TL;DR

BFCM looked great on the surface, but the numbers told a different story. High engagement didn’t always lead to revenue, and many teams realized they were optimizing toward activity, not intent. The real shift comes from using signals that actually reflect purchase behavior. With Signal Hub, brands can build smarter, higher-value audiences based on real spend and activate them across major channels, turning strong-looking campaigns into ones that truly drive business outcomes.

Another Black Friday and Cyber Monday is in the books.
Your dashboards are full, your spreadsheets overflowing, and your media team is somewhere between proud and exhausted.

Some campaigns crushed it. Others… not so much.

Every year, the same question comes up once the dust settles: what actually worked?

When success on paper doesn’t add up

If you judged your campaigns by click-through rates or installs, this season probably looked great. Engagement was high, creative was on point, and spend hit the targets.

But dig a little deeper, and many marketers are seeing the same thing: conversions that looked promising on paper didn’t translate to revenue. The signals were strong, but they weren’t the right ones. Or as some marketing leads told us after the season wrapped: “We reached everyone we wanted. Just not the ones who actually bought.”

That’s the paradox of modern performance marketing. You can have more data than ever, but if it’s all surface-level engagement, you’re still flying blind.

Picture this: your team spends weeks preparing a big November campaign. Budgets are locked, creatives polished, targeting refined. Launch day hits, and the metrics look great. But when you look at the business impact, something’s off. The audiences that engaged weren’t necessarily the ones who converted. You optimized toward activity, not intent, because your data stopped at digital behavior, such as surface-level signals like clicks, installs, and in-app events, which don’t reveal real purchase intent.

Building smarter audiences with the signals that matter

Now imagine building next year’s plan differently. Instead of targeting users  who clicked your ad or watched your video, you focus on people who actually spend, verified through real-world purchase signals.

That’s the idea behind Signal Hub, a new privacy-safe signal marketplace inside AppsFlyer, built for marketers. It enables brands to go beyond digital behavior and reach audiences based on their actual purchase transactions.

Here’s what that looks like in action.

Finding new high-value subscribers

A leading entertainment brand is launching a new streaming service and wants to acquire users with proven willingness to pay for content. Using Signal Hub’s purchase signals, the team identifies consumers who have recently spent on digital entertainment such as video, gaming, and music subscriptions across multiple merchants.

No first-party data is required. These are new potential users identified purely through anonymized, transaction-based spend data. Once built, the audience is activated across major ad platforms through AppsFlyer integrations, improving conversion rates and ROAS from the very first campaign.

Engaging high-value players

A mobile gaming publisher wants to re-engage existing players ahead of a new release.
Using first-party app data, the team identifies users who have installed or recently played one of their titles. Through Signal Hub’s financial data, they find which of those same users have also made recent app store purchases, indicating active, paying behavior in the wider mobile ecosystem.

By targeting that intersection, the publisher builds a segment of high-value, payment-active gamers and reaches them across channels with early-access or upgrade offers. The result: improved Day 7 ROAS and higher monetization from returning users.

From campaign reports to business outcomes

Signal Hub allows brands to enrich their first-party data with anonymized, transaction-based purchase signals securely and without moving or exposing any raw data.

Fully integrated into AppsFlyer’s ecosystem, Signal Hub lets teams activate and measure these enriched audiences across every major media channel without complex setup or engineering.

It’s a quiet but powerful shift: moving from campaign optimization to business optimization.

If you want to see how this works in practice and explore the full range of available signals, head to the Signal Hub page.

Key takeaways

Stepping back from the season, the pattern is pretty clear. The campaigns that truly performed weren’t just the ones that drove the most clicks or installs, but the ones built on signals that actually pointed to revenue. When you look at everything through that lens, a few things stand out:

• High engagement doesn’t guarantee revenue. Many campaigns performed well on paper but didn’t deliver business impact.
• Digital behavior isn’t enough. To find users who actually buy, you need signals rooted in real spending.
• Signal Hub makes that possible by using anonymized, transaction-based purchase data to build smarter, higher-value audiences.
• You can activate these enriched audiences across major media channels and measure real outcomes, not just clicks or installs.

The post What Black Friday and Cyber Monday taught us about smarter signals for 2026 appeared first on AppsFlyer.

What’s happening with user acquisition?

The app age has obviously matured since its infancy – just a decade ago – but it certainly has not stopped growing. The key performance indicators you care about as an app marketer continue to generate impressive upward trajectories.

Look back and you see double-digit year-over-year growth.

Look forward and the trend is projected to continue into 2020.

Non-organic installs – realized from paid and owned marketing activities – will also see the bars get taller each year and an arrow pointing steadily higher.

Look even further forward and the app economy continues burning bright.

According to the App Annie 2017-2022 forecast:

• Annual consumer spend in app stores will reach $157 billion by 2020 (up 92% from 2017)
• Average annual consumer spend will reach $26 per device by 2020 (up 23% from 2017)

Will your apps be joining the party?

Obviously, the raging hot app market bodes well for those capable of staying in step with the demands of their verticals and mastering data-driven marketing.

However, it should be equally obvious that in every crowd you have leaders, laggards and a vast array of competitors in between.

Just like in every type of business, in the case of mobile apps, marketers are responsible for attracting and keeping customers.

In this guide, we’ll focus on the former, which is known as user acquisition, or UA.

User acquisition is the method of driving new users to a mobile app business through marketing activity.

UA primarily takes the form of paid media marketing, owned media marketing, and app store optimization (to maximize organic traffic).

User acquisition matters because:

• Growth in the freemium-driven app economy depends on capturing the small minority of users (roughly 5-7%) who contribute to in-app purchase revenue
• Amidst an explosion of apps, the mobile ecosystem has witnessed a decline in the share of organic installs due to broken app discovery
• Effective strategies boost your app store rankings which, in turn, leads to more UA.

So, how do you master user acquisition?

Like any critical skill, you begin with a strong command of the basics.

In this guide, you’ll learn more about the most prominent UA challenges and the critical elements of planning, executing, and continuously optimizing your UA efforts.

Attribution and marketing analytics

You’re a mobile marketer and you’re ready with a cross-device marketing strategy. Based on your app’s goals and road map, you’ve positioned your team to maximize user acquisition and gather crucial insights for future re-engagement activities.

But how do you know what is working and what is not?

Enter mobile attribution and the marketing analytics.

Mobile (install) attribution is a method for determining which marketing activity delivered specific app installs.

Marketers can take data acquired from attribution, broken down on a granular level, and tie it back to performance, revenue, and any number of other post-install activities.

How attribution can boost your app’s profitability?

1. It helps inform user acquisition decisions

When done by a reliable, unbiased attribution provider, mobile attribution can pinpoint the value of specific channels, media sources, publishers, campaigns, and even creatives, in turn allowing you to optimize your app’s performance.

With the wealth data attribution provides, you can easily boost lifetime value (LTV) and ROI, and understand exactly where you should (or shouldn’t) spend your budget.

For more information on how to use attribution data to optimize your campaigns, see Chapter 7.

2: You can consolidate your advertising ecosystem into a single SDK

The technical challenges of working with ad networks without an attribution provider are numerous.

As a general rule, all networks require an SDK for measurement and optimization, each of which typically needs different implementation, integration, and quality assurance that can unfortunately cause major data discrepancies if not set up properly.

And that’s before your operation gets bigger.

Scaling for app marketers who are attempting to manually implement their own attribution means costly new SDK integrations for each ad network they want to add; slowed progress; drained resources; and even negative app performance.

Instead of numerous SDKs resulting in confusion and discrepancy, an app will integrate a single SDK that measures and performs attribution for all of its ad networks.

When you integrate with a universal SDK, you can know that your provider has already done the heavy lifting and will be able to connect you to your entire mobile ecosystem:

3: It removes double or triple charging by ad networks

Last-touch attribution currently ranks as the standard for attribution modeling and understand the source of installs.

This means that the ad network that last “touched” (with an ad view or click) the user gets the full credit.

However, the reality of the user journey is one of multiple touch points before install, which means interactions with multiple media sources. Without a reliable source of attribution, each network that logged a touch on a multi-touch user journey can claim credit and charge you for an install.

Why? Because media sources only see their own touches.

Especially as a marketer running campaigns on several media sources, you might easily pay double or triple.

With no dog in the fight, so to speak, an impartial attribution provider trusted by both advertisers and media companies can pinpoint the last touch and connect the entire user journey to future UA and re-engagement decisions.

More importantly, the impartiality gives both marketers and media partners alike confidence that the data is accurate and indisputable.

In the end, you pay one source only and everyone is happy (again, assuming last touch standard in place).

How to make attribution work for you

With a fractured mobile landscape and many connections that need to be solidified in order for accurate data to reach your dashboards, your attribution provider can leave no room for error.

But what are the characteristics that make up a good provider and what can you expect as you make this crucial decision?

There are many, but here are the top 3:

1. Established, unbiased, and well-connected with the ecosystem

Any marketer running paid user acquisition campaigns is likely working with the biggest media sources out there: Facebook, Google, Apple, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and the Chinese giant, Tencent.

That means they need an official mobile measurement partner who has been extensively vetted for their innovation, service excellence, expertise, and record of success – and who is held to the highest security standards for data integrity.

You should consider the depth of integration your potential provider has with these media sources; include their offerings for impressions, clicks, cost, and the ability to automatically run audience campaigns (such as remarketing and lookalikes) in your analyses.

Otherwise, you may risk missing large chunks of mission-critical data from the highest performing networks.

2. Large scale and market share to block fraud

Mobile ad fraud is a pervasive and inevitable challenge in mobile – preparing your app’s infrastructure for potential attacks now before they become a problem will pay off in the future.

The latest study by AppsFlyer on the global state of mobile fraud showed that almost 1 in every 4 installs is fraudulent. No doubt, effective fraud protection is a must have.

Because of the continuous evolution and increased sophistication of fraudsters, your attribution provider must have two ingredients to be effective:

1. Massive cross-network scale with significant market penetration
2. Machine learning to pull actionable insights from the data and identify new forms of fraud before they inflict serious damage

These qualities, paired with multi-touch attribution capabilities and a secure SDK, will make it much harder for fraudsters to attack… and win.

3. Trustworthy security and privacy infrastructure

While an extensive integrated partner network and powerful fraud blocking capabilities keep your data aligned with your business goals, no attribution operation ultimately exists without a tight security and privacy infrastructure to back it up.

After all, your data is your most important asset that must be safeguarded.

You should look for an enterprise-grade solution that not only was built upon a wide range of policies and procedures (like access management, security for personnel, product, and network, security monitoring, and incident response, among others) but prioritizes your security as mission-critical and operates in real-time.

Attribution is the most important component in the mobile marketing tech stack.

For more on mobile attribution and marketing analytics, check out Getting Started with Mobile Attribution.

The app market’s most prevalent user acquisition challenges

Organic app discovery is broken.

It’s a sobering reality of the app business.

Any one app is now a needle in the gargantuan haystacks that are the two dominant app stores.

To seize control of your destiny is to embrace the notion that non-organic traffic is key. But it’s not like you flip on the paid marketing switch and users come pouring in.

The cost of paid UA keeps rising while user retention and monetization, unfortunately, continue to pose significant challenges.

Challenge 1: Churn burns

It’s no secret an app’s retention rate is another all-important mobile marketing metric.

Loyalty means money.

Churn burns.

Users are demanding, finicky, and painfully fickle.

