Over 5 million apps on the App Store and Google Play Store are vying for user attention, even as downloads declined by 2.3%. Budgets are shifting. More and more, it’s not about reaching the most users, it’s about reaching the right ones.
The numbers back that up. According to Singular’s Q2 2025 report, Android leads in install volume, but iOS dominates revenue with 89.6% of the share. In fintech, it’s the same story: 83.6% of installs on Android, but 63.5% of revenue on iOS. The message is clear: chasing volume alone won’t drive sustainable growth.
Meanwhile, privacy changes continue to reshape the mobile app user acquisition strategy. Behavioral targeting has lost its edge; marketers now lean into contextual signals and full-funnel thinking to identify high-value users without compromising trust. This shift calls for a smarter approach, one that prioritizes long-term value and transparency, not just short-term spikes.
This guide explores how to do exactly that. From setting your app user acquisition strategy and selecting the right partners, to tracking what matters (and what doesn’t), and avoiding common pitfalls, you’ll find the insights you need to drive growth that lasts. Let’s get started.
What is User Acquisition (UA)?
User acquisition (UA) is the art of turning strangers into app users. Think of it as casting a net in a sea of potential users and reeling in the ones who’ll stick around and thrive.
It’s not about catching everyone. It’s about attracting the right audience with the right appeal, whether that’s an irresistible ad, a perfect app store listing, or a clever campaign. Done well, UA is like planting seeds in fertile soil, nurturing growth that pays off in loyalty, engagement, and revenue.
Why Does a Mobile App User Acquisition Strategy Matter?
Successful mobile app user acquisition campaigns go beyond attracting downloads. It’s about finding the right users who align with your app’s value and have the potential to drive long-term growth. Here’s why it matters and how to measure and navigate it effectively:
Brand Visibility That Scales: Each successful user acquisition campaign amplifies your app’s presence in the crowded marketplace. Done right, it doesn’t just drive installs but creates momentum, making your app more discoverable and fostering organic interest.
Increased Revenue Opportunities: Users aren’t just ‘download numbers,’ they’re potential revenue streams. High-value acquisitions, primarily from targeted campaigns, can significantly boost your LTV (lifetime value), turning casual users into loyal subscribers or spenders.
Sustainable Growth: The compounding effect of strategic user acquisition builds a robust foundation for scalability. Apps that invest in quality over quantity see better retention rates, lower churn, and higher returns on ad spend.
Core Channels for Effective User Acquisition
User acquisition thrives on a mix of creativity, precision, and a well-rounded toolkit of strategies. From paid campaigns to organic engagement, each approach uniquely captures and converts high-value users. Let’s break down the most impactful strategies:
Paid Media Campaigns
As the name implies, paid media encompasses ad networks and channels where you pay to display your brand to a specific audience. It is the bread and butter of user acquisition, but the choice of ad formats can make or break a campaign:
- Display Ads: These visual banners are excellent for building brand awareness, especially on high-traffic websites or apps, but require striking designs and precise targeting to avoid being ignored.
- Video Ads: Arguably the most engaging format, video ads allow you to showcase your app in action. Short, snappy, and optimized for mobile, they’re perfect for capturing attention and driving installs.
- Native Ads: Seamlessly integrated into the user experience, native ads mimic the content of the platform they appear on. They’re less intrusive, making them an excellent choice for apps targeting discerning users.
App Store Optimization (ASO)
Your app store listing is your app’s digital storefront, and ASO ensures it’s polished and inviting. Key optimization techniques include:
- Keyword Targeting: Research and incorporate relevant keywords into your app’s title and description to improve discoverability.
- Visuals That Convert: High-quality screenshots and engaging preview videos can significantly boost your click-through rates.
- Ratings and Reviews: Encourage satisfied users to leave reviews and respond to feedback to maintain a positive reputation.
- Localized Content: Tailor your listing for different regions and languages to capture global audiences.
Influencer Partnerships
Influencers bring social proof and a direct line to engaged audiences, making them a powerful ally in user acquisition:
- Authentic Advocacy: Partner with influencers whose followers align with your target audience. Authentic endorsements often outperform polished ads in building trust.
