Mobile retargeting: setting up in trackers and traffic sources

  • Tutorial
At the end of last year, we at Mobio launched an automated mobile application retargeting system - Getloyal . During this time, we launched more than a dozen campaigns to return users to the applications of the largest Russian and international players. In the course of work, we identified a large number of nuances, which I would like to share in this post.



Under the cat, we’ll talk about the features of setting up retargeting campaigns in mobile analytics systems: AppsFlyer, Adjust, MAT (Analytics Attribution by Tune) and traffic sources: Facebook, myTarget, Cheetah, Yandex and RTB Exchange (DSP).

Important points before launch


To launch a retargeting campaign, it’s not necessary to integrate with the mobile app analytics system. It is important that the tracking system SDK is embedded in the application, and the system itself supports replication for retargeting campaigns.

Mobile retargeting is based on deeplink technology - users get to a specific page inside the application by clicking on an advertisement. And for targeting users, advertising identifiers (GAID and IDFA) are used.

Another important point is the platform where we show ads. The work of deeplink is provided, among other things, due to the final site. Take the link of the Adjust mobile tracker as an example:
app.adjust.io/irbhvh?campaign=RU_Mobio_Retargeting&deeplink=dclub%3A%2F%2F

The link has a deeplink - url-scheme that leads to the main screen of the Delivery Club application. When you click on the link from the device on which the Delivery Club application is already installed, depending on where we are going from, we get a different result. When you switch from Slack or Telegram, we get to the App Store, and if you drive the link directly into Chrome or Safari, we’ll get right into the application.

Mobile app analytics systems overview


AppsFlyer Mobile Retargeting


To start retargeting with AppsFlyer, the first thing you need to do is update the SDK, add lines of code that are responsible for tracking deeplink clicks. The bottom line is that these are not mandatory methods, which are always optional in AppsFlyer manuals. In our experience, if the AppsFlyer client is just about to launch the first advertising campaign, then most likely no one thought about the optional methods for tracking deeplinks, and an attempt to launch the campaign without updating the SDK will show poor results.

What else is worth paying attention to if we are launching a retargeting campaign with the AppsFlyer tracker:

  1. The parameter & is_retargeting = true must be specified in the tracking link. This is how retargeting by this link is enabled.
  2. AppsFlyer separates two re-events: re-engagement (opened the application) and reattribution (installed the previously removed application and opened it) - these are the primary tracking events. All subsequent events are counted after the primary.
  3. Re-distribution redefines the user for a certain period of time, the Attribution Window. GET is set by the af_reengagement_window = 60 parameter in the link. The default Attribution Window is 60 days. Events that the user committed after the installed Attribution Window will not be counted in the retargeting source.
  4. Any other source of re-attribution rewrites all previous ones. Events from the user will be recorded to the last source (link) of retargeting, but will always go to the source of the original installation.

When launching a retargeting campaign with a partner, the latter must be integrated with AppsFlyer as a retargeting partner. Also, the partner must undergo such integration if it is necessary to transfer all events to the partner, not just attributed ones. According to experience, such integration takes up to one month for a partner. You can read more about retargeting with AppsFlyer in the manuals of the terker himself .

Mobile retargeting in Adjust


Starting retargeting with Adjust is easier than with AppsFlyer. Deeplink conversion tracking is supported, as they say, in-the-box. Also, Adjust allows you to specify in the link the deeplink of the final screen, which is written in special GET link parameters (deep_link / deeplink - both options work the same way).

What else is worth looking at if we are launching a retargeting campaign with the Adjust tracker:

  1. A user can be re-distributed if it has been inactive longer than the selected re-distribution window, reattribution window. By default, the re-attribution window always costs seven days, it can be installed in the settings of the client account, the minimum window is 30 minutes.
  2. Corollary of the previous one. There are no parameters responsible for the time for which the user will be re-distributed to another source. Everything is determined on the basis of its activity in real time.
  3. The user can be re-distributed from one source, campaign (campaign), ad group (adgroup) or banner (creative) to another (yu).
  4. No need to use a special tracking link. There is a parameter rt = 1, which allows you to disable re-distribution (= 0), but you do not need to enable it: regular tracking links work for all types of advertising campaigns.
  5. After the user’s re-distribution, other events (purchases, tutorials, etc.) will not be taken into account in the previous source, but only in the source of the retargeting campaign that led to the re-distribution.

If you want to launch a retargeting campaign with a partner and transfer all events to the partner (not just attributed ones), you need to integrate the partner with Adjust as a retargeting partner. From experience, such integration takes up to one month. Read more about the operation of retargeting with Adjust, read the manual of the tracker itself and in the articles on the official website.

Mobile retargeting in MAT (Analytics Attribution by Tune)


Like Adjust, launching an advertising campaign in Mobile App Tracking (hereinafter referred to as MAT) is easier than with AppsFlyer. Deeplink conversion tracking is supported in-the-box. MAT is the only tracker that supports delayed deeplinking technology. This sets him apart from the rest.

What to look for if we run a retargeting campaign with the MAT tracker:

  1. No need to use a special tracking link. Tracking re-attributions is always on and working. You can enable re-engagement tracking and select the time (re-attribution window). Or disable reattribution (disabled).
  2. By default, reattribution window is set to 24 hours. This setting must be set for each link separately. Events committed after clicking on the link for the installed reattribution window, the MAT is marked as re-engagement and writes events to the source of re-attribution.
  3. Event transmission is configured in partner settings when installing postbacks, you can configure the transmission of all events (not just attributed ones).
  4. Re-distribution rewrites the user to a new source. The original source (installation source) will not receive all re-attributed events.