A study of retention benchmarks for days 1, 7, and 30 based on 1.6 billion installs makes clear retention is hard to achieve and progress comes slowly.

However, a close inspection of the data presented above reveals loyalty is up to 20% higher with non-organic users.

Although retention numbers are still painfully low, this increase is encouraging as even small gains in retention have been known to have a significant impact on lifetime value.

Want to dig deeper into retention data and analyze it based on geography and vertical markets? Help yourself to our free 2018 App Retention Benchmarks Report.

Challenge 2: Fragmentation

Welcome to the world of mobile, where the following are forever part of the immensely fragmented fray:

• A load of device types
• Two (dominating) and completely different operating systems: Android and iOS
• Environments for both the mobile web and apps
• Multiple identifiers

Clearly, the fragmentation of the mobile landscape poses a series of challenges for strategy, optimization, and measurement

Challenge 3: Omni-channel measurement

In mobile marketing, you have to broach the subject of omni-channel attribution and measurement. But it tends to make heads spin.

How do you connect the dots and craft a unified user experience across multiple devices and touchpoints?

Challenge 4: Escalating media costs

As you would suspect, increased demand causes UA costs to rise. Not to mention acquiring users that complete in-app purchases can be even more costly.

The most important thing to understand about rising costs is that marketers who rely heavily on data have confidence to invest in marketing and drive profitability.

Challenge 5: Monetization

The share of app users who go on to make an in-app purchase (IAP) stands at a mere 5-7%.

In a freemium-driven space where most apps make money from IAPs, finding revenue-generating users remains elusive. The use of in-app advertising – another important revenue stream – is on the rise, but it is mostly relevant for gaming and utility apps.

Challenge 6: Fraud

Mobile app install fraud is more prevalent than ever.

Why does the level of attempted fraud remain so high?

Because beyond the obvious financial incentive for fraudsters, there are many marketers who are still unaware of the threat.

App marketers without fraud protection are exposing themselves to potentially catastrophic results.

Not only are they wasting their budgets on fake or organic users, they are basing their entire optimization efforts on data that is completely wrong!

To better understand the threat of mobile ad fraud, take a look at this report.

User acquisition challenges continue to mount.

App marketers must stay on top of the latest with paid marketing trends to reduce wasted spend and address fragmentation. Throughout this guide, you’ll gather important tactics for overcoming these challenges.

Media categories: Where to connect with new users

Digital marketers have come to know a modern media universe often described by the acronym PESO, which stands for:

There are your four media categories.

It’s no secret that organic search, or SEO, goes in the “earned” file. Essentially, you have to earn (and it’s far from easy) the golden real estate that is a top 10, or page one, position for any given keyword search on Google or the other prominent search engines.

In the world of app marketing, while ranking on a web-based search engine (or being featured on the results page in any way) is obviously a good thing, apps are far more concerned with visibility in the two almighty app stores – Google Play and Apple’s App Store. The practice of earning exposure there is called ASO, which stands for App Store Optimization.

For more on the fundamentals of ASO, see Chapter 8.

This chapter will focus on the following media types:

1. Paid
2. Shared
3. Owned

Paid media: You get what you pay for

The world of paid media, which is essentially advertising in its various forms, has witnessed remarkable change in the 21st century. In a nutshell, traditional media such as broadcast, print, direct mail, and outdoor advertising have taken a massive slide, as the dollars continue to pour into digital.

Data from PwC shows online advertising has overtaken TV advertising and will continue surging far past it.

Online advertising is forecast to be a $127 billion market by 2020 – about 70% larger than the forecast for TV advertising.

Paid digital media offers a powerful set of benefits – namely optimization, control, scalability, and accountability through measurement.

And leading the charge among digital ad channels is mobile.

eMarketer estimates that nearly 34% of all media spend in the US is already going towards mobile advertising, with that share projected to rise to nearly 48% in the next three years.

It can be difficult to know where to prioritize media allocation, as each channel has its own costs and benefits. The ad buyer is forever challenged to examine and optimize ad spend to increase ROI.

Prominent UA channels in paid media

Facebook

The social giant focused on mobile early, a decision that propelled it to become the largest media source in app install advertising today. Beyond its massive global reach, Facebook offers a robust self-serving ad platform enabling app marketers to optimize for installs and / or in-app events.

Extensive optimization options enable you, among other things, to buy per device, OS, custom audiences, lookalike audiences, and exclude those who previously installed your app.

Google App Campaigns

App marketers should think of Google as a network because its App Campaigns give you access to users across the AdMob network, search, display, Google Play, YouTube, and Gmail. You can set everything up from the Play Developer Console.

UAC is driven by automation and machine learning, leveraging its immense scale of data behind the scenes to guide optimization. Although much of the ad creation and delivery is automated, advertisers must understand what works to set the right goals, guide bidding, and produce the most effective creative variations.

The bold move to UAC has paid off for Google – it has considerably increased its share in the app install ad pie since the 2017 launch.

Apple Search Ads

Apple Search Ads App help apps get discovered in Apple’s App Store. Leveraging powerful search intent has turned this channel into an extremely important source of traffic for apps targeting markets with a high percentage of iOS users.

Advertisers set daily or total campaign budgets based on keyword search terms. Apple Search Ads are created automatically by selecting images and copy found within the metadata the app publisher or developer supplies.

Features include customer type, gender, age, and location. Apple also provides advertisers with a keyword suggestion tool, popularity indicators and negative keyword capabilities.

Instagram

Facebook-owned Instagram has always been a mobile-first platform, so it’s ideal for app install ads. Its growing popularity also means advertisers can scale through this platform.

Like Facebook, a variety of formats are available including photo, video, and carousel ads. Advertisers use Facebook Ads manager, which makes it easy to try ads on both platforms as well as reuse ads that worked well on the other platform.

Twitter

Twitter claims that 83% of its users are on mobile and on the lookout for apps.

App Cards allow advertisers to prompt audience members to download or open apps directly from within a Tweet. It’s a powerful ad format that displays an image preview, app ratings, and supports direct installs.

Twitter campaigns offer a “cost per app click” pricing model to ensure you only pay for clicks that lead to the App Store or Google Play.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a fast-growing platform embraced widely by members of Generations Y and Z. Advertisers can target by location, age, gender, mobile network, device or OS, and the types of content users engage with.

A Snap ad can be a 10-second video or an interactive ad that lets users swipe up to watch a longer video, read an article, access a mobile website or install an app. Snapchat uses a cost per view model, charging advertisers as soon as the video ad starts.

Ad networks

There are two main types of mobile ad networks selling media to app marketers:

1. Premium SDK networks
   
   These are networks who require their SDK to be implemented in the monetizing app as it enables the use of complex and proprietary ad units such as rewarded video or native ad types.
   
   Premium SDK networks usually work directly with media property owners or app developers with inventory to sell. As such, every publisher is heavily vetted, ensuring more accountability and less fraud. Key players include AppLovin, ironSource, Unity Ads, Vungle, and Tapjoy.
   
2. Affiliate networks
   
   An affiliate network is essentially a platform that facilitates the exchange of supply and demand between publishers and advertisers. It is considered an effective tool to drive scale.
   
   However, these networks don’t necessarily know who their publishers are, while the media is often re-brokered on multiple layers. As a result, there is far less visibility and control, which could lead to higher rates of fraud.

Demand Side Platforms (DSP)

A Mobile DSP is a programmatic technology platform that enables automated media buying at scale. App advertisers are able to bid in real time auctions of multiple ad exchanges using a single interface.

Its advantages are mainly increased transparency (sites, ads, bids), access to wider inventory (rather than buying a single media partner’s limited inventory) and multiple optimization options (contextual and behavioral).

In-app header bidding, also referred to as a “unified auction,” is a programmatic ad booking technique that allows mobile app publishers to offer ad inventory to all demand sources at the same time – in real time. Each ad impression is simultaneously offered and sold to the highest bidder from any type of demand source.

Media buyers compete fairly on every piece of ad inventory at the same, not just the small percentage of inventory seen on their rank in the waterfall.

Alternative paid channels

The primary UA channels covered above are obviously proven sources. But in the highly competitive app space, app marketers should also look beyond to drive more demand for their app.

This includes:

• Android pre-installs
  Preloading puts your app on millions of targeted devices at the moment of maximum engagement: unboxing and activation. Though the availability of preloaded app real estate is obviously limited, there are opportunities to target users in emerging economies.
  
  Ad networks like Digital Turbine specialize in partnerships with device sellers to include bundles of preloaded apps.
  
• Influencer outreach
  Influencer marketing for apps involves forging relationships between your brand and specific influencers who are trusted figures within a specific niche. The influencer promotes your app through media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube to propel your brand.
  
  The idea behind reaching out to influencers and compensating them is to get them to create authentic content. Influencer-generated content is found to perform even better than user-generated content. Influencer marketing has become a potent answer to the rising use of ad blockers by consumers, the escalating costs of native advertising (social and otherwise), and the mind-boggling overload of content in general.

Earned, owned, and shared media channels

Content marketing

It’s often said, “content is king” in online marketing and it’s unquestionably a key to app sustainability as well.

Content marketing for apps gives you a channel – over which you have complete control – where you can reach new audiences and boost traffic.

Video can be a very effective content medium for app marketing as well. App demos, promotional videos, and user-generated videos can attract an audience and inspire viewers to share.

In addition to content mainstays such as blog posts and videos, you can create infographics, ebooks, guides, templates, quizzes, contests and many other types of content.

The key is to ensure every piece of content provides value.

Organic social media

Social media is one of the top channels to include in your UA strategy.

Content posted on social media networks can reach a large audience tool and increase app installs.

You’ll want to follow top publications and industry leaders, connect with their audiences, and engage as often as possible to build your following.

Social media evolves quickly so tune-into how the networks that matter most to your business and stay on top of the trends. For instance, live streaming has taken off in recent years.

Internet community forums

You can get your app and content in front of a very targeted audience via forums, Q&A websites, and social media groups. Each of these channels are no-cost alternatives to paid advertising and allow you to communicate directly with your target audience.

Of course, be careful to be a good citizen of the communities you participate in and stay far away from being spammy or overtly promotional.

Loyalty programs

A loyalty program can help inspire users to become evangelists of your app. Loyalty program tactics often include:

• A reward system, such as discounts
• Gamification, such as unlocking a new feature based on referrals
• Connecting app marketing to traditional marketing by allowing users to earn and measure loyalty rewards obtained in-app, in-store, or online, on their mobile app

Word of mouth

Word of mouth, or WOM for short, is and always has been the most persuasive form of marketing.

In addition to reward programs and store ratings and review, you can foster more word of mouth by making your app easy to share.

Build social sharing capabilities and social integration features into your app.

Email marketing

App marketers should not underestimate the power of email marketing. The majority of emails are now opened on mobile devices, making the channel a prime candidate to direct prospects to your app store page.

Consider using email marketing to promote your content, share product updates, offer discounts, and announce upcoming events. Email is also a great way to connect with your audience on a personal level with birthday wishes, personalized offers, and timely content recommendations.

Also, use email to request and collect feedback. Ask recipients to reply with insights regarding how you can improve your app.

Mobile website

If you have a mobile app, chances are you also have a mobile website, especially if you’re in the travel or shopping verticals.

The website is extremely underleveraged, but can be an excellent touchpoint to expose users to your app, either through incentives (such as exclusive club membership, discounts, or seasonal promotions) or by showcasing how the app can enhance the web and mobile web experience.