- Creative Campaigns: Leverage influencers for app challenges, tutorials, or first-look content that showcases your app’s value in real-world scenarios.
- Measurable Impact: Track installs and engagement via unique promo codes or affiliate links to measure the ROI of influencer partnerships.
Social Media and Community Building
Social media isn’t just a channel. It’s a bridge to meaningful engagement with potential users:
- Organic Content: Build a strong presence with valuable posts, app updates, and user success stories that keep your audience engaged.
- Targeted Social Ads: Platforms like Meta and TikTok offer advanced targeting options, allowing you to reach niche user groups effectively.
- Community Building: Foster loyalty by creating spaces, like Facebook groups, Discord servers, or subreddit communities, where users can connect, share tips, and advocate for your app.
Unique User Acquisition Strategies on Android and iOS
Two platforms, two playbooks. Android and iOS may both be doors to the same kind of user, but the keys to unlock them couldn’t be more different.
UA for iOS: Precision Marketing in a Privacy-First Ecosystem
iOS UA has become a blueprint for privacy-led marketing. With the rollout of SKAdNetwork (SKAN) 4.0, Apple has doubled down on aggregated reporting and anonymized attribution, challenging marketers to rethink how performance is measured and optimized. While deterministic tracking has faded, iOS users tend to bring higher LTV, making them a prized (and costly) audience.
To succeed, UA strategies must blend creativity with privacy compliance, leveraging SKAN-compatible partners, modeling early signals, and adjusting in-flight campaigns based on postbacks, not direct user paths.
UA for Android: Scale, Flexibility, and a New Privacy Frontier
Android’s open ecosystem offers unmatched reach and diversity, but it also requires finesse. With more devices, manufacturers, and store alternatives, UA campaigns on Android allow faster iterations, richer install data (like referrer info), and looser restrictions.
But the tide is turning: Google’s Privacy Sandbox for Android is gradually phasing out traditional identifiers, signaling a privacy-centric shift. Marketers must now prepare for less granular user data and lean into solutions like contextual targeting, predictive models, and consent-based tracking to stay effective in a more regulated future.
Emerging Trends in User Acquisition For Apps
Programmatic advertising continues to revolutionize how mobile apps find and nurture their ideal users. As demand-side platforms evolve, they move beyond simple install metrics to drive meaningful user engagement.
AI-Driven User Predictions
AI-powered bidding algorithms now analyze vast pools of user behavior data to identify patterns that human operators might miss. These advanced DSPs don’t just target potential users; they predict which users will most likely become loyal customers.
By processing signals like in-app purchase history, session duration, and cross-app usage patterns, machine learning models can now spot high-value users before they even install your app.
Retention-First Acquisition
Retention metrics are now baked into the initial mobile app user acquisition strategy. Modern DSPs don’t just optimize for installs; they use predictive analytics to target users with higher lifetime value potential.
By analyzing post-install events and user engagement patterns, these platforms can adjust bidding strategies in real-time to focus on users who show early indicators of long-term app loyalty.
Retargeting comes into play after acquiring a user. By aligning retargeting efforts with UA strategies, marketers can create a seamless loop that improves retention and maximizes user value.
Privacy-Centric Targeting
The detraction of traditional identifiers has sparked innovation in privacy-compliant targeting methods. Forward-thinking DSPs are pioneering new approaches like cohort-based targeting and on-device processing.
These solutions maintain targeting precision while respecting user privacy, leveraging contextual signals and anonymized behavior patterns to reach relevant audiences. This shift isn’t just about compliance; it’s creating more sustainable, trust-based relationships with users from their very first interaction.
Evolution of Shopping Behaviors
The fusion of commerce and content has transformed how users discover and interact with apps. Social commerce features within apps have created new touchpoints for user acquisition.
Smart DSPs are capitalizing on this by targeting users during their discovery phase, not just at the point of purchase. They track complex user journeys across multiple platforms, identifying the optimal moments for app promotion.
They can also ensure better user journeys with engaging personalization techniques like custom product pages.
DSPs stand at the forefront of this evolution, armed with AI, privacy-first solutions, and deep user understanding. Their ability to orchestrate precise, compliant, and retention-focused campaigns is transforming how apps acquire users.
