AdAttributionKit: The new SKAN 5?

Apple announced its next iteration of privacy-centric attribution, ditching the SkAdNetwork (SKAN) moniker for the much catchier AdAttributionKit.   

AdAttributionKit is “built on top of SkAdNetwork fundamentals,” meaning the overall concepts are nearly identical, which leads us to believe that AdAttributionKit will eventually replace SKAN. For now, SKAN and AdAttributionKit will be interoperable, allowing for streamlined conversions to the new framework. 

AdAttributionKit introduces new features that the industry eagerly anticipated (or really, crossed their fingers for) with SKAN 5. 

Finally, support for reengagement campaigns

SKAN 5 promised reengagement support, which is now included in AdAttributionKit. This will finally allow marketers to measure how many users return to their app. Best of all, you can continue to depend on Branch deep links for your reengagement campaigns because Apple will use Universal Links to power its AdAttributionKit reengagement flows. Note, however, that AdAttributionKit reengagement campaigns only support click-through attribution. 

Reengagement campaigns can also run in conjunction with acquisition campaigns; the AdAttributionKit framework will provide the corresponding postback depending on whether the app was installed. With reengagement support, we expect greater insights through additional postbacks, as we are no longer limited to the initial three postbacks from the app’s launch. 

Apple opens its gates to support third-party marketplaces

With AdAttributionKit, postbacks will now support third-party marketplaces through a new ‘marketplace-identifer’ field, enabling the identification of download or redownload sources. 

Major improvements to Developer Mode

Previously, Apple’s stringent privacy controls made testing SKAN difficult, requiring approximately 20 installs per campaign to initiate feedback, further complicated by randomized timers. This year, Apple introduced major enhancements to testing with AdAttributionKit Developer Mode, which removes the time randomization, shortens conversion windows, and quickens postback transmission. Developers can toggle this mode within their devices’ iOS Settings in the Developer menu. 

Anticipated value from AdAttributionKit

We’re eager to explore two key areas further:

1. Additional granularity in engagement and placements. AdAttributionKit introduces two new ad display methods, providing finer granularity in performance and reporting beyond the known SKAN placements of SKOverlay ads and SKStoreProductViewController ads. 

• • Custom-click ads: A newer iteration of SKAN for Web Ads offers a generic means to register a click and support click-through ads for reengagement, third-party marketplaces, and destinations outside the Apple App Store. 
  • View-through ads: Provides a generic means to register an impression, covering any custom ad presentation for view-through attribution. 

2. More granular conversion value (CV) insights in lower funnel postbacks. While SKAN limits postback 2 and 3 to coarse conversion values, Apple indicated during the “Meet AdAttributionKit” session that CV granularity correlates directly with crowd anonymity. We can speculate that AdAttributionKit may now support finer CV granularity in postbacks 2 and 3 if corresponding crowd anonymity tiers are met.

Apple Intelligence

Thought AI stood for artificial intelligence? Think again. Apple has redefined “AI” as Apple Intelligence, marking its bold stake in the next era of innovation.

Apple’s positions its AI as “AI for the rest of us.” While introducing familiar AI features seen in tools like Midjourney, Adobe Illustrator, and Grammarly, Apple is now integrating similar capabilities, such as generative AI writing and image creation, as on-device add-ons to existing Apple apps. Notably, Apple has partnered with OpenAI to seamlessly provide ChatGPT across its OS suite, a move that diverges from its traditional brand.

What garnered the most interest here at Branch, however, is the ongoing development of AppIntents. The “What’s new in App Intents” session highlighted that “AppIntents is core to building experiences for Apple Intelligence.” This statement, coupled with the announcement that AppIntents can now be exposed by Universal Links in iOS 18, sparked significant excitement at Branch, where we have made significant investments in Universal Links.

Although AppIntents has not achieved widespread adoption since its release with iOS 16, we anticipate that Apple Intelligence will drive a renewed demand for user personalization and engagement. AppIntents offer a powerful framework for app developers to create personalized and captivating user experiences across devices. While Universal Links in AppIntents is still a new concept, at Branch, we see immense potential for unlocking valuable new opportunities in the future.

Conclusion

As WWDC comes to a close, Apple’s keynote brought notable improvements with AdAttributionKit, though it lacked groundbreaking announcements. Despite not fully resolving SKAN challenges, reengagement support is a step in the right direction. With promising developments in developer tools and AI integration under Apple Intelligence, the future holds potential for better app experiences. 

To delve deeper into Apple’s announcements and explore their implications for the industry’s future, join our session on June 18: WWDC 2024: Analyzing Apple’s Latest Innovations and Privacy Changes.

The post From Predictions to Reality: AdAttributionKit Unveiled at WWDC 2024 appeared first on Branch.

What you’ll learn:

• Enhance mobile engagement: Discover recent user experience, and advancements designed to enhance your mobile engagement.
• Boost efficiency: Explore innovative tools for automation and optimization that streamline workflows.
• Drive data-informed decisions: Learn about cutting-edge solutions for measurement and reporting that empower you to make informed decisions.

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead in the dynamic world of mobile growth. Register now to secure your spot!

The post Upcoming: Branch Presents: 2024 Innovations & Roadmap appeared first on Branch.

Despite this growing reliance on mobile platforms for financial services, finance brands —  much like their counterparts in other sectors — struggle to acquire and retain app users. As much as 68% of consumers abandon their financial apps, with a notable portion going so far as to take their business elsewhere. 

