AppsFlyer’s recently published Performance Index is a fabulous resource for identifying which channels app marketers should be testing and potentially investing in further.It offers a great overview of the various app marketing channels available to brands and developers around the world based on the number of app installs each platform delivers. Results can be broken down by region and app category. You can check out AppsFlyer’s methodology for ranking the various platforms included in the report here.The Performance Index also comments on topics impacting the industry such as network fraud, with some reassuring news about a measured reduction of installs coming from networks where fraudulent activity is commonplace.Further Reading: Are You Losing 21 Percent of Your Ad Budget to Fraud?Digital Turbine: Ranked Globally in terms of Volume of App InstallsThe Performance Index ranks Digital Turbine 12th in terms of the global volume of app installs (drill down further and we rank in 3rd place in terms of global volume for Android utility apps). Not bad you might think when you consider some of the brands we are going up against. Google, Facebook. Apple, TikTok, and Snapchat (all household names – demonstrating the scale and maturity of an industry that didn’t exist little more than a decade ago) are all ranked in the top 10. However, this doesn't mean you should discount Digital Turbine in favor of these apparently higher-ranking services.Here’s why:
- iOS vs Android: The 12th place ranking is based on the volume of iOS and Android apps installed. At Digital Turbine we only work in the realm of delivering apps to Android devices and therefore our ranking is diluted by our specialist expertise. By focusing on just one area of the smartphone ecosystem (the biggest with more than 76% global market share), Digital Turbine are best placed to ensure your Android app marketing strategy remains focused on your specific goals.
- Comparing Apples with Oranges: The Performance Index rankings are not broken down by ad type – so video ad installs are compared to display ads installs, to facebook ad installs, etc., etc. Each ad type will have their own individual pros and cons and, more importantly, completely different visions of what success looks like. This makes planning a commercial strategy on specific objectives very difficult, if not impossible.
- Tailored Metrics (by ad type): Volume is very important, but it is one part of the equation. App developers should also be focused on equally important metrics like Cost Per Install (CPI) and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). It’s only by focusing on all of these numbers that app developers will ever see a desirable and sustainable ROAS. Especially as you factor in what your incremental ad spend brings in vs. what new spend via another channel may generate.
- Fraud: Despite the positive comments on fraud, this is still a major issue in the app marketing industry. Pre-Loading is one of the few strategies app marketers can rely on to be 100% fraud-free.
Portfolio MarketingSuccessful app marketing is all about delivering the right app to the right person at the right time at the right cost. Therefore, when building your marketing strategy, it’s not enough to just look at which networks can deliver the most traffic — seriously marketing ceased to be a numbers game many, many years ago.It's all about building a portfolio of marketing opportunities that can then be tested and optimized against carefully considered business objectives designed to add incremental users at scale while always being aware of your marketing costs and your organization’s bottom line.To learn how Digital Turbine can help you test a strategy of pre-loading apps on leading manufacturers’ mobile devices and with major global networks, talk to one of our app marketing experts today.Further Reading: Superstar Apps: What Are Native App Preloads and Why Do They Matter?
