Mobile Ad Strategy Development

After testing 10,000+ creatives for mobile apps, here is my 3-step framework for finding winners FAST. This is the same framework I’ve used on the in-house team at Zynga that managed $10+ million per month in ad spends. Reasons this works so well? - Maximizes testing volumes - Minimizes testing costs - Ensures reliability and scalability So steal this 3-step framework to unlock your next ‘unicorn’ creative winner. Stage 1: Discovery We start by testing creatives in low-cost geos to eliminate losers and maximize creative volume while minimizing costs. Here’s the breakdown… Ad Strategy: - Run 1 theme per ad set - Install Optimized in Low-Cost Geos Goals: - Eliminate losers - Evaluate against CPI or IPM targets - Maximize creative volume - Minimize costs ($10-$20/day per ad set) Stage 2: Warm-Up Next, we move the top 20% of creatives from Discovery to a broader, worldwide audience(you can also exclude your worst geos - or target tier 1 geos only) to validate our initial findings. This phase is crucial for shortlisting potential winners. Ad Strategy: - Use winners from Discovery Goals: - Validate learnings from Discovery - Evaluate against ROAS/CPA targets - Shortlist potential winners - Spend $100-$200/day Stage 3: Scaling Finally, we scale the proven winners in core markets like the US to unlock scalable, high-performing ads. This phase helps us integrate new winning creatives with existing proven winners. Ad Strategy: - Use winners from the Warm-Up Goals: - Unlock scalable, performant winners - Evaluate against ROAS/CPA targets - Run in a campaign/ad set separate from proven winners - Start with spend $200-$300/day Based on performance, add creatives to ad sets with proven winners All in all, these are useful for any product that needs to improve ad performance on TikTok or Meta with scale and sustainably. P.S. This is the exact framework my team has used to unlock winning creatives for 100+ products.

Can’t target by device on Amazon… what if there was a workaround? On Amazon, we can't: → Set different keyword bids by device → Or directly target mobile vs desktop shoppers At least… not natively. But Amazon Marketing Cloud opens up an interesting backdoor. With AMC, you can build audiences based on prior interactions + device: → Viewed my product page on mobile → Added to cart on desktop → Last 2 purchases happened on phone Not perfect, but useful. A few ways I'd use this: 1️⃣ Creative format optimization For instance vertical videos perform way better on mobile than desktop. With AMC: → Build an audience of users who engaged on mobile → Have a low base bid → Push harder on those audience with mobile engagements 2️⃣ Rank + visibility strategy Here's one that doesn't get talked about enough. If you're #4 organically on desktop, customers see you when they scroll. But #4 on mobile? You're way below the fold. So you could: → Push aggressively with ads for mobile-heavy audiences → Take a lighter approach on desktop where organic visibility already does the work 3️⃣ Repurchase behavior (CPG brands) This one's interesting for consumables. If someone's last 2 purchases happened on mobile, odds are they'll keep buying on mobile. Same logic for desktop-leaning buyers. So instead of thinking "device targeting," you're really thinking behavioral consistency by device. The catch: This only works for customers who've already interacted with you. . Is it perfect? No. Is it directionally useful? Absolutely. Anyone else experimenting with device-based audiences in AMC?

👎 Nothing will make a user uninstall your iOS or Android mobile app faster than intrusive ads that hinder their user experience. However, that doesn’t mean that your app can’t have ads at all — it just means that you need to be intentional about how you use them, with a robust strategy for configuring and monitoring each asset. This means two things: ☑️ From a technical perspective, configured ads should be rendering correctly on the screen. When a user taps on the ad, the asset should deep link the user to the correct destination. This could be an App Store/Google Play installation page, a deep link in your native mobile app, a deep link to a third-party partner’s native mobile app or a particular mobile website in a mobile browser. This involves having a level of trust with the user. ☑️ Additionally, from a usability and a product perspective, the ads should render well on different screen sizes, with different aspect ratios, colors, styling and accessibility settings. The ads should not disrupt the core user flow or overlap other components in the native iOS/Android app. Both of these requirements are business critical and involve making sure that the ads not only work properly but also placed intentionally. It may entail asking these questions: 👉 What is the right deep link strategy for a particular mobile ad campaign? 👉 Are the ads being inclusive of different audiences? 👉 What happens when the phone is in portrait versus landscape mode? Do the ads stretch or handle variable aspect ratios correctly? 👉 Are the ads on the right part of the screen? 👉 Do the ads need to be dismissed? 👉 Can users still perform actions in parallel on the app? There are a lot of considerations there. Prior to configuration and monitoring, effective mobile ads require thoughtful product research. Building this long-term strategy provides a scalable schema for how mobile ads are to be implemented. This provides guidance to marketing, product, growth and engineering teams that must collaborate cross-functionally. How does your company’s mobile app use ads?