This blog explores three strategies for finance and banking brands to acquire valuable app users and overcome churn challenges.

Why users abandon finance apps

Frustrating experiences turn users off of your app within seconds. Common grievances include frequent crashes, complex interfaces, and security concerns. Simplifying processes, like minimizing the steps required to access monthly statements or link accounts, is essential for user retention. Additionally, application processes that demand excessive time and personal information, as well as the absence of fully digital options forcing branch visits, contribute to user dissatisfaction. App speed is another critical factor, as delays lead to user drop-offs. By streamlining onboarding and optimizing user flows, finance apps can reduce churn, enhance user satisfaction, and foster brand loyalty. 

User expectations for finance apps

When users engage with a financial app, they seek more than just basic transactional services like money transfers or statement downloads. They want helpful, seamless experiences tailored to their needs. An overwhelming 86% of consumers prefer using a single app for all their banking needs, emphasizing their desire for a convenient “one-stop-shop” solution rather than managing multiple apps with distinct functionalities. To meet these evolving expectations, apps have to address several user needs:

• Can this app help me achieve my financial goals?
• Does it offer personalized services while safeguarding my security and privacy?
• Can it simplify my life by providing consolidated financial data across my accounts and investments?

Three ways digital finance apps can drive app growth and retention

Here are three practical strategies to drive users to your mobile app and deliver the seamless, time-saving experiences they expect. 

1. Build trust with effective mobile referral programs

92% of consumers say they trust recommendations from friends and family over any other form of advertising. When people they know endorse an app, users are more inclined to give it a try. Online reviews across platforms like Quora, YouTube, Discord, and search engine results pages (SERPs) further reinforce trust with potential users. 

To cultivate trust and attract new users, financial apps increasingly implement mobile referral programs. These programs incentivize users to advocate for the app within their social circles, driving organic growth. Referrals — shared via text, email, or social media — come in various forms, including friend-to-friend, influencer-driven, and brand-driven.

Referrals not only bolster user acquisition but also drive higher revenue. A Branch study found that users who are referred by others are twice as valuable as compared to other channels, with conversion rates and average revenue per user (ARPU) often doubling or tripling. 

Robinhood, for instance, incentivizes user-to-user sharing by offering stock to both the referrer and the referred user. By leveraging the loyalty of its user base, the brand established a mutually beneficial ecosystem for both new and existing customers.

The success of a referral program hinges on its shareability and accessibility. When designing a program, consider the following:

• Can customers easily discover and share your referral program with their network? 
• Are there multiple share options to cater to different preferences? 
• Do referral links take users directly to the app via deep linking? Can they maintain the user’s referral context through the app install process? 

Building referral functionality on your own can be complex and often requires specialized tools and technology. Linking and measurement solutions like Branch streamline the process, facilitating the creation of unique referral deep links that seamlessly direct users to app content. By automatically applying referral bonuses and rewards, deep linking minimizes drop-offs during the installation process. Plus, deep link click data offers valuable insights into user behavior and campaign effectiveness, allowing you to see exactly which users and referral campaigns generate app downloads and down-funnel conversions. 

Another crucial aspect of a successful referral program is simplifying the sharing process for users. Share sheets enable effortless sharing across various platforms, allowing users to copy and send links via email, social networking apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, or SMS — all in one tap. Native share sheets keep customers within the mobile app’s ecosystem, so they can share referrals, promotional discounts, and coupon codes without navigating to external platforms.

2. Prompt app downloads at high-intent touchpoints

Harnessing online touchpoints, such as your brand’s website, presents a prime opportunity to boost app downloads and guide customers back to your mobile app. Implementing mobile smart banners is a great way to seamlessly transition web visitors to the app experience.

Personalized smart banners are highly effective in driving user acquisition from your mobile website, regardless of the traffic source — be it paid or organic. By targeting audiences based on behavioral and contextual cues, smart banners can elevate click-through rates by up to 60% compared to standard web banners. Rather than inundating web visitors with too many distracting elements, like floating chat buttons and email signup forms, smart banners integrate seamlessly into the mobile web experience, providing a non-intrusive yet effective approach. Plus, brands can conduct A/B tests on various banner elements like copy, call-to-action buttons, and creative assets to pinpoint the highest-converting variations.

Payoneer, a popular payment platform, uses Journeys smart banners to redirect its web traffic to in-app content. Users who land on the mobile web are redirected to the intended in-app content if they already have the app, while new users are sent to the app store to download the app then automatically directed to the intended app content. The company has generated 204K app installs from Journeys alone, making it the highest contributor to the total app downloads over the past year. 

3. Prioritize CX across the entire user lifecycle

Poor user experiences drive customers away from apps, and it starts with at the outset of the user lifecycle. For instance, a Google survey conducted across six APAC markets revealed that 49% of users have installed a finance app but never used it, primarily due to frustrations before they even started transacting. Another report found that European financial service institutions lose over EUR 5 billion each year due to onboarding drop-offs. It’s a universal problem. 

Simplifying the onboarding journey is one of the most crucial steps to increase retention. Onboarding sequences should immediately demonstrate the app’s value, introduce key features, and avoid overwhelming users with unnecessary information. Getting onboarding right, regardless of the platform or channel users come from, is critical to foster long-term relationships with users. 

Another factor to consider is that when users interact with a digital finance app, they share sensitive, personal information. Unlike other app experiences, they expect regular communication regarding their account, app maintenance, and potential security threats. Investment app users, for example, expect timely updates about their portfolio’s performance, including fluctuations in stock prices and fund movements.

