What is a Mobile Measurement Partner, and how can it benefit marketers? How to choose an MMP and what should you check before buying? This comprehensive guide will provide answers to these questions and more.

 

With a staggering 8.93 million mobile applications created by developers, it is evident that the mobile app sector is flourishing and gaining growing significance in our daily existence. Apple App Store and Google Play Store are the world’s biggest app stores, with over 5 million apps combined. Of these numerous apps available for download, people only use a handful. App marketers rely on advertising to beat the prevalent competition in this space and reach their target audience.  

 

The average cost per install for mobile apps varies across regions: $0.93 in APAC, $1.03 in EMEA, $0.34 in Latin America, and $5.28 in North America. If you, as an app marketer, want every penny of your marketing budget to be used wisely, it is essential to include a mobile marketing partner in your marketing arsenal.

 

 

What is a Mobile Measurement Partner?

 

Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) or cross-platform tracking tools are the analytical brains marketers can use to run mobile marketing campaigns. They use sophisticated and precise methods to dissect the complexities linked with user actions within mobile applications.

 

MMPs employ a blend of software development kits (SDKs), application programming interfaces (APIs), and tracking pixels to capture and analyze user actions. 

 

Software development kit (SDK)

 

When a user interacts with a mobile ad, the MMP’s embedded SDK within the app becomes active. It captures all the crucial data points. This data encompasses details such as the ad source, user device information, timestamp, and the specific action performed, such as installation of an app, in–app purchases, or completion of a registration.

 

Event tracking

 

One of the critical functions of a mobile attribution platform is to monitor and register user interactions as and when they happen within the mobile app.

 

Event tracking may encompass many stages. It starts from the initial ad click that prompted the app installation to subsequent in-app activities such as viewing products, adding products to the cart, or finalizing a transaction. The granularity of event tracking enables businesses to get valuable insights into user behavior, pinpoint engagement bottlenecks, and enhance their user experiences. Marketers can do user journey analysis to learn what is working and what needs improvement. 

 

Learn more about “From A to Z: Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) simplified“

 

 

What are the benefits of using a Mobile Measurement Partner?

 

While there are many reasons why you should get an MMP, here are some of the advantages that you, as a marketer, should not miss:

 

Power of granular reporting

 

Granular reporting is getting into the intricate details of an ad campaign or event tracking. It enables you to go beyond the surface–level observation and dig deeper to understand how users are interacting within the app or how well an ad campaign is working. 

 

App developers can use these details to break down campaign performance and user interactions into minute details. Marketers can use this information to measure which marketing campaigns are performing well or getting the desired results. They will also know which campaigns require immediate attention and which need optimization. Marketing teams can make data-driven decisions using the granular reporting capabilities of an MMP. 

 

Enhance the user experience

 

Around 90% of users stop using an app when they encounter some issue while using it. Interestingly, almost 13% of them will even talk about their bad experience to 15 or more people. 

 

As an app marketer, you must get your user experience right if you want your app to be successful. When your users have a positive experience, it will help drive retention, engagement, and satisfaction. An MMP can help app developers and marketers learn how users interact with their apps. Using the data an MMP generates, marketers can quickly identify the pain points. 

 

By fixing those issues, they can get more conversions and, in turn, generate more revenue and steer their business into profits. 

 

Proper allocation of the marketing budget 

 

Effective allocation of the budget is crucial to running successful marketing campaigns. You can achieve this by utilizing a mobile analytics tool like an MMP.  Marketers can use the data and reports that a mobile measurement and attribution platform generates to see which campaigns are performing well and which ones are underperforming. They can then pause failing campaigns or channels and see if they can optimize them before restarting to get the desired results. 

 

Learn more about “10 Transformative benefits of MMP adoption.” and “12 Reasons why you need a Mobile Measurement Partner.”

 

 

How to choose an MMP?

 

Now that you understand how an MMP works and its benefits. Here are some steps that you can follow to choose the best MMP for your business:

 

Set your objectives and goals

 

What are your objectives and goals? Are you considering increasing your ROI, app installs, or user engagement? It is crucial for you to first understand this aspect before proceeding to the next step. 

 

Some mobile app analytics tools are good at tracking and analyzing user behavior. At the same time, others are good at attributing. Depending on what you want to track and measure, you should pick an MMP that best suits your requirements. 

 

The best way to gauge an MMP is to understand the features these companies offer and see how these features can empower you as a marketer to reach your goals. 

 

Examine attribution models 

 

Attribution is the process of identifying which channels are getting the conversions. Various Mobile Measurement Partners offer different attribution models. Here are some of the most common attribution models:

 

 

When picking an MMP, you need to choose one with a proper attribution model that meets your requirements.

 

Data privacy and security

 

The mobile measurement and attribution platform that you are picking should also comply with industry standards and regulations. Various regulatory bodies, such as GDPR, CCPA, and others, regulate how user data is protected. Privacy violations and data breaches can spoil your reputation and can be expensive. Hence, this is another aspect you should check before picking an MMP.

 

What are some things a Mobile Measurement Partner does to protect and safeguard the user’s data? Make sure to clarify this with your chosen solution before buying. 

 

Learn more about “Choose your MMP wisely: 8 proven strategies for mobile marketing success.”

 

 

What should you check before integrating an app with an MMP?

