5 Jun 2026
8 min.Performance Marketing at RuStore: Creatives and Platforms That Sell
Content
Today, the usual traffic acquisition channels in Russia work differently. Google and Apple haven't left, but their advertising tools for the Russian audience are either unavailable or deliver unstable results. As a result, attracting paying users through global stores has become more difficult and expensive.
Some teams are reallocating budgets to local stores. But they often transfer old approaches as well: the same creatives, targeting, and campaign logic. The result is higher installation costs and no payments.
The problem isn't with the local store, but with a misaligned strategy. New placements require a different approach to traffic, funnel, and monetization.
My name is Anastasia Serenkova, and I'm the Lead Digital Manager at RuStore. In this article, we'll explore how performance marketing works in RuStore, where to find your audience, and how to set up campaigns that drive revenue, not just installs.
How Performance Marketing Works
Performance marketing is an approach where advertisers pay only for a specific result: an install, a click, or a targeted action. Everything is measurable, transparent, and seemingly logical: invest a budget, get installs.
But performance marketing is often seen as a magic button — press it, and installs soar.
Here's an important nuance: this approach is only effective when demand has already been established. If users don't know your game, advertising will be expensive and conversion low
The cost per install directly depends on whether users know your game. If a user has seen the game before — for example, in a video or post — they are much more likely to click on an ad and install the game.
To put it in real-world terms, performance marketing is more about harvesting than sowing seeds. It helps gather those who are already ready to download your app. But if the field is empty, there's no harvest.
The Marketing Funnel: From Awareness to Revenue
Growth in installs almost always follows this funnel:
- Awareness — users learn that the game exists.
- Interest — some of them visit the game's page and explore the details.
- Installation — intrigued by the gameplay mechanics, they download the game.
- Revenue — some of those who installed stay (user retention is key) and start making purchases.
In any acquisition strategy, marketing (influencers, communities, social networks, or advertising) plays a crucial role. Organic installs don't appear immediately after publication but only after the game has gained its first users.
Once the game gets its first few thousand players, reviews and ratings start to appear. A good rating boosts conversion to install, and the store's algorithms begin showing the game more often to users.
Therefore, it's important to understand that organic growth is the result of early marketing, not a substitute for it.
How to Increase Game Awareness Without a Big Budget
If a user has seen the game before — for instance, in an influencer's video or post — they are more likely to click on an ad and install the game.
If your budget is limited, consider these channels:
- Influencers and Streamers. You don't need channels with millions of followers. Even bloggers with 10,000–50,000 subscribers can bring your first active players — those who will leave reviews, build a community, and become your core audience.
- Gaming Communities. Discord servers, Telegram channels, VKontakte groups focused on specific genres — these are spaces where people are already interested in a particular game type. You can engage them with gameplay videos or mechanic discussions, often for free.
- Social Networks. Short videos featuring real gameplay work best. Users want to see what the game actually looks like. Development diaries, showcases of new mechanics, and level testing also resonate well, building loyalty and awareness.
The more players know about your game before you launch ads, the cheaper it will be to acquire installs.
Where to Buy Traffic
Once users know about your game or app, you can try performance advertising. And it's important not to limit yourself to a single platform.
VK Ads
A platform that lets you run ads directly within RuStore. This helps attract highly loyal audiences ready to install games and apps.
Advantages:
- Targeting RuStore users: access to audience segments that already have the store installed.
- Flexible optimization: you can optimize not just for installs but for more valuable events like subscriptions, purchases, or registrations.
Important note: VK Ads should be evaluated not only by cost per install but also by retention metrics. Users from this source often show high loyalty and stay in the game longer.
Yandex Ads
As of 2025, Yandex.Direct allows promoting apps from RuStore. This opens access to an audience of over 68 million users who already have the store installed.
Advantages:
- Targeting RuStore users: ads are shown to those with the store installed when using a RuStore link.
- Auto-targeting: no need to manually build complex segments at the start — just set your geography and launch a campaign to a broad audience of Android users in Russia.
- Flexible strategies: choose campaign goals (acquiring new users or retargeting), payment models (per click or per install), and test different creative/targeting combinations.
Mintegral
This platform is integrated into tens of thousands of apps worldwide and supports promoting apps from RuStore.
Advantages:
- Low cost per install. This is especially useful at the start when you need to quickly accumulate installs for algorithm training or test multiple creatives on a limited budget.
- AI optimization. Smart strategies like Target ROAS (return on ad spend) and Target CPE (cost per event) drive over 80% of the platform's revenue.
Mobisummer and Other Programmatic & CPA Networks
Another effective traffic source is Mobisummer. It's a global performance network specializing in mobile games and apps, operating on CPA and CPI models.
How to Set Up Acquisition: From Installs to Payments
Once you've chosen your platforms, it's crucial to set up your campaigns correctly. Here are the key steps.
1. Auto-Targeting in Yandex Ads
Auto-targeting works without keywords. Algorithms automatically select an audience based on your ad text and page content. So at the start, simply set your geography and launch a campaign targeting a broad audience of Android users in Russia. The system will find those who already have RuStore installed and are highly likely to install your game and start playing.