While many of these updates conventionally come through email, many finance apps miss out on leveraging email to reengage app users. Consider ET Money’s approach: Each successful transaction on their mobile app prompts a notification email to users, with relevant information such as the invested amount, transaction type, and specific funds involved. By deep linking users from email to specific in-app content, ET Money minimizes the steps required to take action, enhancing convenience and boosting the likelihood of conversion. 

Finance brands should view every customer interaction as an opportunity to direct users back to their best, most valuable platform: the app. To maximize acquisition and engagement, ensure that all your channels are deep linked to provide quick, “one-tap” opportunities to get to the app. 

Conclusion

While mobile apps have transformed finance management, winning and retaining valuable app users remains a challenge. Simple yet powerful strategies like effective referral programs, web-to-app smart banners, and deep linking can help finance brands drive growth. 

To learn how Branch’s linking and measurement solutions can grow your finance app, connect with our team. 

The post 3 Proven Strategies To Win and Retain Finance App Users appeared first on Branch.

At a recent webinar featuring Ray Brusca, strategic partnerships manager at Google, we delved into the core concepts of Privacy Sandbox, unpacking its objectives, principles, and consequences for the advertising ecosystem. 

What is Privacy Sandbox, really? 

Privacy Sandbox is a Google-led initiative to develop technologies that safeguard individual user privacy while allowing companies to carry out critical advertising functions. In simple terms, it aims to reduce cross-site and cross-app tracking without compromising the effectiveness of ad targeting and measurement. 

According to Brusca, “Privacy Sandbox is a product with a broader initiative wrapped around it. In short, Chrome and Android are seeking to introduce new technologies — like the Attribution Reporting API (ARA) and several others — to advance consumer privacy while supporting key ad functionalities. On Android, that largely translates to developing solutions that enable the ecosystem to both serve relevant in-app ads and also measure them, without the need for cross-app identifiers.” 

Google has taken a collaborative approach to developing its Privacy Sandbox tools. Since its announcement on the web initiative in 2019, followed by Android in 2022, the company has engaged stakeholders across the mobile ecosystem, including marketers, publishers, adtech providers, and consumers. 

Brusca added, “We have frankly been approaching it with the humble recognition that the effort will be more effective if we work in collaboration with the industry. We’ve invited every stakeholder across the mobile ecosystem to test tools and provide feedback on how well they serve their use cases.” 

How does Privacy Sandbox balance user privacy with market demands?

Google has shared several key principles guiding the development of Privacy Sandbox tools, two of which are particularly relevant to marketers. The first is data minimization.

“Data should only be collected by a user if it is allowable and necessary to achieve a specific purpose. This may prompt marketers to ask themselves: Do we actually need the data we are collecting from users to make critical business decisions? Is any of it superfluous, or even worse, does it actually add noise and bias, detracting from our analysis?” Brusca explained. 

The second core principle is to challenge the assumption that there must always be a tradeoff between privacy and advertising effectiveness. Brusca argued that with innovative technologies like those being developed in the Privacy Sandbox, privacy and advertising can coexist, benefiting both users and advertisers alike.

What is the attribution reporting API (ARA), and how will it impact reporting? 

The ARA is one of the tools introduced by Privacy Sandbox. It represents a fundamental shift in how companies approach advertising attribution; unlike existing methods that use cross-app identifiers, it relies on anonymized and aggregated data. In practical terms, it allows brands to track and attribute campaign metrics, such as impressions, clicks, or conversions, without third-party cookies and device IDs. 

“Given the ARA’s configurability and flexibility, it’s important for marketers to invest time now in understanding how the API works. There are some fundamental differences between cross-app ID-based measurement and ARA-based measurement. First, you’ll generally need to be more intentional about which campaign and conversion metrics you want to measure before launching a campaign. That may mean more upfront planning and discussions with internal stakeholders and adtech partners,” said Brusca. 

The ARA introduces “noise,” adding a random amount of data to attribution reports to obfuscate and further protect individual user identities. This prevents easy tracking of specific user actions while still providing valuable insights at an aggregated level.  

Brusca added, “Companies may need to recalibrate how they approach reporting. Extracting as much signal as possible from the ARA requires an understanding of the tradeoffs.”  

How do cross-app and web attribution work under Privacy Sandbox?

The ARA enables marketers and advertisers to measure ad conversions across both web and apps, including app-to-app, app-to-web, web-to-app, and web-to-web.

Brusca explained, “Imagine browsing a news app on your phone and clicking on an airline ad for a flight deal to an international destination you’ve never visited. If you don’t have the airline’s app installed and proceed to purchase a ticket on their website, the ARA can match these events locally and securely on your device.”

Similarly, it can accurately attribute a scenario where a user reads a web article about a sporting event, sees an ad for a pizza deal, clicks on it, and makes a purchase through the pizza delivery app. As Brusca emphasized, these capabilities have the potential to enable more marketers to perform cross-app and web attribution, thereby helping them achieve better match rates, broader inventory coverage, and, ultimately, improved campaign performance.

How should marketers prepare and stay up to date with Privacy Sandbox changes? 

The consensus from the panelists was: Get started now.

Brusca advised, “Start testing the Attribution Reporting API and other Privacy Sandbox building blocks now while the products are still in beta. Now is the time to make sure you get your feedback. Google is constantly rolling out important features and publishing new proposals. I also recommend reaching out to Branch and your other adtech partners to see what integration tests they have in flight and how you can get involved.” 

