The concept of a conversion value is crucial in the world of mobile app marketing, particularly within the frameworks of iOS attribution measurement and Apple’s SKAdNetwork (SKAN). A conversion value refers to the numerical value (0 to 63) assigned to specific in-app events or actions. These values provide app developers and marketers with valuable insights into user behavior, helping them measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts while complying with the latest user privacy regulations. 

Why are conversion values necessary?

Conversion values became a critical tool in mobile marketers’ toolboxes following Apple’s introduction of App Tracking Transparency (ATT). With ATT, Apple cracked down on user privacy, implementing stricter regulations on user data tracking and collection. It then introduced SKAN, a privacy-centric measurement framework and alternative to traditional attribution methods. SKAN requires that app developers and marketers use conversion values instead of traditional identifiers like device IDs (e.g., IDFA) to attribute and measure user actions within apps. This change marked a significant industry shift from relying on granular user-level data to aggregated, privacy-compliant data. 

How do conversion values work?

Each mobile app defines “conversion” differently depending on its industry, business model, and userbase. A conversion can indicate any kind of user action, including an app install, in-app purchase, subscription, or engagement with a piece of content. Most apps track multiple types of conversions to understand how users behave over their entire lifecycle. To translate these actions into quantifiable data, apps assign a graduated scale of conversion values. These values range from 0 to 63, with 0 automatically assigned to the “install” event by Apple, 1 representing the least significant conversion event, and 63 representing the most significant or valuable user action. By using this 64-value system, developers and marketers gain more granular insights into app user behavior and campaign performance.

When a user performs a specified action within an app, the corresponding conversion value is assigned to that event. 

With SKAN 3.0, measurement was relatively straightforward: when a user clicked on an ad and installed your app, a 24-hour postback timer started. Each time a user completed an in-app action of a higher conversion value than the last, the timer reset to 24 hours. When the timer reached 0, a SKAN postback containing the install and the highest conversion value completed was sent to the ad network, the advertiser, and the mobile measurement partner (MMP). 

However, SKAN 4.0 introduced additional complexity and capabilities: instead of the previous 24-hour window, SKAN 4.0 offers multiple measurement windows, including 0 to 2 days, 3 to 7 days, and 8 to 35 days post-install. Each of these windows corresponds to a postback, which provides a more representative view of user behavior over time. 

What are coarse conversion values?

SKAN 4.0 introduced coarse conversion values to provide a more user-friendly approach to tracking than the 64-value system. It enables developers and marketers to assign user actions to broader buckets, such as “low,” “medium,” and “high.” In general, these values simplify the attribution and measurement process while still providing marketers valuable insights into campaign performance. 

Bottom line

Conversion values allow app developers and marketers to accurately measure the success of their marketing and advertising campaigns. By tracking the SKAN postback triggered by each unique action, app developers and marketers can determine the value generated by different marketing efforts. This information helps them identify which campaigns are driving the most conversions and more effectively allocate their marketing budget. 

Yet for most marketers, conversion values have a steep learning curve. Which events you track, how you map conversion values, and how you configure postback windows will all depend on your unique business goals. To help brands navigate the complexity of SKAN 4.0 conversion values, Branch introduced SKAN Magic Set Up. Instead of manually implementing a custom configuration, you can now use a Branch-recommended conversion setup to save valuable time and resources. To learn more, request a demo with our team. 

The post Conversion Value appeared first on Branch.

An impression refers to the number of times an advertisement or piece of content is viewed by a user. Ad impressions are used to measure the overall visibility and reach of an ad campaign, and drive important metrics like cost per mille (CPM) and click-through rate (CTR). Even a view-through impression, where an ad is seen by a user but not clicked, is valuable in mobile marketing.

Say you drive by the same billboard advertisement every day for work. 

Some days you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and you read that billboard copy ten times before you finally drive past it. Other days you speed by, barely registering its presence at all. Each time you drive by this billboard is an impression (also called a view-through) — it doesn’t matter if you speed by and hardly notice it or read and think about its message.

The same is true of digital advertising and mobile marketing. Imagine you’re on social media and you scroll past a Facebook ad: whether you read the ad or rush past it, you count as an impression for that advertiser.

Impressions: Pros and cons

Measuring impressions tells an advertiser how many times their ad is seen — a useful metric all on its own. In digital marketing, impressions are a relatively simple, easy-to-calculate measure of a specific advertisement’s or advertising channel’s reach. The higher the number of total impressions, the more times the ad was served to an audience.