Consider adding stellar ratings, a quick tagline, and/or your App and Play Store icons to increase chances of app install.

SMS/Texting

The top used feature on smartphones is texting, and texting has the highest engagement rate of any marketing medium.

SMS is an informal and highly personal channel, so it’s ideal for entertaining campaigns, which may include games, promotions, polls, interactive content, and of course, one-on-one conversations.

Press coverage

Press coverage in the publications that are most relevant to your audience may be your best source of organic traction.

However, tech journalists receive dozens of press releases every day, via email, from companies seeking press coverage. When pitching, remember that your subject line is all-important. It’s also important to make your pitch extremely brief, descriptive and exciting.

You’ll also need to be prepared with a solid press kit.

The items you’ll likely want to include in your press kit are:

1. App icon
2. App Screenshots
3. App review guide
4. Press release
5. Demo video
6. Company profile

App Store Feature

The pinnacle of unpaid, earned media for apps is getting featured in app stores. Both Apple and Google regularly review apps and prominently display their top recommendations, which will have a dramatic effect on driving installs.

Consider the following tips to increase your chances of being featured:

• Ensure your app store page is highly persuasive
• Create an enticing icon
• Keep your ratings high
• Create buzz for your app via social media and all forms of online marketing

QR codes

As a marketing tactic, QR codes may not have lived up to expectations but often work to increase UA.

QR codes are, of course, mostly used to engage smartphone users. Plus, QR codes are easy and free to create.

Places you can offer potential users QR codes include:

• Email signatures
• Social media
• Print ads
• Posters, banners and billboards
• In-store
• Websites
• Business cards

Selecting the right media partner

As you have undoubtedly surmised, you’re faced with an overwhelming number of options when it comes to making media choices.

Choosing wisely calls for having access to up-to-date, accurate, and objective insights regarding mobile media sources.

On that front, AppsFlyer has great news for you: each year we publish the AppsFlyer Performance Index, the industry-standard and most comprehensive report card on the performance of mobile media sources.

The index features rankings by categories and game genres and covers hundreds of media sources in multiple regions across the globe.

It’s also important to make sure you’re always up-to-date on the trends of the industry. Read trusted industry blogs and trade publications. Develop relationships with industry peers and trusted thought leaders via online communities. Attend conferences, workshops and other events.

A note on mobile ad fraud

As described in Chapter 1, app install fraud is significantly contaminating the ecosystem, with nearly 1 in 4 installs being fraudulent!

A big part of the problem can be attributed to the media side.

There are two main reasons for this:

1. The digital advertising ecosystem involves many layers of resellers, with little in the way of oversight and transparency
2. There are media companies who are taking little to no action against fraud, and many of these have repeatedly been excluded from the AppsFlyer Performance Index for failing to meet the threshold

Therefore, demand transparency from your media partners, and more importantly take everything they say with a grain of salt (some don’t even know they are being attacked).

Instead, take matters into your own hands and protect yourself!

A few more tips

• Think quality first… but don’t forget quantity matters in UA advertising too, so try not to reel in the scope of your media buys.
• Are the partners you’re choosing self-service? Know what you’re getting into. You’ll prefer the self-service model if you want to make changes on the fly, whereas managed service might be more comfortable for you if you intend to make bulk buys without the need for agility.
• Remember to closely examine your optimization options.

How many media partners should you work with?

Ever wonder how many media partners your competitors have?

We did, so we examined over 1,100 apps to reveal:

Insights we drew from the data include:

• Spend and network quantity is highly correlated
• More media sources create more room for optimization
• It’s important to reach the same users in different contexts – the more media sources you work with, the greater the ability to create meaningful interactions
• The key is to not be too exposed and reliant on one network, but to ensure your media mix is diverse and that you’re constantly testing

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Conclusion

App marketers today connect with new users across the spectrum of paid, earned, shared and owned media.

Understand your options and pursue prominent paid media channels when you seek greater control and more immediate results.

However, to increase your reach and lower you costs, continue to integrate earned, shared and owned channels, including content marketing and social media marketing.

How to set up and test UA campaigns

How do you translate your business goals into a marketing goal, and what processes are needed to ensure you are setup for success?

This is the key question you need to ask yourself before getting started.

Let’s examine some of the steps needed to maximize your success through test UA campaigns.

Set ROAS goals

As a performance marketer, you seek ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) and aim to improve LTV.

The goal is to work backwards from LTV to discover what levers to pull.

Understanding the user journey within your own environment gives you the ability to predict what users are likely to do when they trigger certain app events. This allows you to understand the value of your various paid media efforts.

Applying these values makes it easier and more predictable to forecast ROAS and optimize your campaign.

Ask yourself:

• What kinds of user actions in your app can you map to different stages of the journey towards purchase?
• Are you trying to optimize campaigns for maximum installs or for maximum post-install in-app events?
• Will higher CPI costs deliver higher ROAS?

Deciding on what to measure is therefore a critical component of set up as it is the foundation of success.

Aim for granularity, but don’t measure too much at first.

Check out this video for a great app measurement framework your can adopt.

Tag wisely

You need to setup granular tagging in your attribution link that can pinpoint different elements and segment based on variables such as the creative, the campaign, the test, and the channel.

Example:

CampaignName_AppName_Vertical_Channel_TargetingGroup_CreativeConcept_Device_NewCustomers_AngryBirds_Social_Facebook_18-25CasualGamers_RedBird_Android

Set budget strategy

As we discussed in Chapter 3, understating how much we should invest into the growth of our products is a vital component of successful UA.

Test your creatives

Many campaigns are test campaigns.

Why? Because you need to know what resonates with your audience.

To arrive at the answer you can test variations of images, headlines, copy, and any other creative element.

A campaign built on three images with three titles produces a test bed of nine creatives. Of course, you can easily add additional variations to create another layer.

Develop a framework that enables you to test your hypothesis, learn from your winners and losers, and respond accordingly. Stay focused and make sure you emphasize tests that have the potential to yield actionable insights.

Testing tips:

• Start with the hypothesis – determine why you are conducting the test and what you expect to learn
• Define data-driven goals for success
  • Determine what your minimum sample size for statistical significance should be and make sure to compare results with a “clean” variant
  • Only name your test winner when you’ve used data from a trusted attribution provider
  • Lastly, define the time frame given to the media source to reach the goals
• Know in advance what steps to take after gathering results
• Examine the resources required to setup your tests
• Understand if your tests are scalable
• Research testing tactics – read, investigate, ask peers, join a community and take advantage of the many experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly marketers out there
• Get key info from media partners that are new to you before experimenting with them
  • Are they self-serve or managed?
  • Is their inventory direct or non-direct?
  • What level of transparency is offered?
  • How much of their inventory is “exclusive”?
  • Which ad formats do they offer (always evaluate based on an actual live preview – not just the listed specifications.)?
• Define legal terms and include an opt-out clause in the contract where it is clearly stated under which terms a test can end.

In general, you must adopt an always-be-testing mindset in whatever you do.

Check out this video for proven methods to get your app marketing testing going.

Segment for better user engagement

Your marketing reaches new levels – and the quality of your UA reaches new heights – when you build smart, dynamic, specific audience segments.

Audience segmentation is dividing people into homogenous subgroups based on criteria such as:

Here are five ways you can improve UA performance with segmented audiences:

1. Drive quality users
   Constantly update your segmentation criteria and allocate more budget where you get the highest quality
2. Lookalike audiences
   Identify prospects that ad platforms identify as similar your best users
3. Uninstall recovery/exclusion
   Identify users who recently uninstalled your app to drive reinstalls, or exclude them from further segmentation
4. Exclusion segmentation
   Remove users you are trying to engage on Network A and need not engage on Network B… or create an audience segment of problematic users and exclude them from your re-engagement campaigns
5. Cross-app promotions
   Identify users that were once active, but aren’t currently with ads about your newest release

The process of optimizing your UA campaigns begins with setting ROAS goals and requires careful analysis and testing of your creative executions.

Apply the testing tips presented here to continuously refine your campaigns. You’ll also want to create audience segments to further improve UA performance.

Strategic budgeting for user acquisition

Each year, marketing professionals prepare their budget allocations anew.

The area of paid user acquisition is key for hitting growth targets for mobile apps, so it’s important to carefully consider how to budget for it effectively.

Let’s take a look at some considerations, practical advice, and key takeaways for coming up with the best possible UA paid media budget for your campaigns.

Key considerations for UA budget planning

Your main concern when budgeting for UA is how much you’re willing to invest in growth in this area.

To reach a conclusion, consider these three parameters:

1. What you’ll be sacrificing

When you choose to invest in UA, you’re not only putting money down on one growth channel – you’re also choosing not to put those resources into other potential areas of business growth, such as product development.

A thorough cost-benefit analysis can help you decide to what extent significant investment in UA is the best option for your business budget.

2. How much appetite you have for risk

Every company has to decide what level of risk it is willing to stomach.

Your level of risk tolerance will determine how aggressive you’ll be about investing in the uncertain expansion of your user base.

3. What your UA rationale is

There’s a distinct possibility that a budget which satisfies both your risk threshold and your opportunity costs won’t leave you with enough to spend on UA to be effective. Low spend volumes produce small datasets, which in turn make it difficult to reach high user quality levels that drive positive ROAS.

To do UA well, you need a large enough data sample that will allow you to learn and optimize activity.

Approaches to UA budget planning

After you’ve considered these issues that underpin your UA budget planning, you can choose your preferred budgeting strategy. There are two main approaches:

• Top-down
  Top-down budgeting begins with marketing funding decisions at the C-level. The total marketing budget is then broken down into various marketing strategies, including UA. Some companies approach this by setting a reinvestment ratio, with a certain percentage of net revenue funneled back to fuel growth through more marketing.
  
• Bottom-up
  Bottom-up marketing begins the decision-making with the UA team. They monitor the markets, potential partners, and existing campaigns to make a decision about the UA environment. By combining this with internal growth targets, they produce an efficient target spend level.

Both approaches can be effective ways to come up with a UA budget.

How to come up with a budget

If you take the bottom-up approach to creating a UA budget, you can draw on the knowledge of your UA team to produce a realistic budget estimate.

These five steps help ensure that the estimates are reasonable, realistic, and easy-to-assess:

1. Decide on your product and company goals
2. Agree on the parameters for reaching those goals in the upcoming campaign (e.g. demographics, technical requirements, location)
3. Draw up a tentative budget
4. Validate your tentative budget against prevailing market conditions and potential media partners
5. Get buy-in for your revised and validated budget while remaining conscious of financial feasibility

You should always be cautious when drafting a UA budget.

Pay careful attention to the actual performance of earlier UA campaigns and use them to optimize upcoming campaigns for greater effectiveness.

Step-by-step guide to using the UA budget template

Feel free to check out this simple and easy template for reaching a top line budget figure.

The template helps you decide on the necessary budget for reaching a given growth rate when taking UA rationale into account.

Here’s how it works:

1. Begin with the target unit cost (CPA) of the action you wish to achieve through your campaign (for example, day 1 retention)
2. Add the conversion rate from new installs (for example, day 1 retention rate of 40%)
3. Enter the total number of days for the campaign (for example, 90 days)
4. Input a sampling rule. This refers to the number of direct actions you want to produce each day – there are a few different ways to calculate this number, but as a general rule you should input at least 100
5. Add the campaign parameters. This means defining your desired campaign structure through technical, audience, and partner specifications – this template assumes that your budget will be distributed evenly across all your campaign parameters, so the more detailed your campaign specification, the higher your total required budget

Key principles for planning a UA budget

When you set out to plan your UA budget, you should remember these three key principles:

• Arrive at the right budgeting approach for your organization and growth goals
• Come up with a reasonable estimate that is grounded in caution
• Be rigorous in validating your potential budget against existing market conditions

By continually learning and iterating your budgeting practice, you’ll be able to deliver sustained, effective UA growth that contributes to your overall business growth.