To stay informed on Privacy Sandbox updates, check out privacysandbox.com and click “News and Updates” in the dropdown menu. For developers and product managers, visit developers.google.com to read about new feature sets.

To catch the full conversion, watch Uncovering Google Privacy Sandbox – Candid Conversation With Experts. For more information or to get involved with Branch’s ARA live testing, reach out to our team!   

The post What Marketers Need To Know About Privacy Sandbox: A Conversation With Google appeared first on Branch.

We’ll cover:

• Why CTV is the fastest-growing space in digital media and how marketers might be missing out
• Best practices to maximize ad spend
• How to make actionable items for retargeting campaigns more relevant

New to CTV advertising? Check out our interview with Moloco, “How To Make CTV Advertising Work for Your Brand” for an overview of the essentials. 

The post Upcoming: TechTalks #5 | Ad Relevance in Streaming Platforms appeared first on Branch.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new Customer Advocacy Program, designed to cultivate deeper, more authentic relationships with our valued customers. The program will provide you with a platform to share your expertise, grow your professional network, and collaborate with our team on exciting new initiatives.

Here’s what you can look forward to as a Branch advocate. 

Customer Advocacy Program opportunities

As a member of our Customer Advocacy Program, you’ll gain access to a host of exclusive benefits tailored to help you grow personally and professionally: 

• Professional development and thought leadership opportunities: Elevate your profile within the mobile industry through speaking engagements, webinars, workshops, and more. You’ll have the opportunity to educate others, share experiences, and contribute insights to help shape industry trends.
• Technical advisory hours: Unlock tailored technical advisory hours by partnering with Branch on four or more activities. Our Professional Services team will partner with your team to provide custom use case enablement, mobile customer experience recommendations, and channel strategy aligned with your business and tech stack.
• Mobile growth workshops: Access mobile growth workshops customized to your business needs, designed to identify areas of opportunities and growth for your team, and calculate the incremental ROI of using Branch.
• Exclusive networking opportunities: Connect with fellow industry leaders, experts, and like-minded professionals. Engage in collaborative discussions, forge meaningful connections, and expand your network within the Branch community.
• Unique gifts and fun swag: Enjoy special tokens of appreciation as a thank you for your continued partnership.

As a member of the program, you’ll have the chance to participate in a variety of activities, such as:

• Speaking engagements: Showcase your expertise at industry-leading events and conferences.
• Webinar and event participation: Contribute as a guest speaker on upcoming webinars or Mobile Growth Online events, sharing your perspectives and experiences with a wider audience.
• Content co-creation: Share success stories through case studies or guest blog posts, offering valuable insights to the community.
• Testimonials and referrals: Partner with us on video testimonials or refer others to Branch, spreading the word about your experiences.
• Product feedback and beta participation: Participate in product feedback sessions and beta testing opportunities, providing insights and suggestions to help shape the future of Branch’s products and services.

Ready to get started?

We’re excited to introduce our Customer Advocacy Program and explore new ways to support your success both within Branch and throughout the broader mobile industry. The program is open to all Branch customers who are passionate about driving innovation and making a lasting impact. 

Interested in joining? Sign up or contact us at advocacy@branch.io to learn more.

The post Introducing Branch’s Customer Advocacy Program  appeared first on Branch.

On May 23, 2024, Branch hosted the highly anticipated Leaders in Mobile Growth event at The St. Regis Mumbai. The day included captivating sessions by esteemed speakers and industry experts, offering valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing marketers in today’s dynamic digital ecosystem. From navigating the intricacies of mobile user acquisition to harnessing the power of data analytics for personalized customer experiences, each session delved into key facets of mobile growth strategy, best practices, and emerging trends.

Our commitment to fostering dialogue and collaboration among participants was the foundation of the event, creating an environment conducive to learning, sharing, and networking. Through engaging panel discussions, thought-provoking keynotes, and interactive breakout sessions, attendees had the opportunity to exchange ideas, forge connections, and learn actionable strategies to drive mobile growth initiatives within their organizations.

In case you missed it, here’s a recap of the key sessions: 

Navigating the Mobile Growth Horizon: Future-Forward Strategies in 2024

The day began with an enlightening keynote by Irina Bukatik, VP of product at Branch, who underscored the importance of going beyond user acquisition. She emphasized the need to focus on return on investment (ROI) and foster user engagement through exceptional experiences. Irina’s presentation set a forward-thinking tone, showcasing the shift toward sustainable growth methodologies within the mobile ecosystem.

Mastering Mobile Success: Decoding the Winning Formula

Ravinder Bhamra, country head at Bajaj Finserv, captivated the audience with compelling success stories of her company’s app’s growth trajectory, crediting a significant portion of its achievements to its collaboration with Branch. Her session gave attendees practical insights into attaining and sustaining mobile success, offering a replicable blueprint for other enterprises.

Strategic Brand Building & User Acquisition: Proven Paid Media Strategies

Shalet Roy, director of business development at our platinum sponsor, VEVE, delivered a thought-provoking keynote on effective paid media strategies in a smartphone-first world. Their expert analysis on strategic brand building and user acquisition, along with the demonstration of effective methodologies to thrive in today’s competitive market, resonated with the audience.

Leveraging Data and Martech for Tailored Customer Experiences

Arnab Ganguly, senior director of analytics and business insights at Tata Digital, presented actionable insights on leveraging data and marketing technology to create personalized customer experiences. His session highlighted the transformative power of data in crafting compelling marketing campaigns and fostering customer loyalty.