But impressions are not a perfect metric. For example, one person could scroll past the same ad 10 times and they would count as 10 impressions rather than one. Impressions also don’t tell advertisers anything about engagement and whether or not views actually took action after viewing the ad. To better gauge the true visibility of an ad, some brands distinguish between:

• Served impressions: refers to an ad that has been displayed or “served” on a mobile app, webpage, or other platform. When an ad is retrieved from the ad server and displayed to a user, it counts as a served impression — regardless of whether the user truly saw it.
• Viewable impressions: an impression that has met specific criteria to be considered “viewed” by a user, such as being at least 50% in view on a user’s screen for more than one second. This avoids counting a quick scroll-by as a true ad view and is a more meaningful indicator of ad visibility.

Impression counts can also be easily skewed by bot traffic and non-genuine views. Particularly on social media platforms, it can be difficult to discern accurate impression numbers.

However, most advertisers measure impressions because it helps them to properly purchase ad inventory. Tracking impressions is also the first step in calculating even more useful metrics like CPM, ROAS, and CTR.

Additional metrics calculated with impressions

Other metrics useful for advertisers which are calculated using the number of impressions are:

CPM

Advertisers purchase a certain number of impressions — say 1,000 — for a set amount of money. This purchasing method is called CPM which stands for cost per mille or cost per thousand (M is thousand in Roman numerals). So if an advertising campaign has a CPM of $20, the advertiser pays $20 for every 1,000 impressions.

ROAS

An advertiser may use an impressions metric to gauge their ROAS (return on advertising spend) and compare different platforms’ effectiveness. ROAS measures how much revenue is earned for every advertising dollar spent. If an advertiser runs a campaign on both Facebook and Instagram, it can use impressions and ROAS to compare apples to apples campaign performance.

CTR

Finally, measuring impressions is necessary to determine click-through rate (CTR), a crucial metric for most advertisers. CTR is the number of people who click on the ad to go where directed — whether that’s an app, a webpage, or elsewhere. To calculate CTR, an advertiser needs to know their number of impressions. CTR is calculated by dividing the total number of clicks on an ad by the total number of impressions.

The post Impression appeared first on Branch.

Daily active users (DAU) is a metric that measures the number of unique users interacting with a mobile app within a 24-hour period. DAU reflects user engagement and retention and is used to determine the lifetime value (LTV) of an app.

“Active” is a subjective term that individual companies can define for themselves. One company might define “active” as opening the app, another as logging in, and another as making an in-app purchase. As a general industry term, active usually means a user has downloaded or opened the app. 

A daily active user is identified with an IDFA (identifier for advertising) or other IDs, and information a company collects via email, cookies, or from a user opting in on their mobile phone.

DAU benefits and limitations

Daily active users are typically considered a vanity metric — one that shows a snapshot of success. 

Imagine a celebrity shares a link to your app on their social media. You get 100,000 new users downloading your app to check it out. Your DAU goes way up. This is exciting! But those 100,000 downloads don’t tell you much except for your success on that one day. However, inflated DAU’s that aren’t repeatable aren’t a good gauge of what engagement looks like on your app every day. It’s more of a reflection of press than overall or sustained success. 

DAU isn’t a key metric in every industry. It only makes sense for businesses where users actually use the app on a daily basis, like news, social media, or gaming. And, because every company can define “active” however it wants, no one is comparing apples to apples industry-wide, making metrics like DAU unhelpful on their own. 

This is not to say you shouldn’t measure DAU. It’s just more helpful if used in tandem with other metrics, or as the building blocks for other metrics.

DAU helps to gauge an app’s “stickiness,” or the regularity users engage with it. Measuring monthly active users (MAU) or even weekly active users also indicates stickiness, but over a longer period of time. The best metric to gauge consistent engagement and retention, though, is the DAU/MAU ratio. 

The DAU/MAU ratio is calculated by dividing the number of daily active users by the number of monthly active users over a given time period. It measures the proportion of monthly active users who engage with the app on a daily basis. In other words, it measures how well your app retains returning users, giving you a more accurate view of interaction with your app. 

Generally, a DAU/MAU ratio above 50% is considered good. It means that approximately 50% of monthly active users engage with the app daily. By tracking the DAU/MAU ratio overtime, brands can better understand and benchmark their app’s stickiness and growth potential. 

