A Chat with Yahoo's Sean Galligan About AppInstall Ads

We recently visited with Yahoo’s Sean Galligan, Vice President & Industry Lead - Entertainment, about Yahoo app-install ads to help give us some insight into the tech behind the platform.

ADM: How are Yahoo App Install Ads Impacting App Publishers?

Galligan: eMarketer reports that mobile app install ads are on the rise, with an 80% increase in U.S. revenue expected this year. Yahoo’s app-install ads are driving results for companies like Poshmark, SeatGeek and GSN Games. 

The ads aren’t just successfully driving installs - they’re increasing user retention and engagement, leading to conversions and ROI for advertisers. While gaming brands were early movers, app marketers in other industries are also seeing success. Ticketing retailer SeatGeek saw a 70% return on ad spend; and mobile fashion app Poshmark increased their return-on-investment 2X.

ADM: Is there specific tracking code required for developers to embed in their apps to track when installs occur? If not, can you explain a bit of how installs are verified?

Galligan: With Flurry Analytics from Yahoo, developers can easily track and measure app installs through a simple code integration, as well as ongoing activity to better understand how people are using their apps, by viewing app “Events” in their dashboard. An install is measured on the first launch of the app.

ADM: What ad format is yielding the most installs, and why do you think that is?

Galligan: One area where advertisers are seeing great success is native app install ads on Tumblr. In fact, with more than 80 percent of Tumblr daily-active-users accessing content through their mobile devices, there is a powerful opportunity to connect with this audience. 

Video is also an area of big opportunity. For app marketers, video is a unique medium to both educate and provide entertainment for viewers. That’s why our advertisers are seeing great results with video app install ads. Yahoo’s video app install ads see an 89 percent completion rate, and viewers have up to 43 percent more app sessions on average.

ADM: App install inventory is nothing new (typically referred to as CPI); what is fundamentally different about the Yahoo platform that sets it apart from inventory platforms?

Galligan: Data is changing how marketers shape their strategies and that's true for app install campaigns as well. We're enabling brands to use our powerful data and analytics to effectively target ads to the audiences they want to reach. With Yahoo’s app install ads, marketers can reach many of Yahoo's billion monthly users across our network of mobile properties and apps. 

Additionally, developers have access to a simple, user-friendly dashboard to easily set up, manage and monitor app install campaigns. Plus, with updates every 15 seconds, developers can have instant insight into real-time app activity with Yahoo's Flurry Analytics.