Trying hard is nice, but wins and losses in business are measured by results. We helped a client increase app downloads by 300%. My formula for success is always the same, but it is constantly adjusted to meet the needs of specific products and services. We helped a major food chain increase app traffic by 550%, driving a 300% rise in downloads. Here's how: Our client, a well-known national food and beverage chain, needed to improve their search rankings and boost the visibility of their Rewards Program and mobile app. Key challenges included: - Boosting organic traffic to critical, high-conversion pages - Navigating through a complex organizational structure - Standing out in a highly competitive market Our Strategy We crafted a multi-faceted approach: 1. Technical SEO We ran a full audit to improve site speed, ensured mobile-friendly design, and added schema markup to optimize local listings and the mobile app. 2. Keyword Research & Content Optimization Using targeted research, we identified valuable keywords relevant to loyalty programs and mobile apps, then optimized meta titles, descriptions, and page headers. We also created fresh, SEO-rich content to cover these key topics. 3. Local SEO Enhancements We optimized Google My Business listings for all locations, developed custom location pages with calls-to-action (CTAs) for the app and Rewards Program, and secured local backlinks through community sponsorships and directories. 4. App Store Optimization We researched app-specific keywords, improved titles and descriptions, upgraded visual assets, and engaged with users for reviews and feedback in the app store. 5. Link Building & Digital PR We launched a PR campaign and worked with influencers and bloggers to promote the Rewards Program and mobile app, resulting in high-quality backlinks from reputable sources. 6. Social Media Integration Our targeted campaigns on social media drove traffic to key pages. We also encouraged customers to share their experiences on social platforms, increasing brand credibility and helping boost search rankings. The Results - 400% increase in traffic to the Rewards Program page - 550% increase in traffic to the mobile app page - 200% improvement in organic visibility for key app and loyalty-related terms - 300% increase in app downloads - 275% rise in social media referral traffic - 45% improvement in user engagement (time on site) from social media Conclusion This case study showcases how combining effective SEO with a strong social media plan can yield exceptional results. By driving high-quality, engaged users to optimized pages, we saw substantial increases in traffic, visibility, and overall performance across key metrics.

We added $47,425 in monthly revenue to a supplement brand by fixing their mobile offer page. I’ve lost count at how many DTC companies we’ve come across that treat mobile offer pages like desktop pages. Just stack everything vertically. Hope users scroll. It’s a bad strategy. Mobile users don't scroll through three buying options to find the one that fits them. They see the first option and bounce. Here's the strategy for this brand... - We condensed the entire mobile layout. Made it vertically efficient. - We reordered the options from 6-3-1 to 1-3-6. Put the starter option first. Why? New users make up most of the traffic. They don't want 6 jars on their first order. They want to try one. But we didn't kill the upsell. We added bundle discount badges over the product images. "Most chosen" and "Best discount" stayed. We just made everything tighter. - Product image on the left. - Details and CTA on the right. - Savings, free shipping, money-back guarantee all visible without scrolling. The results: - Conversion Rate: +20.41% - Revenue Per Visitor: +22.27% - Profit Per Visitor: +22.41% - Average Order Value: +1.54% $47,425 in monthly revenue. $35,635 in monthly profit. From ONE layout change. The insight matters here… Your mobile offer page isn't about showing every option equally. It's about showing the right option first based on who's visiting. New users need low friction entry points. Returning users will scroll for bulk deals. Design for the majority. Make it easy for new users to start. Let high-intent buyers find the bigger options. This test worked because we optimized for visibility and intent. Not just aesthetics.