Most companies want to measure a user’s lifetime value (LTV). LTV is an indicator of the total revenue a business can expect to generate from an individual user. To do this, you need to calculate user retention rates, which rely on DAU.

Bottom line: DAU is crucial to measure, but it’s not indicative on its own.

Strategies to boost DAU

There are several ways to achieve an uptick in their daily active users. In today’s complex digital ecosystem, brands need a multi-pronged user acquisition strategy that focuses on acquiring app users from every touchpoint they interact with. Here are a few examples of proven tactics: 

• Remind your user base to use your app via emails, texts, or push notifications. With so many apps available to consumers, it’s easy for them to get distracted or forget yours exists. Continuous app promotion is critical for getting users to tap “download.” 
• Optimize your app for visibility in the app store. App store optimization (ASO) is a key component of any app growth strategy, as it determines whether users can easily find your app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 
• Remove barriers to entry. If it’s too onerous to sign up, sign in, click through or scroll around, people won’t use your app. Use deep links to make the transition from other marketing channels like email, SMS, or search engine results pages (SERPS) seamless and convenient for users. 

Key takeaways

• DAU is just one metric to gauge interaction with your app. Evaluating it over the long term can help you determine the success of campaigns and customer experience.
• DAU is best used as an input for more indicative KPIs like lifetime value, churn rate, and retention rates.

The post Daily Active Users (DAU) appeared first on Branch.

An in-app purchase (IAP) is a product, feature, functionality, content, or subscription that a user can buy within a mobile app. Users make in-app purchases via the app store, a debit or credit card, or through a third-party provider like PayPal or Stripe. Available through Apple App Store for iOS and Google Play Store for Android devices, in-app purchases generate revenue and boost user engagement, conversions, lifetime value, and retention rates. 

In-app purchases vs. other mobile app monetization

Most apps are created with the intention to monetize their use. In fact, consumer mobile app spending is on the rise, reaching $33.8 billion during the second quarter of 2023.

There are a few ways developers can encourage mobile app spending. A prime example is charging for app downloads. However, this creates a barrier to entry before a customer ever interacts with your app. This is why almost 97% of Android apps in the Google Play store are free to download. Additionally, you can display ads within the app. Unfortunately, in-app advertising is expensive and is often ignored by users. 

Due to the drawbacks and challenges of charging for app downloads and in-app advertising,  many app developers choose to offer in-app purchases, which are more enjoyable and less intrusive than ads and tend to boost user engagement. 

Types of in-app purchases

There are four types of in-app purchases:

1. Auto-renewal subscriptions: Products or services, like streaming services, that app users purchase on a recurring basis. Example: Spotify
2. Non-renewable subscriptions: Products or services purchased for a period of time. Example: Magazine subscriptions
3. Consumables: One-time-use products (like extra lives in a game) that can be used up and then repurchased. Example: In-game currency
4. Non-consumables: Products like ebooks or advanced features that can be purchased once and reused indefinitely. Example: Advanced editing tools in a photo app

Pros and cons of in-app purchases

As with any monetization method for apps, in-app purchases have their pros and cons. 

Pros

• Revenue generation: Because most apps are free to download, in-app purchases give developers a way to generate revenue without charging for the initial app download.
• Increased engagement: If someone invests money in the app, they’re more likely to continue using and exploring it.
• Understand user behavior: Tracking in-app purchases makes for valuable data about user behavior. This data provides insights to help you make your app more relevant and appealing.
• Cross-sell opportunities: If you offer multiple products or services within your app, you can use in-app purchasing as a way to cross-promote.

Cons

• Poor user experience: Overzealous developers may include too many in-app purchase opportunities that lead to a poor user experience. When users feel bombarded by purchase prompts, they disengage.
• Development and monetization challenges: In-app purchases make developing, implementing, and managing an app more complex and costly. Not all apps are suitable for in-app purchases.
• Competition: With millions of apps available on users’ mobile devices, your pricing and features must be competitive to attract customers.
• Regulations: Depending on the country and region, there may be specific restrictions on in-app purchase offerings.
• Fraud: Fraudsters often take advantage of digital platforms like apps, using fake credit information to make purchases. Cost-per-action campaigns are particularly vulnerable to fraud.

