If you’ve ever downloaded an app because you saw an ad for it, there’s a good possibility a mobile measurement platform tracked the success of that ad. Some mobile measurement partners, such as Apptrove, give developers the ability to see where their installs originated from, what their users do after downloading their app, and, most importantly, which of their marketing dollars are being well spent. Without a mobile measurement platform, running ads is like throwing darts blindfolded; sometimes you may hit the target, but you don’t know how you got there or why.
Some industry averages indicate that the average cost for a single app install worldwide is about $1.70, while in some competitive markets, such as the U.S., it can be upwards of $4.50. A mobile measurement platform helps ensure every dollar spent on ads results in cost savings by showing you what campaigns drive results.
What is a Mobile Measurement Platform?
A mobile measurement platform is the command centre for all of your app marketing. It connects your app to every source of advertising, including TikTok, YouTube, Google Ads, and Facebook, and it brings all of your performance data to one place. Instead of logging into five or ten different dashboards, you can simply look at one dashboard to see everything.
Why It’s More Than Install Tracking
It’s more than just about counting installs. A mobile measurement platform will also show you which ads get you users who are engaged and spending money versus users who uninstall their app the next day. This is important because it is far easier to bring the user in than it is to keep them. Research shows that only 25% of users remain active in an app 30 days after the first install.
Fighting Mobile Ad Fraud
Mobile ad fraud is an ongoing threat and will continue to be as long as there are mobile ads. It happens when publishers generate fake installs, clicks or views in order to create the false perception that their ads are better than they are. Think of the number of companies and advertisers that are duped into wasting their budget;, advertisers collectively lose a staggering $80 billion each year due to ad fraud.
How a Mobile Measurement Platform Could Act as an Umbrella
A smart mobile measurement platform comes with inherent fraud detection tools to reveal suspect trends in the data, like installs happening too quickly, clicks without engagement (not really), or any number of devices associated with a particular identifier. When identified, it can limit advertisers from wasting budget on bad traffic.
MMP Platform Tools for Smarter Growth
When people refer to MMP platforms, they are referring to the set of features that allow marketers to make smarter decisions, including:
- Attribution tracking: Attaching installs to the ad campaigns that generated the installs.
- Tracking in-app events: Understanding what a user does after downloading—sign-ups, purchases, levels completed, etc.
- ROI analysis: Understanding which channel returns the greatest profit.
When you have these capabilities, your mobile measurement platform is much more than a report; it’s a decision-making engine.
Fraud Detection in Action
Let’s say you’re running ads for a food delivery app. You see, one campaign is delivering installs at an incredibly low cost. On the surface, it seems like you’re winning. But your mobile measurement platform shows that 80% of those installs are uninstalled in less than an hour. That is a warning for ad fraud. Thanks to the fraud detection capabilities, you can quickly stop the campaign and allocate budget elsewhere to real, quality traffic.
Real Stats That Show the Value
Retention effect: Apps that use a mobile measurement platform to optimize their targeting typically see around a 20% increase in user retention.
- Cost savings: Measurement and fraud protection can save app marketers nearly 10–30% of their advertising budget.
- Revenue increase: Businesses measuring their app campaigns through MMP platforms typically see a 15–25% revenue increase in the first six months of the year.
Are these just numbers? No! They represent thousands more downloads and many more paying customers.
Why MMPs are here to stay
Ad Spend is Rising Quickly
In 2023, total worldwide mobile ad spend surpassed $350 billion, and this number is only climbing. With so much money being pumped into the ecosystem, the growth, need and demand for tracking, fraud prevention, and optimising can only increase in demand. A mobile measurement platform is no longer a have option, it is a must-have.
Privacy Changes Make Them Essential
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency and Google Privacy Sandbox updates complicate tracking users in-app. Mobile measurement platforms help marketers navigate these compliance changes with their campaigns.
Wrapping It Up
If you’re investing in advertising to promote an application, you want to distinctly identify what’s working and what’s wasting your budget. A mobile measurement platform will give you intelligence to make better, quicker and more valuable decisions. Mobile measurement platforms protect you from mobile ad fraud, notify you through fraud detection, and give you the information needed to keep optimizing.
The right mobile measurement platform can affect outcomes, whether you are just getting started or managing campaigns across multiple countries. You need the right MMP platform, like Apptrove, to help you make your marketing a growth engine. In the competitive app marketplace, this is not just handy; it is necessary.
