Product growth
App performance marketing for subscription apps across Meta, TikTok, Google App Campaigns and Apple Search Ads, with attribution rebuilt under SKAN and AEM so the numbers you scale on are real. This is performance marketing for mobile apps judged on payback, not on install volume. For Nemo we scaled a six-figure monthly budget 4x in seven months, and over the same period the cost per first deposit fell 8x on Meta.
50+
subscription apps scaled
$100M+
ad spend managed
5.0
Clutch rating from 19 verified reviews
Related case studies
How Applica Helped AirHelp Launch a Global Flight Tracking App
How a Navigation App Cut Cost per Purchase by 64%, CPA by 5%, and CPT by 11% with Applica
Nemo: budget scaled 4x in 7 months, cost per deposit down 8x on Meta and 3x on Google Ads, 700+ creatives tested
Apple Search Ads scaled beyond brand: non-brand spend up more than 8x and non-brand ROAS up close to 4x
x27 more subscriptions and x5 lower cost per purchase in 4 months
Problem
Most apps overspend on ads without understanding which campaigns truly drive revenue. With privacy changes, tracking inefficiencies, and creative fatigue, performance teams often chase scale rather than profitability.
We fix this by putting analytics, creative and media strategy in one team, so the attribution layer, the creative pipeline and the budget decisions all answer to the same unit economics instead of to three separate reports.
Find solutions with our expertsUnprofitable scaling across paid channels
Campaigns expand across Meta, Google, ASA, and TikTok, but spend isn't tied to high-quality events or ROI, so scale comes without profit.
Acquisition without ROAS focus
Budgets bring in installs, but not the high-value cohorts that drive revenue and retention.
Broken attribution, unclear setup
Privacy changes and data noise leave teams unsure which attribution setup actually works — SKAN, AEM, MMPs, probabilistic, blended — and which signals to trust when making decisions.
Volume without strategic direction
Even at high creative output, ads miss the right jobs-to-be-done and pain points, so creative fatigue persists and winning concepts stay out of reach, regardless of speed.
Channels
Full Apple Search Ads management, from brand defense to category and competitor intent. Detail in the block below.
As a Meta app install campaigns agency we choose the campaign structure to fit what we are optimizing for rather than what the platform recommends by default, and we send the paywall event as the optimization signal instead of the install.
A Google App Campaigns agency needs volume and patience in equal measure. Our Google App Campaigns management work starts from the conversion value we feed the system, because on this channel the quality of the input decides the outcome more than the bidding does.
Step-By-Step Direct App Campaign GuideAs a mobile app TikTok ads agency we treat the platform as a creative channel first and build for it, rather than reusing Meta assets, because what wins there rarely travels.
Secondary channels we open once the core three are stable and the payback window allows it.
Paid traffic to a web funnel, checkout on the web, then into the app. It restores first-party data that SKAN takes away.
Web-to-app funnelsApple Ads
Apple renamed Search Ads to Apple Ads, but the mechanics did not change: it is still the highest-intent inventory an app can buy, and the one most teams run on autopilot.
As an Apple Ads agency we structure accounts by intent rather than by budget: brand, category, competitor and discovery each get their own campaign, their own match types and their own targets. That is what Apple Search Ads campaign management actually means day to day.
Talk to an Apple Search Ads consultant about your account.
Each intent group gets a store page built for it. On TouchRetouch one CPP variant cut CPI by 47.4% and more than doubled ROAS against the default page in US branded campaigns.
The search term report feeds two places: new keywords for the account, and new metadata for the store listing. An Apple Search Ads specialist who does not send that data back to ASO is doing half the job.
Not to taps, not to installs. Our Apple Ads management service reports on cost per trial and cost per subscriber.
Your Apple Ads account is owned by one named person, not shared across a pool.
Apple Search Ads can be bought as a standalone service, without the rest of the performance stack.
Framework
Six steps, run in order, because performance marketing for apps fails most often at the measurement layer rather than at the bidding layer.
