What is a good CPI for mobile apps?

CPI varies wildly by category and geo. Finance and gaming apps often see $3–$8+ CPI in the US, while utility apps may be under $1. The right benchmark is whether CPI is below your target LTV.

Should I focus on paid or organic acquisition first?

Start with organic (ASO) to validate conversion, then layer paid once you know your listing converts and early retention holds. Paid amplifies what's already working.

What is User Acquisition?

User acquisition (UA) is the discipline of bringing new users into your mobile app. Every install from every source — paid ads, app store search, influencer posts, referral links — falls under UA.

For growth teams, UA isn't about maximizing installs. It's about acquiring users at a cost that preserves lifetime value (LTV). Install volume without retention is a leak, not growth.

Paid vs. Organic Acquisition

Organic Channels

ASO — app store search and browse
Word of mouth & referrals — viral loops, invite systems
Content & SEO — web content driving store visits
PR & press — feature placements, launch coverage

Paid Channels

Meta (Facebook/Instagram) — broad reach, strong targeting
Google App Campaigns — search + display across Google properties
TikTok — high volume, creative-driven, younger demographics
Apple Search Ads — high-intent store search placements
Programmatic & ad networks — scale with variable quality

Key UA Metrics

Metric	What It Tells You
CPI (Cost Per Install)	What you pay for each install
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)	Cost to acquire a paying user
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)	Revenue generated per dollar spent
LTV (Lifetime Value)	Total revenue a user generates
LTV:CAC ratio	Unit economics health (target 3:1+)

Building a UA Strategy That Compounds

Fix the funnel first — onboarding, activation, paywall. Paid traffic into a broken funnel is burning money.
Start with one channel — master Meta or ASA before spreading budget across five networks.
Creative is the lever — in 2026, creative quality drives 80% of paid performance variance. Test hooks, formats, and angles weekly.
Measure through retention — optimize campaigns on D7 retention and D30 revenue, not just CPI.

When UA Becomes a Problem

UA breaks when teams optimize for installs instead of revenue. Signs you're in trouble:

CPI is dropping but revenue per user is dropping faster
D1 retention below 25% for consumer apps
Scaling budget increases CAC non-linearly
Creative fatigue every 10 days with no testing pipeline

Fix the product and monetization layer before scaling spend.