Mobile advertisers: CPI campaigns represent a tradeoff between risk and volume

Finding the most viable, cost-efficient way to acquire loyal users is the holy grail for mobile publishers and advertisers. The question of whether campaigns should be run on a cost-per-install (CPI), cost-per-click (CPC), or cost-per-mille (CPM) basis is a source of confusion in the press and industry as a whole.

As a mobile games marketing platform with the accrued experience of running thousands of performance marketing campaigns for our clients, we at AppLift have our own opinions on the issue: CPI is best viewed as a tradeoff rather than an optimal solution, and is most effective when combined with LTV (user lifetime value) optimization.