one channel. It’s about building a diversified mix, optimizing for retention, and treating rewarded, influencers, and communities as growth engines.
The marketers who avoid these mistakes won’t just lower CPIs — they’ll build player bases that last.
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