App campaigns can help you find different types of users for your app. You may want to get installs for a new app or you may want to focus on driving in-app actions.
Set up App campaigns differently depending on your app’s immediate marketing goal.
Managing multiple App campaigns
It’s better to set up a new campaign if you’d like to start optimizing for a different goal. A new campaign will be better at optimizing your bids and ads for an audience who can meet each goal.
If you want to accomplish multiple goals simultaneously, you can set up concurrent App campaigns that may at times compete for similar types of users. To reduce this effect, increase the bid and budget for the App campaigns that meets your immediate goal:
If you want to get the most installs for a target cost-per-install (CPI), create an App campaign that optimizes for “Install volume” and targets “All users.”
This setup will focus on building a user base for your app. As you get more new users, you’ll collect conversion data to identify trends among the more valuable users.
Example: set a target CPI based on value
Say you’re promoting a mobile game. Based on conversion data from similar games that you’ve promoted in the past, you expect 1 out of 10 people who install your game to buy an upgrade in the first 30 days that’s worth $20 in profit.
Since 1 out of 10 users is worth $20, you can afford to pay up to $2 per install (or $20 ÷ 10 installs).
Tip
Let Google Ads collect enough conversion data without running out of budget.
When optimizing for “Install volume,” set a daily campaign budget that’s at least 50 times your target CPI. So if your target CPI is $2, set a budget that’s at least $100.
Find installs that will also perform a specific action
Create a new App campaigns that focuses on “Install volume” but targets “Users likely to perform an in-app action” instead of “All users.” Set a target CPI in the more targeted campaign that’s at least 20% higher than the campaign targeting “All users.” It makes sense to pay more for more valuable installs. A bid increase of at least 20% will help Google Ads separate the value between the two audiences.
Once you’ve decided which in-app action is most valuable to your business, you can find new users who will perform this in-app action for a target cost-per-action (CPA).
Create another App campaign and set its “Campaign optimization” to focus on “In-app actions.”
Pick an in-app action that will give App campaigns enough data to optimize effectively
A more frequently occuring conversion action gives Google Ads more data to learn how to find new users who will also perform that action. If you don’t have at least 10 different users completing the most valuable in-app action every day, you’ll need to pick another, more common in-app action instead.
For example, if your most valuable in-app action is someone buying an upgrade in your mobile game, but fewer than 10 people complete this action every day for your App campaigns, you’ll need to pick another action. You can pick something like adding payment information or leveling up, which is likely going to lead to the upgrade but is completed by at least 10 different users each day in your campaign.
Example: set a target CPA based on value
Continuing with our mobile game example, suppose you want to find more people who will buy an upgrade. The upgrade is an in-app action that’s worth the same to your business every time it happens: a $20 profit.
In this case, you could set your target CPA up to $20. You can adjust this amount up or down depending on how much profit and conversion volume you’d like.
Tip: If you don’t know what target CPA to set, start with the CPA from other online campaigns promoting your app. Then adjust your target CPA as you get more data about the value of your users.
Tip
Let Google Ads collect enough conversion data without running out of budget.
When optimizing for “In-app actions,” set a budget that’s at least 10 times your target CPA. So if your target CPA is $20, set a budget that’s at least $200.
Goal 3: Drive pre-registration sign ups for your app before it launches
This campaign type uses the Target CPA bid strategy to help you get the most conversions optimized exclusively for pre-registrations. When you set your bid, you’re telling Google Ads the average amount you’d like to spend each time someone pre-registers for your app. The specific bid is target cost-per-pre-registration, which is automatically set once the first person pre-registers for your app.