The different types of app install ad formats

Mobile advertising began with simple banner ads, but now offers numerous ad types.

In this chapter we’ll look at the various types of ad formats and provide useful tips to help you best use them.

Banner ads

Banners are probably the oldest form of mobile ads and remain the most widely used format. They’re usually embedded into a web page or application and feature a combination of both images and text.

Banners are easy to implement and can be less intrusive than other formats. They can be set as sticky ad units that remain at the top or bottom of the screen and can be expanded to full screen.

Be sure to make your banners visually exciting and include a prominent call to action.

Interstitial ads

Interstitial ads are full-screen images or videos that appear at natural app transition points. They pop up and cover the entire screen when a user goes to close or leave a web page.

Interstitials outperform banner ads because they are bigger and therefore make a larger impression. They’re easy to implement and reputed to increase click-through rates as compared to banners.

It’s important to remember that interstitials should only be displayed when a user has completed a task. Never interrupt users when they’re engaged in the main app activity or gameplay.

Rich media ads

Rich media ads help overcome banner blindness because they grab attention by including videos, GIFs, audio, and interactive forms of media.

A study by the IAB and ComScore indicates rich media ads result in 79% higher user engagement and a 23% increase in message recall.

Video ads

Video ads are rapidly growing in popularity. Video ads grab the user’s attention, tell a story and drastically improve brand recall.

Another type of video ad is the “rewarded video.” That is, users get rewarded for watching your ad. This type of video ad is known for being a great way to monetize an app and to introduce freemium game content.

Like all video ads, rewarded videos should be creative and engaging. The videos are non-skippable, so they have a greater chances to grab users’ attention.

The ad should be non-intrusive and appear at the right time – say, the moment when a user can’t pass a game level and needs some assistance.

Carousel ads

Carousel ads are ideal for advertising multiple products via Facebook. A carousel or slider ad presents users with a series of images (or videos) revealed when they swipe.

If you sell different types of products and want to put more than one in front of your audience, you can use the carousel format to tell a unique visual story with a sequence of images or videos in a single ad.

Playable ads

The playable ad is an interactive format that has experienced significant growth in recent years. The ads enable users to try out the core functionality of an app or game, like a free demo, before committing to a download.

Playables have proven effective for increasing conversions and retention, and ultimately, player LTV and revenue.

Native ads

Native ads blend in well with the content of the site or app that presents them in terms of form and function. A more subtle form of advertising, native ads are non-intrusive.

Users often engage without realizing they’ve clicked on an ad. They’ve proven to earn higher views and shares than the other ad content formats.

Social media ads

As we discussed in chapter 4 of this guide, social media advertising provides a cost-effective alternative to TV, radio or newspaper ads.

Social media ads have the versatility to be wherever the consumer is. When a consumer is directly targeted based on their interests or through a social media influencer they trust, they are more likely to convert.

Mobile ad sizes and formats

Let’s take a look at the most common mobile ad sizes offered.

300×250 (Medium rectangle)

• A high performing ad unit and the most popular ad size
• Placement above the fold increases viewability and potential for user engagement.
• The large mobile display ad size tends to generate better revenues

336×280 (Large rectangle)

• Another top performing ad size as suggested by Google
• Performs especially well when used inline, within text content, or at the end of articles

320×480

• The standard for full-screen interstitials
• Proven to yield higher engagement rates

320×50

• The standard for mobile banners
• Best implemented as a docked/anchor unit

How to measure the performance of your ad creative

You can – and should – measure the performance of your ads and optimize campaigns.

While you can do so by scrutinizing a number of parameters such as media type, network, bids, time of week, time of day, and more, collecting performance metrics as it relates to the ad’s messaging and design may prove to be the most impactful. This is your ad creative.

A/B testing is paramount to your success. You conduct A/B tests by concurrently running two versions of each ad, where a single variable such as your icon, headline, description, color palette, layout or visual differs.

Following are other things you can test for your ad creatives:

• Image ad vs. video ad
• Square video ad vs. portrait version
• Video ad vs. a carousel ad with two videos
• Install now call to action vs. a download call to action

Review the various types of mobile app ad formats and experiment with them.

Conduct A/B tests to identify the creative executions that perform best.

Optimizing UA performance with attribution data

User acquisition is an evolution in progress, but its underlying truth remains the same: to generate demand for an app that will lead to positive ROAS and improved profitability.

Doing so requires extracting useful insights about app installs through marketing analytics that are tied to attribution data.

As mentioned earlier in Chapter 2, your attribution and marketing data, especially in its raw, granular form, is truly mission-critical for getting deep insights on your campaigns, enhancing marketing performance, and optimizing your ROAS. It is used to guide budget allocation and inform decision-making on multiple levels: from channel, source, publisher, and campaign to creative.

You can see in the two images below that, within an attribution provider’s dashboard, marketers can monitor KPIs, acquisition trends, and view data broken down by media source, including cost, install data, loyal users, lifetime revenue, ROI, uninstalls, in-app events, assisted installs, and geographical distribution.

Mobile marketers can get deep insights to learn which promotions drove and/or assisted each install, revealing the customer journey via multi-touch attribution models.

Attribution reports also offer extensive retention and cohort data.

For example, it is clear from the following chart that Network 1 has the highest retention rate from the get go, while Network 2 starts and remains strong, albeit with less favorable performance than Network 1. Network 4 has the lowest retention on Day 1, but over time, it is Network 5 that loses the most users, as only 4.8% remain after 10 days.

To give more global and regional context to your retention data, check out 2018 App Retention Benchmarks.

On the other hand, a cohort report enables you to segment audiences based on common characteristics and measure specific KPIs over different timeframes.

In the following example, the cohort includes users from Great Britain who installed the app between January 1 and January 31, also grouped by the media source that acquired them.

With this categorization, we can then analyze which network delivered users with the highest average sessions per user over time.

Cohort analysis is distinctly calculated per different timeframes representing the first X activity days per user, and is then accumulated among all users (explaining the graph’s upward direction).

In this case, what are the key insights?

• Networks 1 and 2 underperform and should be considered for removal
• The growth of Network 5 (purple) is most impressive and constant over time – it makes a lot of sense to therefore increase its budget
• As indicated by the dropping curve for Network 7 (pink), engagement is dropping. Perhaps a remarketing campaign before day 14 can help maintain the curve in the long run.

For more information on attribution dashboard reporting, see Getting Started with Mobile Attribution.

Inform future spend decisions with granular measurement of your users’ actions

In today’s complex and competitive mobile landscape, a basic UA strategy that doesn’t factor in specific audience profiles and consumer behaviors simply won’t cut it.

Let’s explore some of the most powerful audience segmentations you can generate to improve your key metrics and bring your app to success.

Boost UA by mapping in-app events that matter

First and foremost, you can increase UA and engagement by mapping important in-app events in your funnel.

With that data in hand, you can optimize your UA campaigns based on the sources that deliver users with this behavior and deliver customized messaging for more installs, higher engagement, and performance uplift.

In the chart below, we can see a report on ARPU broken down by source.

Assuming that, in this case, we are looking for users with a high threshold of in-app spend, we can see that our email and SMS owned media channels, as well as Networks 1 and 5, are the highest performing and should receive more of our marketing budget.

Segment by custom audiences to identify high-value users

Custom audiences are segments of users that have been constructed based on parameters you have already set to define your high-value users.

The idea here is that, once you’ve gathered granular data on these audiences, you can use that to optimize your UA campaigns towards high-value users that similar traits, demographics, interests, and/or behaviors to your converting clients, otherwise known as lookalike audiences.

Note: you can set “lookalike audiences” on Facebook, and perform similar segmentations (called Similar and Tailored Audiences on Google and Twitter, respectively) on other media sources, based on their rich behavioral and demographic data.

Create a segment for cross-app promotions

In some instances of UA, you may have existing active clients who interact frequently with one of your apps, but not with others.

Audiences of those users are therefore low-hanging fruit for increasing installs, engagement, and revenue in other apps, especially more likely if the apps are related in some way. In these situations, in-app push notifications can capture your users during their live engagement.

Remarket to users who didn’t convert

Although this guide is primarily focused on UA, we cannot talk about audience building without mentioning remarketing. The most basic way to optimize with your data is to set up audiences of users who clicked or interacted with your ads but didn’t complete the installation. Remarketing these users can help to improve conversions and re-establish your connection to them for greater retention.

Your marketing analytics will reveal which of your promotions are most fruitful. The data delivered in your attribution dashboard can help you create segmentation strategies for more effective remarketing and tactics to boost engagement and sales.

The essentials of App Store Optimization (ASO) for UA

Search engine optimization in the app ecosystem has its own name: App Store Optimization (ASO).

Most people search for apps in the App Store or Google Play. As such, ASO is a major battleground for app publishers and marketers. However, like Google and other web search engines, the algorithms used by the app stores are mysterious black boxes.

Overall, we can say that in the last couple of years a lot more emphasis has been placed on quality (e.g. app engagement, uninstall rate, reviews, ratings) rather than quantity metrics (sheer number of downloads).

You can liken ASO to SEO for your mobile website, because the overall strategy is the same.

However, some tactics differ.

Also, although the ASO process for both Google Play and Apple’s App Store are based on the same principles, they too differ slightly in execution.

The essentials of ASO fall into three main categories:

• Keywords
• Visuals
• Off-site factors

We’ll dive into each now.

Choosing keywords for ASO

Though search engines continue getting smarter and more semantic, keywords remain the top dog for ASO or any type of search.

The biggest mistake brands make remains the same as well: they put too much emphasis on search volume.

The top priority should be choosing the relevant keywords for which you have the best chance for achieving a high ranking. Keep in mind, a keyword may get thousands of searches a month, but if your app ranking is buried deep in the results, you’ve done yourself no service by attempting to rank for the keyword (or phrase).

Keep in mind:

• Google Play reports that 60 to 75% of the keywords that drive installs target long-tail keywords (three or more words)
• Work with the keyword suggestions provided by the stores – they know what they’re doing
• It’s best to target at least 120 keywords per country

Your ASO strategy depends on getting inside the mind or your customers and unearthing the natural language they use to describe the app they seek.

Here’s a great list of questions to examine, from a guest post on the Moz blog.

Once you’ve got a list of the keywords you want to target in hand, here’s how to go about using them.

The all-important title keywords

• Don’t use special characters in your app title
• Don’t use category words (free, game, puzzle, etc.)
• Google Play allows for 30 characters
• The App Store will only display the first 25 characters in your title
• The App Store also allows for a total of 100 characters to list your keywords – use them wisely
  • Skip stop words
  • Separate your keywords with a comma
  • Use numerals – don’t write out numbers
  • Don’t repeat the app name

The app description

• In this space, offer compelling copy about the features and benefits users can expect from your app
• Don’t keyword stuff but repeat your keywords up to five times
• Front-load the descriptions with keywords so they appear in the truncated descriptions presented
• Don’t use testimonials, but consider mentioning social proof such as awards and reviews

Localization

Treat localization as a key optimization process. If your audience goes beyond the English-speaking world, adapt your communications to the wants and needs of each geo-based audience segment.

