Been thinking about this and want to hear from people who've actually tested it.
Standard advice is obvious: want app installs, run UAC on Google or App Promotion on Meta. Those objectives exist specifically to optimize for installs, with proper SDK/MMP attribution (AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch, etc).
But what about pushing installs through Sales, Traffic, or Conversion campaigns? Like sending traffic to a landing page with smart banners and deep links, or straight to the Play Store / App Store URL
Few things I'm trying to figure out:
- Tracking. Without proper app campaign setup, can installs even be attributed? Or do you need MMP postbacks configured separately to see anything?
- Algorithm. Traffic and Sales campaigns optimize for clicks or web events, not installs. Doesn't that basically waste the optimization signal?
- Cost. Anyone actually compared CPI between a Traffic campaign pointing to a store URL vs a proper UAC or App Promo campaign?
- Use cases. Are there situations where this approach makes sense? Hybrid web-to-app funnels, retargeting web visitors to install, awareness campaigns that pick up incidental installs, etc.
Looking for actual test results here, not theory. Especially curious about people in markets where app campaigns get expensive or where the user journey starts on web before moving to app.
Asking because subscriptions to well-known MMPs like Appsflyer, Branch, and Adjust keep getting more expensive every year.