Mastering ROI for iOS Apps: Advanced UA Strategies & Hybrid Measurement

In the fast-paced mobile marketing world, app developers and marketers have a continuous
goal of maximizing their Return on Investment (ROI). This pursuit is prompted by the stark
reality: approximately 75% of iOS apps fail to yield substantial returns. To delve deeper into this
topic, our recent webinar, “Mastering ROI for iOS Apps: Advanced UA Strategies and Hybrid
Measurement,” brought together forward-thinking industry experts to share the insights on
leveraging cutting-edge tech stack, navigating UA trends and challenges, exploring growth
opportunities, and harnessing the power of hybrid measurement and data-driven optimization.

Our experts

• Niels Beenen, Partnerships Lead, EMEA at Singular. Niels is a seasoned, commercially-minded business leader in the marketing & advertising industry. Niels has over fifteen years experience working with fast-paced start-ups, brands and tech organizations in sales, online and mobile advertising technology.
• Alper Taner, App Growth Consultant, he’s a full stack app growth consultant with 10+ years of experience focusing on app growth and retention topics through improving MarTech stack setup, performance marketing channels, conversion funnel optimisation and ASO. His track record includes managing thousands of campaigns with 8-figure annual budgets, working with 60+ apps across various verticals worldwide.
• Jihyo Kim, Director of Partnerships, Moloco. She is a results-driven partner leader with a strong track record in building strategic alliances with cutting-edge technology partners. At Moloco, she specializes in identifying innovative measurement solutions and has a keen eye for emerging trends in the ever-changing mobile ecosystem.
• Ksenia Kurchich, Senior User Acquisition Manager, SplitMetrics. She has 10+ years in the Gaming and Mobile app industries. Her ability to navigate diverse marketing channels, manage substantial budgets, and deliver exceptional results makes her an invaluable asset in driving growth and achieving outstanding outcomes for her clients.
• Host: Eugene Lesechko, Associate Sales Director, SplitMetrics. He is a successful sales professional with extensive experience of delivering sales within the digital sector complemented with expertise in SaaS, digital marketing, advertising technology, marketing technology and data analytics.

Topics we covered

• How a modern MarTech stack looks like.
• Top-performing channels for growing iOS apps.
• Apple Search Ads: Key trends and growth opportunities.
• Tips to leverage the SKAdNetwork framework effectively.
• Targeting and customer journey personalization in a privacy-centric business landscape.
• Ways to optimize and streamline the creative production process.
• Future-proofing ROAS with hybrid measurement solutions.

You asked we answer

1. What’s the best solution to deal with data discrepancies between tools (App Store Connect, Firebase, app attribution tools, media partners, etc.)? 

Privacy frameworks, multiple attribution models and approaches to collecting, aggregating, and updating data – all of these might cause discrepancies between various platforms. To ensure a reliable foundation for data-driven decision-making, leading app developers and publishers adopt the single source of truth approach with a BI solution as a centerpiece of the user intelligence system. BI solutions like Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Looker, ClickHouse allow companies to set up attribution models, organize, store, and update data the way their businesses demand it. As many top mobile ad tech solutions, SplitMetrics Acquire, an Apple Search Ads automation platform, supports a No-Code BI Integration.

However, when sparing resources for developing an IT infrastructure like this is not possible, an MMP solution can fulfill the role of a centralized data repository containing the most accurate and up-to-date data. 

During our webinar Niels Beenen covered the part about hybrid measurement and highlighted that the focus should no longer be on selecting a single measurement methodology. Instead, it revolves around understanding the optimal timing, context, and integration of multiple measurement methodologies. In simple words, it means that to make data-driven decisions you won’t be backed by a single source of truth, but a few. And watch the webinar recording to dive into the hybrid measurement topic and have all the cards under your sleeve.

2. Have you got any insight on driving people to the app’s product page on the App Store vs a tailored landing page on your website first?

When it comes to driving users to your app, there are different approaches to consider, each with its own benefits and considerations. The decision depends on your app’s specific goals, target audience, and marketing strategy. Some businesses may find success with a direct approach to the App Store app product page, others might prefer the web-to-app approach to provide more information and customization.

You should remember that using web-to-app means adding an extra step between the user and your app. It may result in decreasing a conversion rate from impression to action like subscription. Whereas, by directing users to the App Store app product page, you can reduce friction in the conversion process. 

However, with the release of iOS 14.5, mobile marketer are trying to find a way to advertise their apps and track campaign effectiveness in real-time, and that’s why web-to-app is worth considering. Both methods can work well, and A/B testing can help determine which approach yields better results for your particular app and campaign objectives. Read this article to find more tips and best practices from seasoned industry experts.

3. Which AI tools do you recommend using?

Now you can find a lot of AI tools on the market, and you can choose the best one to meet your needs. Here, I’d provide the list of the most popular and worth-the-hype ones across several categories:

• For copywriting: ChatGPT, Lex.page, Smart Copy, Copy AI, Jasper AI, Hypotenuse AI, Word AI, ContentForge.
• For campaign management: AdScale, Revealbot, Shape, Opteo, SplitMetrics Acquire, Trapica, Smartly.io.
• For video creation: Synthesia, Pictory, Deepbrain AI, Maverick, Lumen5, Invideo, HeyGen, Runway ML, Elai.io.
• For image creation: Midjourney, DALL-E, Leonardo.ai, DreamStudio, Craiyon, Bing Image Creator, Canva AI.
• For reporting: Adverity, Amplitude, Holistics, hawke.ai, SheetAI, Axiom.ai, Sisense, Looker.
• For insights & optimization: Albert.ai, MarketMuse, Fullstory, RapidMiner, Linkfluence, Zalster, Crayon, Birst.

The best advice here is to start testing various AI tools to understand what they lack, as it’ll allow you to find the best one suitable for your needs quicker.

4. Сan you speak about the diversion of spend to Apple Search Ads as a consequence of IDFA deprecation? Has spending shifted to other channels? Do you predict a similar effect following Privacy Sandbox for Android?

After IDFA depreciation, lots of mobile marketers shifted their advertising budgets to Apple Search Ads. As a result, according to Singular’s ROI Index, this ad channel is now the second-biggest ad partner by spend on iOS for Singular customers. 

The Privacy Sandbox initiative by Google aims to address privacy concerns in the digital advertising ecosystem and create new privacy-first solutions. Like IDFA deprecation, Privacy Sandbox will introduce changes to user tracking and targeting on Android devices. This may also result in shifts in advertising spending as advertisers adapt to new targeting methods. Check this Singular’s article to learn more about what’s happening and how you can prepare yourself for the future privacy-centric landscape.

5. Can you describe the global impact of ATT on ROI?

Due to the limited tracking and result analysis capabilities when launching paid campaigns on iOS, mobile user acquisition is like traditional old-school marketing. Now, when running ads across various channels, advertisers can evaluate their overall performance, which often leads to decreased campaign efficiency and the diminishing effectiveness of each individual channel. Consequently, reducing the number of channels in the campaign pool becomes necessary for ease of analysis and optimization, making budgeting a more challenging task. As a result, it is evident that ATT has a huge impact on Revenue and ROI in the mobile advertising landscape.