Should you try it for your app install campaigns? Here is what we have learned at Bidalgo

The Facebook Messenger mobile app, the social network’s chat feature, is used monthly by over 1.2 billion people. This means that Messenger has a large user base and exemplary engagement rates, which provide advertisers with a unique opportunity to engage directly with their customers. , As the social network brand searches for more places to run ads outside of the app’s news feed, marketers must head to Facebook Messenger, where customers are, and join in on the conversations.

At Bidalgo, the leading provider of ad automation solutions for app marketers – and a Facebook marketing partner, we strive to be the first to access and test new Facebook Ads automation solutions. In July 2017, Facebook introduced Messenger Ads as their newest placement option and in September it launched the new Messenger Ads for app installs. Our team has been hard at work, adopting the update to our platform and within our customers’ app install campaign activity. Combining all we have learned thus far, we would like to highlight what exactly Facebook Messenger ads are and how to leverage them for app installs, based on the initial results we culled. Hint: they look very promising!

Messenger Ads in a nutshell

Mobile Marketing experts are already well-versed in utilizing Instagram or Facebook’s Audience Network to grow their campaigns beyond running ads on Facebook’s main mobile newsfeed… Recent updates launched by Facebook in July, have enabled marketers to expand their campaigns to Messenger Ads in the app’s “home” tab, with the ads appearing below users’ conversations. Messenger users can click on any ad in the app’s “home” tab, directing them either to a Messenger conversation with a representative of the advertised business (destination ads) or to an objective – website or (as of Sept) app install.

How to set up a Messenger Ad app install campaign

Setting up a Messenger ad app install campaign is similar to launching other campaigns through the ad manager:

Go to Ad Creation and select App Install and click Continue. Make sure to complete the following Destination section with your app. Select Automatic Placements or Edit Placements if desired (If you choose to edit your placements, keep in mind ads in Messenger are only available when advertisers run ads across multiple placements. A campaign must also include Facebook to deliver in Messenger Home) Select your format. Compatible formats are Single image or Carousel . The recommended specs are the same as News Feed (see below). There is no cropping and there will be no ability to upload unique creative for delivery in Messenger Ad specs for single: Recommended image size: 1,200 x 628 pixels; Image ratio: 1.9:1. Ad specs for carousel: Recommended image size: 600 x 600 pixels; Image ratio: 1:1 (note rounded corners in Messenger, reflected in mocks)

To finish editing your ad, click Done and Place Order.

Setting up Messenger Ads using Bidalgo’s platform:

Bidalgo offers a simple and quick way to launch a campaign for the new placements which includes Messenger ads. To use those, go the Creation page on the platform’s top menu:

First, under “Client and Offer”, determine your offer and set the campaign objective – make sure you choose Mobile App Installs. Then, press Continue. After that, set the target entity, ad type and the placement. Under placement, you’ll see all the various Facebook placements available and set the combination of placements you’d like to run. Choose either Mobile and Messenger or Mobile, Messenger and Instagram. Determine your Ad Type . Important: for now, at least, Messenger Ads support images only and not videos. Continue with your campaign’s creation, including setting up creative and audiences, before launching the campaign

How are Messenger Ads for App Installs Performing So Far?

You must be wondering about CPIs, ROAS, benchmarks, etc. Though it’s very new, Bidalgo has been very fast at mastering Facebook new ad formats. Over the past month, we’ve launched Messenger ads for app installs for our mobile app customers. One of them is N3TWORK, a mobile games company, and the developer of “Legendary: Game of Heroes”.

The first 30 days of Messenger Ads testing for N3TWORK’s “Legendary,” yielded very strong results

Install rates were 36% higher on Mobile and Messenger compared to all other placements

Conversion to Payers on Mobile and Messenger ads was 57% higher than those of all other ads

N3TWORK’s return on ad spend (D7 ROAS) was 73% higher on Mobile and Messenger than it was on all other placements

Ushering in a New Dawn for Facebook Mobile App Installs Campaigns

Messenger ads for app installs are extremely new, but in the past month, we’ve seen promising results while working closely with our mobile app customers: Mobile and Messenger ads generated higher install rates and conversion to players than most of the other mixed placements:

Obviously, these are just initial results of Messenger ads App Install campaigns and we need to see how results would look like as more spend goes through this placement and as Facebook continues to improve its performance, but given the promising results so far, we suggest that all mobile app marketers look into testing Facebook Messenger ads, especially as part of placement optimization.You can advertise directly on the Ads Manager or go through a third-party partner like Bidalgo to advertise on Facebook. Working with Bidalgo gives you the advantage of scaling up your app install campaigns with an Artificial Intelligence powered advertising solution and the ability to manage your other media campaigns (on top of Facebook) under one roof – a huge plus! Learn more.

If you have had the chance of trying Messenger Ads for app installs, we would love to hear about your experience and results in the “share your thoughts” box below.