Continuing to share more granular tactics from the past 14 years in direct to consumer, today is about Meta ads and something that has never changed. Creative wins. I started running Facebook ads around 2012. Since then we’ve seen iOS 14 shake the industry, targeting get stripped down, Advantage Plus roll in, AI automation take over, and constant platform updates. The interface changes. The features change. The optimization options change. But one thing has stayed the same. The best creative wins. It does not matter if you are running bid cap, cost cap, Advantage Plus, broad, prospecting, retargeting, or DPAs. If your creative does not stop the scroll and speak clearly to the person seeing it, nothing else matters. We are living in the easiest era in history to advertise. Not long ago you had to buy radio spots, TV placements, or magazine ads just to get exposure. Today you can verify your business and be live in Ads Manager within hours. The barrier to entry is lower than ever. Which means the differentiator is not access. It is execution. When you build creative, speak to the person based on where they are in the relationship. If they already know your brand, talk to them like it is the second or third conversation. If they have never heard of you, talk to them like you just met and you are introducing yourself in a natural way. Structure wise, I keep things simple. One broad Advantage Plus campaign with most optimizations turned on. One prospecting campaign focused on new customer growth and education. One retargeting campaign. One DPA pulling directly from our Shopify catalog. That is it. No overly complex web of campaigns. No endless segmentation. We lean into creative volume. Every week the main focus is net new creative. New angles. New hooks. New ways to tell the story. The goal is to break up the monotony of the scroll and stand out in a feed full of sameness. And here is the part people overthink. Great creative does not have to be studio produced. Some of the best performing ads can be filmed handheld on your phone. A selfie video. A product demo at your desk. Edited in CapCut or a simple mobile app. It just has to be clear, interesting, and honest. AI is getting better. Automation is getting smarter. But even now, amazing creative is still the lever. If you want better performance in Meta, stop obsessing over structure tweaks and start obsessing over the conversations your creative is having. That is where the edge is.

According to an analysis conducted by Meta, campaigns experience a 40% drop in click-through rate and a 60% drop in conversions after four exposures to the same creative. In other words, each time your audience sees your ad, they become less likely to click on it. To combat this, follow these three best practices to maximize your creative within Meta’s bidding system: 1) Establish Creative Foundations: Optimize all creative for mobile devices and tailor it for specific audiences and placements to ensure broad and successful distribution. 2) Aim for Creative Differentiation: The more variations of your creative, the better. Achieve this through paid partnerships that place your ads in creators' feeds, format diversification from static images to videos and carousels, and message diversification to address different user value propositions and pain points. 3) Continuously Test Your Creative: Maintain a strong testing cadence to generate new ad variations. According to a Meta study, the fastest-growing advertisers test 11 times more ads per month than their competitors. Following these best practices is crucial for improving your conversion and click-through rates, driving up your Estimated Action Rate, and enhancing your bid quality.

**Monetisation Series Part 1: The Basics** In-game monetisation is a vital part of the mobile games ecosystem. Today, I’ll cover the basics you should know before we dive into more complex topics over the next five days. Monetisation for mobile games can be divided into two main categories: Free to Play and Premium. I will stick to F2P as it's 99% of the mobile games industry today. **Rewarded Video (RV)** This is probably the most common ad unit in our industry. As a developer, you must carefully consider where to place RVs to achieve the desired effect. Understanding user motivations is key to monetisation, especially with RVs. This involves placing RVs in spots where users are likely to engage with them, offering rewards or multipliers (e.g., double rewards) for watching a video at the end of a level. **Interstitial Ads** Interstitial ads implementation varies by game genre, you're more likely to see it Hyper-Casual than Midcore for example. Unlike RVs, which are user-initiated, interstitial ads are system-initiated. Developers set up logic to serve a certain number of ads within a given time frame, known as “Ad frequency.” For example, showing five ads to one user within 60 minutes at specific break points (e.g., end of a level). **Banner Ads** These are small banners or static images typically displayed at the bottom of the home screen. **Offer Walls** A traditional form of monetisation in F2P games, offer walls act as micro-economic stores that provide rewards for completing actions in other games. These are often referred to as “Cost per engagement” campaigns on the UA side. **In-App Purchases (IAPs)** IAPs are the most premium and desired form of monetisation but also the hardest to implement effectively. Developing your game with the economy in mind and ensuring users are motivated to spend real money is challenging. A good casual game typically aims for 4-6% of paying users, meaning 1 in 20 players end up spending money in the game after being acquired. **Subscriptions** This involves users “subscribing” to a weekly or monthly IAP, providing unique in-game content, bonus items, or additional perks and multipliers on currency or rewards. This is the most profitable form of IAP monetisation. **Cross-Promotion** Cross-promotion is an often underutilised monetisation strategy. For developers with large game portfolios or back catalogues, it’s a simple way to move users from one game to another. Timing it correctly at the churn point can potentially double your users’ overall LTV by keeping them within your ecosystem. Remember, the most important aspect of monetisation is balance. Implementing the right strategy and ad units to improve LTV (lifetime value) without reducing retention (notably through ad spamming) is crucial to your success as a developer. The growth loop defines the balance between monetising your game and acquiring users to scale DAU (daily active users) while maintaining your target profit margin.