Best practices

When done right, in-app purchases can drive significant revenue for mobile app businesses. Here are some things to keep in mind in order to experience the best chance at success:

1. Transparent pricing: Clearly display the price of in-app purchases and indicate if any charges are billed on a recurring basis. 
2. Valuable offerings: Your in-app purchase offerings should provide real value to users and be differentiated from your free app offerings. Make sure users know exactly what they’ll get if they make a purchase. 
3. Seamless user experience: Reduce the likelihood of dropoff with smooth purchase experiences and convenient payment methods.
4. Special offers and discounts: Incentivize users to convert with limited-time discounts on in-app purchases. Use in-app messaging and push notifications to make users aware of special deals. 
5. Free trials: If applicable, let users try before they buy. Make sure you clearly communicate the trial terms — and if they’ll be automatically billed when the trial ends!

The post In-app Purchase appeared first on Branch.

Attribution modeling is a mobile measurement framework used to determine which touchpoints, or marketing channels, receive credit for a conversion event. Understanding first-click, last-click, and multi-touch attribution models helps marketers better understand which channels create the most impressions and contribute most to customer conversions like mobile app installs, in-app purchases, etc.  

Attribution models enhance overall business performance and return on investment (ROI) in mobile marketing, SEO, PPC advertising, and social media marketing strategies. This framework involves a solid grasp of attribution windows, which help marketers define the period of time their conversion events can be attributed to each channel.

Marketing touchpoints in attribution models

Marketing touchpoints like websites, social media platforms, email marketing, or personal interactions each play specific roles in the customer’s journey and contribute to conversions. In the context of attribution models, touchpoints act as a roadmap, indicating how consumers move along the buyer journey. They provide valuable insight into what triggers a potential customer to move from the top of the sales funnel to the middle or bottom of the funnel. In the world of mobile apps, they also provide critical insight into which channels are most effective at converting customers into app users. 

Understanding this dynamic is essential for marketers looking to optimize their strategies and enhance conversion rates. By using different attribution models, marketers can enhance the efficiency of these touchpoints by identifying which interactions contribute the most to conversions and optimizing their marketing budgets accordingly.

The customer journey in attribution models

The customer journey includes multiple channels, touchpoints, and steps from brand awareness to purchase. Understanding the customer journey is crucial in attribution modeling as it helps identify the most influential touchpoints and assess their contribution to conversions.

Event-based attribution models are essential in understanding user interaction within a mobile app or website. They assign credit to specific user activities or “events” — viewing a product, adding it to the cart, or reading reviews — that lead toward a conversion. Analyzing these events provides insights into the customer’s decision-making process and identifies critical touchpoints leading to conversions.

Types of attribution models

There are various types of attribution models, each offering a unique perspective on marketing campaigns:

• First-click attribution: assigns all credit for the conversion to the first touchpoint a customer interacts with. This model can help you understand the effectiveness of awareness campaigns.
• Last-click attribution: allocates 100% credit to the last channel a customer interacts with before making a purchase or conversion. This approach favors channels at the later stages of the marketing funnel.
• Linear attribution: gives equal credit to all touchpoints in the customer journey, offering a balanced view of all marketing efforts.
• Algorithmic/probabilistic attribution: leverages machine learning and complex algorithms to assign credit to different touchpoints, providing precise insights based on actual impact and performance.
• Position-based attribution: credits 40% to first and last interactions, with 20% split among others, which improves understanding of all interactions.
• Multi-touch attribution: distributes conversion credits across multiple touchpoints on the customer journey, useful for understanding the complex interplay of various marketing channels.
• Time-decay attribution: gives more credit to touchpoints nearer to conversion, ideal for short sales cycles.
• Data-driven attribution: uses machine learning and algorithmic analysis to distribute credit, considering all possible marketing scenarios and interactions.
• Shaped attribution: customizable based on the marketer’s discretion, allowing for nuanced assessment in complex customer journeys.

The post Attribution Modeling appeared first on Branch.

Click spam is a type of online advertising fraud that generates fake clicks to simulate engagement on ads. This deceptive practice is often achieved through SDK spoofing or click injection methods, where fraudsters manipulate the device ID of a legitimate user without their knowledge. The outcome leads to advertisers paying for non-genuine ad engagement.

