Venture Beat: Facebook Lets Advertisers Target Mobile App Ads Based on Behavior

Facebook has made enhancements to its mobile app install ads that it promises will help brands not only get people to download their app but will also encourage users to take a specific action within the app. Starting today, the social networking company is supporting App Event Optimization across Facebook, Instagram, and participants in its Audience Network.

Launched in 2012 on Facebook, mobile app install ads allow developers to advertise their apps inside the social network’s properties. Since then, quite a few updates have been made to this advertising tool, including customized calls to action such as “Open Link,” “Use App,” and “Play Game,” along with video support and the launch of a cost-per-action (CPA) bidding model.

It’s this last one that is evolving. Previously, with a CPA bidding model, advertisers could bid on not only impressions, but also how many people followed through with the install. Today’s release takes things one step further. Facebook product manager Jehan Damji explained that retention within the app ecosystem is “a difficult problem” — after 30 days, only about 6 percent of users will come back to the app. “Not all app installs are created equal,” he said.

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