Device ID
A device ID is a distinct and anonymous identifier consisting of a combination of alphanumeric characters linked to a solitary mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or wearable device like a smartwatch.
What Is a Device ID?
The device ID is devoid of any personally identifiable details, like names, emails, addresses, or credit card numbers. It can be accessed by any app installed on the device, enabling marketers and developers to track users’ in-app activities and campaign interactions without accessing personal information.
However, recent times have witnessed a significant shift towards consumer privacy, favoring aggregated data over individual-level data. A pivotal change was Apple’s introduction of AppTrackingTransparency (ATT), compelling app proprietors to obtain user consent for accessing their device IDs – more details to follow.
Types of Device IDs
Two primary types of device IDs exist: Apple employs the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), while Android utilizes the Google Advertiser ID (GAID). Both function similarly, associating user actions with ad campaigns, installations, and in-app engagements.
The Apple IDFA is presented in uppercase, comprising eight digits, a dash, and three sets of four digits. An example:
Device ID: Apple IDFA example
GAID employs the same structure but employs lowercase letters:
Device ID: Android GAID example
Notably, post iOS 14.5, access to the IDFA depends on user consent. Further details will be discussed later.
Device ID Applications
Device IDs are primarily employed by app marketers to assess pre-install engagement, installations, and post-install in-app activities. They are crucial for attributing marketing endeavors and charting user journeys. Matching device IDs with user interactions is a dependable method of attribution due to its deterministic nature.
Deterministic attribution hinges on the device ID to recognize users across multiple channels, ensuring precise measurement of user behavior. Moreover, device IDs facilitate personalized user experiences, delivering relevant ads and services based on user behavior and preferences. These IDs aid in refining audience segmentation by grouping users according to device type, usage patterns, and more.
Lastly, device IDs empower app owners to comprehend user engagement levels by aggregating in-app event data. This insight assists in identifying patterns of user engagement, such as drop-offs, conversions, and loyalty development.
Functioning of Device IDs
The device ID is retrievable by any installed app upon its initial launch. Subsequently, it is employed for attribution purposes, associating installs with previous activities. Consider attributing an app install:
A user clicks on an ad for an app, leading them to the relevant app store (Google Play or Apple App Store) for downloading. Following installation and the first launch, the app’s Attribution Software Development Kit (SDK) activates, recording the install. The SDK then searches its database for matching click or view IDs.
If a match is found within the attribution window, the ad is credited for facilitating the app’s installation.
How to Find Your Device ID
Discovering your device ID is straightforward, whether you own an Android or Apple device. For Android, input “##3455##” into the keypad to access the GTalk service monitor and view your device ID.
Privacy Concerns and Recent Advances
Since iOS 14’s launch, Apple mandates that apps seek user consent to access their IDFA, aligning with their efforts towards enhanced consumer privacy. Before IDFA, Apple utilized a Unique Device Identifier (UDID), which couldn’t be reset, leading to privacy concerns and its eventual replacement in 2012.
In 2016, Apple introduced Limited Ad Tracking (LAT), enabling users to opt-out of tracking. Under Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) framework introduced in June 2020, app owners must obtain user permission to access their IDFA.
Future of Measurement with or without Device IDs
Amid growing privacy concerns, the future of measurement shifts towards aggregated data. One significant change is moving from user-level to aggregated data, eliminating individual measurement while focusing on trends. For iOS users opting into ATT, the device ID’s usage remains unchanged.
For opt-out users, alternative methods like SKAdNetwork, machine learning, predictive analytics, incrementality testing, and web-to-app flows emerge.
Key Insights
Device IDs have been pivotal for measurement and optimization in the mobile landscape. The rise of privacy-centric updates has slightly diminished their role, though they remain crucial tools for marketers’ success.
Device IDs facilitate precise user-action matching, and they offer audience segmentation for campaign enhancement. Under the ATT framework, access to the IDFA necessitates user permission. In its absence, SKAdNetwork, supplemented by other solutions, becomes essential for marketers’ needs.
Deferred Deep Linking
Deferred deep linking offers brands the opportunity to engage potential customers through mobile promotions, guiding non-users to specific content pages within an app.
Understanding Deferred Deep Linking
Deferred deep linking represents a marketing strategy leveraging external digital avenues to reach potential users and seamlessly direct them to content and promotions housed within an app. With deep linking, users are spared the need to navigate through the app in search of desired content. Instead, upon downloading and opening the app, users are directly led to the precise content page linked to the provided URL. This technique is widely regarded as the optimal means of transitioning non-users from an advertisement to an app.
Mechanics of Deferred Deep Linking
The operational mechanism of deferred deep linking involves using both mobile and non-mobile channels to guide non-users toward app installation and subsequently to a specific location within the app. The process unfolds as follows:
- A brand disseminates a link via text messages, emails, social media platforms, QR codes, etc.
- Users interact with the link, redirecting them to the app store page for app download.