Maximizing Marketing Performance & ROI

A key highlight of the event was the panel discussion featuring industry leaders Chirag Gupta, AVP product at CarWale; Ameet Phadke, chief business officer at EatSure, Rebel Foods; and Stephanie Herndon-Rasse, VP customer experience at Branch. The panelists shared their top strategies for maximizing marketing performance and ROI, offering diverse perspectives and pragmatic advice.

They addressed challenges marketers face today, including increasingly complex customer journeys, measuring ROI in a fragmented digital landscape, and balancing short-term results with long-term brand equity. The panelists emphasized the importance of data analytics, agile marketing practices, and cross-functional collaboration to overcome these hurdles. They also stressed the necessity of keeping the customer at the forefront of all strategies. 

The panelists underscored the importance of personalized experiences to drive engagement and loyalty. They highlighted the significance of understanding and anticipating customer needs, preferences, and behaviors. Their insights on balancing budget constraints with innovation provided actionable strategies for navigating the evolving marketing landscape.

The Future of Marketing Measurement

In a captivating fireside chat, Srinivas Seshadri, SVP business operations at Sokrati, took center stage to explore the future of marketing measurement in a cookie-less environment. With the impending changes in digital privacy regulations, including the deprecation of identifiers like the identifier for advertisers (IDFA) and Google Advertising Identifier (GAID), marketers are encountering unprecedented challenges in tracking and measuring campaign efficacy.

Seshadri expertly navigated the complexities of this shifting paradigm, shedding light on the implications for marketers and advertisers alike. He emphasized the need for adaptive strategies that leverage alternative methods of measurement and attribution while also respecting user privacy and data protection regulations.

Seshadri also provided strategic solutions to overcome these challenges, including adopting first-party data strategies, implementing contextual targeting techniques, and exploring innovative measurement methodologies. His insights offered a road map for marketers to navigate the evolving landscape with confidence, ensuring campaigns remain effective and compliant in a cookie-less future.

Furthermore, Seshadri delved into the concept of Privacy Sandbox, Google’s initiative to develop a more privacy-centric ecosystem for digital advertising. By fostering collaboration and innovation within the industry, the Privacy Sandbox aims to strike a balance between user privacy and advertising effectiveness, presenting new opportunities for marketers to thrive without cookies.

Attendees left the session with a newfound understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving marketing measurement landscape. 

Engaging breakout sessions

Following the keynote sessions, attendees participated in smaller breakout groups to discuss pertinent topics, including:

1. Emerging & Alternative Channels for Driving Acquisition
2. Increasing Customer Retention
3. Omnichannel Marketing Strategies
4. Navigating Digital Transformation in a Mobile-Led World
5. Enhancing Engagement Throughout the Customer Lifecycle
6. The Future of Mobile Attribution and Linking in a World Without User-Level Identifiers
7. Designing a Customer Data Strategy for Efficient Mobile Growth
8. Bridging the Offline to Online User Journey

A night to remember

Of course, it wouldn’t be an LIMG event without some fun. We ended the night with a raffle, and we’re delighted to congratulate our iPad winner, Karthik KVS, AVP growth at PayNearby!

Leaders in Mobile Growth Mumbai was an invaluable experience that brought together the industry’s leading minds. The exchange of ideas, strategies, and insights will undoubtedly influence the future of the mobile growth landscape. We can’t wait for the next editions to continue this journey of innovation and success!

We extend our gratitude to all the speakers, sponsors, and attendees for contributing to the remarkable success of this event. See you next time!

The post Leaders in Mobile Growth Mumbai 2024: Here’s What You Missed appeared first on Branch.

Growth is the end goal of almost every app marketer.

To achieve it, we master different paid user acquisition (UA) channels. Apple Search Ads is one such platform that can help acquire high lifetime value (LTV) users. Just like any channel, it keeps evolving, meaning industry benchmarks and best practices also change. So, whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just dipping your toes into Apple Search Ads, there is always something new to learn.

This post is all about that — learning. Get ready to delve deep into the latest Apple Search Ads benchmarks and life hacks that will help your Apple Search Ads campaigns rise to new heights in 2024.

Handle account structure with care

When starting with Apple Search Ads, focus on setting up your account correctly. There are two main ways to do this: the semantics-based approach and the value-based one.

Let’s start with the semantics-based approach. This is a proven method for most advertisers.

1. Split your account into five campaigns: Brand, Generic, Competitors, Discovery, and Proxy.
2. Add keywords as an exact match in all campaigns except Discovery, where Broad and Search Match are used to mine keyword ideas.
3. Run Brand campaigns to retain users and counteract competition.
4. Target all age ranges and genders in Generic and Competitors campaigns to avoid missing out on traffic.
5. Target iPhone and iPad users together in Generic and Competitors campaigns, adjusting bids only if necessary.
6. Use Proxy campaigns to test the downstream performance of keywords from Discovery.
7. Allocate budget to branded keywords first, then distribute remaining budget across mid- and lower-performing keywords.
8. Target three user types: new users, returning users, and all users in separate ad groups for Brand, Generic, and Competitors campaigns.
9. Divide theme ad groups based on user intent into audiences: new, returning, and all users, and share the same keyword list within each theme.

