Achieving sustainable growth for a financial app requires more than just a solid reputation, a beneficial and intuitive product, good strategic planning, and precise execution. It also requires an in-depth knowledge of who’s poking around your product and what specific things they’re interested in.

There’s an old adage, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” That’s where attribution and analytics comes in. It’s knowing what to put in the water to get him to drink—even if he’s not thirsty.   If you don’t get a bead on your customer (or potential customer) they’ll slip away—possibly forever. B9, a pioneering, income-based, cash advance app we founded a few years ago got to a half million users (and counting) by successfully navigating these waters.  We did it by adhering to three cardinal rules: 1) meticulous attention to user acquisition, 2) thorough in-app events setup, and 3) seamless integration with Appsflyer. This article explores how we harnessed these strategies to expand our user base and enhance customer engagement.

Understanding B9’s growth journey

We created B9 to provide hardworking Americans early access to their paychecks—up to $500 per pay period worth—along with both virtual and hard cards, plus a robust B9 Account. The idea caught on, particularly with those in need of financial flexibility. However, capturing and retaining them required more than just an appealing app—it demanded sophisticated growth strategies and tools.

Attribution: the backbone of growth

Effective attribution is critical for understanding which marketing efforts drive the most valuable users. Pinning installs and actions to specific campaigns has been essential to optimizing our marketing spend and strategy. By integrating Appsflyer, B9 can track user interactions from the first tap of an ad to key in-app events, providing a comprehensive view of the customer’s journey.

Key steps in B9’s attribution strategy:

1. Appsflyer’s Multi-Touch Attribution Model:  This allows us to understand the entire user journey, from conversions to touchpoints. Identifying the most effective channels allows B9 to optimize the marketing mix.

2. Deep Linking: This ensures that users are taken directly to the relevant content or action within the app, enhancing their experience and increasing conversion rates

3. Fraud Prevention: Appsflyer’s robust fraud protection tools help us maintain data integrity by filtering out fraudulent installs, thereby ensuring the accuracy of attribution data

Setting up in-App events for success

In-app events are crucial for understanding user behavior and engagement. By setting up and tracking these events, B9 can gain invaluable insights into which features are most popular, how our users interact with the app, and where they seem to be encountering friction.

Main tracking events for B9:

1. Signup: Tracking new user signups helps us gauge the effectiveness of our onboarding process and initial user acquisition efforts

2. Customer Activation: Monitoring when users become active by making their first deposit or using their card provides insight into their commitment and engagement with our app

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3. Retention: Measuring how often users return to the app over specific periods allows us to assess the effectiveness of our retention strategies and understand long-term user behavior

4. ROI: Tracking the return on investment for various campaigns and user actions helps us evaluate the financial performance of our marketing efforts and overall business model

Leveraging Appsflyer for holistic analytics

Appsflyer’s comprehensive analytics capabilities enable B9 to track and analyze user data effectively. By integrating Appsflyer with our app, we can access real-time data and detailed reports, empowering us to make even better data-driven decisions.

Benefits of using Appsflyer:

1. Real-Time Analytics: Accessing up-to-date information allows us to quickly respond to trends and make informed marketing decisions

2. Custom Dashboards: Tailoring dashboards to highlight key metrics ensures that our team can easily monitor the most critical aspects of the app’s performance

3. Cohort Analysis: By examining user behavior over time, we can identify patterns and optimize our retention strategies

Utilizing data warehousing for optimization

B9 actively leverages its Data Warehouse (DWH) for conversion measurement tracking and in-app event optimization. This approach allows us to collect, store, and analyze large volumes of data efficiently, ensuring that every marketing dollar is well spent, and every user interaction is optimized for maximum engagement.

Conclusion

B9’s success is a testament to the power of recognizing an untapped market, strategic planning, precise execution, and leveraging advanced tools like Appsflyer to ensure steady and bankable growth.  By focusing on detailed attribution, setting up key in-app events, and harnessing the full potential of Appsflyer’s analytics, we’ve not only successfully driven growth but have also enhanced user engagement.

As the fintech landscape continues to evolve, B9’s approach serves as an invaluable blueprint for other startups looking to achieve sustainable growth and lasting success well past launch.