Solved: Agency Needed to Reduce Cost Per Install for Hiking App

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on your app's advertising.

We'll need to look at video ad length...

First off, video adds are defo a good shout, but you'll wanna keep them punchy. We've found that attention spans are shorter than ever, so getting the message across quickly is crucial. I remember working with a client in the mobile game space who faced a similar challenge with cost per install as they scaled. We experimented with different video lengths and discovered that the 15 to 20-second range performed best. Longer videos tended to see drop-offs in engagement, leading to increased costs per install. Keeping it short and engaging really made a difference.

I'd also make sure that you front-load the most important info. What's the hook? What makes your app awesome? Get that in the first few seconds, so people see it and are interested. The quicker you grab their attention, the better. I recall when we started managing ads for an events company, their initial ads were quite generic. Once we focused on highlighting their unique selling points, we saw a significant improvement in performance.

I'd say you need to consider your unique selling points...

Next, let's talk creatives. Think about what makes your niche social network app for hikers and trail enthusiasts stand out from the crowd. Is it the community aspect? Is it the detailed trail maps? Is it the safety features that no other app has? Show those features off. Highlight what makes you different, what problem your solving. Don't just go for generic hiking footage. People need a reason to choose you.

Think about it from the perspective of a hiker. What are their pain points? What do they need? What do they want? Address those things in your adds. And don't be afraid to test different angles. We've seen great results with user-generated content as well. Real hikers using your app in real situations. That can be really powerful.

You probably should check your targeting accuracy...

Now, onto the cost per install. This can be a tricky one. So many factors can effect it, so you need to make sure you're on top of your targeting. Ask yourself, are you targeting the right people? Have you really defined your ideal user? What does he/she look like? If you're too broad, you'll waste money on people who'll never use the app. I remember running ads on Meta for a software client; we quickly learned how crucial precise targeting was to avoid unnecessary costs.

Think about age, location, interests, even what other apps they're using. The more specific you can get, the better. Look at the targeting options and play around with them and see what works. You'll also wanna make sure your adds are actually reaching the right audience - you can check this out in the campaign settings.

You'll need a campaign structure in place...

Also, have you got a good campaign structure in place? A well-structured campaign can make all the difference. Separate campaigns for different geos. Separate add sets for different age groups. Test different creatives within each ad set. We follow these principles for a lot of clients and it's proven to be a winning formula. This helps you to see what's working and what's not. If you just chuck everything into one big campaign, you won't be able to optimise it properly.

Then once you have some data, make sure to use it. See what works and what doesn't. Then double down on what works. Pause what doesn't work. It's pretty obvious but I still wanted to state it here.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

Scaling a niche social network can be tricky, and advertising is only one part of the puzzle. There are lots of other things to consider such as your organic strategy, the features of the app, or the partnerships you may consider. But hopefully, I've given you some good initial insights into running successful paid advertising campaigns for your app.

If you are intested, feel free to get in touch to discuss more. As an agency, we're running app install campaigns all the time and I remember one app campaign we worked on where we achieved over 45,000 sign-ups at under £2 per signup using Meta, TikTok, Apple, and Google Ads.

We would be more than happy to have a chat, review your campaigns, and give you tailored advice. We offer a free initial consultation where we review your strategy which is usually super helpful.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh