Guide
video adsperformance marketingVideo Ads for App Installs: Strategy & Measurement Guide
Drive mobile downloads at target CPI — measured by CPI, Day-1 retention, Day-7 retention, LTV.
Last updated: March 18, 2026
When to Use
Mobile app with proven retention (Day-7 > 20%) needing to scale beyond organic.
Platforms & Formats
Platforms: TikTok (lowest CPIs, strong Gen Z/Millennial). Meta (largest scale). Apple Search Ads (highest intent). Google App Campaigns (broad reach).. Formats: UGC (authentic use), Hook Formulas (curiosity gap), Process Steps (app doing impressive thing in 4 steps), Flash Sale (free premium trial).
Budget
80% TikTok + Meta (volume). 15% Apple Search Ads (quality). 5% Google App. CPI targets: $1–$3 utility, $3–$8 subscription, $0.50–$2 games.
Measurement
CPI starts it. Real metric: cost per activated user (completed onboarding within 48h). $2 CPI × 30% activation = $6.67 cost/activated user. That's the LTV comparison.
Common Mistake
Optimising installs not post-install events. Install campaigns attract install-and-never-open users. Event campaigns (optimise 'completed onboarding') get better LTV at higher CPI.
FluxNote Workflow
10 video variants showing app's 'wow' moment. Test all at $10/day. Scale winner. Replace losers weekly. Creative velocity = competitive advantage.
Pro Tips
- Mobile app with proven retention (Day-7 > 20%) needing to scale beyond organic.
- 80% TikTok + Meta (volume). 15% Apple Search Ads (quality). 5% Google App. CPI targets: $1–$3 utility, $3–$8 subscription, $0.50–$2 games.
- CPI starts it. Real metric: cost per activated user (completed onboarding within 48h). $2 CPI × 30% activation = $6.67 cost/activated user. That's the
- Optimising installs not post-install events. Install campaigns attract install-and-never-open users. Event campaigns (optimise 'completed onboarding')
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