Tips & Tricks
Drive installs and engagement: A guide to App campaigns on Google Ads
Apps have become an essential marketing tool for supercharging business growth because they can increase customer loyalty and lifetime value.Here, we’ll explore the benefits of how you can use App campaigns on Google Ads to find–and keep–the highest-value users for your app.
App campaigns are a simple and effective way to promote your app across Google’s largest properties - all from a single campaign.
What are App campaigns on Google Ads?
Whether you’re running an app-first company or you’ve built a mobile app experience into your existing business, you need people to install it — and to keep coming back for more.
App campaigns are a simple and effective way to promote your app across Google’s largest properties. These include Search, Google Play, YouTube, and Gmail as well as other apps and websites in the Display Network.
To set up an App campaign simply provide some copy and visual assets, a starting bid, a budget, and the languages and locations in which you want your ads to appear. Google AI optimises your campaign based on your business goals.
There are three types of App campaigns to choose from, depending on what you’re looking to achieve:
App campaigns for install:
Promote your app and encourage people to make that all-important download with an app install campaign. Targeting and bidding is optimised to get the most value from your downloads — this can be for all users or driving installs from new users who are most likely to perform specific in-app actions.
When someone clicks on your ad, they will be directed straight to Google Play or the App Store depending on their mobile operating system.
App campaigns for engagement:
With App campaigns for engagement, Google reaches people who already have your app installed. It’s a great way to re-engage customers, drive loyalty, and encourage users to take specific, in-app actions. For example, you might target high-value consumers who haven’t purchased in a while or remind customers with items in their basket to check out.
With App campaigns for engagement, you direct users to specific pages in your app. These ads use deep links, so people can find what they’re looking for with ease and speed.
App campaigns for Pre-registration (Android only):
Looking to drive early, high value users to your game during pre-launch? This is the campaign type for you. Anyone clicking on your ad is directed to Google Play, where they can pre-register for your game to automatically download at launch.
What are the key benefits of App campaigns?
There are numerous benefits to including App campaigns in your marketing efforts.
Connect with your high-value customers at scale:
Google AI helps you reach users who show high intent for products and services like yours as they watch YouTube videos, compare purchase options on Search, read their email, and more. It’s an excellent way to get your app into the hands of the users that will drive the best results for your business.
Easily create optimised campaigns:
To get started, simply share your goals, budget, audiences, and creative assets. We can even pull assets directly from your listings to design a range of ads across several formats and networks, with no extra work needed from you. Powered by AI, App campaigns automatically test and serve your best-performing ads to the people most likely to engage with them.
Keep your users coming back:
App campaigns can also help you stay connected with your existing app users and encourage them to take key in-app actions like purchasing a product or beating level 2 of your game.
With people spending more time and money on their mobile devices, businesses are putting extra weight behind promoting their apps. Google Ads’ App campaigns provide a powerful way to help people discover,download, and continue engaging with your app.
Sign yourself up today
Create an account, set your budget, then write your first ad and decide where you want it to show up.