Framework
Six steps, run in order, because performance marketing for apps fails most often at the measurement layer rather than at the bidding layer.
01
We evaluate your current campaigns, MMP setup, and tracking accuracy (SKAN, AEM, probabilistic) — so you’re seeing real data, not inflated metrics.
Outcome
02
We define the most efficient channel mix and audiences across Meta, Google, and Apple Search Ads — aligned to revenue and long-term growth, not just install volume.
Outcome
03
We start from the JTBDs and pain points your high-value users actually care about — then validate hooks and formats through structured testing, so winning concepts come from strategy, not volume.
Outcome
04
Day-to-day app campaign management against clear ROAS and CAC targets: bids, budgets and placements optimized daily, with every budget increase tied to unit economics.
Outcome
05
We unify SKAN, AEM, and blended performance data into transparent reporting that turns complex metrics into clear weekly decisions.
Outcome
06
We turn every iteration into a performance roadmap – systematically improving creative quality, LTV, and paid-to-organic efficiency over time.
Outcome
Two ways to find out before you commit to anything: run the numbers yourself, or let us open the account and tell you what we see.
Focus areas
The expertise we bring to every engagement, built across 50+ apps and $100M+ in managed spend.
iOS attribution under privacy
SKAN, AEM, and probabilistic modeling reconciled into one trusted view.
Subscription & LTV modeling
Scaling around real LTV, not surface CAC, for FinTech, EdTech, and WellTech apps.
Creative strategy rooted in JTBD
Hooks and formats validated against the pain points your high-value users actually care about.
Channel mix optimization
Mobile app ads campaign management across Meta, Google, Apple Ads, TikTok and direct buys, with budget allocated by marginal ROAS rather than by habit.
Web-to-app strategy
We reallocate budgets toward the highest marginal returns.
Performance analytics
Unified dashboards, blended uplift, and decision-grade reporting.
Not sure where to start?
Talk to our expertsBuilt on a proven stack & partnerships:
Focus areas
The expertise we bring to every engagement, built across 50+ apps and $100M+ in managed spend.
iOS attribution under privacy
SKAN, AEM, and probabilistic modeling reconciled into one trusted view.
Subscription & LTV modeling
Scaling around real LTV, not surface CAC, for FinTech, EdTech, and WellTech apps.
Creative strategy rooted in JTBD
Hooks and formats validated against the pain points your high-value users actually care about.
Channel mix optimization
Mobile app ads campaign management across Meta, Google, Apple Ads, TikTok and direct buys, with budget allocated by marginal ROAS rather than by habit.
Web-to-app strategy
We reallocate budgets toward the highest marginal returns.
Performance analytics
Unified dashboards, blended uplift, and decision-grade reporting.
Not sure where to start?
Talk to our expertsBuilt on a proven stack & partnerships:
Performance metrics
Performance marketing without the right measurement layer is just expensive guessing. We measure success across three layers — each one a precondition for the one above it.
Trust the data
Key metrics: Cross-source signal triangulation, incrementality lift, attribution confidence interval.
Drive efficiency
Key metrics: CPI, CAC, payback period, blended ROAS, creative win rate.
Compound growth
Key metrics: ROAS, LTV/CAC ratio, paid-to-organic lift, creative durability.
Why Applica
A generalist agency optimizes what the ad platform reports. Mobile app performance marketing done properly optimizes what the business banks.
We work only with subscription and in-app purchase apps, so trial-to-paid, payback window and renewal behavior are the metrics we plan against from day one.
Most of what a mobile app advertising agency can fix sits outside the ad account. We own the creative pipeline and the paywall, so a losing campaign can be fixed where the loss actually happens.
A percentage of the ad spend we manage, stated upfront. We earn more only when the budget is working hard enough to justify increasing it.
Every number we publish sits on a case page with the period and the baseline next to it.
Industries & Use cases
FinTech teams
You’re scaling acquisition in a regulated environment and need performance you can trust.