Impact on digital advertising and marketing

Click spam has far-reaching implications for the digital advertising and marketing landscape, including:

• Inflated metrics and inaccurate analysis. Click spam distorts performance metrics, leading to skewed data analysis. Advertisers end up allocating resources toward fraudulent impressions and conversions, diminishing the effectiveness of their ad campaigns.
• Increased ad spend. Many brands use pay-per-click (PPC) cost models to pay for advertising, meaning they pay for each fraudulent click. This drives up costs and, when left unchecked, can drain marketing budgets. 
• Unfair competition. Click spam undermines fair competition by giving an advantage to unethical advertisers. Legitimate businesses aiming to reach their target audience are penalized as fraudulent clicks skew the market.

How click spam works

Typically, real users engage with an ad by clicking on it, leading to legitimate interactions. Click spam, however, involves the simulation of these interactions through fraudulent means, often without users’ awareness or consent.

Click spammers employ techniques like SDK spoofing and click injection to manipulate unique device IDs, creating false engagements that appear genuine. For instance, a downloaded app may continue to run in the background without the user knowing, generating fake clicks on ads that the user never saw. This fraudulent activity not only depletes advertising budgets but also distorts performance metrics, potentially leading to inefficient marketing decisions.

Click spam vs. click fraud vs. click injection

Click spam is a subset of click fraud — a type of mobile ad fraud that generates fake pay-per-click (PPC) ad clicks without genuine engagement or conversion potential. Click injection is another type of click fraud that specifically injects fraudulent click data into a campaign and creates the illusion of engagement. While all three practices involve fraudulent clicks, they vary in execution.

Technical aspects

Device IDs play a pivotal role in click spam. Every smartphone user possesses a unique ID used to track online behavior. Fraudsters exploit this by mimicking or “spoofing” these IDs, generating a high volume of invalid clicks. This manipulates engagement data, creating a false impression of genuine user interaction.

Fraudulent apps also contribute to click spam by simulating clicks on various in-app ads without the user’s knowledge or consent. When a user unknowingly downloads a fraudulent app, often disguised as a utility app — like a calculator or flash light — it continuously runs in the background on their mobile device, generating fake ad clicks. 

Another common click spam method is SDK spoofing, which involves infiltrating a mobile app’s Software Development Kit to insert malicious code that mimics genuine user behavior and results in fraudulent clicks.

Identify and prevent click spam

Identifying click spam can be challenging due to its sophisticated nature. Signs of fraudulent activities include sudden spikes in click-through rates, unusual conversion rates, or disproportionate engagement from specific regions or device types.

Prevention requires a combination of proactive strategies:

• Sophisticated analytics: Utilize advanced analytics and tracking tools to detect anomalies in user engagement patterns.
• Vet advertising partners: Thoroughly assess partners and ad networks for robust security measures.
• Leverage search engines: Use search engines’ algorithms and machine learning capabilities to detect and block fraudulent clicks.
• Diversify ad placements: Vary ad placements and target different devices to thwart repetition-based click spam.
• Relevant ad copy: Ensure ad content aligns with the target audience to reduce the risk of attracting bot traffic.

The post Click Spam appeared first on Branch.

App monetization is a strategy mobile app developers and marketers use to generate revenue and maximize profits from mobile applications. Mobile app monetization involves implementing various strategies and models to earn money from an app’s user base. Common monetization models include in-app purchases (IAP), in-app advertising, and subscriptions.

What is app monetization used for? 

App monetization serves several purposes, including:

1. 1. Sustainable revenue: Nearly 95% of all iOS apps and 97% of Android apps are free to download. Because of this, brands rely on monetization to create a sustainable source of income to support their app costs. 
   2. Growth and innovation: App monetization allows businesses to reinvest in app development, updates, and customer support, which ultimately provides a better experience to users. 
   3. Enhanced user engagement: Effective monetization strategies can encourage users to spend more time in an app, increasing engagement and retention rates. 

Monetization models

There are various approaches to app monetization. The right one for your brand depends on your app’s functionality and your user base. 

• In-app purchases (IAP): This model allows users to purchase additional features or content within the app. For instance, a gaming app might allow users to unlock a new level after they make a purchase. 

• Freemium models: Freemium apps offer a free or “lite” version with optional paid features or services. Fitness apps like MyFitnessPal prompt users to upgrade to the premium version to unlock advanced functionality. 

• In-app advertising: This method displays third-party ads within the app, with revenue generated per impression or click depending on the cost model. In-app ads are commonly used in freemium versions of apps, incentivizing users to upgrade to paid versions for an ad-free experiences. 