- Upon downloading and launching the app, users are automatically directed to the content page linked to the provided URL.
This process significantly enhances user experience and engagement, simplifying app interactions for non-users. It eliminates the need for users to navigate through the app store, download the app, and then search within the app for the desired content. Instead, deferred deep linking efficiently guides users from app download within the store directly to the targeted content.
Benefits of Utilizing Deferred Deep Links
There are several compelling reasons for businesses to prioritize channeling customers to their app rather than their website, and deferred deep linking serves as the most effective and secure means to achieve this objective.
- Enhanced Functionality: Native apps often offer more comprehensive features and a smoother user experience compared to mobile-responsive websites.
- Increased Engagement: App users tend to exhibit higher spending habits, frequent engagement, and improved ease of interaction, thereby reducing overall contact costs.
- Mitigating SEO Competition: Fierce competition within search engines can hinder website exposure and customer visibility.
- Targeting Larger Audiences: Email, social media, and digital channels boast extensive audiences more likely to embrace mobile app downloads and goal completions.
Deferred deep links stand as a potent tool for both re-engagement and acquisition, serving as a versatile solution for various marketing needs.
The Versatility of Deferred Deep Links
While conventional deep links have primarily targeted existing app users, deferred deep links offer a broader spectrum of applications:
- New User Acquisition: Seamless promotion of app-specific content through new channels, effectively reaching and acquiring a wider audience.
- Re-engaging Existing Users: Extending engagement efforts to disengaged users and those who have disabled push notifications, thereby reigniting interest.
- Winning Back Lapsed Users: Reconnecting with users who uninstalled the app by leveraging existing contact information or social channels.
Deferred deep linking provides avenues for acquiring engaged users, rekindling relationships, and recapturing lost opportunities.
Diverse Applications of Deferred Deep Links
The integration of deferred deep linking broadens mobile app marketing horizons, enabling expansion into various physical and digital channels, including SMS, email, social media, QR codes, and even desktop-to-app interactions. This technique uniquely enables safe utilization of external digital avenues to channel users to specific conversion-oriented pages.
Best Practices for Deferred Deep Links
To optimize marketing campaigns, adhering to these best practices is crucial:
- Personalization: Create tailored links for individual users to facilitate precise targeting and engagement.
- Attribution: Utilize attribution data for campaign success measurement, aiding in designing future campaigns.
- Branding: Customize URLs to maintain brand recognition and ensure link trustworthiness.
Differentiating Deferred Deep Linking and Deep Linking
It’s essential to distinguish between deferred deep linking and traditional deep linking. The latter is aimed at re-engaging existing app users, while deferred deep linking focuses on enticing non-users to download the app. Deep links lead current users to specific pages within the app, while deferred deep linking directs non-users to download the app and subsequently takes them to the desired location.
Practical Usage of Deferred Deep Linking
Brands strategically employ deferred deep linking for several purposes, enhancing customer experience and expanding their user base. Examples include:
- Web-to-App Integration: Embed deferred deep links on company websites or banners to prompt users to engage with promotions and download the app.
- Social Media Campaigns: Utilize deferred deep links in social media ads to attract new customers to the app.
- Email Marketing: Incorporate deferred deep links in email campaigns to boost app interactions.
- SMS/Push Notifications: Enhance other applications by integrating deferred deep links in SMS and push notifications, simplifying app download.
In sum, deferred deep linking is a potent strategy fostering customer engagement, acquisition, and retention through targeted and streamlined interactions within mobile apps.
DSP (Demand- Side Platform)
A supply aggregation platform that helps advertisers buy ad inventory programmatically and manage multiple ad exchange and data exchange accounts through one interface or platform. This allows mobile advertisers to buy high-quality traffic at scale and saves time and resources.
Display Network
A group of more than 2 million websites, videos, and apps where your ads can appear.
Dormant Users
What Are Dormant Users?
Dormant users refer to individuals who were previously active within your application but have ceased engaging with it.
The duration of inactivity and the specific actions considered as activity vary from one application to another. For instance, a banking app might outline a dormant user as follows:
- Inactivity spanning more than 30 days.
- Activity entails logging into the app.
Conversely, a food-tracking app that encourages daily food logging might characterize a dormant user like this:
- No activity for over a week.
- Activity involves logging at least one food item into the app.
The Value of Dormant Users
For many businesses, regaining dormant users is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Even more economical is proactively engaging users who are on the verge of becoming dormant. Therefore, comprehending the identity of dormant users, the reasons for their dormancy, and potential interventions is crucial.
Identifying Dormant Users
The initial step to identify dormant users entails establishing criteria for dormancy, including the duration of inactivity and the specific activities not performed by the user. These criteria will differ across industries and applications.
Defining Dormancy for Your App
To determine what constitutes dormancy for your app, consider these questions:
- What timeframe signifies dormancy: five days, one week, one month, or longer?
- How do your most profitable users stand out in terms of in-app activity compared to others?