2. Broad Audiences in Programmatic Networks
In Mintegral and other networks, start with broad targeting — avoid narrow segments. This allows algorithms to quickly accumulate data and understand which audiences drive results, while also reducing initial traffic costs.
3. Optimization: First Installs, Then Payments
If you have little data, optimize campaigns for installs. You need to accumulate enough conversions for algorithms to learn.
Start by optimizing campaigns for installs. Once you have enough data, switch to optimizing for payments or in-game events.
Once you have initial paying players (typically 100+ paying users), you can switch to optimizing for payments or valuable in-game events. For example, in Yandex.Direct, you can use strategies with payment per conversion or targeted events.
4. A/B Testing Creatives
Launching a campaign with a single creative is a major mistake. Algorithms need at least 3–5 variations to find the best performer. So we recommend conducting A/B tests.
In RuStore, you can run A/B tests directly in the developer console. For example, test:
- Screenshots (order, content)
- Short and full descriptions
- Icons
- Videos
A test is considered successful once enough statistical data has been gathered to draw conclusions. After completion, select the variant with the best conversion to install.
For more details on A/B testing, check our documentation.
This same strategy can be applied when buying traffic on all the platforms mentioned above.
5. Unique Offers: Coupons and Exclusive Deals
RuStore has a coupon system — developers can create discounts on in-game purchases. Coupons are valid during sales or as personalized offers (e.g., a birthday discount). There's no limit on the discount amount.
According to our data, coupons help boost purchases: the average order value can increase by up to 60%, and average revenue per user by 77%. So even a flexible discount policy pays off.
Include discount information prominently and concisely on your ad creatives to attract more users from outside. We recommend adding such creatives to rotation with regular ones to test whether the offer is externally appealing.
Static Images and Videos Up to 15 Seconds
Users rarely linger on an ad for more than 15 seconds. In that time, you need to showcase the main point without being annoying. That's why short videos usually outperform longer ones.
Structure: Hook → Gameplay → Result → CTA
A video up to 15 seconds is best structured as follows:
- Hook. The first 1–2 seconds. Something that stops the scroll and grabs attention — an unexpected visual, a question, or a hint of intrigue.
- Gameplay. Show this immediately after the hook. Demonstrate the game mechanics so users understand the genre and can decide if they're interested.
- Result. The last 2–3 seconds. What the player will achieve: a reward, progress, victory.
- CTA (Call to Action). For example, a bright, noticeable button saying "Download on RuStore." The button should be visible throughout the video.
If users don't grasp the genre in the first few seconds, the chance of an install drops significantly. So ensure the gameplay is recognizable and clear.
Gameplay Is Everything
Abstract graphics or a beautiful trailer without actual gameplay simply don't work. Users want to see what they'll be playing. So show real, unpolished gameplay to avoid misleading expectations.
Subtitles
Many people watch ads without sound. Adding subtitles helps convey your message — without them, part of your audience simply won't understand what the ad is about.
RuStore Logo and CTA Button
Users need to know immediately where to download the game. Adding the store's logo and a prominent "Download" button removes any confusion and speeds up installation, making the user journey as predictable as possible.
Try Before You Install
Instead of video, you can also use interactive ads — playable ads. The user performs simple actions within the creative: taps a button, completes a mini-level, receives a reward. After success, they're offered to download the full version.
This helps reduce accidental installs. Players who come to the game already understand the mechanics and are genuinely interested.
What to test:
- Different difficulty levels (easy vs. medium)
- Different scenarios (easy or hard to win)
- Different rewards for completing the task
Commonly, poor performers include abstract trailers without gameplay, overly long videos, ads lacking a strong opening frame, creatives where the genre is unclear, ads without an offer or call to action, and banners that look nice but don't explain the game. Game advertising shouldn't just be liked — it should sell the installation.
How to Test Creatives
Launching a campaign with one creative is risky. Algorithms need something to learn from, so it's best to use 3–5 variations.
What to test:
- Design hypotheses (e.g., calm vs. aggressive style)
- Different hooks (question, emotion, unexpected twist)
- Different durations (10 seconds vs. 15 seconds)
- Placement of elements within the creative
- Different screencasts from the game
Beyond creatives, we also recommend reviewing your game's store card. If traffic is coming but installs are low, the issue is likely one of the following:
- The creative doesn't match expectations (promises one thing, but the card shows another)
- The card doesn't close the sale (it's unclear what the game is about)
- The game doesn't look convincing on the first screen
- There are no reviews or the rating is low
- Technical issues with downloading the game
In these cases, new creatives won't help. You need to improve the store card. More details on app publication can be found here.
Key Takeaways
Performance marketing only works when demand is already established. First, build awareness for your game: use influencers, communities, and short gameplay videos on social media. Then introduce advertising — it will capture those already interested in your product.
Global stores no longer provide easy access to paying players in Russia. But RuStore does. And there are more advertising opportunities than you might think: VK Ads, Yandex with its RuStore user segment, Mintegral for more affordable acquisition, Mobisummer, and other networks. Use them in combination, test your creatives, and optimize campaigns from installs to payments. Then your advertising will deliver not just traffic, but stable revenue.