The second approach is  value-based. Here, we group keywords based on how valuable they are to your target audience. Stick to these rules:

1. Organize keywords into campaigns based on their value to you as an app marketer.
2. Create the recommended structure: Brand campaign, Discovery campaign, and Tiered campaigns (usually with three tiers).
3. Allocate your maximum bid to the Brand campaign to attract users interested in your brand, potentially leading to high-value conversions.
4. For Tier 1 campaigns, identify keywords that bring high LTV users and set a competitive bid to maximize impression share.
5. Use Tier 2 campaigns to target users with medium value, with a bid lower than Tier 1 but higher than Tier 3.
6. Set the lowest bid for Tier 3 campaigns, as these users have the lowest value for your business.
7. In the Discovery campaign, match the bid with Tier 2 or Tier 1 campaigns to compete effectively and discover new search terms.
8. Consider creating a Probing/Proxy campaign to test discovered keywords’ conversion rates, using Exact Match keywords from the Discovery campaign.
9. Implement a budget waterfall strategy, prioritizing spending on high-value keywords first and gradually allocating resources downward to mitigate risks and maximize profits.

Before you move forward, make sure you fully understand these approaches. Remember: A structured account reduces statistical dilution and self-competition, providing a clearer understanding of your performance.

Now, let’s get into some best practices.

1. Automate and optimize

Optimizing Apple Search Ads is crucial for maximizing performance.

Start by eliminating potential data discrepancies between Apple Search Ads and your mobile measurement partner (MMP). This is easily done by integrating a  third-party tool like SplitMetrics Acquire, which streamlines data gathering and allows you to see all metrics in a single dashboard.

This is how Auto Trader, a digital marketplace for buying and selling new and used vehicles, achieved growth with SplitMetrics Acquire. It previously struggled with manual optimization, finding it time-consuming and challenging to keep up with changes.

SplitMetrics Acquire provided automated tools to weed out non-performing keywords and optimize bid strategies. With SplitMetrics Acquire, Auto Trader saw a 15% increase in downloads, a 25% decrease in cost per download, and a 51% increase in tap-through rate.

You can experience the convenience  for yourself by signing up for a totally free plan by SplitMetrics Acquire.

2. Do keyword research on a regular basis

Finding high-performing keywords is an ongoing job.

The best you can do here is invest your time and energy into thorough keyword research. Here are some tips:

• Analyze competitors’ keywords, both organic and bid-on, to gain insights.
• Utilize Search Match to connect ads with relevant search queries on the App Store.
• Leverage third-party tools like SplitMetrics Acquire, equipped with a Keyword Planner for comprehensive keyword analysis. You can also install a free Chrome Extension to view Search Popularity numeric values and max possible impressions right in your Apple Search Ads and SplitMetrics Acquire accounts.
• Explore new keyword suggestions directly on the App Store’s search section.
• Enhance your keyword list by picking up synonyms for your high-performing keywords. AI tools like ChatGPT can be pretty helpful here.

You can choose to follow only one strategy from this list, but to get as many valuable keywords as possible, it’s best to use multiple keyword sources.

3. Enhance relevance and explore ASO/Apple Search Ads synergy

Ensuring relevance is a must in Apple Search Ads.

Optimize the app’s metadata, including the title, subtitle, and creatives, to enhance relevance. Make sure they all highlight your app’s value proposition and contain keywords relevant to your category. Doing so will help streamline keyword visibility in Apple Search Ads.

In turn, Apple Search Ads can support your app store optimization (ASO) efforts by providing keyword conversion data, daily installs volumes, and more.

4. Keep an eye on Apple Search Ads benchmarks

Monitoring Apple Search Ads benchmarks helps you stay competitive in the market.

You can see how your performance stacks up against competitors and adjust your bidding strategy, ad creatives, and other parameters based on what’s working well for others in your industry.

What’s more, Apple Search Ads benchmarks can indicate the overall state of this user acquisition channel. Here’s an example:

In the first six months of 2023, the average tap-through rate (TTR) for Apple Search Ads search results was 10.22%, surpassing the 9.93% recorded in the second half of 2022. This data is from the latest Apple Search Ads Search Results Benchmarks Report by SplitMetrics.

The report features comments from industry experts that explain the reasons behind this increase. In particular, they name a higher adoption rate of custom product pages and new ad placements in the channel.

For app marketers, this knowledge can be pretty helpful. It’s a signal that you should try out custom product pages and new placements yourself.

5. Use custom product pages

If you haven’t started using custom product pages, think again.

They offer several benefits for ad campaigns in search results:

• App marketers can experiment with different value propositions to see which works best.
• Ad campaigns can display messages tailored to the needs of diverse audiences, enhancing relevance and engagement.
• App marketers can segment their audience and run targeted campaigns for each segment.
• Customizing ads for specific markets with cultural differences in mind allows for more impactful campaigns.
• App marketers can easily create dedicated ads for holidays and other events.

Moreover, custom product pages are essential for Today tab campaigns, serving as both destinations and sources of creatives for ad backgrounds.

6. Explore different Apple Search Ads placements

In 2024, understanding how different Apple Search Ads placements impact your paid UA strategy is essential. Utilizing all four placements can help maximize reach and improve conversions.

Search results ads are great for capturing user demand and can be paired with Search tab ads to enhance brand awareness. Today, tab ads further elevate brand visibility, influencing user decisions when they encounter the app in search results. Additionally, product page ads offer opportunities to showcase app offerings right on competitors’ pages.

Being reasonable is key here. Ensure that expanding to new placements is in line with your budgeting first.

