marketing

Paid Acquisition

App installs driven by paid advertising campaigns across channels like Apple Search Ads, Google Ads, social media, and display networks.

organic growth cost per install attribution

Paid acquisition is the process of spending money on advertising to drive app downloads. It includes any channel where you pay per impression, click, or install to bring users to your app store listing.

Common Paid Channels

  • Apple Search Ads - ads at the top of App Store search results for specific keywords
  • Google App Campaigns - automated campaigns across Google Search, Play Store, YouTube, and Display Network
  • Social media ads - Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X campaigns
  • Display and video networks - banner ads and video ads across apps and websites
  • Influencer partnerships - paying content creators to promote your app

Paid and organic growth work together. Paid campaigns boost download velocity, which can improve keyword rankings, which generates organic downloads. The organic uplift from a well-timed paid campaign can persist long after the campaign ends.

Key Metrics

  • Cost Per Install (CPI) - how much each install costs
  • Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) - revenue generated per dollar spent
  • Lifetime Value (LTV) - total revenue a paid user generates over time
  • Payback period - how long until a user’s LTV exceeds their CPI

When to Use Paid Acquisition

Paid campaigns are most valuable at launch (kickstarting download velocity), during seasonal peaks (capturing high-intent users), when entering new markets (building initial presence), and when you have validated strong retention (ensuring paid users stick around long enough to generate ROI).