Solved: Scaling user acquisition for a UK mobile app expanding into the US market

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out, happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on tackling this challenge of scaling your mobile app user acquisition in the US, especially with that chicken-and-egg situation with brands. It's a common one for platform businesses and needs a bit of careful planning.

We'll need to look at finding those first users...

Okay, so the main thing here is finding people who will actually download and use the app even when the brand catalogue isn't fully built out yet. You need folks who are either really interested in the brands you *do* have, or maybe are just early adopters keen on trying new things. Or perhaps the app offers something compelling beyond just the brands for these initial users?

You're a well-established UK app, which is great as you'll have some data to work with. The absolute first step I'd take is digging deep into your existing UK user base. Who are they? What demographics, interests, behaviours do they have? Any patterns in how they use the app or what they engage with? You gotta build a really clear picture of your ideal initial user profile for the US market.

You mentioned that deterministic measurement solution you offer brands. While its primary purpose is linking brand engagement to in-store sales *for the brands*, does any of that data give you insights into the users themselves? Like, which *types* of users are engaging with the brands you have? Or what sort of shopping habits they have that might be relevant? It might indirectly help you understand the sort of person who would be interested in your platform, even if you can't use it for direct targeting initially. Could it help build profiles that you could then use to find similar people in the US? Worth exploring if that data holds any clues about user behaviour beyond just the in-store sales bit.

I'd say you'll need to test different ad platforms...

Once you have a better idea of who you're trying to reach, you need to figure out where to find them online in the US. For mobile app user acquisition, there are a few platforms that usually come to mind.

Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) are often a good starting point, particularly if your target audience isn't actively searching for a solution but might be interested based on demographics, interests, or behaviours. You can build audience segments based on those profiles you created from your UK data. I've run quite a few campaigns for software and apps on Meta. In my experience, we've achieved results like getting 45k+ signups at under £2 a pop across Meta, TikTok, Apple, and Google ads for one client focussed on software, events, sports and elearning. I remember another software client who saw 5082 trials come in from Meta ads at around $7 per trial. And for one B2B software client, I recall we managed 4,622 registrations from Meta Ads at $2.38 each. Costs can vary a lot, as you can see, depending on the niche and the target audience, but Meta can definitely drive volume.

Google Ads is another option, but it depends on user intent. If people are actually searching for something related to your app – perhaps searching for specific brands you feature, or maybe searching for a solution your app provides – then Google Search ads could work. However, if it's a novel concept, people might not be searching for it directly. In that case, Google Display ads or PMax campaigns could potentially reach users based on their interests or browsing behaviour across the web, similar to how social media ads work. We've also seen results on Google Ads, for example, getting 3,543 users at £0.96 each for a software client, and I recall we helped a medical job matching SaaS reduce their cost per user acquisition from £100 to £7 using both Meta and Google Ads. So Google can be effective, but you need to think about whether your audience is likely to be searching or just discoverable elsewhere.

Don't forget about Apple Search Ads if your app is on the App Store. This is a platform specifically designed for app discovery within the store itself. People are actively browsing or searching for apps here, so the intent is high. You can bid on keywords people might use to find an app like yours, and your listing appears as a sponsored result. It's a good way to get in front of users right at the point where they are looking to download something. It was one of the platforms that contributed to that 45k+ signups result I mentioned earlier for the software, events, sports, and eLearning client. Depending on your app and audience, TikTok Ads might also be worth testing, as I've used them for app growth too.

You probably should think about your messaging and offer...

Getting people to download is one thing, but getting them to stick around when the platform is still growing is another. Your messaging needs to address this. Are you upfront about it being early days, positioning users as early adopters who get certain benefits? Or are you focusing on the value prop that exists *today* with the brands you currently have? You'll need to test different ad copy and creative to see what resonates with that specific early adopter audience in the US.

What's the offer? Is the app free? Is there a benefit to signing up early? For software campaigns, I've often found that a free trial or a compelling offer to get people in the door works best, like the B2B SaaS client I remember who got 1535 trials from Meta ads. While your app might be free, is there something you can offer early users to make it worth their while while you build out the brand side? Think about what would make someone download your app today, knowing the full potential isn't there yet.

Also consider what the user experience is like right after they download. Does it manage expectations about the current state of the platform? Is it easy to see the value? Just like with websites, the 'store side' experience matters. If people download but immediately drop off, you're just burning money on installs that don't turn into active users. Make sure the initial onboarding is smooth and highlights what *is* available and the vision for the future. When reviewing eCommerce stores, I've observed that if people land on a product page but don't add to cart, the issue could be photos, descriptions, pricing, or trust. For an app, if people install but don't complete onboarding or engage, it could be similar reasons – mismatched expectation from the ad, clunky experience, or lack of immediate perceived value.

You'll need continuous testing and optimisation...

Expanding into a new market like the US means you can't just port over your UK strategy and expect it to work perfectly. The audience might behave diffrently, competition is different, costs are different. Testing is absolutely critical.

You need to run proper split tests on everything: audiences, ad creative (images, videos, different formats), ad copy, landing pages or onboarding flows. See what combinations drive the most cost-effective *active* users, not just installs. Start with a reasonable budget for testing – it's hard to say exactly how much without knowing your costs, but for service businesses I've worked with, a starting test budget of $1-$2k a month for ad spend was often a starting point, though app installs can sometimes be cheaper depending on the target. You need enough budget to get meaningful data, but not so much you waste a fortune while figuring things out.

Monitor your performance metrics closely. Are your click-through rates (CTRs) low? Maybe the ad creative or copy isn't appealing to the US audience. Are your costs per install (CPI) or costs per signup too high? You might be targeting the wrong people or your offer isn't compelling enough. Where are users dropping off after installing? Is it immediately, or later on? This points to issues either with the acquisition targeting or the app experience itself.

Keep iterating based on the data. If video ads work better than image ads for a certain audience, put more budget there. If one type of interest targeting is delivering lower CPIs, expand on that. Don't be afraid to kill off campaigns that aren't working quickly. It's all about finding those winning combinations of audience, message, creative, and platform in the US market.

Ultimately, scaling user acquisition needs the acquisition cost per active user to be less than the lifetime value (LTV) of that user. As you scale, costs *can* increase because you start targeting broader audiences, which is something I've seen with software clients who hit a plateau. You get around this by improving conversion rates (getting more active users from installs, increasing LTV) and constantly finding new winning audience/creative combinations. Retargeting is also key – re-engaging users who installed but dropped off, or visited a landing page but didn't sign up. This can lower overall acquisition costs by converting people who already showed some interest.

This is the main advice I have for you:

Scaling user acquisition, particularly in a new market with the added complexity of building both sides of a platform, isn't straightforward and requires significant testing and expertise to navigate efficiently. While I hope these initial thoughts are helpful, sometimes having a team who lives and breathes this stuff can identify opportunities and avoid costly mistakes much faster.

If you'd like to explore this further or get a more detailed review of your current setup and data to build out a specific strategy, we'd be happy to book in a free initial consultation. The details are in my bio.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh