Introducing installed app category targeting: a new way to target users and gain insights into mobile app campaigns

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

We’re excited to introduce installed app category targeting: a new tool that enables app advertisers to reach users based on the categories of apps they have installed on their device, or in which we think they have interest. One of the biggest priorities for mobile app marketers is to reach the people who are most likely to use and love their apps. Today’s launch is the next step in our journey to help these advertisers connect with the right customers on Twitter - while providing users with the most relevant and useful ad content.

With installed app category targeting, you can identify new audiences of high-quality users to target within your existing app category and in related app categories. You can also combine this feature with other targeting types — such as keyword, language or location targeting — to further customize the potential audience for your campaign.

 Introducing installed app category targeting: a new way to target users and gain insights into mobile app campaigns

For example, an advertiser who wants to drive installs of a task management app can select the “Productivity” category to reach users who have recently installed similar apps. That same advertiser may know that productivity app users also tend to use finance apps, so they can target the “Finance” category to connect with new people who are likely to be interested in their app.

Insights and reporting
In addition to these targeting options, we’re releasing new reporting and analytics for installed app categories within the advertiser dashboard. These reports are available for all mobile app promotion campaigns, regardless of whether those campaigns used installed app category targeting.

There are multiple ways to leverage these powerful insights. For example, if you’re running a campaign targeting users who have installed entertainment apps, you can use this reporting to identify other types of apps they also have installed — and then explicitly target those new categories.

Or, you can identify which app categories yield the strongest install rates and lowest cost per install, and use this data to target high performing app categories in future campaigns.

 Introducing installed app category targeting: a new way to target users and gain insights into mobile app campaigns

Over the last few months, we’ve received positive feedback from our beta partners who’ve used installed app category targeting to drive increased efficiency and ROI in their app install and engagement campaigns. For example, Mercari (@mercari_jp), a community-powered shopping platform, used the tool to promote their new app.

As app marketers, we continually strive to reach new users and drive cost-effective conversions. With installed app category targeting, we were able to achieve a higher conversion rate than with other targeting criteria, which led to a lower cost per install and improved ROI overall.

Naoya SukigaraSenior Marketing Specialist, Mercari

Financial services app @Acorns has seen continued success with installed app category targeting.

Installed app category targeting has been one of the best new additions to the Twitter suite of targeting capabilities. At Acorns, we are now able to combine not only what users are talking about but focus on those that have already relevant apps on their phones; thus making our ad dollars even more efficient. Using multiple layers of targeting on Twitter allows us to discern amongst the millions of users on Twitter and jump right into the core of the customers we want today.

Sami KhanMarketing Director, Acorns

Fablic, Inc. (@friljp) used installed app category targeting to promote their online flea market app, Fril.

Installed app category targeting has helped Fablic identify new cost-effective groups of users to target on Twitter. By analyzing campaign reporting by installed app category, we were able to identify categories with average cost-per-install of up to 60% lower than similar broadly targeted campaigns.

Rie TaninishiDirector, Fablic, Inc.

Get started
Installed app category targeting and reporting is now available globally to all advertisers running mobile app install and engagement campaigns on Twitter, on both iOS and Android. To get started, login to ads.twitter.com or visit our Help Center to learn more.