• Your product page should be localized for multiple countries
• Depending on your app and target audience, it may be helpful to localize your keywords. Essentially, this means translating your title, the first sentence or two of your description, and your screenshots.
• Localize the graphic elements.

Visuals

Great images can be the difference-maker that inspires users to click on your app.

Technically, your visuals aren’t going to affect your rankings, but they will affect click-through results.

• Your app’s icon makes an important first impression. Make sure it’s simple, but consistent with the app’s design and company brand. Don’t use text.
• Both app stores provide slots for multiple screenshots. Use them all, but pay special attention to the top two slots. Avoid dull screens such as menus.
• Screenshots should show off your app’s best features, latest updates, and the pages on which your customers will spend the most time.

Video

You can also add a preview or promotional video to your app page, which can be extremely compelling. Make your video exciting in the first few seconds.

Off-site ASO factors

You can’t control off-site ASO factors, but each of the following have an impact on your rankings:

• User feedback
  • Apps that have the most positive ratings will consistently surface at the top of the charts. Ratings are all-important for both rankings and conversion.
  • Ratings extend beyond app store optimization into the realm of online marketing. For example, Facebook’s App Install Ads and Twitter’s App Cards pull an app’s average rating and display it alongside only the app’s name and icon
  • Ensure at least 1% of your users rate it.
  • Maintain an average rating of at least 4-stars, and of course, aim to earn 5-star reviews.
• Volume of downloads and uninstalls
• User engagement (opens, session length, etc.)
• Retention and re-engagementUpdating your app encourages users to re-discover portions of your app and improve retention.
  • Leverage push notifications to encourage re-engagement (and sales).
  • Bonus tip: Push notifications containing emojis are opened at higher rate.
• Growth trend line

Outside promotion

ASO experts believe your app’s total page visits and product page backlinks are also factors determining your search ranking.

The basic idea: the more traffic your listing gets, the higher it will rank in search results.

You can drive traffic to your listing by:

• Posting social media updates
• Publishing content
• Soliciting press and reviews
• Running ads

App indexing

Gone are the days when apps were an isolated silo separate from the web. Today, it’s common for people to use multiple devices and platforms to perform the same task, and it’s even possible to discover mobile app-only content via desktop search.

Enter app indexing – the process of making app content searchable and linkable from a web or mobile web search.

In 2015, Google began indexing Android and iOS apps. App content can now be discovered and deep-linked from a Google search. Bing has done the same.

When users who does not have your app installed click on a search result, the deep link redirects them to the app store listing page. If they do have it installed, they arrive on the page in your app from which the content is indexed. As such, app indexing helps with both re-engagement and acquisition by promoting your content in new channels.

A case study by Google (from 2016) states 50 billion links within apps are indexed and 25% of searches on Android return deep links to apps for signed-in users.

Ongoing optimization

Though you’ve taken care of the ASO basics, remember it’s a process.

Conduct regular testing, analysis, and optimization of the various elements of your app page and listing. Look at what your successful competitors are doing and see if there you can apply even more optimizations.

Mastering ASO calls for a keen understanding of keywords and using them alongside the most impactful visuals. While you can’t control off-site ASO factors, keep in mind that they too will affect your rankings.

The post Getting started with user acquisition for apps: The complete guide appeared first on AppsFlyer.

TL;DR

• Banks excel at retention: Retargeting drives 55–85% of their conversions, but new user growth has flatlined.
• Neobanks lead in acquisition: In France, they attract twice as many new users as traditional banks, but only 3–4% of conversions come from retargeting.
• Investment apps are international and volatile: Over 85% of installs come from non-European providers; growth rises and falls with crypto cycles, while retention drops to just 4% by Day 30.
• Money transfer apps grow fastest: US and Nigerian providers dominate; retargeting drives up to 40% of conversions, one of the highest rates in finance.
• The opportunity lies in cross-learning: The next winners will combine the strengths of each model — banks’ retention, neobanks’ digital-first acquisition.

Europe’s finance app market has matured — and fractured

Europe’s finance app market is in transition. The digital banking boom that once powered rapid user growth has reached a point of maturity. Today, competition is no longer about launching a finance app — it’s about sustaining and scaling one in a crowded, data-driven market.

Across the region, consumers are more mobile — both literally and digitally. They’re switching between traditional banks, neobanks, and global platforms with unprecedented ease, drawn to new features, better experiences, and real-time access to financial tools.

Using anonymised data from more than 180 million installs across 187 apps in the UK, France, and Germany, AppsFlyer’s latest analysis reveals how different players are performing in this new stage of the market. The findings show sharp contrasts in strategy — and major opportunities for those willing to learn from other segments.

Traditional banks, neobanks, and international platforms each dominate in their corners. But while every segment has cracked part of the growth equation, none have built a balanced strategy across acquisition and retention. The next winners will be those who step outside their silos and borrow from their neighbors’ strengths.

Key findings by segment

AppsFlyer’s latest analysis across the UK, France, and Germany shows the scale of the challenge. More than 85% of installs in investment apps now come from international providers, money transfer apps are the fastest-growing finance segment, and in France, 

neobanks are attracting twice as many new users as traditional banks.

Banks: masters of retention, but stuck on growth

Traditional banks are unmatched in their ability to keep customers engaged. Retargeting drives up to 85% of their conversions, helping them achieve day-30 retention rates that are 1.5–2x higher than neobanks. They’ve built sustainable acquisition models by cross-selling to existing customers and converting web or branch users into app users, with nearly half of installs generated by owned media.

But growth has flatlined. Across Western Europe, there’s no recorded increase in new users. Banks’ reliance on their existing base makes them strong in the short term, but leaves them vulnerable to neobanks and fintech apps that are winning the race for new users.

Neobanks: winning new users, missing out on retention

While banks lean on retention, neobanks have taken the lead in acquisition. In both the UK and France, they’ve surpassed traditional banks in attracting new customers. In France, the shift is striking: consumers now show a two-to-one preference for neobanks and digital wallets over traditional banks.

Their growth comes from diversification. Around 35% of their installs still come from owned media, but they’ve invested heavily in SANs — led by Google, with TikTok playing a key role in reaching younger audiences underserved by traditional banks — alongside ad networks and DSPs. This approach has helped them capture younger demographics that banks struggle to reach.

Yet retention remains their weak spot. Just 3–4% of neobank conversions come from retargeting, leaving long-term value untapped.

Investment apps: global dominance, volatile performance

Investment apps operate on a very different model. They are overwhelmingly international, with more than 85% of non-organic installs across the UK, France, and Germany coming from providers outside Western Europe.

More than three-quarters of installs are paid, and growth rises and falls with Bitcoin and other crypto prices. When markets rally, installs spike; when they fall, churn accelerates. Retention is especially weak: only 19% of users remain on day one, and by day 30 the figure drops to just 4%.

The media strategies behind this growth are also unusual. Over 80% of paid installs come from smaller agencies and ad networks, while only 15–20% come from SANs or owned media. This long-tail mix enables scale but often results in sub-par traffic quality, compounding churn during downturns.

Money transfer apps: fast growth, high reliance on existing users

Money transfer apps tell yet another story. This is the fastest-growing sub-vertical in Western Europe, led by providers from the US and Nigeria, with Indian players also gaining traction in the UK.

Unlike investment apps, money transfer apps thrive on re-engagement. Between a quarter and 40% of their conversions come from retargeting. That reliance on existing customers has helped them grow quickly while maintaining active usage.

Missed opportunities across segments

Each category has carved out a winning formula, but also exposes weaknesses. Banks are experts in retention but ineffective in net-new user growth. Neobanks scale acquisition rapidly but neglect retention. Investment apps drive volume but churn heavily. Money transfer apps are thriving today but must defend against intense global competition.

Taken together, these blind spots create a fragmented market where no single player has a complete growth strategy. Closing those gaps will require a more collaborative mindset — learning from what’s already working in other parts of the ecosystem.

What finance apps can learn from each other

Each segment has developed its own strengths — but no single approach works in isolation.

• Banks can modernise acquisition by borrowing from neobanks’ diversified, digital-first strategies and experimenting with new channels like TikTok.
• Neobanks can strengthen lifetime value by adopting banks’ retargeting frameworks and applying ecommerce-style predictive LTV and re-engagement models.
• Investment apps can use banks’ retention and cross-sell playbooks to engage users beyond the first transaction and build resilience during downturns.
• Money transfer apps show how retention-led growth can scale sustainably — a model other categories can emulate as they mature.
  

The strategic imperative

Specialisation has carried each segment this far. But the future belongs to those who blend the best of every model: banks’ retention, neobanks’ acquisition agility, investment apps’ scale, and money transfer apps’ re-engagement strength fuelling their growth.

Banks must expand digital acquisition without losing their retention edge. Neobanks that already offer investment products should put more focus and campaigns behind them to compete directly with global platforms. Investment apps must reduce their dependency on volatile crypto cycles with stronger engagement strategies. And money transfer apps should continue leveraging their strong retargeting base while preparing for intensifying competition.

The bottom line: in today’s crowded market, the most effective strategies aren’t always invented in-house. They’re borrowed, adapted, and refined — often from competitors who have already proven what works.

About the data

This analysis is based on anonymous, aggregate data from 187 finance and fintech apps across the UK, France, and Germany, covering the period from January 2022 through July 2025. It includes data on more than 180 million app installs and over 65 million retargeting conversions annually. Non-organic installs, retargeting conversions, and retention metrics were derived from AppsFlyer’s attribution platform.

The post The European Finance app market is changing. Here’s what the data shows appeared first on AppsFlyer.

TL;DR

• Discord launched Quests as its first-ever in-app advertising format, powered exclusively by AppsFlyer measurement and attribution.
• Quests’ reward-based format is inherently community-driven, fitting naturally into Discord’s gamified environment where users are primed for shared, reward-first interactions.
• Second Dinner leveraged Quests for Marvel Snap, generating 15M+ impressions, $7 CPI, and a 99% reward redemption rate — achieving a 30% lift in outcomes between campaigns thanks to AppsFlyer insights.
• Together, AppsFlyer and Discord are setting a new standard for in-app advertising: value-driven, community-first, and backed by transparent, actionable measurement.
  

When Discord began exploring its ambitions in in-app advertising (IAA), it was clear that any solution had to feel different from traditional ads. Discord is already home to the world’s most engaged gaming communities, where millions of people come together daily to play, share, and connect. For advertising to work there, it had to respect the community, feel native to the experience, and create genuine value for players. That’s why Discord chose AppsFlyer as its first MMP partner to power the launch of Video Quests on mobile, the platform’s first-ever in-app advertising format.

Discord’s advertising platform features its signature premium rewarded Quests format. Video Quests on Mobile unlock cross platform capability on Discord, and ensure advertisers can engage their audiences wherever they play. By integrating with AppsFlyer’s server-to-server measurement and attribution, Discord is enabling developers to go beyond surface-level engagement, unlocking granular performance insights such as Cost Per Install (CPI) and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). For mobile marketers, this is a breakthrough: authentic, community-driven discovery combined with the measurement rigor required to scale. 

Second dinner doubles down with Marvel Snap

For Second Dinner, the studio behind Marvel Snap, Discord’s Quests offered a way to extend momentum. Since its launch in 2022, the game has attracted over 22 million downloads and generated more than $200 million in revenue. With new characters and features rolling out in 2024, the studio saw Discord as the ideal environment to engage both new and returning players.