Using Meta Ads to Drive eCommerce Sales Understanding Your Audience: Begin by analyzing your target audience's demographics, interests, and behavior to create personalized ad campaigns on Meta platforms that resonate with potential customers and drive sales. Compelling Visuals & Copy: Utilize high-quality images or videos along with engaging ad copy that highlights your products' unique selling points, benefits, and offers to capture users' attention and encourage them to make a purchase. Retargeting Strategies: Implement dynamic product ads to retarget users who have previously visited your eCommerce website or shown interest in your products, reminding them of their potential purchase and increasing conversion rates. Leveraging Carousel Ads: Showcase a variety of products, styles, or features through carousel ads to provide a more interactive and engaging experience for users, ultimately leading to higher click-through rates and conversions. Utilizing Lookalike Audiences: Expand your reach by targeting users who share similarities with your existing customer base through lookalike audience targeting, increasing the likelihood of driving sales from a new pool of potential customers. Optimizing for Mobile: Ensure that your Meta ads are optimized for mobile devices, considering the increasing trend of mobile shopping, and providing a seamless user experience that encourages quick and convenient purchases. Implementing A/B Testing: Continuously test different ad creatives, formats, and targeting options to identify the most effective strategies that drive eCommerce sales on Meta platforms and maximize your return on investment. Monitoring & Analyzing Performance: Regularly monitor key metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend to assess the effectiveness of your Meta ad campaigns and make data-driven adjustments for improved results. Scaling Successful Campaigns: Identify top-performing ad campaigns and scale them by increasing budgets, expanding targeting, or exploring new ad formats to further boost eCommerce sales through Meta ads. Summary: By understanding your audience, creating compelling visuals and copy, utilizing retargeting strategies, carousel ads, lookalike audiences, mobile optimization, A/B testing, performance monitoring, and scaling successful campaigns, eCommerce brands can effectively drive sales through Meta ads and achieve significant growth in their online sales performance. #MetaAds, #eCommerceMarketing, #OnlineSales, #SocialMediaAds, #DigitalAdvertising, #AdCampaigns, #SalesBoost, #CustomerEngagement, #AdTargeting, #MarketingStrategy

Looking to diversify beyond Meta/Google ads? Start here: The secrets out - Top-performing brands are slowly starting to shift towards a more holistic advertising approach. On top of Meta and Google, they’re layering: - CTV - Mobile app - Display ads All strategically to build a high-performing, full-funnel system. Here’s a break-down of what these look like: 1️⃣ CTV (Connected TV) → Awareness & Brand Lift Think smart TVs, streaming platforms, and premium inventory. We repurpose YouTube content for high-impact placements where audiences are deeply engaged. CTV isn’t about clicks - It’s about planting a brand in a consumer’s mind and making them more likely to convert later. 2️⃣ Mobile App Ads → Engagement & Consideration Mobile users spend more time in apps than anywhere else. We repurpose TikTok & Instagram-style vertical videos to seamlessly fit into app environments. These placements are non-disruptive, high-retention, and drive mid-funnel engagement. 3️⃣ Display Ads → Retargeting & Direct Response Display is the backbone of performance marketing. Static banners are served across the open web, ensuring brands stay in front of potential customers no matter where they browse. We retarget CTV and mobile app viewers to push them down the funnel and drive conversions. The key? Each format compliments the others. Most brands rely on siloed ad strategies - Programmatic brings them together under one roof, tracking user journeys across multiple touchpoints and optimizing holistically. If you’re still relying on Meta & Google alone, you’re playing with blind spots in your funnel.