The bottom line

With industry benchmarks and best practices, you can ensure your Apple Search Ads campaigns are on the right track.

Monitoring benchmarks and trends never hurts. Be on the constant lookout for new insights and UA news. This ongoing vigilance allows you to adapt your campaigns to changes in the market and capitalize on new opportunities as they arise.

After all, there’s nothing better than knowledge.

The post 7 Proven Ways to Grow With Apple Search Ads: Benchmarks and Best Practices for 2024  appeared first on Branch.

• Google’s Privacy Sandbox and the User Lifecycle: Thriving in a Post-Identifier Deprecation Landscape
• Navigating iOS 17’s Privacy Landscape: The Road Ahead for App Developers and Advertisers
• Making Sense of Aggregate Data: Keeping Marketing Effective Using Privacy-Centric Measurement

With this context, we’ll dive into some of the highlights from a recent webinar featuring industry experts — Adam Landis, Head of Growth at Branch, and David Philippson, Co-founder and CEO at Dataseat (now part of the Verve Group) — to get to the bottom of what’s really going on with SKAdNetwork (SKAN) and Google Privacy Sandbox, and how marketers should be preparing for the future of privacy and measurement.

TL;DR

• Don’t shy from the complexity — and don’t be fooled, privacy is complex.
• It may be tempting to break the rules (we’re looking at you, fingerprinting) — but do you want to wake up with your business on the front page of the Wall Street Journal for breaking them?
• Deterministic measurement is going away. Invest in strategies now that will stand the test of time (or privacy) —  this will ensure continuity and set you up to thrive in the future.

What’s really going on with SKAdNetwork adoption?

Current SKAdNetwork industry adoption rates hover around 30%. But why? Much of the reason falls to Apple itself with what many considered subpar products in SKAN 2 and SKAN 3 that didn’t deliver much of a return on effort as well as a wishy-washy approach to enforcement, but those days are coming to a close. As of May 1, 2024, Apple has started requiring something called privacy manifest, which is intended to stop fingerprinting — a practice that involves collecting and analyzing unique device and user data to create a distinct identifier for a user during a specific point in time — and force advertisers to use SKAN only.

According to Phillipson, “What Apple has done is listed five commonly-used APIs within the Apple operating system that a developer or a third-party partner can access. They’re basically saying, if you or any third party is using any of these APIs, you need a privacy manifest, and you then have to explain why you’re using these APIs. What this will allow is for Apple, the App Store, and the app developer to actually have a ‘privacy nutrition label.’ So that consumers that are in the App Store looking at your app will be able to say, ‘Well, this app from a privacy perspective, is very clean.”

Essentially, app owners will be responsible for letting Apple know what they’re doing with private user information. But if the onus falls on app owners, can’t they just lie? Maybe. But at what cost? Nobody wants to be caught in a potentially business-damaging scandal.

In some ways, Apple is relying on honesty. But Phillipson suggested that, “If you have an app, you’re very likely using the disk space API, so that means you need a privacy manifest. If you have a privacy manifest, you have a variable in your privacy manifest called NS privacy tracking. It’s a yes or a no, and you need to indicate whether you or a third party do any tracking. So at that point you’re either going to have to say, ‘yes, we have an MMP SDK,’ or you’re gonna have to lie. You’re a brave person if you’re going to lie.”

Given Apple’s previous ambiguity on the rules and how many of them are left up for interpretation, starting May 1 in a post-privacy manifest world Apple will start rejecting apps that don’t publish a privacy manifest. The good news is that most of the supply side is raring to go; Dataseat found that, as of February 2024, 94% of inventory is SKAN-ready.

What’s really going on with Google Privacy Sandbox?

Google Privacy Sandbox suddenly doesn’t seem like some far-flung future state; it’s much more real now.

“Google is very advertising friendly. It’s privacy-first for the consumer, but ensuring it supports the ad ecosystem. Friendliness comes with a downside, which is speed,” Philippson said.

Google’s mobile devices are much more varied than Apple’s. Whereas Apple could just turn off IDFA with an update, Google has many more hoops to jump through to get their GAID off handsets made by other companies like Samsung and OnePlus.

Philippson predicted, “GAID not being an identifier for adtech whether it’s MMPs for attribution or DSP for retargeting impression, frequency, capping — all of the important stuff that persistent identifiers are useful for — is still going to be available in 2025, and it’s still going to be available, very likely, in the first part of 2026.”

Does this mean you can ignore the Privacy Sandbox right now? Nope. While these identifiers are still available, you should try to get to parity without them before they go away. More on that later.

What is the purpose of a mobile measurement partner in this new world?

If all this attribution data is going away, getting aggregated, or becoming anonymized, what’s the point of an MMP — which integrates with mobile app publishers and ad networks to track user behavior and attribute events?

“The purpose of the MMP is to abstract the complexity of these multiple data sources and help the advertiser arrive at a source of truth. So you’re going to have constantly conflicting data sources with intentions that are just naturally selfish. Facebook is selfish in saying, ‘I drove this conversion,’ and they might have had a hand in driving this conversion, but it might have also come from Google, [or] it might have come from Apple search. So the short answer is, you take all these data sources and then you figure out a way to normalize them through incrementality lift testing: you shut one off [to] find out how much else you drove. You’ll get a coefficient of what Facebook overreports or underreports. That’s a number, and then you track all three of those moving forward,” Landis said.

