Advertising to users on their devices is the most effective way to promote your application. While the quality of an app is the biggest driver of success, advertising can help users discover your app among the thousands of competing apps in the store. Below are some tips for success that we have learned working with our iPhone partners.
Advertising is most effective when launching a new app
A concentrated burst of downloads is the best way to maximize your ranking in the App Store. Combining downloads you receive as a new application with downloads generated from advertising can create a boost to your initial ranking. In addition, establishing a user base quickly means you receive product feedback, obtain user reviews, and gather usage data. You should also consider advertising when your app drops out of the Top 25 or Top 50 to keep it discoverable by users browsing these lists.
Install download tracking to evaluate the effectiveness of your ads
AdMob’s download tracking feature allows you to measure the conversion rate for each of you ads. The conversion rate is the percentage of users who clicked on an ad that eventually downloaded the app. The appeal of the app, effectiveness of the landing page, user reviews, ad targeting, and pricing all contribute to the conversion rate. Visit our site for more details.
Run multiple ads at once and refresh copy weekly
Click-through-rates (CTR) and conversion rates tend to slowly decline over time. Running several ads at once enables you to battle this decline by testing new ad copy and letting you direct your dollars towards the best performing ads. Test different ad language (e.g. “new”, “hottest”, or “limited time offer”) and try presenting your application in different ways (“Find weather in SF” vs “Is it raining today?”). For paid apps, consider adding the price of your app in the ad to minimize unqualified clicks.
Experiment with different targeting options
iPhone ad targeting options include iPhone vs iPod touch, by country, carrier vs WiFi, and market area within the US. Finding the optimal targeting for your particular app can have a big positive impact on downloads. As an example, iPod touch users tend to be much younger than iPhone users and convert better for games.
Start at the minimum bid and increase it as necessary
AdMob is a bidded marketplace where you pay only when a user clicks on an ad. You receive traffic depending on your bid per click, targeting, and the number of other advertisers competing for traffic in our system. Start at the minimum bid and if you want more traffic you can increase your bid level. Utilize AdMob’s daily budgeting feature to limit daily spend as your money can be spent quickly given the size of our network.
Install an Analytics package to understand user behavior
While AdMob gives you the tools to optimize your ad campaigns, you also need to understand the user experience within your application. Flurry, Pinch Media, and Medialets all have free iPhone Analytics solutions that you can use.
Closely monitoring the performance of your ads and continually experimenting is the key to running successful campaigns. Contact us at tryiphone@admob.com if you have any questions or join our AdMob Advertiser Discussion Group, we’d be happy to help. Good luck!
Mike F.
Product Marketing
