Exclusive: interview with Odnoklassniki

Recently, advertising banners appeared in the mobile version of Odnoklassniki. In connection with this event, we contacted Arsen Israpilov, Director of Marketing and Business Development of Odnoklassniki, and talked about what the social network can offer mobile developers today.

Arsen IsrapilovHi!

Odnoklassniki is one of the largest social networks in Russia. But how popular is the app of the same name? Would you share the number of downloads and the daily number of active users?The daily audience of Odnoklassniki is more than 40 million people, of which about 15 million access the social network from their mobile devices: about 60% account for the mobile version of the site, and 40% for iOS, Android and Windows Phone applications.

How many app users download games (what is the average conversion rate)?Unfortunately, we cannot disclose the number of game downloads.

At the same time, the daily number of transitions from Odnoklassniki to app stores is about 100 thousand.

Have you conducted research on how many of the users of mobile Odnoklassniki play on smartphones (we are not talking about transitions to the internal showcase, but about the number of players). If so, can you share the results of the study?In the mobile version, only the catalog of native games is available to Odnoklassniki users.

As already mentioned, from there they can go to the App Store or Google Play. But there are also HTML games that do not need to be downloaded: they can be played online. Half a million users play them every day.

Can we say that those applications that get on the showcase of mobile Odnoklassniki necessarily appear in the Russian top downloads? If not, when, according to your calculations, will the platform be able to provide such a push?Of course, we cannot disclose all the secrets.

Let’s put it this way: such applications have a rise in the rating of app stores and it is very noticeable. But each case needs to be considered individually, since much also depends on the game itself: how popular it will become with Odnoklassniki users. In this case, most of the success depends on the developer himself, we only offer one of the tools for effective promotion of their product.

But, most likely, by the end of the year we will be able to please application developers with something completely new. 

What is required of developers for their project to appear in the list of Odnoklassniki mobile games?Getting into our mobile catalog is quite simple.

If we are talking about a native game (iOS or Android), then you need to add the possibility of authorization through Odnoklassniki to it, and then send us a request by filling out a special form.

If we are talking about an HTML game, then you need to upload it to our website for developers and send it for moderation, in addition, you need to conclude a contract with us.

What do I need to get a feature from Odnoklassniki?Each case concerning receiving a feature from Classmates is considered on an individual basis.

We use certain formulas and parameters to evaluate the application.

But there are several limiting facts for getting a feature: WOW is less than 30 thousand unique users, the game is already in the top 10 in the app store, the retention of the first day is not less than the average of the week, the retention of the thirtieth day is not less than the average of the week and several others.

How many projects are there in the mobile “portfolio” of the social network at the moment, what is the total number of downloads?At the moment, we can find 141 games: 108 of them are HTML games, 16 games for iOS devices and 17 games for Android devices.

Is it possible to advertise games in mobile Odnoklassniki (targeting in mobile feeds)? If so, how exactly (are there prices, for example, for installations)?You can advertise games in the mobile version or applications of the Odnoklassniki social network using mobile advertising, which we recently announced.

Like any other ad, it can be targeted at a specific target audience. At the moment, we offer two options for paying for advertising: by the number of views, by the number of clicks.

Not so long ago Pavel Durov announced the opening of a mobile platform for mobile applications. Could you comment on this announcement?A mobile platform for apps and games is a very good idea.

In Odnoklassniki, for example, with its help, a year ago, developers could earn about 27 thousand dollars a month, and large ones – about 1 million dollars. Of course, these figures are much higher today.

It’s too early to comment on the announcement yet, since so far it’s just an announcement.

Please share your plans for the development of the mobile version of Odnoklassniki.The mobile version of Odnoklassniki, as well as the full version, are waiting for big changes.

These changes will affect both the design and the technical side.

In the near future, we will update some of our applications in accordance with the visual changes of the new versions of mobile operating systems. At the same time, work is underway to modernize and improve our entertainment services: we want to make their use on mobile devices even more accessible and comfortable.

In addition, we recently announced the launch of mobile advertising in Odnoklassniki. Work will also continue in this direction. And, of course, as mentioned above, perhaps by the end of the year we will be able to please the developers of applications and games with something completely new – this also applies to the plans for the development of the mobile version and applications of the Odnoklassniki social network.