Read more about retargeting with MAT read in the manuals of the terker himself and in the articles on the official website.

Thanks to Marat Zhanabekov from Edadil for help in writing the MAT part :-)

Mobile retargeting in other analytics systems


Branch - a specialized system for tracking and processing transitions on deeplink, supports delayed deeplinking technology. Unfortunately, this system does not support working with partners, we did not work with it. We hope that they will add support for working with partners, and we will be able to touch the system with our own hands.

We did not talk about two trackers : AppMetrica and Kochava , since during the existence of GetLoyal we did not launch retargeting campaigns with clients on these trackers.

According to the support and official sites of trackers, both systems allow you to organize the work of retargeting campaigns. We integrated as a retargeting partner with Kochava, so we can start working with any client at any time. According to AppMetrica, you can configure event transmission in-the-box. And launching the retargeting campaigns themselves, including with tracking links on deeplink, is not required.

In the near future, we hope to launch retargeting campaigns with customers who use these trackers. After we work with them, we will release a mini-review.

Overview of traffic sources


Facebook mobile retargeting


Facebook is the most advanced of the advertising platforms. You can’t run ads on Facebook via a tracking system link, only direct links or deeplink are allowed. Facebook chooses what it will use specifically.

To start retargeting, use the App Engagement ad format. There are two types of targeting in such an advertising campaign:

  1. Integrate the Facebook SDK into the app and customize events. Then target users of the application according to Facebook.
  2. Download the user list manually or integrate your own analytics system with Facebook via the API to automatically create and update the audience.
  3. Organize work through third-party retargeting systems, for example, GetLoyal. After setting up the transfer of events of any tracker to the partner’s system, the partner can create Facebook audiences based on application data using the Facebook API.

The conversion from click to re-distribution in FB is highly dependent on the application and the number of connected partners. It’s hard to say the exact envelope, we have 50% of the clicks on Facebook converted to re-attribution in the tracker.

Mobile retargeting in myTarget


Note that in myTarget JS redirects are prohibited, which provide the work of most deeplink. The launch of a remarketing campaign is possible in the "Remarketing in mobile applications" format, which is currently only available for Android.

The format "Remarketing in mobile applications" allows you to use two links:

  1. Classic tracking link like: app.adjust.io/irbhvh?campaign=RU_Mobio_Retargeting
  2. Deeplink with tracking parameters, which are described in detail in this article . Link example: dclub: // irbhvh? Adjust_campaign = RU_Mobio_Retargeting

The macros {{campaign_id}}, {{banner_id}} and others can be used both in a regular link and in deeplink.

The conversion was obtained at the level of 50% (conversions in the tracker / clicks on the site).

There are two ways to launch retargeting:

  1. Download the user list manually or integrate your own analytics system with MT via API to automatically create and update the audience.
  2. Organize work through third-party retargeting systems. After setting up the transfer of events of any tracker to the partner’s system, the partner creates audiences in MT based on the application data using the MT API.


Mobile retargeting at Cheetah Mobile


Cheetah Mobile has a special campaign format for retargeting App Re-Engagement mobile apps. This format allows you to use the classic tracking link and deeplink (similar to myTarget). But unlike myTarget, Cheetah Mobile has no special tracking parameters, and deeplink clicks are not recorded in the tracker.

When using a normal link instead of deeplink, the conversion was noticeably lower than in myTarget. Work in this platform is possible due to the fact that traffic from targeting to an audience is cheaper, which allows you to get the same exhaust as in myTarget.

There are two ways to launch retargeting:

  1. Download the user list manually or integrate your own analytics system with Cheetah via API to automatically create and update the audience.
  2. Organize work through third-party retargeting systems, for example, GetLoyal. After setting up the transfer of events of any tracker to the partner’s system, the partner creates audiences in Cheetah based on application data using the API.

Mobile retargeting in Yandex.Direct


It is theoretically possible to launch a remarketing campaign in Yandex.Direct, but there is no special format for advertising for retargeting. It is possible to target a list of users, which can be downloaded when you create ad groups in the format of the advertising campaign “Advertising mobile applications”. You can also manage audiences using a special API. You can use a tracking link with built-in deeplink.

Tests have shown that there is little traffic targeting the audience from Yandex.Direct, it is not practical to integrate using the API.

RTB Exchange (DSP)


A number of DSP systems allow you to automate work with audiences. Unlike the sites described above, the allowed update frequency is only once every 24 hours, which allows you to work. It is possible to manually download a list of users.

In those systems that we watched, there is no special format for retargeting. It is possible to insert a regular tracking link or a link with deeplink (see Adjust). As a result, the final envelope is highly dependent on the tracking system. The conversion that we got: 5% - 10%.

Conclusion


Mobile retargeting is the next step in the evolution of mobile marketing. With it, you can return users who have not reached the purchase, offer something new that was previously active. You can advertise new features for users of the old version of the application or increase the frequency of purchases and the average check of an already paying audience.

We know a large number of companies that think about using mobile retargeting for their products, but put off everything “for later” because of the difficulty in setting up and evaluating effectiveness. We hope that this post will become an additional impetus in the development of this tool.

If you still have questions, or need help setting up retargeting campaigns, contact us at Getloyal . We will be happy to help! :)

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