Second Dinner launched two Mobile Video Quests on Discord, featuring fan-favorite heroes like Thor, Venom, and Spider-Man in epic in-game battles. The creative was designed with players in mind, rather than just another ad. The results were striking: more than 15 million impressions, and a nearly unheard-of 99% reward redemption rate. Between the first and second Quest, Discord leveraged AppsFlyer’s mobile measurement integration to refine targeting and optimize performance, creating a 30% reduction in cost per install.

From impressions to impact

Second Dinner’s results underscore the efficacy of in-app ads, when they feel native to the experience, a signal that many are following.  In a world where players are quick to tune out or block traditional ads, marketers need new ways to connect authentically without undermining user trust. 

Discord’s move into in-app advertising, powered by AppsFlyer’s transparent measurement sets a new standard. Performance marketing can go beyond interruptive impressions to create engaging, value-driven experiences that benefit players, developers, communities, and more.

Central to this shift is Discord’s reward-based Quest format. Players complete specific actions in exchange for in-app rewards, making the ad experience inherently participatory and motivating. This dynamic aligns with Discord’s community-driven audience – already primed for gamified, reward-based interactions. When paired with AppsFlyer’s real-time attribution and analytics, it gives marketers the insights to optimize in the moment and prove ROI.

“With partners like AppsFlyer, we’re elevating the sophistication of our measurement capabilities, giving advertisers on Discord the confidence to measure performance with trusted, privacy-safe solutions,” said Adam Bauer, VP of Sales and Ads Solutions at Discord of the partnership. “As our first mobile measurement partner, AppsFlyer has already shown its ability to drive stronger results for Quest campaigns, and we’re excited to unlock even greater impact for advertisers.”

Together, Discord and AppsFlyer are demonstrating what’s possible when advertising aligns with customer behavior. Quests aren’t just ads, they’re invitations. Invitations to discover new worlds, engage with beloved characters, and share experiences with friends. AppsFlyer’s measurement and attribution is enabling developers to finally see the real business impact of those moments.

For years, performance marketing has been about chasing impressions and installs. Discord Quests is proving the efficacy of shifting towards ads that feel like part of the end-user’s experience, and the data proves players are responding. With AppsFlyer’s attribution and analytics powering Discord’s Quests, developers like Second Dinner are already achieving outcomes that go beyond expectations.

The post How Discord Quests Fueled Second Dinner with In-App Ads Measurement Powered by AppsFlyer appeared first on AppsFlyer.

The CTV opportunity

In 2025, Connected TV (CTV) is no longer a future trend; it’s where audiences already spend a significant portion of their time. For marketers, this represents one of the fastest-growing and most measurable advertising channels.

Let’s dive into some numbers to frame this opportunity: According to Nielsen, as of March 2025, streaming accounts for 44% of all TV time spent in the US. Nielsen research also found that 72% of all TV viewing is ad-supported, with almost half taking place on streaming platforms. Spending is following suit, with global open programmatic CTV ad spend reaching $5 billion in Q1 2025, up 10% year over year. 

This shift isn’t just limited to North America. According to Wurl, in Europe, 86% of consumers use CTV, with the UK’s CTV ad spend projected to reach £2.94 billion by 2028, and Germany seeing a 32% increase in CTV channel volume in 2024. 

AppsFlyer data reinforces this trend: total CTV-to-mobile installs (app downloads attributed to a CTV ad) nearly doubled between August 2024 and January 2025.

For marketers, the message is clear: audiences are moving fluidly across CTV, mobile, and other digital touchpoints, ad spend is following, and accurate measurement is no longer optional.

Complete and accurate measurement is essential for connecting the dots across channels and understanding the full user journey. That’s exactly the opportunity unlocked by AppsFlyer’s new integration with Roku.

The AppsFlyer–Roku integration

Roku, the #1 TV streaming platform in the US, Canada, and Mexico, offers advertisers unmatched reach across its ecosystem.

​​AppsFlyer’s new integration with Roku brings cross-channel attribution and real-time optimization across CTV and mobile. This integration ensures that rich attribution data from Roku Advertising flows directly into AppsFlyer, allowing you to see how streaming campaigns drive app installs, in-app activity, and long-term customer value.

“Together, Roku and AppsFlyer are bringing advertisers the transparency and performance they need in today’s evolving streaming landscape. By combining Roku’s scale as a dominant streaming platform with AppsFlyer’s trusted measurement, we’re helping marketers connect every impression to business outcomes and drive measurable growth.”

Yair Kahan, Director, Partner Development, CTV at AppsFlyer

With this integration, marketers can:

• Run end-to-end attribution across Roku’s in-stream video and native ads, powered by one of the most robust CTV user graphs in the market
• Measure end-to-end user journeys, including CTV-to-CTV, mobile-to-mobile, and CTV-to-mobile flows
• Gain improved visibility into Roku-driven conversions across platforms
• Streamline workflows with one consolidated integration that simplifies campaign management

“Our integration with AppsFlyer is already proving Roku’s ability to drive mobile app performance from CTV. Mobile marketers now measure and optimize directly in Roku Ads Manager, with the confidence and tools they expect from social. Roku’s identity, massive CTV inventory access, and price are now paired with a closed loop of app event signals that feed our performance algorithms. Roku is becoming the next great platform for evergreen advertising.”

Peter Hamilton, Sr. Director, Product Management at Roku

How does it work?

The AppsFlyer–Roku integration enables rich, multi-channel data capture across mobile and CTV, including impressions, clicks, installs, sign-ups, in-app events, revenue, video engagement, and other engagement metrics.

By unifying these datasets, marketers can connect the dots across channels, gaining a complete view of the customer journey — from Roku Ads exposure on the big screen to app engagement and purchases on CTV and mobile devices. 

This integration with Roku gives advertisers a single source of truth across TV and mobile, powering campaign optimization, attribution reporting, audience building, and ultimately driving growth with precision.

These capabilities are especially impactful at Roku’s scale. In early 2025, the platform exceeded 90 million streaming households, giving advertisers access to one of the largest engaged streaming audiences in the world.

Use cases: Turning CTV into business outcomes

The AppsFlyer–Roku integration opens up powerful opportunities for advertisers to drive measurable growth:

• Cross-device attribution: Ads shown on Roku TV streaming can now be tied back to installs and app launches across all devices in the household, helping advertisers maximize ROI by understanding how a single impression influences the entire home — not just one device.
• QR code attribution: With a simple scan from a CTV ad, AppsFlyer attributes the install directly back to the campaign, giving advertisers a frictionless way to bridge the gap between TV and mobile and turn passive viewers into active users in seconds.
• Drive new app installs: Extend your acquisition strategy by reaching fresh audiences in a premium, high-attention environment, enabling advertisers to capture incremental users who may not be reachable through other channels.
• Complement mobile campaigns: Use CTV as an upper-funnel channel to amplify performance marketing, extending the impact of mobile strategies by creating a holistic funnel that drives awareness on TV and conversion on mobile.

Making an impact 

With audiences spending more time streaming than ever before, advertisers need the tools to connect those moments of attention to measurable outcomes. Through the new AppsFlyer & Roku integration, we’re making it easier for brands to understand the impact of their Roku campaigns across channels and turn streaming engagement into business growth.

“It’s been truly exciting to launch a CTV app campaign on Roku Ads Manager, using our integration with AppsFlyer to measure installs and subscriptions. Results on some of our key metrics like CPA, ROAS thus far have been positive, as we continue driving towards our goals and seeing strong engagement from this audience.”

Jeet Niyogi, CMO Fliff Inc.

“Roku and AppsFlyer have been great partners in helping us drive new user growth. Their new integration has made it easy to measure and optimize our CTV campaigns for installs and user acquisition. Performance has been strong and continues to trend upward.”

Jeff Reichelderfer, VP User Acquisition Marketing, Brigit

Seizing the CTV opportunity 

The AppsFlyer–Roku integration empowers marketers to unify TV and mobile strategies, measure outcomes holistically, and optimize spend with transparency.

Getting started with the integration is simple. To take the first step click here.

The post Turn streaming into measurable growth with AppsFlyer and Roku appeared first on AppsFlyer.

• Babbel runs 50+ influencer partnerships monthly without outsourcing.
• Instagram = fast ROI (24–48 hours). YouTube = long-tail conversions.
• Real stories beat polished ads – authenticity converts.
• One viral campaign can transform your creator pipeline – Babbel now has creators actively seeking partnerships
• Every campaign starts small. Only top performers get scaled.
• Nano-creators fuel months of paid performance at a fraction of the cost.

How Babbel built an in-house engine for influencer growth

Most brands treat influencer marketing like a checklist: hire an agency, get a few posts, and hope for the best.

Babbel doesn’t.

Instead of outsourcing, they run influencer marketing in-house – and manage 50+ creator partnerships every month. No chaos. No burnout. Just real ROI.

In a conversation on AppsFlyer’s Influence Unpacked podcast, Salome, Babbel’s Paid Social and Influencer Marketing, revealed the strategies that helped Babbel build one of the most efficient influencer programs in the edtech space – including how one viral YouTube video changed everything.

The anti-agency approach: Why Babbel keeps it personal

While most brands at Babbel’s scale outsource to agencies, Salome’s team deliberately chose the opposite path. They maintain direct, one-on-one relationships with every creator in their network.

“We try to approach influencer marketing on a personal basis,” Salome explains. “We don’t outsource our efforts to any external agency. We try to keep this one-on-one contact with influencers.”

This approach seems almost impossible when you consider the numbers:

• 50+ active creator partnerships monthly
• Individual negotiations for each campaign
• Personal content approvals and performance measurement
• Direct relationship management across multiple time zones

Yet according to AppsFlyer Benchmarks 2025, apps that maintain direct creator relationships see 40% higher engagement rates than those using intermediaries. The personal touch pays off—literally.

Platforms that perform: Instagram and YouTube lead

Babbel doesn’t put all its eggs in one platform basket—they’ve tested TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, even Twitch. But when it comes to campaigns that actually drive conversions, two channels consistently deliver: Instagram and YouTube.

Instagram: fast feedback, full visibility

Instagram is where Babbel moves quickly. Stories are their go-to format, delivering measurable results within 24 to 48 hours. By pairing every story with UTM-tracked links and personalized landing pages, Babbel gets full visibility into performance—right down to the conversion.

Instagram Stories present a unique challenge: 24-hour visibility windows and wildly unpredictable view counts. Salome’s solution involves aggressive CPM negotiation and content authenticity.

Average CPMs by region:

• Germany: €50
• Italy: €20
• Spain: €25-30

But here’s the twist—even when stories underdeliver on views by 50%, the right content approach can still drive profitability. The secret lies in personal storytelling.

“Just sharing a personal story—that’s what works best. Influencers talking straight to camera, sharing their personal journey, then connecting this to the app.”

YouTube: slow burn, long tail

YouTube is where Babbel plays the long game. Some integrations might take weeks to convert, but when they hit, they keep hitting.

One creator featured Babbel as part of a “10 daily life upgrades” video—mid-roll, no hard sell. Over a year later, that single video is still driving new subscriptions.

“It felt so natural,” Salome explains. “Even if I didn’t know it was a paid placement, I would’ve clicked.”

The contrast is clear: Instagram drives urgency and instant results. YouTube builds trust and long-term payoff.