WellTech teams
You’re growing in a competitive category and need a repeatable way to improve CAC, retention, and creative output.
EdTech teams
You’re expanding beyond early traction and need a scalable channel mix and conversion system (in-app + Web-to-App) to grow efficiently across Tier-1 markets.
Mature growth teams
You have an in-house team, but need specialized support to move faster on analytics, experimentation, and creative systems.
Scaling companies
You’ve proven the model and now need a predictable growth engine to scale without losing efficiency.
Teams lacking resources
You need an experienced partner to run performance end-to-end while your team stays focused on the product.
Testimonials
The test of an app advertising agency is what the client says after the first scaling cycle, not during the pitch.
Applica turned a complex, global launch into a clean win. Their pre-order, ASO, and paid mix delivered day-one discoverability, rapid traction across our priority markets, and 330,000+ downloads with excellent conversion and CPI – while keeping our Flight Tracker positioning clear and on-brand.
Ewa Tkaczyk Director of Ecommerce at AirHelp Applica have made significant strategic and tactical contributions, enhancing and optimizing our campaign performance across all channels with a keen focus on maximizing ROAS.
Frederik Cordes GM & CPO at Drops FAQ
Buying users for a mobile app against a revenue target rather than an install target. It covers paid acquisition across Meta, Google, Apple Ads and TikTok, the creative that feeds those channels, and the attribution layer that tells you which of it worked.
There is no hard minimum. Meaningful creative testing on a social channel like Meta needs roughly $10,000 a month per funnel, which is the practical floor for statistically valid results. Most of the apps we work with spend $30,000 a month and more.
We use blended and channel-specific ROAS models that factor in DX return, LTV per install, and attribution accuracy. Our approach combines SKAN data, AEM modeling, and uplift analysis to calculate ROAS and define real profitability.
We reconcile MMP and blended attribution with organic baselines and incrementality tests so paid lift is not double-counted.
Yes. We design Web-to-App funnels and landing experiences that align with channel mix and attribution constraints.
Initial signals appear within weeks; meaningful performance shifts typically emerge after a full creative and optimization cycle.
Each concept launches with three or four variations across Meta, TikTok and other platforms in separate A/B campaigns, evaluated after 24 to 48 hours on CTR, CPM, CPI and conversion rate. A winner needs both statistical validation and ROAS efficiency: stable delivery, above-average CTR and below-average CPI. Benchmarks are CPA, predicted ROAS and retention indicators, not vanity metrics.
We integrate SKAN, Meta AEM, and probabilistic modeling into a unified dashboard, then apply adjustment factors to reconcile discrepancies - giving you an accurate view of campaign profitability.
We work on a performance-based model, taking a transparent percentage of your monthly ad spend. Our incentive is simple - the more profitably we scale you, the more both sides win.
Client feedback
The quality of their work is the best I’ve seen. Thanks to Applica, I've seen a 30% increase in product page views and downloads, as well as great improvements in revenue.
Morgan Trudeau
CEO at Magnify Technologies
Client feedback
Applica has a quality team that truly wants to be an extension of our business.
Andy McBride
Owner at Meal Plan App
Client feedback
Applica Agency is more knowledgeable in this area than most other providers we've used in the past.
Michael Brandon
CEO of Slumber Group
Let’s work together
Client feedback
The quality of their work is the best I’ve seen. Thanks to Applica, I've seen a 30% increase in product page views and downloads, as well as great improvements in revenue.
Morgan Trudeau
CEO at Magnify Technologies
Client feedback
Applica has a quality team that truly wants to be an extension of our business.
Andy McBride
Owner at Meal Plan App
Client feedback
Applica Agency is more knowledgeable in this area than most other providers we've used in the past.
Michael Brandon
CEO of Slumber Group
Ad creatives briefed from user research, produced and tested until the winners cut your cost per subscriber.
More organic installs from the App Store, Google Play and AI assistants, measured in search downloads rather than keyword positions.
Onboarding, paywall and pricing tests that raise revenue per user, not just trial starts.
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