Strategizing User Acquisition with Patience and Precision
User acquisition is rarely a sprint; it’s a calculated marathon that demands a structured approach. While achieving results quickly might be tempting, the most impactful strategies are those that respect the natural progression of the marketing funnel.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, especially in mobile app marketing. Each stage builds on the last, laying the groundwork for long-term, scalable growth.
At its core, the funnel transforms your strategy from broad to focused. It ensures that you’re not just acquiring users but guiding them through meaningful stages of engagement and value creation.
A robust UA approach leverages insights from each phase to fine-tune campaigns, adapt to user behavior, and ultimately deliver high-quality outcomes.
From Awareness to High-Value Users: A Multi-Stage Journey
Stage I
The journey begins with driving awareness and installs, starting broad to capture as many potential users as possible. Here, metrics such as cost-per-install (CPI) are key, as you cast a wide net and gather data on user behaviors and preferences. This goes beyond numbers and revenue. It’s about uncovering patterns in user actions that signal deeper engagement.
Stage II
As the campaign progresses, the focus shifts to mid-funnel actions, often referred to as Significant Intermediate Actions. Whether it’s completing a registration, reaching a specific game level, or engaging with premium features, these actions provide the foundation for refining your audience targeting. Optimizing for these events ensures you’re moving users further along the funnel with purpose.
Stage III
The next phase zeroes in on valuable actions, those that directly contribute to revenue. It’s here that user differentiation comes into play, identifying high-value segments within your audience. Some users may make small, frequent purchases, while others, often referred to as “whales,” drive the bulk of app revenue. Recognizing these distinctions allows for smarter budget allocation and campaign refinement.
Stage IV
Finally, the strategy should culminate in optimizing for return on ad spend (ROAS). By this stage, campaigns are data-rich and highly targeted, designed to maximize value from your most engaged and profitable users. The objective shifts from acquisition volume to profitability, ensuring sustained growth without compromising efficiency.
Why This Journey Works
This structured, phased approach ensures that no effort is wasted. Early stages lay the data foundation for later refinements, allowing for smarter decision-making and resource allocation. It also accommodates the time-intensive nature of machine learning models, giving them space to adapt and improve with each stage.
This isn’t just a framework; it’s a proven pathway to transforming installs into loyal, high-value users. By respecting its stages, you’re not just acquiring users, you’re building a pipeline for growth that scales with precision and purpose.
Programmatic Advertising: The Catalyst for App Growth
Imagine an advertising approach that has the power to reach the right person, at the right moment, with the perfect message. Programmatic advertising is not just another channel. It is a smarter, more efficient way to scale user acquisition by combining precision with creativity.
Through real-time bidding and advanced algorithms, it ensures your app stands out, whether they’re casual gamers exploring new titles or health enthusiasts seeking the next fitness tool.
The DSP Difference
Maximizing the potential of programmatic requires a demand-side platform (DSP) that does more than automate ad buying. A DSP can offer a tailored approach, combining AI-driven insights with creative strategies to help you reach your goals. From predictive modeling to personalized ad creatives, it ensures your campaigns are aligned with your audience and objectives.
Why It Works
- Balancing Reach and Relevance: Programmatic lets you scale without sacrificing precision, optimizing campaigns in real-time to ensure every dollar is well spent.
- Data-Driven Decisions: By combining behavioral insights with contextual targeting, programmatic platforms like Aarki adapt to user needs, keeping your campaigns relevant and impactful.
- Creative Optimization: Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all ads. DSPs can easily tailor visuals and messaging for different audiences, driving better engagement and conversions.
- Tackling Privacy Challenges: Lastly, DSPs are built to adapt to the ever-evolving regulations around privacy.
It’s important to note that programmatic success doesn’t happen overnight. Machine learning, the backbone of these campaigns, needs time to analyze data, refine models, and deliver results. This isn’t a quick fix but a gradual process where patience is essential. The more data it processes, the better it gets.
Choosing the Right UA Partner
Selecting the ideal user acquisition partner can make or break your app’s growth strategy. Look for a partner with:
- Data-Driven Precision While Respecting Privacy: Advanced machine learning capabilities to identify and target high-value users at scale without compromising on privacy.