Why Babbel bets big on nano creators

While competitors chase macro influencers, Babbel discovered a more profitable approach: nano creators (under 10K followers) for content buyouts.

The economics are compelling:

• Content creation cost: €200-500
• Usage rights: 6 months
• Distribution: Paid social campaigns
• Control: Complete audience targeting and budget management

This aligns with a16z’s thesis on the “passion economy”—smaller creators often produce more authentic content precisely because they haven’t been overexposed to brand partnerships.

Creator content that converts

Forget polished product demos. Babbel’s highest-converting content follows a specific emotional arc: personal vulnerability → relatable problem → authentic solution.

“Sharing a personal story—that’s what works the best when it comes to Instagram stories,” Salome explains. “It’s more like influencer becoming personal with their journey, more open and a bit vulnerable, and then there comes the product.”

The timing matters critically. For Stories, mention the product by the 30-second mark in a 45-second piece. For YouTube, middle placement works best—not too early (feels salesy) or too late (viewers drop off).

When a campaign goes viral, everything changes

Babbel doesn’t chase virality…but when it hits, it moves the needle across the board.

“Once or twice a year, you get one of those campaigns,” says Salome. “The kind where other creators start reaching out to you.”

For Babbel, it was a German YouTuber’s video titled “10 Tips to Level Up Your Everyday Life” where learning a new language with Babbel was tip #3. 

The integration was so seamless that viewers couldn’t distinguish it from organic content. The results:

• Immediate conversion spike within 48 hours
• Continued revenue generation 12+ months later
• Flood of inbound creator partnership requests
• Transformed Babbel from hunter to hunted in creator relationships

“After this campaign, we received so many other creators coming to us asking to collaborate,” Salome shares. “Now we have this huge pool of creators who want to work with us.”

The testing framework that prevents expensive mistakes

Babbel doesn’t gamble when it comes to creator partnerships. They test like performance marketers.

The strategy? Start lean. Scale what works. Cut what doesn’t.

“Don’t start with usage rights or long-term deals,” says Salome. “Try the cheapest format first. See how it performs. Then decide what’s worth investing in.”

That usually means kicking things off with Instagram Stories; cheap, fast feedback, clear ROI. Within 48 hours, they know if the content is moving the needle. If it is, they’ll negotiate usage rights and put paid media behind it. If not, they move on without wasting budget.

Once they find a winner, they scale smart:

• Germany → other core European markets → global
• Organic → paid → cross-platform amplification

The KPIs that matter most? ROI and revenue. Not just views or clicks. Babbel measures everything down to the sale.

“ROI tells us if a campaign worked or not. Simple as that.”

AppsFlyer tip: Use cohort analysis to go deeper than first-touch. In Babbel’s case, YouTube-driven users tend to show higher retention over 90+ days, a key insight that helps them choose the right channels for long-term gains.

Performance Measurement: The Make-or-Break Infrastructure

Without proper attribution, influencer marketing becomes an expensive guessing game. Babbel’s measurement methodology:

For Instagram Stories:

• Custom landing pages with UTM parameters
• Individual attribution links per creator
• Real-time conversion monitoring

For YouTube:

• Description box links
• Extended attribution windows (30+ days)
• Long-tail revenue measurement

For Feed Posts (Reels/TikTok):

• Content buyouts for paid amplification
• Spark Ads and Partnership Ads
• CTA buttons added through paid distribution

AppsFlyer Tip: AppsFlyer’s unified dashboard consolidates all creator performance data, making it easy to identify top performers and optimize budget allocation across 50+ monthly partnerships.

Key takeaways: What you can steal from Babbel’s playbook

• Personal relationships outperform agency management – Direct creator communication drives authenticity and performance
• Platform selection matters – Instagram and YouTube consistently deliver the highest ROI for app subscriptions
• Nano creators offer hidden value – €200-500 content buyouts can fuel months of profitable paid campaigns
• Testing prevents expensive mistakes – Always validate creator performance before long-term commitments
• Viral moments create compound benefits – One successful campaign can transform your entire creator acquisition funnel
• Attribution infrastructure is non-negotiable – You can’t optimize what you can’t measure

Babbel proves influencer marketing doesn’t have to be chaotic or bloated. With the right relationships, smart testing, and platform strategy, it’s scalable and sustainable.

Want to build a strategy that works like this? Read the full influencer marketing guide

The post How Babbel runs 50+ influencers a month and keeps performance high appeared first on AppsFlyer.

The famous FORCE so brilliantly depicted in Star Wars is like AI.  

The advancement of Artificial Intelligence is delivering amazing benefits in so many areas. But just like the FORCE, AI is also exploited by a dark side in ways that are harmful to people and businesses, particularly in ad fraud.  

On the one hand, AI can help detect fraud with remarkable precision. Yet at the same time, it gives fraudsters the ability to orchestrate sophisticated scams, putting billions of ad budget dollars at risk.  

The pressing question is: can AI eradicate ad fraud, or is it fueling the problem?

By understanding that AI is a double-edged sword, advertisers can turn it into their greatest defense against evolving threats. With the right strategies, businesses can embrace AI not just as a tool for optimization but as a robust shield against fraud.

The growing threat of AI-driven ad fraud

Ad fraud isn’t new of course, but AI has taken it to new levels of sophistication. Bad actors now use advanced practices to create fake traffic, hijack devices, and mimic human behavior with precision — making them much harder to detect. These methods cost advertisers billions each year, draining budgets and eroding trust.  

In broad terms, ad fraud refers to deceptive practices that manipulate ad systems to divert spending. Common forms include:  

• Fake traffic: Bots imitating humans to inflate impressions or clicks.  
• Botnets: Networks of hijacked devices orchestrating fraudulent activities on a massive scale.  
• Click fraud: Artificially boosting click-through rates, often to exhaust a competitor’s ad budget or generate illicit revenue.  
• Fake users: Fraudsters creating realistic profiles that mimic real user engagement.  

Why AI is making ad fraud worse  

AI has become a catalyst for ad fraud, giving fraudsters more sophisticated, scalable, and effective tools. Open-source AI platforms have lowered the barrier to entry, enabling bad actors to deploy advanced fraud schemes with minimal effort. 

Fraudsters use Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to create synthetic content, including deepfake ads and fake users that interact with real campaigns. These AI-generated interactions can convincingly mimic human behavior, making them difficult to detect and flag. For example, fraudsters leverage GANs to generate fake user profiles that seamlessly engage with ads, tricking analytics tools into recording fraudulent engagement as authentic.

AI is also enhancing click farms, making them more difficult to detect. AI-driven algorithms can simulate diverse user behaviors, such as scrolling, dwell time, and varied click patterns, making fraudulent engagement look increasingly realistic. Additionally, AI is making it harder for Click-To-Install-Time (CTIT) detection, improving timing, randomness, and precision in mimicking real users with non-existent flows.

The financial impact is staggering. Statista predicts ad fraud losses will climb from $84 billion in 2023 to as much as $172 billion by 2028. With the accessibility of AI tools, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated and widespread. 

App marketing is also plagued by ad fraud. According to AppsFlyer estimates, financial exposure to app install ad fraud eclipsed $17 billion in 2024 (this refers to the amount of money that would have been lost to fraud had there not been any fraud detection; in reality, much of this is blocked and therefore not paid for).

Consider CycloneBot, a scheme targeting Connected TV (CTV) platforms. Using AI, it inflates viewing sessions and traffic, costing advertisers millions monthly. Other examples include BeatSting, an audio ad fraud scheme that generates fake audio traffic, siphoning over $1 million per month from advertisers. As well as FM scams, an additional audio scheme where fraudsters blend fake audio traffic that appears to be legitimate user activity across various devices and audio players. 

These fraudulent interactions distort engagement metrics and mislead advertisers into believing they are reaching real audiences. These cases highlight how fraudsters are leveraging AI to scale their operations and evade detection.

Scalper bots have also infiltrated digital campaigns. AI tools are being used to automate the bidding for digital ad placements, artificially inflating costs and leading to wasted ad spend. These AI-powered fraud schemes execute complex multi-click patterns, targeting high-value programmatic campaigns and making detection increasingly challenging

…and there are additional schemes being enacted which none of us have yet to uncover, as fraudsters continue to innovate, leveraging AI in diverse ways to exploit vulnerabilities across the digital advertising ecosystem.

Fighting fire with fire: how AI can combat ad fraud  

While AI enables more sophisticated fraud, it’s also the most powerful tool to fight it. Advanced machine learning models and predictive analytics help advertisers to detect and block fraudulent activities in real time, often before damage is done.  

AI solutions excel in several areas when combating ad fraud:  

• Anomaly detection: Algorithms monitor traffic and flag unusual patterns, such as sudden spikes or inconsistent behaviors.  
• Continuous learning: By analyzing new data, AI evolves to detect emerging fraud tactics and stay ahead of fraudsters.  
• Enhanced accuracy: AI-powered systems distinguish legitimate user activity from fraudulent behavior with high precision, reducing false positives. 

Success stories 

AppsFlyer AI-powered tools prevent billions of dollars in fraudulent transactions by adapting to new threats and providing real-time fraud prevention. Similarly, other solutions employ predictive analytics to anticipate fraud trends, using graph-based methods to detect fraudulent networks and connections.  

Our AI enhances detection, speed, as well as actual deterrence of ad fraud with key benefits including:  

• Faster fraud detection: Identifies fraudulent activity up to 8X faster, helping businesses avoid substantial financial losses and data inaccuracies.  
• Improved deterrence: Fraud attempts are caught and mitigated 14X faster, significantly reducing the window for fraudsters to exploit new bypasses and loopholes.  
• Greater efficacy: Maintains over 90% fraud detection efficacy even after a fraud bypass, with an average of just 9% decline in detection accuracy.  
• Enhanced accuracy: Ensures a 7X improvement in detection accuracy.  
• Real-time detection: Identifies up to 60% more post-attribution fraud in real-time, reducing the number of fake users/installs immensely.  

Challenges in using AI to combat ad fraud

Despite its effectiveness, AI is not a silver bullet. Fraud detection systems often rely heavily on historical data, which can make it difficult to identify completely new fraud tactics. This creates a constant cat-and-mouse dynamic—fraudsters adapt as quickly as detection improves.

Another challenge is explainability. AI-driven fraud detection systems can sometimes produce results that are difficult to interpret, making it harder for advertisers to understand why certain activities are flagged as fraudulent. Ensuring transparency and interpretability remains a crucial factor for AI adoption in fraud prevention.

Privacy and ethical concerns further complicate matters. AI fraud prevention tools must comply with global data protection regulations such as GDPR while still maintaining the effectiveness needed to combat sophisticated fraud tactics. Striking the right balance between user privacy and fraud detection remains an ongoing challenge.

Turning AI into your ad fraud ally 

To stay ahead of fraud, organizations need a comprehensive and proactive approach. AI alone isn’t enough—it must be combined with human expertise and strategic collaboration to be truly effective. Here are the steps businesses should take:  

• Invest in advanced AI solutions: Leading tools offer advanced capabilities for fraud detection and prevention.  
• Blend AI and human expertise: Analysts play a vital role in refining AI outputs, interpreting nuanced patterns, and addressing edge cases that automated systems may miss.  
• Collaborate across platforms: Sharing intelligence with peers and industry stakeholders strengthens collective defenses against sophisticated fraud schemes.  
• Stay adaptive: Regularly update detection models with new data to counteract evolving fraud tactics.  