• Subscriptions: Users pay a subscription fee to access and continuously use an app. Entertainment and music apps like Netflix and Spotify use this model, as do news apps such as The New York Times.    

Teams involved in monetization efforts

App monetization is a cross-functional effort that typically involves multiple teams and stakeholders, including:

• Product management: Defines app monetization strategies and balances the app functionality and user experience with revenue generation opportunities. 
• Development: Implements monetization features and functionality within the app. 
• Marketing: Promotes the app via omni-channel marketing efforts and leads new user acquisition strategies. 
• Monetization team: Focuses on app revenue growth through advertising and pricing strategies.In some organizations, this is a dedicated team. 
• Finance: Manages financial aspects of the app, including revenue reporting and tracking, billing, and payments. 

App monetization is a vital aspect of mobile app development, enabling businesses to generate revenue while providing value to users. Understanding the various monetization models and involving the right teams is key to building a successful app monetization strategy.

The post App Monetization appeared first on Branch.

IDFV is a unique, alphanumeric identifier assigned by Apple to a device, allowing vendors to track user behavior across their apps without revealing personal information. IDFV helps vendors analyze user engagement, personalize products, target advertising, and improve customer satisfaction. Recent privacy changes require user consent for IDFV access, impacting its future use.

IDFV is a unique identifier assigned to a specific device by Apple to distinguish it from other devices associated with the same vendor or developer. It is a string of alphanumeric characters that is generated once and stays the same across different applications installed on the device. IDFV is a crucial component for vendors as it allows them to track and analyze user behavior across their different applications without identifying the user personally.

The importance of IDFV lies in its ability to provide valuable insights to vendors regarding user engagement and behavior. By tracking user activity across multiple apps, vendors can gain a better understanding of user preferences and tailor their products to meet their needs. This helps vendors improve their products and services, leading to increased customer satisfaction and retention. Additionally, IDFV helps vendors target advertising campaigns more effectively, resulting in better return on investment.

IDFV is distinct from the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) that is also assigned by Apple to a device. IDFA is a unique identifier that tracks user activity across different apps for the purpose of serving targeted advertising. Unlike IDFV, IDFA can be reset or turned off by the user, and vendors must obtain user consent before accessing IDFA.

The future of IDFV looks uncertain as Apple has announced changes in its privacy policy that restrict the use of IDFV. Starting with iOS 14, IDFV will be subject to the same user opt-in requirements as IDFA, meaning vendors will have to obtain user consent before tracking their activity across different apps. This change is expected to impact vendors’ ability to track user behavior and generate insights. However, IDFV will still remain a valuable tool for vendors as it provides a way to link user activity across different apps, even if user consent is required to access it.

The post Identifier for Vendors (IDFV) appeared first on Branch.

Mobile marketing is a digital marketing strategy that aims to promote products, services, or brands to target audiences through mobile devices. Mobile marketers use various mobile channels and marketing tactics to engage consumers, grow brand awareness, acquire new customers, and boost loyalty.

Mobile marketing uses mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearables to reach and engage with consumers through various marketing strategies and techniques. It involves the use of mobile apps, mobile websites, short message service (SMS), multimedia message service (MMS), social media, and other mobile channels to promote products, services, or brands.

Types of mobile marketing

1. Mobile apps: Mobile apps are software applications that run on mobile devices and can be downloaded from app stores. Companies use mobile apps to provide users with a convenient way to access their products or services.
2. Mobile websites (mWeb): Mobile websites are designed to be responsive and easily accessible on mobile devices. Companies use mobile websites to provide users with quick access to information about their products or services.
3. SMS/MMS: SMS and MMS are text and multimedia messaging services that are used to reach consumers directly on their mobile devices.
4. Mobile advertising: Mobile advertising involves the use of mobile devices to display ads to users. Ads can be displayed on mobile apps, mobile websites, or through mobile search engines.
5. Social media: Social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are increasingly being used for mobile marketing. Companies use social media to engage with their customers, provide them with updates, and promote their products or services.

Mobile marketing strategies

Successful mobile marketing strategies include:

• Onboard users
• Send users to specific places in the app via deep links or deferred deep links
• Utilize MLPs and MMPs to track data and correctly attribute traffic
• Harness the power of push notifications
• Provide a variety of incentives for users
• Use data and deep links in combination to deliver specific, relevant ads
• Develop mobile-specific web experiences

Mobile marketing techniques

The goal of a successful mobile marketing campaign is to develop long-term user relationships with a brand and their app. There are a variety of methods that brands can utilize in order to develop marketing campaigns that lead to long-term user engagement.

