Finding new mobile app users on TikTok using AEO

TikTok’s global audience presents unparalleled opportunities to connect with mobile app users. But how do you find the users who will add the most value to your business—and how do you do it in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible?

TikTok For Business is here to help. We've reimagined mobile app marketing, and it's really simple.

One powerful tool is ad targeting. TikTok Ads Manager offers robust granular targeting so you that can connect with the exact audience you’re trying to reach. You can choose the users who see your ads based on a wide variety of factors, including their interests, behavior, location, and demographics.

But what about finding TikTok users who are most likely to interact with your app in precisely the way that you want them to—like making a purchase?

Now you can do just that with App Event Optimization.

What is App Event Optimization (AEO)?

Welcome to a whole new level of ad targeting. AEO allows you to target users who have a greater chance of triggering a certain event, like downloading your app, adding their payment info, or making an in-app purchase. It’s the most efficient way to acquire the high-value users that you need to reach the specific goals of your campaign. AEO makes every dollar of your ad spend go further.

What events can I optimize with AEO?

In TikTok Ads Manager you can optimize your ad for two types of events: shallow or deep. Shallow-funnel events include earlier actions that a user could take in your app, such as:

• Registration

• Login

• Search

• Add Payment Info

Some shallow events are suited to specific categories of app:

• Gaming: Create Role, Complete Tutorial, Achieve Level, Start Trial

• E-commerce: Add to Cart, Check Out

• Financial services: Loan Apply

• Other: Subscribe, View Content, Start Trial

Optimizing for shallow-funnel events works quickly—usually within one to two days.

Deep-funnel events are in-app purchases. These may require a little more time, firstly because they require a deeper level of engagement with your product, and secondly because the volume of potential users is smaller in scale, which means the algorithms learn at a slightly slower rate.

So how does AEO help businesses grow? Read on to discover how three companies used TikTok Ads Manager to boost their numbers and bring in the fans

Case study 1: WeMoney

Goal: Awareness and downloads

Australia’s WeMoney is a personal finance app for young adults that empowers people to take control of their money. The company wanted to use TikTok Ads Manager to boost awareness of their brand as much as possible while maximizing downloads at the same time.

And with AEO, they were able to target the users who were most likely to download their app. WeMoney’s ad campaign was a success and performed so well that TikTok became the company’s top channel in terms of cost per acquisition.

Results: 5.87% conversion rate at $0.37 cost per click and 1.9 million impressions.

Case Study 2: Bibit

Goal: Awareness, downloads, and registrations

Indonesian app Bibit helps young people invest their money intelligently with automatic mutual fund investments that are adjusted for the user’s age, income, risk level, and other factors. The objective of their TikTok campaign was to increase awareness and engagement, but more importantly—to drive new downloads and registrations.

Bibit started by using AEO to focus on downloads with a Cost Per Install campaign to acquire new users. After a month of testing the CPI campaign and ensuring budget optimization, they transitioned their AEO target from downloads to registrations. By optimizing their ad campaign for registrations, Bibit was able to scale up efficiently and lower the cost per registration.

Results: 414% increase in registrations and a 10.5% decrease in cost per registration.

Case study 3: Yubo

Goal: Convert views into downloads

Yubo is a social networking app for people ages 13 to 25. It provides a safe digital space for socializing, including live stream discussions with real-time moderation. The company wanted a cost-efficient way to increase downloads, so they turned to TikTok Ads Manager.

With In-Feed Ads, Yubo was able to connect with its target audience—and with AEO, the brand could connect with the specific users among that audience who were most likely to download their app.

Yubo’s ads evoked the buzz of finding new friends. The campaign creative placed creators front and center for a native, authentic feel that resonated with users—and brought the brand big results.

Results: 238K app downloads and a 13.3% conversion rate across five markets.

Remember: It’s all about connection

Reaching the right audience goes beyond getting the numbers you want—it connects your business with the people who will benefit from it the most. It fuels the expansion of your brand’s vision, whether your mission is to give teens a safe space online or to help young adults learn to manage their money. At its heart, every successful marketing campaign is about creating and nourishing authentic connections. And this is much easier to achieve when you can reach the right audience with TikTok Ads Manager.

We’ve reimagined mobile marketing and made it simple to forge the connections that fuel business growth, all while controlling your costs 100%. Learn more about AEO and discover how TikTok can help your business achieve its mission—and make its mark on the world.