Post-Install Optimization for App Marketing Campaigns


Post-Install Optimization for App Marketing Campaigns

Most app marketing campaigns are focused on driving a large volume of app installs at the lowest possible cost. While this may be a good initial strategy, the focus should shift to more downstream-focused strategies as the campaign matures. Nowadays, app advertisers increasingly recognize the importance of optimization using post-install events to generate quality users that bring more revenue.

Common post-install metrics of interest include:

  • Cost Per Retained User at Day-n (CPRU-n)
    • Cost of acquiring a new user who is retained through to the end of a certain period represented by the number of days (n)
  • Return On Investment at Day-n (ROI-n)
    • Return on advertising investment resulting from in-app purchases and other user monetization over a certain length of time after app install represented by the number of days (n)

The use of machine learning for campaign optimization is the best way to implement an effective post-install optimization strategy. This strategy relies on two key things to be effective: machine learning paired with proprietary data, and dynamic creative optimization.

To achieve this, look for a partner with a DSP that has capabilities for data storage, real-time retrieval, robust redundancy, real-time analysis, insights generation, and behavioral forecasting. With this, historical user behavior can be analyzed, ultimately creating a dynamic user model for post-install events within seconds. Once a goal is defined, the machine learning algorithm automatically drives the campaign towards optimal performance against that goal.

Campaigns can be optimized on several metrics such as CRPU-n, ROI-n, registrations, listings, app usage, specific events, or combinations of events, etc. Advertiser goals tend to be unique, especially for post-install, so this model enables a greater alignment with the actual business objectives. For example, with a casual gaming app, advertisers want to maximize the number of users who keep playing the app long after installing.

At Aarki, we use Aarki Studio, which allows us to leverage historical or first-party data received from the client, as well as learnings gathered from prior campaigns, to predict user interests, purchase behavior, and key post-install action drivers. Results from this predictive analysis are then used to identify other users who are most likely to engage in similar post-install actions.

Alongside machine learning, engaging creative is an essential part of post-install optimization. The ad creative is what users see first, so it is key that you capture their attention through well-designed, data-driven creatives. This requires extensive research, to know more about the app and its users, as well as first-party data from the client. Multivariate testing is also crucial to determine the optimal creative. We use Aarki Studio to create and run hyper-personalized ads targeted to the right users, enabling us to boost your campaign’s ROI.

Creative Strategies Using Users' Post-Install Data

Effective creative is a vital component of post-install optimization, especially if you want to retarget your lapsed users.

Different messaging for segments based on their engagement

An effective way to structure your campaign is to segment your users based on their levels of engagement, creating targeting groups and producing creative personalized to those segments. For gaming apps, highly engaged users respond to ad creative that is focused on the game’s new features, while lesser engaged users respond to reminders on how they can get freebies or daily rewards. Tailor your ad accordingly to show these prompts, to inspire your user to engage with your ad.

Different messaging based on user-level attributes

Dynamic creative targeted per user allows you to personalize the creative by incorporating user-level attributes into the creative. Attributes to consider for a gaming app are highest level achieved, remaining coins, or boosters. Aarki creates ads that dynamically optimize the messaging to an individual user at ad serving time. If not done right, hyper personalization can have a negative effect on your campaign, so be sure to use the right data.

Post-install optimization should not be overlooked, because it drives profitable high-quality users. Incorporating users' post-install data into your ad creative is especially helpful for your retargeting efforts. To learn more about how Aarki can optimize your app with post-install data, leave us a message here.

Topics: Machine Learning