• Get users to the app: Employ a variety of techniques to attract users to the brand’s mobile app, including: web-to-app smart banners, QR codes, breaking users out of social media walled gardens, and desktop links.
• Positive engagement over complex onboarding: Ensure that a user’s first app experience is helpful and productive — don’t overwhelm users with onboarding and registration immediately. Use deep linking services to ensure that users are instantly presented with what makes the app valuable.
• Prove lasting value: Use targeted ads and messaging to remind users of the value that the app provides.
• Retain users with personalized experiences: Leverage customer data to provide users a personalized in-app experience. Personalization involves tailoring marketing messages to individual users based on their preferences, interests, location, and behavior.
• Re-engage users with push notifications: Send push notifications with a specific, personalized message re-engage your existing users. For example, Sephora sends push notifications to customers who added items to their cart but still needed to finalize their purchase.

Mobile marketing measurement strategies

A mobile measurement strategy is a marketing strategy based on the collection and processing of user data in order to determine customer behaviors and shopping patterns. Common KPIs include:

• Click-through rate: Click-through rate (CTR) measures the number of clicks an ad receives divided by the number of impressions. It is a good way to measure the effectiveness of mobile advertising.
• Conversion rate: Conversion rate measures the percentage of users who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or downloading an app.
• App downloads: App downloads are a good way to measure the success of mobile app marketing campaigns. They indicate how many users have downloaded a company’s app.

For more information on mobile measurement strategies, visit What Mobile App Events Should You Track With Your MMP?

With this information, brands are able to develop proactive marketing strategies that develop new user relationships and maintain user engagement, specifically via mobile.

Mobile measurements can be optimized through defining KPIs, understanding how to value users, and ensuring that a brand is leveraging all tools available for tracking.

The post Mobile Marketing appeared first on Branch.

A mobile linking platform (MLP) is a platform that facilitates deep linking and attribution across non-paid marketing channels. MLPs enable seamless navigation within mobile apps, track user data, and attribute events to specific marketing campaigns. They provide comprehensive insights into mobile marketing investments, including owned and earned channels.

An MLP is a hosted platform that routes deep links to apps and provides a collaborative portal for creating, editing, and measuring performance of organic deep links. It provides a reliable and configurable linking solution for brands that want to ensure their deep links work while also providing insights into performance across marketing channels such as social media, email, search, smart banners, and QR codes. Ultimately, an MLP provides the tools to help companies drive acquisition, boost conversions, increase ROI, and understand the impact of every touchpoint across owned and earned channels. Using an MLP ensures that links work consistently and reliably to create a seamless user experience and capture accurate data.

How a mobile linking platform works

An MLP determines which linking experience to use for each visitor. Because link routing can get more complicated than routing based on data in link URLs, an MLP is able to gather relevant user data and determine the best possible user experience.

The data gathered by an MLP from deep links can be used in conjunction with SDKs to provide instructions to apps and websites about what content to display for users.

Benefits of a mobile linking platform

A significant benefit of an MLP is to deliver deep links that are easily deployed across marketing channels, even when users transition from one device to another. An MLP should also be able to handle edge cases so users get dependable deferred deep linking experiences across complex scenarios, even after an app install.

The primary goal of an MLP is to provide brands the tools to accurately attribute installs, opens, and down-funnel, in-app conversions for owned and earned channels. All of the attribution information should be accessible through comprehensive and flexible dashboard displays.

While many traditional mobile marketing standbys (e.g., paid ads) are getting more expensive and difficult due to changing privacy regulations, an MLP makes it easy to create and scale organic links via APIs, apps, dashboards, or Chrome extensions across use cases and channels without heavy technical lift.

Additionally, because an MLP should have the expertise to proactively develop solutions, there’s no need to rebuild linking strategies when Google and Apple announce major changes (e.g., IDFA deprecation, Private Relay, etc.).

Working with mobile measurement platforms

When working in combination with a mobile measurement platform (MMP), mobile marketers can also attribute paid channels, enabling unprecedented visibility into all mobile marketing investments.

The post Mobile Linking Platform (MLP) appeared first on Branch.