Privacy-first iOS app growth strategies - Workshop Review

Apple's Privacy Manifesto, SKAN 5.0, Google Sandbox for Android - the upcoming months are going to witness a variety of privacy-focused policies coming in to picture. This has got app marketers across the globe to wear their thinking hats and adapt to new mobile marketing trends that are quickly embracing privacy-first principles. In the light of recent conversations, Team Newton, collaborated with Jampp, a programmatic advertising platform used by the most ambitious companies to accelerate their mobile businesses, and MicroAd, a leading Japanese ad platform, to host an insight-driven workshop on privacy-first iOS app growth strategies.

In this blog, we compile the key takeaways from the episode. 

Trends intensifying the conversation around data privacy

The present generation of smartphone users is quite dependent on their phones. The mobile phone today assumes many roles - our work assistant, finance manager, entertainer, shopping mall, and even at times our fitness trainer. The personal smartphone is emerging to be a gold mine of personal data. Users are becoming increasingly aware of the volume of personal data, our mobiles hold, and how this data can be safeguarded properly. 

With a rising preference to protect device data, users are rapidly adopting devices that support their need for data privacy. In a highly digital space like say Japan, iOS contributes to over 69% of the market share.

Global data regulations are also playing a key role in steering the smartphone landscape to a more secure digital space, in terms of user data. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States set the stage for the responsible collection of user data. 

Against the backdrop of government and user preferences for data privacy, mobile advertisers are embracing new technology, iterating improvements, and leveraging predictive analytics, machine language, and artificial intelligence, to power their consumer-centric marketing initiatives.

Influence of App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and SKAN in privacy-first iOS app growth strategies

ATT has definitely contributed to enhanced trust in the iOS ecosystem, potentially drawing in more customers. Apple’s ability to mask personal device IDs (PIDs) like emails, location, etc. puts the user's interest first and does challenge the app marketer to target iOS users creatively, like adopting contextual advertising. In India, Apple is already one of the top 5 smartphone brands of preference with the country’s youth purchasing more and more Apple phones and other devices. 

Users who opt-in for tracking, IDFA can track some of their data and provide it to app marketers at an aggregate level, without disclosing personal information. However, the challenge arises when users opt out of data tracking. Visibility for user preferences is reduced, and serving personalized advertisements becomes difficult. SKAdNetwork is the alternative to resolve the stalemate. With SKADNetwork or SKAN, marketers can measure attribution metrics to judge the efficacy and impact of their advertising campaigns.

Many marketers are also looking at probabilistic models offered by mobile measurement partners (MMPs) and integrated platforms, like Newton and MicroAd, to track post-install events for various types of user acquisition, retargeting, and retention campaigns. 

Alignment of user acquisition strategies to the caveats of advertising within a walled garden like iOS

Search intent marketing on platforms like Apple Search Ads is gaining popularity with app marketers, as a sustainable user acquisition and retention strategy. The 650 million weekly App Store visitors are a premium cohort of high-intent audiences who are already on the lookout for their preferred brands. Apple users have a historical tendency to convert faster and retain better, adding on to high ARPUs and high-LTV user base. 

Privacy-first iOS app growth strategies allow app developers and app businesses to promote their apps, and reach a wider quality audience effectively. The different targeting options and ad placements available like Today Tab, Search Tab, Search Results Page, and Custom Product Pages allow advertisers to position themselves in front of their audience at different funnel stages - awareness, interest, desire, and finally conversion.

To know more about how multiple ad placements can impact your Apple Search Ads strategy, visit our article here.

To support brands beyond the post-install journey, SKAN comes to the rescue. Advertisers can miss out on close to 60% of their iOS users unless they are testing SKADNetwork. SKAN expert, Jampp has been ranked as one of the top 10 ROI media sources while driving 37% lower Cost Per Install. You can get more details on how they are driving SKAN campaigns in their free guide App Marketer’s SKADNetwork 4.0

Apple Search Ads and SKAN supporting UA campaigns

Privacy-first iOS app growth strategies are powered by Apple Search Ads (ASA) and SKAN networks for a 360-degree measurement and attribution of mobile advertising campaigns. ASA is fast gaining favor as a premium user acquisition channel in markets where even IDFA is restricted. Combining a strategy of using ASA for acquisition, SKAN for campaign measurement for behavioral data, and integrating all of that with MMPs to audit conversion metrics, post-install success is turning out to be a key favorite. 

Platforms like Newton, are consistently providing value to their users with a full-funnel campaign integration to provide interaction, conversion, and retention data all at a single dashboard. 

Conclusion

Globally, the iOS market share is at approximately 28%, compared to Android’s 71%. Despite the larger market share, App Store users perform better with a higher revenue share. Just in 2022, it was observed that iOS was responsible for 75% of consumer spending on apps. As marketers put a renewed focus on ARPU and ROAS, Apple Search Ads and SKAN will only prove themselves as the advertising technologies of choice to capture premium markets. 

Team Newton is witnessing an immense preference for privacy-first iOS app growth strategies and marketing campaigns in emerging markets Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, where monetization and positive revenue sheets are always the top challenges app marketers face. 

As we wait with bated breath for Google’s Privacy Sandbox for Android, Apple Search Ads and SKAN are becoming platforms that are helping app marketers to adapt to a new way of mobile advertising, where privacy, consumer centricity, contextuality, granular campaign measurements are assuming primary importance.

Garima Pandey, Product Marketing Manager - Newton, has contributed to this article.