Google App Campaigns: Installs, Engagement and Pre-Registration

App installs, app engagement or pre-registration?

An install campaign brings new users. An app engagement (ACe) campaign focuses on getting people who already installed the app to reopen it or take a specific action; it makes no sense without deep links, because a user who taps the ad should go straight to the relevant screen. A pre-registration campaign builds interest before the app goes live on Google Play, and people who register get a notification on launch day.

For a new app, we usually start with installs and add an engagement campaign once the app reaches a few thousand active users. Budget spent on engagement does not show up in install reports because it brings no new users; we measure its success by reopened sessions and the purchase value of returning users. If app traffic is not high, we postpone this second step.

Firebase or MMP events: measurement drives the campaign

When an App campaign optimizes only for install count, it can also collect people who open the app and never use it, as cheap installs. To prevent this, we send in-app events to Google Ads through Firebase or a mobile measurement partner (MMP). When choosing the event, we pay attention to the following:

• The event should happen in the first days after install; a subscription that happens 30 days later sends too late a signal for learning.
• The event needs enough volume; a target CPA bid will not settle with an event that does not fire several times a day.
• Purchase value must be sent in the correct currency; mixing Turkish lira (TL) and foreign currencies makes ROAS meaningless.
• On iOS, Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework makes measured conversions look lower than on Android; we manage the two platforms in separate campaigns.

Bidding: from target CPI to target CPA and ROAS

We start with a target cost per install, move to target cost per action once in-app event volume builds up, and switch to target ROAS when purchase data is sufficient. Each switch puts the campaign back into a learning period, so we do not change bids often and do not move targets in large steps. We compare in-app purchase value with GA4 and Firebase reports.

Creative assets: not leaving App campaigns to Google's guesswork

Google builds ads for different networks from the assets provided. If no video is uploaded, it compiles a video for YouTube inventory from the screenshots in the store listing; these videos rarely explain why the app is worth downloading. We add at least one horizontal and one vertical video, and keep text short so that each line conveys a single benefit of the app. We replace assets that show low performance in the asset report monthly. For the same app, we also test videos that work in Meta app promotion campaigns here.

App Campaigns: when do we recommend it?

How we manage App Campaigns

1. SDK and event mapWe check the Firebase or MMP setup and choose the in-app event to optimize for.
2. Platform splitWe build separate campaigns for Android and iOS and report measurement differences separately.
3. Asset setWe prepare horizontal and vertical videos, images and short copy, each focused on a single benefit.
4. Bidding stepsBased on data, we move from cost per install to cost per action, and from there to a ROAS target.
5. Cohort readingWe track 7-day and 30-day retention and revenue for users acquired through the campaign.

App Campaigns: metrics and requirements

The Brand Move Google Ads Team

To learn more about App Campaigns or other Google Ads ad formats, contact The Brand Move Google Ads team today.

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