In our previous analysis, we explored the rapid growth of the overseas short-drama market, which is expanding at an astonishing rate. As of 2023, total downloads for overseas short-drama apps reached 32.5 million. However, in the first half of 2024 alone, this number grew 2.5 times, and compared to the same period in 2023, it increased nearly 48 times. This surge reflects the widespread demand for "short dramas" and the growing acceptance of this format in international markets.

Despite this early-stage growth, the market faces several challenges. For instance, there is limited awareness of platforms or products, and the effect of scale has yet to be fully realized. As a result, apps are heavily reliant on marketing investments to acquire users, leading to higher customer acquisition costs. Additionally, user retention and lengthy conversion cycles remain key hurdles for sustainable growth.

How can short-form video apps build a solid user acquisition model to tackle these challenges? In this article, we will focus on "user acquisition through paid advertising" and "creative assets" to answer this question.

Q1: Where should  overseas short drama apps place ads?

2024 marks a year of significant investment in user acquisition for overseas  short-drama apps. From a numbers standpoint, both the number of advertisers and ad placements have seen substantial growth. In Q1 2023, only 17 short-drama apps were investing in ads. By Q3 2024, this number had surged to 160 apps, representing a 370% year-over-year increase. Moreover, the number of ad placements grew by an astonishing 2633%, reflecting the highly competitive nature of the market.

On the creative front, short-drama app advertisements are heavily reliant on innovative content. From 2023 to Q3 2024, over 90% of new ads introduced each quarter were creative variations. Since the target audience of these apps is highly sensitive to visual elements, advertisers must quickly tap into trending topics and adopt a “fast-paced creative iteration” strategy to keep up with the competition.

Geographically, North America and Europe lead in ad spend for short-drama apps, while Southeast Asia and Asia (excluding Mainland China) follow closely behind. The Middle East, South America, and Africa are currently in the third tier. However, it is noteworthy that while regional ad spends have increased compared to last year, some short-drama advertisers are still testing the waters, which results in only slight differences in ad spend between regions. For example, North America's ad investment is just about twice that of the least invested region, Africa.

At present, short-drama apps use diverse and flexible advertising channels. Leading apps like ReelShort, DramaBox, and ShortMax typically use between 10-20 different advertising platforms. Overall, social media platforms and ad networks hold similar weight in ad spend, making up 52.32% and 47.68% of the total, respectively. This highlights that advertisers are keen to quickly capture users by expanding reach, while also mitigating risks from relying on a single channel.

Q2: How to Advertise for Overseas Short-Drama Apps?

The core audience of overseas short-drama apps is primarily female, aged 18-30, with women comprising 69.4% of the user base compared to 30.6% male users. Women are more inclined toward fragmented content consumption, seeking relaxation and entertainment through short dramas. As a result, short-drama apps often focus on themes such as emotional dramas, love stories, mysteries, and family life — all genres that appeal to a female audience. This trend is evident in the creative materials used by advertisers.

According to Nielsen's research, creative material influences ad performance by as much as 49%. Successful advertising strategies must not only target the right audience but also include eye-catching visuals or brand messaging to capture users’ attention.

In terms of advertising formats, video ads dominate, making up over 90% of all creative materials. From January to October 2024, the number of video ads grew by an impressive 2420%. Long-form videos, particularly those over one minute, have become more common, with their share increasing from 51% last year to 95% this year. These longer ads provide a more immersive experience by aligning with the storytelling structure of the short-drama episodes.

Nowadays, the typical runtime of mainstream short dramas is between 3 to 8 minutes per episode, with each episode containing an average of 2 to 5 key moments of excitement or tension. This industry trend is also reflected in the design of advertising materials.

For instance, in the ad material below, which garnered an impressive 12 million impressions, the plot cleverly builds suspense at the beginning, escalates conflict in the middle, and leaves a "hook" at the end, skillfully driving the audience’s emotions and improving conversion rates. This storytelling approach has become a classic template for many advertisers.

Opening with suspense: The female lead hides her identity as the CEO and pretends to be a company janitor. When a colleague is humiliated, she steps up and demands that VP Jason fire the antagonist, but her identity is questioned.
Escalating the conflict: Jason intervenes, forces the antagonist to apologize, and reveals the female lead's true identity. However, the antagonist still believes Jason is an HR assistant and continues to humiliate her.
Ending with a hook: Jason calls the supervisor to resolve the situation. The antagonist receives a call from the supervisor, and the plot ends there, leaving viewers intrigued and wanting more.

For image-based ads, due to space limitations, content is typically direct and bold, using high-contrast visuals and succinct, impactful copy to quickly grab the audience's attention.

One-Stop Solution for Short-Drama App Expansion

As the overseas short-drama market enters its rapid growth phase, user acquisition and creative materials are the key to success. With the NetMarvel platform and its Performance Marketing Services, short-drama app advertisers can cover more high-quality traffic channels and quickly find well-matched, targeted users through flexible and controllable performance ads.

Targeting Higher-Quality Traffic: NetMarvel has extensive IAA and IAP product traffic across global markets, covering mobile games, social apps, and tools, with over 100 million monthly active users. In this increasingly competitive environment, it helps advertisers avoid the saturation of similar channels and break through the growth bottleneck.

Leading Algorithms for High-Value User Acquisition: Powered by NetMarvel's algorithms, advertisers benefit from an efficient and robust user acquisition model. The platform's algorithms match high-value users, and the ad strategies focus on maximizing Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and shortening the time to profitability.

Expert UA and Operations Support: NetMarvel offers tailored growth strategies for advertisers at different stages. With professional UA experts, creative teams, and media buying support, advertisers are guaranteed comprehensive, round-the-clock service for effective marketing campaigns.