Mobile app marketing runs on data—it’s the key to evaluating app performance, spotting areas for improvement, and driving business growth.

Many app marketers focus on scaling installs, but that’s just the beginning of a solid user acquisition strategy. To truly assess app performance and ensure long-term success, it’s crucial to shift focus to post-install events. This is where your highest-quality users can be found—the ones who actively engage with your app.

By tracking various touch points along the user journey, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of engagement and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth. Let’s dive into the benefits of tracking post-install events and the key metrics every app marketer should monitor to effectively attract and retain high-quality users.

Key post-install events to track for quality users

To set the scene, here’s a closer look at the crucial metrics that will help you attract users who stick around and deliver substantial ROI:

Registrations/Sign-ups

The first step toward user engagement often starts with registration. When users create an account, it signifies their commitment and intent to explore your app further. By optimizing the onboarding experience, you can boost retention rates and enhance monetization opportunities.

In-app engagement

Metrics such as time spent in the app, screens viewed, and actions taken (like adding items to a cart or completing tasks) provide a window into user interaction. Understanding these behaviors gives insights into what keeps users engaged and highlights features that drive ongoing interest.

Purchase/Conversion events

Tracking purchases, subscriptions, and upgrades reveals how well your app converts users into paying customers. These conversion metrics are vital for assessing the ROI of your marketing efforts, as it’s the converted users who ultimately generate revenue. For example, a leading streaming service boosted paid subscriptions by 215% in just one month by honing in on post-install events. Learn how they made it happen.

Retention rate

A high retention rate is a clear sign of user satisfaction and sustained engagement. It not only showcases your app’s performance but also plays a key role in determining its long-term success. For context, the average day-one retention rate is around 25%.

Lifetime value (LTV)

Understanding LTV is crucial for mobile marketers to estimate the value each user brings to your app. This insight helps paint a clearer picture of profitability and the effectiveness of your marketing strategies.

Elevating user quality through post-install event tracking

Post-install event tracking is essential for crafting personalized campaigns that boost user engagement and retention. By analyzing key events as mentioned above—such as completing onboarding, engaging with features, or making in-app purchases—marketers can identify high-value users while pinpointing those at risk of churning. This targeted approach allows for reallocating ad spend towards the most effective channels, optimizing ROI.

With Perform[cb]‘s proprietary post-install data, you can continually refine your campaigns to focus on acquiring high-quality users who are more likely to convert and drive long-term growth. Users who consistently engage with premium features may show higher potential for becoming loyal customers, while those who stop engaging after installation might need more targeted campaigns to convert them into active users.

Unlocking insights through comprehensive event tracking

While traditional campaigns often concentrate on metrics like cost-per-install (CPI) or return on ad spend (ROAS), tracking additional quality metrics—like sign-ups, in-app actions, and purchases—opens the door to a deeper understanding of user engagement. For instance, if a significant number of users drop off during onboarding, it might signal a user experience issue that requires immediate attention.

At Perform[cb], we take this data-driven approach a step further with a sophisticated optimization strategy that focuses on both primary and secondary KPIs. Suppose your main goal is driving app installs, with increasing paid subscriptions as a secondary goal. In that case, our growth managers will strategically optimize traffic to meet both objectives, continuously refining strategies as campaign data grows to deliver high-value users on a pay-for-results model.

By integrating real-time tracking through partnerships with top Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) like Adjust, AppsFlyer, Branch, Kochava, and Singular, we capture instant insights that empower you to anticipate challenges and keep user acquisition campaigns aligned with your performance goals.

Prioritize quality over quantity

When it comes to user acquisition, more isn’t always better. Focusing on post-install events allows you to prioritize quality over quantity, ensuring that every dollar spent is bringing in users who will engage with your app, convert into paying customers, and stick around for the long term.

Reach out to Perform[cb] today to boost user acquisition, engagement, and retention with real-time event tracking and advanced metrics.