For Search Ads Advanced customers, Apple have just introduced a way to manage daily campaign spend – a feature that was not previously available via Apple’s proprietary platform. This means that you can now set an average amount that you want to spend each day, which will be optimised towards those days when the download opportunity is greatest.
With our ‘sales hat’ on, we should point out that this feature is already available in the latest release of the Redbox ASA platform, Astra. In fact, Astra offers even greater budget management features above and beyond daily spend, such as pinning bid prices and controlling spend at a keyword level.
If you would like to register your interest in Astra, please provide your details here.
In addition to the above, Apple have updated the pricing model for their Search Tab campaigns, (introduced in May 2021). The model is switching from CPM to cost-per-tap (CPT), aligning with the other advertising options available within Apple Search Ads Advanced and clearly demonstrates Apple’s commitment to reflecting the realities of user behaviour within the App Store.
Redbox Search Ads Account Manager Jemima Wildi had this to say of the update: "This important change to CPT will make Search Tab campaigns a beneficial opportunity for a wider range of apps, since the costs are easier to control. Previously we would see high CPIs because of lower user intent, which meant that Search Tab only really worked for well-established brands, or large aggregator apps such as grocery and food delivery."
So this is a good move in our opinion, since deriving effective return on investment within the CPM model was always going to be challenging. Despite the Search Tab prominent location at the top of the suggested apps list. With millions of people searching the App Store daily, the impressions served (to all users) quickly skyrocket.
The switch is happening in early July, so be warned that once CPT campaigns are live, any previously created CPM campaigns will go on hold, so think about setting up your new CPT campaigns sooner rather than later.