CPI – Get your app downloaded and installed for a fixed price (per install) – Targetoo Guide (basics)

Cost Per Install is calculated by dividing the ad spend (over a specific time period) by the number of new installs from that same period. For example, if you spent $200 on ads for your mobile app and generated 130 new installs, your Cost Per Install would be $1.53.

If you want more users/purchasing consumers – for your app, CPI methodology might be a good solution. Which-ever vendor/partner you choose – to drive/realize installs of your app – you will pay a fixed fee for every install.

Industry Benchmarks: The benchmarks for CPI vary significantly depending on the type of app, industry, and country. The global average across all app types is $0.53 USD for Android and $1.24 USD for both iPhones and iPads. For more specifics, request our CPI benchmarks oversight.

Sensitivity regarding fraud: being that a vendor/tech supplier gets paid for every install that has been achieved, this methodology is sensitive for fraud. Essentially, installs can be faked, either manually or organized (for example using bot-traffic).

How do we – Targetoo – approach this advertising methodology (CPI)?

In our experience there are 2 ways of running a good/organic CPI campaign – if preventing fraudulent installs is a big priority (which it should be).

1. Using affiliate networks. The 20 year old discipline is still considered a strong/proper method in regards to driving real installs of your app. Essentially; an affiliate network/vendor offers it’s publishers a fixed fee for every install that is achieved. The main point to take into consideration here, is that publishers want to earn (monetization) based on the amount of visitors/users this publisher might have. A publisher can decide to monetize by selling it’s traffic based on CPM. However, in some cases publishers have a specific audience/user-base that might be interested in installing an app. Being that publishers – using affiliate offers to earn – can make their own decision in regards to promoting an app and the knowledge that the publisher has regarding the interests of his audience/user-base; can be beneficial for results. Because the risk of getting paid lies with the publishers, this method (using affiliate networks) can be considered relatively safe. Make sure an affiliate network of choice has strong anti-fraud policies.

2. Using a Demand Side Platform (or; DSP). Although achieving a low (or; profitable) CPI is difficult on OpenRTB (anno 2019), it can be done. The DSP in question should harness a CPI target option. Most established DSP’s have this functionality in their platform. A quality ad/creative can be a deciding factor for a consumer to install an app. Likewise, the targeting setting. For example: reaching a specific audience based on the location (Geo-Fencing) where a(n) ad/banner is served can have a major influence on results.

Targetoo advanced CPI guide. For our long term and structural clients we have an ‘Advanced CPI Guide for OpenRTB’. This guide portrays case examples and in-depth do’s and don’ts. 

Please note that although our platform harnesses an CPI target functionality, we always and only bill based on CPM/CPC/CPCV models. In that sense; the risk of achieving a low enough CPI, is our clients’