- Creative Excellence: A proven ability to craft and deliver personalized, engaging creatives tailored to audience segments.
- Full-Funnel Optimization: Expertise in optimizing campaigns beyond installs, focusing on post-install events, retention, and long-term ROI.
Metrics That Define User Acquisition Success
Measuring the success of a UA campaign goes beyond just installs. The right metrics help you understand user quality, campaign efficiency, and long-term profitability. Here are some critical metrics every app marketer should track:
Cost Per Install (CPI)
A foundational metric for UA campaigns, CPI measures the cost of acquiring a single app install. While lower CPI is desirable, balancing cost with user quality is key.
Click-Through Rate (CTR):
CTR reflects the percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it. High CTRs indicate effective creatives and messaging that resonate with your audience.
Post-Install Event Completion Rates:
Tracking actions like registrations, in-app purchases, or level completions helps assess user quality and the effectiveness of your targeting strategy.
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU):
ARPU calculates the average revenue generated by each user in a specific timeframe. It helps gauge how effectively your UA efforts drive revenue on a per-user basis.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS):
ROAS quantifies the revenue earned for every dollar spent on UA campaigns. It’s the ultimate measure of efficiency and profitability.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC):
CAC reveals how much you’re spending to acquire a single user. A lower CAC signals an efficient campaign, especially when paired with strong revenue metrics.
Lifetime Value (LTV):
LTV estimates the total revenue a user generates over their lifetime. A successful UA strategy ensures that LTV significantly exceeds CAC, indicating profitability.
Retention Rate:
Measuring doesn’t stop after acquiring a user. Analysing Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30 retention rates highlights how well your app keeps users engaged post-install. High retention reflects campaign quality and app value.
Challenges and Pitfalls in User Acquisition
A mobile app user acquisition strategy can be filled with challenges. It demands a sharp strategy and adaptive tools to overcome. Key pitfalls include:
Rising Costs: Increased competition in crowded app categories inflates acquisition costs, making profitability harder to achieve without precise audience targeting.
Low Retention Rates: Attracting users who don’t engage or churn quickly can erode campaign ROI, emphasizing the need for data-driven targeting.
Ad Fatigue: Overexposure to repetitive ads reduces click-through rates, requiring fresh and tailored creatives to maintain user interest.
Fraudulent Traffic: Ad fraud, such as fake installs or bot-generated clicks, can mislead metrics and drain budgets.
Data Privacy Compliance: Navigating strict regulations like GDPR and CCPA calls for privacy-first data collection and campaign execution.
Inefficient Budget Allocation: Without predictive analytics, budget allocation may favor low-performing channels or overlook high-value opportunities.
Misaligned Metrics: Overemphasis on vanity metrics like CPI or CTR may neglect long-term value indicators such as LTV or ROAS.
Scaling Challenges: As campaigns grow, maintaining efficiency while reaching diverse, high-value audiences becomes increasingly complex.
Creative Ineffectiveness: Poorly designed ads or irrelevant messaging can fail to capture attention or drive conversions.
A robust DSP tackles these challenges head-on by using AI-powered optimization, predictive modeling, and dynamic creative solutions to ensure campaigns are cost-efficient, scalable, and aligned with user engagement and retention goals.
Your Next Move in App Growth
User acquisition is only the beginning of your app’s success story. True growth comes from seamlessly integrating acquisition with strategies like retargeting, ensuring that users not only install your app but also continue to engage, convert, and stay loyal.
While user acquisition captures the spotlight, retargeting works behind the scenes, rekindling connections with churned users and driving them back into the fold. Dive deeper into how these strategies complement each other in our detailed exploration of user acquisition vs. retargeting.
Success in app marketing isn’t just about running campaigns—it’s about mastering the art of precision. It takes a partner who can harmonize data, creativity, and optimization into a strategy that delivers results.Whether you’re on a mission to scale user acquisition or elevate retention, Aarki’s AI-powered performance marketing expertise is your edge. Reach out today, and let’s unlock new possibilities together.
EN 
KO 
ZH