Measuring Meaningful Post-Install Events

Measuring post-install events is important to understand what your users do within your app, but without full funnel measurement of those events, it will be difficult to increase your overall app growth. In this blog we will explore why meaningful events measurement is important and how best to implement these events for optimal insights.

Post-install events are actions that are taken by a user after they have downloaded an application (app). Such events can include the first time a user opens an app, registers for a loyalty program, logs into an account, starts a free trial, or completes a purchase. All of these events make up the user funnel, a series of steps that a user takes that (hopefully) leads to a conversion.

Measuring post-install events provides valuable insights into your user’s journey as they move through an app. Measuring enough events within the user funnel (mid, high, and deep funnel events) will result in data significance. When enough of the right data is gathered and measured, it carries more meaning and importance, allowing for quality optimization.

Without measuring full funnel events it’s hard to get the information that you need to answer important questions and, ultimately, complete goals. Running your marketing efforts without enough valuable data can stall your business and mitigate app growth.

When measuring post-install events, it is important to measure multiple events within the user funnel. Solely measuring the top and bottom funnel events does not provide enough information to capture user engagement information. 

For example, if you only measure an app open event and a purchase event, there is a lot of ambiguity as to what else the user did within the app. Adding mid funnel event measurement (eg, create account, product view, add to cart, etc.) not only provides more insights, but it also allows you to see drop-off in the funnel, leverage predictive churn modeling, and identify opportunities for reengagement. It helps answer questions such as:

• After what event do users tend to churn?
• What % of total users make it through a certain event?
• What events are not getting completed?

Keep in mind that your data is only as good as the funnel events you measure.  Being thoughtful of which events you choose to measure will determine the quality of your data and the value of your customers. It’s difficult to optimize on a lower funnel event like purchase because there will not be enough volume. You need to measure throughout the funnel and run app event optimization (AEO) on higher funnel, more voluminous events.

Below is a good example of a money transfer app’s healthy post-install event structure. For this app, six events are measured to provide a view of the complete user journey.

Once you have decided which events to measure, you can further optimize those events by:

1. Talking with your developers – Communication between marketers and developers is necessary to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Both teams should discuss which events will be measured to guarantee that the correct data is collected as soon as measurement begins.
2. Naming events clearly – Be sure to discuss the naming of events with your developers. Make sure that they are easy to understand and describe the event they are representing or what data is being passed. This will make it easier for you to see the exact information you are looking for once you start receiving data.
3. Including metadata – Take your events to the next level by passing rich metadata along with them. Metadata allows you to include more information into each event. For example, a purchase event could also include the price of the item added, the type of item, and the quantity.

When all of these points are implemented, it becomes easier to find customers to reengage and cheaper to reengage them. You are no longer spending unnecessary marketing money on customers who won’t use your app. Each event gives you key points to figure out exactly who is making it through the funnel, what app functionality needs to be improved, and who needs to be reengaged.

For iOS apps utilizing SKAdNetwork, measuring post-install events becomes even more important. Kochava SKAdNetwork conversion models and different models established by other mobile measurement providers (MMPs) need robust event data to maximize data significance when mapping to conversion values. Without enough post-install events, SKAdNetwork models will not be able to provide marketers with adequate information to understand the quality of the users they’re acquiring.

Measuring full funnel post-install events is vital to your app growth and it’s easy to get started. Look at your current users and map out the desired user journey to determine which events should be measured. Communicate those events to your developers, establish naming conventions, and include metadata to build out an effective user funnel. With these meaningful events, you’ll be able to efficiently and meaningfully reengage your customers. You will also be able to optimize and streamline your app’s growth efforts.

If you would like more information on what events you should measure, Kochava can help. Contact us at kochava.com or request a free consultation.