 

Here are a few aspects marketers need to check before integrating their app with an MMP:

 

Proper integration with the software development kit

 

A marketing analytics tool such as a Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) captures and provides information that helps mobile app marketers identify trends and learn about the performance of their marketing campaigns and user behavior beyond the surface level. 

 

The mobile analytics and attribution platform that you, as a marketer, pick should provide you with all the details about installs and post-install events apart from tracking clicks and impressions. 

 

Reports that an MMP generates will help you to analyze and optimize your campaigns well. An innovative mobile analytics and measurement partner will enable marketers to optimize their campaigns to bring them the best return on investment(ROI). 

 

Once you integrate your app with the MMP’s SDK, verify all events, such as in-app purchases and installs, to ensure the platform correctly captures all the necessary information. 

 

Perform regular audits

 

Marketers should conduct regular audits to check how the Mobile Measurement Partner works. Periodic reviews or checks will help identify and rectify issues as and when they arise. Apart from finding problems, regular audits will help you to streamline processes. Your mobile marketing efforts will become more effective as a result of it. 

 

Whenever the service provider updates their platform, app marketers should take some time to check and learn of the latest developments. These updates will help in making the software better. Thus, learning about these changes will allow app marketers to use the platform more efficiently in optimizing their campaigns and tracking user behavior. 

 

Learn more about “5 Best practices to follow when integrating an MMP.“

 

 

In-house software versus Mobile Measurement Partner

 

What is the best? In-house app or choosing a third-party MMP. It is one of those big questions a lot of companies struggle with. Here are some factors to consider when you come to this juncture.

 

Mobile Measurement Partners

 

There are various reasons why a third-party service provider such as an MMP is the best choice. Here are some reasons. 

 

Pros

 

Expertise: Mobile Measurement Partners that are well-reputed have the expertise to help marketers easily navigate through the present digital marketing realm. The features they develop have everything needed for app marketers to succeed. 

 

By partnering with an MMP, businesses will have a competitive edge. 

 

Affordable: Why do you want to spend money and resources on developing new software when you can find and use an efficient product already available in the market? You know how much you will pay monthly since you negotiate the price before partnering with a service provider. Hence, you will have total control over your expenses. 

 

Cons

 

Integration issues: While this may not be true for all platforms, marketers might face some integration issues. By investing time in identifying a reputable Mobile Measurement Partner app marketers can efficiently circumvent this issue.

 

In-house software

 

Here are some reasons why building your software may be right for you:

 

Pros

 

Customization: if you are not happy with the features of MMPs available in the market and are looking for specific features, it may be wise to deploy your software development team to build your software. However, reputed MMPs can develop new features if feasible and upon request. It is, therefore, wise to check with them to determine if they can accomplish it.. 

 

Data security and privacy: Many businesses are afraid to rely on third-party service providers as they are unsure whether they will follow the data privacy regulations as prescribed by reputed regulatory bodies such as GDPR and CCPA. When they develop their own MMP, they are confident there will be no data breaches. 

 

However, MMPs such as Swaarm MMP puts the highest emphasis on data security and privacy. By partnering with a highly reliable service provider, you do not have to worry about this aspect and save a lot of money and resources. 

 

Cons

 

Lack of expertise: While a reputed MMP has the expertise, businesses not in this domain may find it challenging to navigate these obstacles. Instead, they can rely on a trustworthy Mobile Measurement Partner with all the required features.

 

Learn more about “The pros and cons of managed Mobile Measurement Partners and in-house solutions.”

 

 

Why is data privacy crucial when picking a Mobile Measurement Partner?

 

MMPs collect and hold a wealth of data points, providing app marketers with actionable insights. These platforms collect data related to user engagement and app installations, in-app purchases, etc. All of this information is quite useful for marketers. 

 

Apple and Google use unique identifiers through Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) and Google 

 

Advertising ID (GAID) for each smart or mobile device. These identifiers allow advertisers and app developers to track and target users for advertising purposes. They also provide some level of privacy protection by enabling users to reset or limit tracking preferences. 

 

Impact of data breaches

 

Data breaches can adversely affect a business. They can lead to a loss of customers’ trust and loyalty. On top of it, stringent regulations prescribed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) enable victims to take legal action against any business that does not adhere to these regulations. Thus, companies pay a lot of money when they miss out on this critical aspect. 

 

Attribution without compromising privacy

 

Mobile Measurement Partners are beneficial in this aspect as they give attribution correctly so you, as a customer, do not end up paying twice. Traditional attribution models rely primarily on tracking individual users across various touchpoints. Regulators and platforms are placing data restrictions, especially when employing user–level data for attribution. MMPs are innovating with privacy–centric attribution models.

 

Learn more about “Why data privacy matters in Mobile Measurement Partnerships.”

 

 

Conclusion

 

Marketers who invest in and use a Mobile Measurement Partner will have a clear advantage over their competitors. This article highlights how an MMP works and many of the benefits of a mobile analytics and attribution platform. It also examines whether using a third-party platform or building one in-house is the right choice. 

 

App marketers can efficiently manage and optimize their ad campaigns using a mobile analytics and measurement platform. Selecting the right MMP will provide you with the essential features to utilize your marketing budget wisely and foster the growth of your app.

 

Are you planning to take your marketing strategies to the next level using an MMP? Click here to request a demo and find out why Swaarm MMP is the ultimate solution for elevating your marketing strategies to new heights of success and efficiency.