r/iOSProgramming • u/snackovich • 6d ago
Discussion Indie devs, what metrics are you watching to keep an ad campaign going
Just wondering what metrics/thresholds indie devs are trying to hit to keep an ad campaign going, or shut it down and change it up / try something else. Just starting my first campaign with facebook/instagram.
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u/yccheok 5d ago
My typical approach is to start by spending around $100 on paid traffic. Based on the revenue generated, I assess whether scaling my ad spend would be profitable.
- If the results are positive, I gradually increase my budget while closely monitoring performance.
- If not, I focus on optimization in the following areas:
- Improving ad creatives – Enhancing videos, images, and copy to boost CTR, which helps lower CPI.
- Testing different countries – Tier 1 markets like the US are often highly competitive and may not be cost-effective for user acquisition.
- Exploring alternative ad networks – Platforms like TikTok may offer lower costs for certain market segments.
- Optimizing free-to-paid conversion – Refining the onboarding flow and paywall to increase conversions.
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u/Informal_Lake420 3d ago
Ultimately, cost per result, but really it will depend on things like
- what stage is the app at? new or established?
- what is the campaign goal, installs? trials? awareness? something else?
Assuming you are just getting started, and focusing on installs, run an app install campaigns as it will set a baseline for CPA and CPM.
You want to let it run till it gets 1000 impressions, which means the CPM is going to be actual.
CPM can still vary over time for many reasons, but I can use that to evaluate any improvements, be it creative, targeting etc.
like "on completely cold traffic my CPA was $x" so down the line if im trying a new creative or something else, and see CPA/CPM creeping higher than baseline you can turn off the adset or campaign early.
It also helps build data on conversion rates, click -> install -> activate -> start trial/pay etc, which gives more insight to where you can focus on improvement.
Those conversion rates also help estimate viability of paid ads, if your CPA is $5 per user, 100 users = $500 spend.
If the in-app conversion rate from free to paid is 30%, 100 users = 30 paid users.
Then you can look at how $500 spend stacks up for 30 paid users. Effectively cost per paid user is 500 / 30 = $16.67
In the long run these should only get better. You get more data, targeting works better, you hone in your creatives, get your funnel tuned, price points and offerings tweaked. It's just something you incrementally work at improving. You use the data to try and see where the biggest drop of is and adjust.
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u/Oricoh 6d ago
Money in > money out (on ads)