In the fast-evolving world of #gaming, mastering the art of #user #acquisition (UA) is both a challenge and an opportunity. We spoke with Solmaz Yilancioglu, a talented and experienced UA Manager at Sandsoft, about the latest challenges in managing #UA campaigns and the most promising opportunities in the industry.
What or who inspired you to join #gaming industry? What do you like about being in the industry?
I’ve always been drawn to creative industries, and gaming stands out as an incredible blend of technology, art, and storytelling. What inspires me most is the ability to combine these disciplines to design immersive, dynamic worlds where possibilities are limitless. It’s a privilege to contribute to an industry that continuously pushes boundaries and captivates audiences globally.
What are some of the latest challenges you face when managing user #acquisition campaigns in the #gaming industry?
One of the biggest challenges is ensuring data accuracy and readability, especially when combining insights from multiple external sources. Integrating and making sense of fragmented data from various ad platforms and analytics tools can be complex, but it’s critical for evaluating campaign performance effectively. Adding to this, the evolving landscape of privacy regulations and changes like iOS tracking limitations have made accessing granular user data more difficult, pushing marketers to adopt alternative methods for audience targeting and performance measurement.
In your opinion, what opportunities in user acquisition are currently the most promising for gaming industry, especially given the constantly changing trends in player behavior and digital advertising?
The integration of AI tools into the production, analysis, and optimization of UA ads offers significant opportunities. AI can streamline the creation of ad assets by generating concepts or visuals rapidly, saving time and resources. It can also analyze patterns in top-performing ads to identify trends and actionable insights, helping teams craft more effective creative briefs. By leveraging AI, we can make the entire creative process more efficient and data-driven, ensuring campaigns resonate better with audiences in a highly competitive landscape.
What aspects of being a User Acquisition Manager excite you the most—whether it’s the creativity involved in campaigns, analyzing data, or witnessing the growth of a game’s player base?
What excites me most about being a User Acquisition Manager is the intersection of creativity and quantitative analysis. Data provides countless ways to explore and interpret performance, and even the process of analyzing it can be approached creatively. Uncovering insights often requires connecting seemingly unrelated patterns or testing unconventional hypotheses. It’s fascinating how quantitative analysis and creative thinking come together to craft strategies that drive growth, even when the answers aren’t immediately clear.
Having moved countries, how has this experience influenced your approach to user acquisition in the gaming industry?
Working with people from all over the world has shown me how connected the gaming industry really is. The culture in gaming companies is unique—warm, genuine, and incredibly collaborative. I’ve been lucky to work with some of the smartest and most talented people out there, and their insights and ideas always push me to think differently. These experiences have been key to adapting and growing in such a fast-changing industry.
What would you advise to young talents pursuing a career in user acquisition?
Take the time to truly understand the foundations of user acquisition, from how ad platforms work to why certain campaigns perform better than others. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem basic—it’s one of the best ways to learn. Building strong relationships is just as important as technical skills; you’ll be surprised how much you can learn from others in the industry. And when mistakes happen, focus on learning from them quickly and applying those lessons to move forward.
Willing to work along with Solmaz? Check our open opportunities: https://career.sandsoft.com/#jobs
