How to acquire new installs for your app on Facebook?

Mobile apps usage has seen exponential growth over the past couple of years. Brands are looking up to mobile apps for their core central presence while developers are battling hard to win a spot on the user’s small screen. A good case in point being an Indian online retailer Myntra who shut down their website to focus on only on their mobile app as 80% of their traffic came through its mobile application

With millions available to download, developers can’t rely on people to organically discover their app because it’s as good as finding a needle in the haystack. This is where the mobile app install ads come to the rescue. 

Facebook’s mobile advertising revenue is growing QonQ and now contributes to a whopping 76% of the total company’s quarterly revenue. The mobile app market place is one of key contributors here. Thanks to its precision targeting options and massive reach, Facebook is one of the most sought after platform when it comes to mobile app install ads.

Let’s look at a few best practices and tips for creating highly effective mobile app ads on Facebook:

1. Measure Measure Measure

The easiest way to measure installs from your mobile app install campaigns is to install Facebook’s latest SDK. For deeper insights into your app, partner with a Facebook certified mobile measurement partner such as HasOffers, Apsalar, Localytics etc. 

Mobile measurement partners provide performance metrics like attribution, lifetime value, downstream conversions, ROI and analysis across acquisition channels which helps you optimize.

2. Leverage the newly launched 'Carousel ads'

Carousel ads provide a unique opportunity to advertisers to showcase up to 5 images within the same ad unit. Advertisers around the globe are using this ad unit very creatively to maximize conversions.

For example, Invasion has taken one image and divided into 4 blocks, making a larger scene. Thus grabbing the attention of the user and encouraging them to download the app

In another example, RoomsTonite used Carousel ads to showcase different aspects of their app with real photos in order to drive the messaging and entice users to download the app.

3. Get the right creative in place

Creative is the most important thing in your mobile app install ad. Showcasing screenshots of your app to attract new users may not be the best strategy in the long term. When it comes to apps, people expect it to solve real world problems. Hence using images of real people using the app will help in building trust and encourage the users to download the app.

For example, check out Haptik’s mobile app install ad to drive new installs. The image features a user interacting with the app along with kind of conversation you could have with the personal assistant. Such an image gives an immediate idea to the user about what to expect once they install the app leading to quicker app installation if he/she is interested.  

From a game developer point of view, promoting a video capturing the game-play will give the user a virtual experience of the game without actually installing it and thereby creating a compelling reason to download the game. Something similar was done by ‘Storm of Heroes’ highlighted in the screenshot below.

4. Include a Call to action (CTA)

A strong and clear call to action within the first 90 characters along with the text which explains the benefits or incentive behind installing the app could help to drive more downloads or engagement

5. Make sure you reach the right audience

Today you can easily find your target audience with the help of Facebook’s precise targeting options. Facebook, over the last couple of years has launched many targeting tools targeted especially towards direct response marketers.

 Some of the key targeting options you should look at are:

1. Broad categories – Target people under specific interest categories which may be relevant to your mobile app. For example, New Smartphone users can be great category to target since new phone users tend to search and install new apps easily
2. Custom Audience – Re-engage with dormant users or reconnect with people who have dropped out of the app without completing a desired action or who have visited your website.
3. Lookalike Audience – One of the very powerful features on Facebook, use it to reach out to people who are similar to your existing app users or web visitors
4. Connection targeting- People don’t tend to download heavy apps over 2G or 3G connection instead its more bound to happen over Wi-Fi. Target only Wi-Fi users if you want to optimize your ad impressions towards relevant audience especially for apps more than 20MB

 6. Choose the right bidding option

Facebook offers you two kinds of bidding options for mobile app install ads. To be specific

1. Optimized CPM (OCPM) – Here you will bid on impressions, but the ad will be shown to people who are more likely to install the app. It’s great to drive volumes and especially used when you want to scale the campaign
2. Cost per Install (CPI) – Here the advertiser pays Facebook only when an install happens. This option is great for controlling costs but unfortunately the inventory is limited

7. Always be testing

Lastly, Keep A/B testing between different creatives, target audiences, and devices. Test which devices are responding well to your ads and optimize. Don’t keep more than 3-5 ads within the same ad set. Test different timings of the day where you get more traction and invest more during that period.