I’ve spent the better part of five years watching mobile advertising evolve from clunky banner ads to sophisticated, attribution-driven ecosystems. The biggest shift I’ve seen isn’t just where people spend their, it’s how we’ve learned to track and optimize what happens after they click.
Let me walk you through what’s actually working in in-app advertising right now.
Why In-App Advertising Drives App Growth
Here’s something that stopped me in my tracks: people spend about 90% of their mobile time inside apps, not browsing the web.
When I run campaigns targeting users already inside apps, I’m reaching people in their natural habitat. They’re engaged, comfortable, and already in the mindset of downloading applications. The friction is lower, and the quality? Noticeably higher.
The difference is real:
- Better retention rates than mobile web traffic
- Higher lifetime values
- More meaningful post-install engagement
But in-app traffic behaves differently. The attribution chains are more complex, the environments are more controlled, and you can’t just throw up a landing page and hope for the best.
The Role of MMPs in Modern App Marketing
If you’re serious about app growth, you need a Mobile Measurement Partner. Full stop.
An MMP is your source of truth for everything in your acquisition funnel. It tracks who clicked what, where installs came from, and what users did after opening your app.
Without it, you’re flying blind.
I use MMPs like AppsFlyer, Adjust, or Singular to validate performance across every campaign. They connect the dots between ad exposure and actual user behavior, giving me the data I need to optimize aggressively.
And with privacy regulations tightening, having an MMP that handles attribution within Apple’s SKAdNetwork or Google’s Privacy Sandbox isn’t optional anymore, it’s the foundation.
How Attribution Works in In-App Campaigns
Let’s break down what actually happens when someone installs your app through an in-app ad.
The basics: When a user clicks your ad, the MMP creates a fingerprint or uses a device identifier. If they install within the attribution window (usually 24-48 hours for clicks), that install gets attributed to your campaign.
But install attribution is just the beginning.
The real value comes from post-install event tracking. Did the user register? Make a deposit? Complete a tutorial? Purchase a subscription?
These events tell you whether your traffic is actually valuable or just inflating install numbers with tire-kickers. I’ve run campaigns that looked amazing on installs but fell apart on registrations. Without event tracking, I would’ve kept burning money on garbage traffic.
Best Practices for Running In-App Campaigns
I’ve learned most of these lessons the expensive way. Let me save you some trouble.
Set up attribution before you launch
Get your SDK implemented, test your postbacks, and verify attribution is working before you spend a dollar. I’ve seen too many advertisers rush traffic to apps that aren’t properly integrated with their MMP.
Optimize for post-install events, not installs
Installs are vanity metrics. What you actually want are users who stick around and take valuable actions. I structure campaigns around events like first deposit, subscription activation, or day-7 retention.
Test creatives inside actual app environments
What works in a Facebook feed doesn’t necessarily work inside a mobile game. I A/B test creatives specifically designed for the in-app placements they’ll appear in.
Maintain traffic source transparency
I need to know exactly where my users are coming from. That means working with networks who provide granular reporting and don’t bundle traffic into mysterious “mixed sources.”
If I can’t track it, I can’t optimize it.
Advertising In-App Offers with Reacheffect
This is where I have to talk about Reacheffect.
Our entire traffic infrastructure is built around MMP compatibility from the ground up. I can send performance-driven traffic with full event-based tracking baked in. Whether I’m optimizing for installs, registrations, or deeper funnel events, the attribution flows cleanly into my MMP dashboard.
No black boxes. No guesswork.
It’s also built to scale, which matters when you find a winning combination. And since they work with both affiliates and direct advertisers, there’s flexibility in how you structure campaigns.
In-App Verticals That Perform Well
Not every app vertical thrives with in-app advertising, but several consistently deliver:
iGaming and betting apps are obvious winners. Users engaging with casino games or sports content in other apps are naturally receptive to similar offers.
Finance and fintech have surprised me with their conversion rates. Trading apps, crypto platforms, and digital banking solutions find highly qualified users in finance-adjacent environments.
Utility and subscription apps work because the value proposition is immediate. VPN services, productivity tools, and premium content subscriptions convert well when shown to users already comfortable with app-based solutions.
Dating and lifestyle apps benefit from contextual targeting within social and entertainment apps. The user mindset aligns perfectly with exploration.
Key Takeaways for Affiliates & App Advertisers
Here’s what you need to internalize if you’re scaling app campaigns in 2025:
Attribution-ready traffic isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s the baseline. If your traffic sources can’t provide clean, MMP-compatible attribution, you’re operating with one hand tied behind your back.
Approach in-app scaling methodically. Start with solid tracking foundations, optimize based on real post-install data, and scale what actually works rather than what looks good on surface metrics.
Choose partners who understand this ecosystem. Whether that’s your traffic source, your MMP, or your advertising platform. Everyone in your stack needs to be aligned around measurable, attributable performance.
The mobile app economy is only getting more sophisticated. The advertisers who win are the ones who treat attribution as seriously as creative, and measurement as the foundation of everything else.