MMPs are massively important in this new world because they are on point to give you one attribution source of truth. It might just be a little different than what you’re used to. As Landis explained, “Measurement is the past; signal is the future.” So it will go from knowing you got 40 installs from this source to being 95% sure it caused 40-ish installs, which is still very helpful given the amount of data that is going away.

What should marketers do to prepare now?

Should marketers take advantage of user-level information up until the last second they are allowed to or be more proactive and change strategies now? The consensus in the webinar was: invest now to thrive in the future.

When it comes to Privacy Sandbox, Landis advised that “user-level info is going to go away, period. It’s going to be anonymized. It’s going to be aggregated. It’s going to be opaque. We’re not going to be able to do deterministic tracking in the future. So you need to figure out how to do business without it today or else you’re gonna lose…Make sure that you’re not getting a huge hit to your business in revenue if it goes away because it is going away. And, if it’s going to cause you to lose money, then you better figure out now — before you lose money — how to deal with it. Run it in parallel. Figure out how to get to parity without the ID while you have the ID to lean on.”

And for SKAN, Phillipson said, “What you should not do is ignore that SKAN is coming or have the attitude that ‘I’m going to be able to carry on probabilistically matching with another MMP forever.’ There are other MMPs out there saying to advertisers that this isn’t going away. Carry on using it. Carry on paying my [MMP’s] extortion license fees, but they haven’t got nearly as wide a value proposition as Branch. If all you do is attribution, of course you fear it going away because you haven’t got much value proposition.”

This is just a glimpse of what was discussed. For the full, in-depth conversation, watch The Unpopular Truth about the State of Privacy webinar. If you have questions about the future of privacy, reach out to our team!

The post SKAdNetwork Adoption, Privacy Sandbox Updates, and How Marketers Should Prepare for Changes Now appeared first on Branch.

As the tech world turns its eyes towards Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, expectations and speculations are at an all-time high. Here are some predictions for what we expect from Apple at this year’s event:

SKAN 5

Current state: Adoption of SKAN 4 has been lukewarm, with only about 30% of advertisers on board. The upcoming SKAN 5 promises to enable retargeting measurement but falls short of improving targeting capabilities, focusing instead on reidentification of users post-install.

Prediction: The impact of SKAN 5’s launch will likely be minimal. We believe the industry will largely ignore the update due to its limited improvements compared to previous versions and the bevy of complexities it introduces. 

Edit (5/30): We’re still weeks away from the conference, but there’s already compelling evidence that this prediction is incorrect. Our friends at DataSeat published a strong prediction that SKAN 5 will be renamed (and reissued) AdAttributionKit. Our take? Probably correct. Call it whatever you want; it’s SKAN 5 with alternative app store support. Why drop the Store KitAd Network moniker? To protect the Apple App Store brand, of course!

Privacy Manifest

Current state: As of May 1, Privacy Manifest now requires apps to declare their data usage. Apple’s enforcement seems primarily focused on apps that do not properly declare their Required Reason APIs;  notably, we’ve seen numerous App Store submission rejections of apps that haven’t declared their own or their third-party usage of Required Reason APIs. 

Prediction: It’s unlikely we’ll see any major announcements regarding Privacy Manifest. However, there is anticipation that third-party tracking declarations will directly correspond with Apps Privacy Nutrition Label declarations. 

App Store adjustments

Current state: In January, Apple announced a number of changes to its App Store policies as a result of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Most notably, the ability to sideload apps from third-party app stores in the EU. The changes generated significant buzz, though they’ve been perceived as overly restrictive. 

Prediction: Apple will likely announce slight changes to its policies to align with these regulations, but don’t expect them to make alternative app stores any more viable. Apple’s stance appears firm, unless future legal actions force it to reconsider.

Vision Pro

Current state: Expectations around Apple’s first 3D camera are tempered. Predictions of slow sales, compounded by limited content availability, deters developers from investing in the platform.

Prediction: Apple is likely to adopt a conservative approach to the iteration of Vision Pro devices — similar to its strategy with iPads — focusing on long-term development.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Current state: Although Apple has shown signs of AI innovation, notably through its published research papers, general sentiment suggests that its announcements will focus on what’s planned rather than what’s currently available. 

Prediction: AI is poised to be the centerpiece of this year’s announcements. Expect to see enhancements in how AI integrates with the Apple ecosystem, increased access through developer frameworks, and more on-device AI capabilities for Siri, like real-time analysis using the iOS 18 camera. There is also a distinct possibility that OpenAI and Apple will announce a partnership to enable Apple hardware users direct, customized access to OpenAI’s large language models (LLMs).

Questions we hope WWDC answers

As always, while we make predictions based on current trends and information, the actual announcements are sure to surprise. This year, we hope Apple clears a few things up:

1. What is the long-term plan with SKAN? It’s imperfect, and that has impacted adoption. How does Apple plan to address the shortcomings?
2. Will there be additional methods of policing fingerprinting? Apple has continually made it clear fingerprinting is not allowed, but it’s still widely practiced. What does Apple intend to do about this? 
3. Would Apple ever enforce a “nuclear option”? If Apple really wanted to put an end to device fingerprinting, it could potentially turn on its iCloud+ Privacy Relay feature for all, or part of, iOS devices. This would eliminate device IP addresses for enough web and in-app network traffic to render fingerprinting moot. 

Stay tuned for what promises to be an exciting event at WWDC 2024 and our annual post-event recap!

The post WWDC 2024: Predictions on Apple’s Announcements appeared first on Branch.