This document summarizes a case study where a weather app wanted to increase app installs without increasing budget. They leveraged audience analytics from multiple platforms to identify top performing user cohorts interested in reality TV and video games. They created targeted Facebook and Instagram campaigns with aligned creative for these interests, optimizing for app install events. Expanding these campaigns across networks and objectives led to an 18% decrease in cost per install and a 10% increase in monthly active users. The key learnings were to utilize various analytics, trust the data insights, align internal teams, and think in terms of multi-channel campaigns rather than single channels.

1. Audience Analytics to Identify
Potential New App Users
eMetrics Chicago 2017

2. About Me
JD Prater is the Head of Customer
Acquisition of AdStage, a leading cross-
channel online advertising platform.
Previously he was the Head of Paid Social
at Hanapin Marketing.
His expertise in in crafting marketing
strategies and campaigns that drive
acquisition, retention, and engagement
across the customer lifecycle.
@jdprater

3. About AdStage
AdStage is a powerful cross-
channel advertising platform,
helping digital marketers easily
report, automate, and manage
paid search & social campaigns all
under one roof.
@jdprater

4. Mobile App Acquisition
Case
Study

5. I’ll Walk Through
Company: a popular weather app
Problem: increase app installs without a budget increase
Approach: leverage analytics to uncover behaviors and
interests among top performing cohorts
Takeaways: key learnings that you can put into action
@jdprater

6. Get more app installs
Proble
m

7. Client Meeting
@jdprater
Client: We need to get more app installs.
Me: Great. How can we help?
Client: You need to increase app installs across existing
campaigns.
Me: Ok. Are you looking to increase budgets? The campaigns are
pretty well optimized as last month set a record.
Client: No additional budget. You’ll have to get creative for this
one.

8. Problem
@jdprater
Generate more app installs without a budget increase

9. BTW
@jdprater
Client: We not only want more installs, but higher quality users

10. Our Goal
@jdprater
CPI MAU
Problem #1 Problem #2

11. Step #1 – Understand Audiences by
Leveraging Multiple Analytics Platforms
Our Approach

12. Target App User?
@jdprater
Demographics?
Location?
Interests?

13. Ideal App User?
Event Completion
App
Engagement LTV
@jdprater
+ =

14. Power Users
Take All UsersFind Top Performing
@jdprater

15. Identify Top Cohorts
@jdprater
Appsflyer
Attribution & Event Tracking
Localytics
Behavior Analysis & User
Segments

16. Matched
prospects
Email addresses
Phone numbers, iOS IDFAs
Facebook User IDs, App User IDs
People you know
Direct or through third-party
People from your website
FacebookPeople you know on
Facebook
@jdprater
Facebook Custom Audiences

17. Facebook Lookalike Audiences
@jdprater
People who have
shopped Nordstrom in the
last three months
People who have lifetime
spend at Lowes over $50k
People who are power
users of this weather
app
and people who look like them
Find more people who look like your best customers

18. Facebook Audience Insights
@jdprater
7
5
8
0
Watch Reality TV Play Video Games

19. Aha Moment!
@jdprater

20. Step #2 – Develop Campaigns and Creative
Tests
Our Approach

21. Campaign & Creative Tests
@jdprater
Targeting FacebookCreative

22. Get in Lock Step with Internal Teams
Product
@jdprater
Media Creative
Syncing Teams

23. Align Creative to Audiences
Watch Reality TV
• Imagery
• Ad copy
• Target audience
@jdprater
not the real ads

24. Align Creative to Audiences
Play Video Games
• Imagery
• Ad copy
• Target audience
@jdprater
not the real ads

25. @jdprater
App Event Optimization
Not all app installs are
equal.
Install Complete
Events
Facebook launched
optimizing for app
events.
+

26. @jdprater
How We Used It
Watch Video
Find people who play video games
and who are likely to watch video

27. @jdprater
CPI MAU
Results
-20% +7%

28. Step #3 – Expand Across Objectives &
Networks
Our Approach

29. App Re-engagement Campaigns
@jdprater
30 days after people
install an app,
only 6% of them are
still using it
Source: emarketer

30. Test Other Networks
Instagram
• Same targeting as Facebook
• Same images
• Same ad copy
Google Display Network
• Similar targeting as Facebook
• Similar imagery
• Similar ad copy
@jdprater

31. Preliminary Results
Instagram Google Display Network
@jdprater
CPI
-10%
CPI
+4% -5% +2%
MAU MAU

32. @jdprater
CPI MAU
After 2 Months
-18% +10%

33. Put It Into Action
Takeaways

34. @jdprater
Process Recap
DataTest
Learn Questio
n

35. @jdprater
Appsflyer Localytics Facebook
Utilize Various Analytics Platforms

36. Trust The Data
@jdprater
7
5
8
Watch Reality TV
Play Video Games

37. Align Teams & Share Learnings
@jdprater

38. Think in Terms of Campaigns, Not Channels
@jdprater

39. Questions?
@jdprater
5% off AdStage
bit.ly/emetrics5

40. Thank You
eMetrics Chicago 2017