Future-proofing strategies

Fighting ad fraud requires businesses to think ahead. Federated learning, for instance, enables organizations to collaborate on fraud detection without sharing raw data, ensuring privacy while enhancing results. 

Additionally, fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation—through cross-functional teams and partnerships with technology leaders—helps organizations remain agile and proactive. Building industry alliances can further bolster defenses by pooling insights and resources.

AI innovation has proven to be a great advancement for businesses, especially in recent years, helping many enhance their capabilities, offering, services, and beyond. 

But it is a double-edged sword which can be used for harm just as for good; therefore, businesses must be aware of the pros and cons of such powerful technology, and continue to contribute, innovate, and utilize it to combat ad fraud in order to stay ahead of fraud sophistication. 

Key takeaways

AI is both a risk and a solution. Fraudsters exploit it for sophisticated scams, but it also powers the most effective fraud detection tools.

• Ad fraud is growing. Losses are projected to reach $172 billion by 2028, making proactive fraud prevention more critical than ever.

• AI-driven fraud detection works. Solutions like anomaly detection and predictive modeling are key to combating evolving fraud tactics.

• Human expertise is still essential. AI alone isn’t enough—expert oversight ensures more accurate and adaptive fraud prevention.

• Collaboration and innovation are key. Industry-wide cooperation and continuous technological advancements are the best ways to stay ahead of fraudsters.

The post The force of AI in ad fraud: fighting innovation with innovation appeared first on AppsFlyer.

What if one simple tool could instantly turn TV viewers into app users? That’s exactly what happened at this year’s Super Bowl when Fetch leveraged the power of a QR code to drive real-time user acquisition on a massive scale. Fetch’s strategy of turning passive viewers into 3.2 million app visitors, ending up in 1.3 million sign-up delivered a massive success and measurable results for them, while facilitating a seamless experience for their users.

QR codes aren’t just a trend-they’re redefining how marketers drive engagement and conversions. Unlike traditional advertising methods that require multiple steps for users to take action, QR codes provide an instant bridge between the physical and digital worlds. This seamless experience makes them a powerful tool for businesses looking to drive measurable growth.

With a phenomenal conversion rate of 81.33%—showing that the majority of Fetch ad scanners ultimately installed the app—QR codes provide an intuitive way to guide users exactly where you want them to go while delivering valuable insights into campaign performance. As demonstrated by Fetch’s Super Bowl ad, when used strategically, QR codes can create a seamless, high-impact marketing experience.

Inside Fetch’s winning QR code playbook

Fetch didn’t just rely on a QR code to drive installs—it built a strategy around it. By ensuring a smooth and intuitive user journey, the brand turned a simple scan into a powerful acquisition tool. Every element was carefully designed to remove friction, increase engagement, and maximize conversions.

1. Capturing Attention in Seconds

Fetch’s ad featured a clear call-to-action (CTA) encouraging viewers to scan the QR code for a chance to win in the $1.2M giveaway ($10,000 per second to 120 lucky winners). The simplicity of the approach removed distractions and created a direct path to action.

2. Seamless QR-to-App Experience

The QR code showed during the ad, providing a smooth user experience while linked, using deferred deep linking to ensure users landed in the right place post-install.

Once scanned users are redirected through AppsFlyer’s deferred deep linking, which dynamically determines the correct destination based on their device:

• iOS users → Redirected to the Apple App Store.
• Android users → Redirected to the Google Play Store.
• Other devices (or fallback) → Redirected to the Fetch Rewards website.
• If the user already has the Fetch app installed, the app opens directly instead of going to the store.

3. Maximizing Measurable Growth

Fetch received real-time data and could measure every scan, install, and post-install action, allowing precise attribution. By leveraging AppsFlyer’s QR-to-app deep linking, Fetch gained insights into user behavior and campaign performance.

QR Code Use Cases for Marketers

Fetch’s success is just one example- marketers everywhere are using QR codes to connect the offline and online worlds. Here’s how:

1. Conversion & app installs

Customers are used to checking product reviews online before buying them.

A marketer can create QR code per product leading to relevant product reviews page on app and display the QR code next to corresponding product in store.

So once a client visits a physical store, the client scans the QR code. If the app is not installed, they are redirected to the relevant store. Upon launch or if the user already has the app installed, the product’s review page opens.

2. Increase brand loyalty

Customers who purchase your product don’t always engage with your app.

Marketers can generate a dedicated QR code for each item, linking to the product page in the app, and print the QR code on tags during production.

When a customer scans the QR code on a clothing tag, they will be directed to the app install page or the product page in the app store if they haven’t installed it yet. This allows them to reorder, leave a review, and shop for complementary products.

3. Offline store upsell

Brands want to increase customers’ basket value. By helping them understand the value, usage, and potential of these products, customers are more likely to purchase additional items.

Marketers can create recipe landing pages (LPs) featuring relevant store products and generate QR codes for each product in the recipe, linking to the appropriate LP. These QR codes can be printed and placed near the corresponding items in the store.

When a customer scans the QR code in-store, they are redirected to install the app if it is not already installed. Upon launching the app, they are taken to a page with a recommended recipe that includes the scanned product along with other complementary items available at the store.

4. Desktop to app migration

Many customers still prefer using desktops to access financial services—around 57% in the U.S. alone. Banks with native apps aim to encourage users to transition to their app by migrating them from their most commonly used platform.

Marketers can add a QR code to the desktop website, directing users to the native app.

When a customer visits the bank’s website, they see the QR code with a CTA prompting them to get the app. After scanning the QR code with their mobile device, they are redirected to the relevant app store to download the app. Upon launching the app, users can seamlessly continue their journey within the app.

5. Out-of-home user acquisition

As games face increasing ad saturation in online channels, brands are looking to engage new and existing players through out-of-home channels while enabling quick and easy interactions.

Marketers can generate a QR code with a deep link to the relevant game and place it on a display billboard ad.

When a user scans the QR code, they are redirected to the relevant app store to install the game. After installation, players can start playing immediately.

Key Takeaways: Why QR Codes Are a Must for Marketers

• Instant engagement: QR codes eliminate friction, guiding users directly to the app or relevant in-app experiences.
• Measurable impact: Every scan is trackable, allowing marketers to optimize campaigns in real time.
• Cross-channel versatility: From TV to in-store to packaging, QR codes seamlessly connect all marketing touchpoints.

Final Words: Get in the Game with QR-to-App Marketing

Fetch’s Super Bowl ad showcased the power of QR codes in app marketing. Whether you’re running a massive TV campaign or a localized OOH activation, QR codes offer a frictionless, measurable way to drive growth. Ready to leverage QR-to-app experiences? Let’s talk.

The post Touchdown! Fetch Super Bowl ad drives massive QR code engagement  appeared first on AppsFlyer.

• Content library
• Data report

The State of App Marketing in Sub-Saharan Africa – 2024 Edition

With contributions from:

“This report from AppsFlyer is a must-read for brands and advertisers targeting the African market. The data clearly shows a huge opportunity to connect with consumers through mobile apps, with engagement growing significantly year-over-year. What is striking is the growth of app installs at 21% YOY, as well as the in-app purchase revenue growing at 24% YOY, proving that apps provide a growing ROI for advertisers. This underscores the need for a mobile-first strategy in Africa. Apps offer a powerful way to build awareness, acquire customers, and foster loyalty. We encourage advertisers to leverage this report to understand the African app landscape and optimize their strategies. Google is committed to supporting businesses in this dynamic market, and this report is a great starting point for unlocking success.”

Head of Advertising Products and Solutions, Google

• 1. Solid Mobile Industry Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa The region’s mobile industry shows solid performance, with finance and shopping verticals leading the charge in installs and in-app purchase (IAP) revenue growth.
• 2. Optimistic Outlook for 2025 The mobile landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa is poised for a strong finish to 2024 and a promising start to 2025, with non-organic installs and IAP revenue increasing, despite a slight dip in ad spend.
• 3. Android Dominance with Room for Growth Android installs continue to grow consistently, highlighting that even though it’s the dominant platform, there’s still significant room for expansion in the region.
• 4. Rising In-App Purchase Revenue Increased IAP revenue, particularly among shopping apps, suggests that consumers are spending more frequently, not just during the holiday season, signaling a shift toward more sustained in-app spending.
• 5. Nigeria Outpaces South Africa in Paid Installs Nigeria continues to experience rapid growth in paid installs compared to South Africa. Marketers should explore non-organic opportunities in Nigeria, even as Cost Per Install (CPI) rises in key verticals.

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The post [Report] The State of App Marketing in Sub-Saharan Africa – 2024 Edition appeared first on AppsFlyer.

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With nine AppsFlyer MAMA conferences in the books for 2024, it’s time to bring the global event back to the US in 2025. MAMA brings together the brightest minds across the mobile marketing industry for a day filled with insights, innovation, and invaluable connections. On January 28, 2025 MAMA is heading to San Francisco – and if you’re serious about staying ahead in the ever-evolving mobile landscape, this is an event you can’t afford to miss. Here’s why your boss should absolutely greenlight your trip to MAMA San Francisco.

Build game-changing connections

The mobile marketing world thrives on collaboration, and MAMA is the perfect place to meet the people shaping the future of our industry. Whether you’re striking up a conversation with someone new or catching up with long-time peers, MAMA creates an environment where meaningful connections flourish. This year’s attendees will include professionals from leading companies like Zynga, Snap, Wolt, and Reddit. The opportunity to network with like-minded experts and decision-makers could lead to partnerships, insights, or career-defining opportunities.

Learn from industry experts

MAMA San Francisco boasts a lineup of speakers who are at the forefront of mobile innovation. You’ll hear directly from thought leaders representing industry giants. This year’s agenda features:

• Aamira Garba, Associate Director of Global MAI, Audible
• Anne Fundakowski, Director Marketing Operations & Technology, Ibotta
• Adam Miller, Growth Expert and Uber, Postmates, and Turo alum 
• Anh Nguyen, VP of Growth at Wolt, a Doordash company
• Nebo Radovic, Senior Director of User Acquisition, Zynga
• … and many more

And if that’s not enough, esteemed AI expert Noelle Russell will share her groundbreaking perspectives on the intersection of AI and mobile marketing. Her keynote alone is worth the trip, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-driven strategies.

Gain actionable insights for your business

Mobile marketing doesn’t stand still, and neither should you. From app monetization strategies to the latest trends in user acquisition and retention, MAMA sessions are packed with actionable takeaways you can bring back to your team. Your attendance isn’t just an investment in your own career – it’s an investment in your company’s success. You’ll return armed with new tools, strategies, and a clearer vision for tackling your team’s biggest challenges.

Be inspired by the stories that shape our industry

One of the most powerful aspects of MAMA is the platform it provides for authentic storytelling. You’ll hear from the people behind the apps and innovations that have transformed how we live, work, and play. You’ll leave the event not just with new connections, but (hopefully) feeling deeply inspired, and full of new ideas and fresh perspectives that you can apply to your own work.

Don’t wait — Secure your spot today

Opportunities like MAMA San Francisco don’t come around every day. Make your case to your boss now, and ensure you’re part of this incredible event. Registration is open, and spots are limited—don’t miss your chance to experience the premier conference for mobile marketers.

This isn’t just another industry event; it’s your chance to connect, learn, and grow alongside the best in the business. See you in San Francisco!

Register for MAMA San Francisco here

The post Why your boss should send you to MAMA San Francisco 2025 appeared first on AppsFlyer.