- How frequently do profitable users engage with your app?
- What in-app actions do profitable users routinely undertake?
Dormant Users Example
While analyzing app data, you might discover that users who go on to subscribe typically log in for at least five days during their seven-day free trial. Consequently, you could categorize a dormant user as someone with just one day left in their trial but who has logged in on four days or fewer. Subsequently, you could initiate a re-engagement campaign targeting these dormant users, encouraging them to subscribe on the seventh day.
Understanding Dormancy Causes
After identifying dormant users, the subsequent step involves deciphering the reasons behind their disengagement. Potential factors could include confusion about app functionality, boredom with content, or simply forgetting about the app.
Examining data for patterns among formerly active users who became dormant is essential. Reviewing prior communications with dormant users and exploring any correlations between increased dormancy and industry-related events could provide insights.
Once the causes of dormancy are known, a targeted approach can be devised to address the issue, with regular assessments to adapt to changing patterns.
Winning Back Dormant Users
By the seventh day post-download, less than 7% of users remain engaged with an app. To enhance user retention, several key principles can be applied:
- Offer clear app-usage instructions upon initial login.
- Remind users of the app’s benefits over time.
- Continuously improve design based on user feedback.
- Regularly introduce new content to maintain user interest.
- Promote off-app interaction, like social media engagement.
Re-Engagement Strategies for Dormant Users
In addition to general prevention tactics, various strategies can be employed to re-engage dormant users:
- Deep-link email subscribers to in-app activities.
- Run ad campaigns targeting dormant users.
- Implement push notifications with incentives for in-app actions.
- Provide discounts or coupons for returning users.
- Offer exclusive content in exchange for re-engagement.
- Notify users about new features.
- Utilize social proof to demonstrate app popularity.
Key Insights
- Dormant users are those who haven’t performed specific activities within a defined timeframe.
- Dormancy definitions differ based on individual apps and industries.
- Preventing dormancy involves clear instructions, consistent updates, and design enhancements.
- Winning back users entails various re-engagement strategies like push notifications and incentives.
DMP (Data management platform)
A software platform that is used for managing and collecting data. This optimizes the advertising budget as it provides insights into the audience, markets, and users.
What is a DMP (Data Management Platform)?
A DMP, or Data Management Platform, refers to a software system utilized in the fields of marketing and advertising for the purpose of constructing profiles of anonymous individuals, aggregating and preserving information about each individual, and facilitating the sharing of such data with advertising networks.
Why Are DMPs Used in Digital Advertising & Marketing?
DMPs are employed to manage, store, and scrutinize data relating to advertisement campaigns and target audiences. A DMP can be linked to a Demand Side Platform (DSP) or Supply Side Platform (SSP) to enable the procurement of advertisements via ad networks. The DMP ingests anonymous identifiers of customers, cross-references these against external lists, creates a lookalike model with summarized data, selects similar anonymous individuals from third-party lists, and transmits such lists to advertising systems.
In essence, a DMP serves as a platform for audience data management. It is indispensable for audience segmentation, the development of lookalike audiences, and the optimization of paid media expenditures. It does not store first-party data and primarily utilizes third-party data in the form of cookie IDs and user behavior patterns.
How Does a DMP Work?
A Data Management Platform (DMP) is a technology solution that facilitates the collection, organization, and activation of first-party, second-party, and third-party data from various online, offline, and mobile sources. The purpose of a DMP is to build detailed customer profiles that drive targeted advertising and personalization initiatives. These anonymized customer profiles are then made available to other tools such as ad exchanges, demand-side platforms (DSPs), and supply-side platforms (SSPs) to improve targeting, personalization, and content customization.
DMPs are critical to digital marketing as they allow organizations to gain a deeper understanding of their customers. As more customer data is created and collected, DMPs provide a robust solution for managing this data effectively and turning it into insights that drive outcomes. DMPs can handle different types of data including first-party data collected from website visits, CRM systems, social media, subscriptions, mobile, and apps; second-party data obtained from a mutually beneficial relationship with another company; and third-party data from websites and social media platforms that is used to reach a wider audience.
The focus on first-party data has increased in recent times, and DMPs are capable of effectively collecting and managing this type of data, typically pulling first-party data from CRM software or company-owned channels and connecting to third-party data brokers or corporate partners for third-party data. However, some industries, such as consumer packaged goods, have a scarcity of first-party data, and DMPs must augment their platforms with innovative technologies, such as identity graphs, to build vast data lakes that can be segmented and activated.
Being data-driven is not enough in the era of digital marketing, and the focus must be on quality data-driven initiatives. A sophisticated DMP allows organizations to safely analyze and refine their datasets, ensuring only the most accurate data is used in marketing efforts. A DMP works by analyzing both first-party and third-party demographic, contextual, and behavioral data to build targeted audience segments. The data collected by a DMP is organized to build an anonymized profile of each customer, which is then shared with digital advertising platforms and in-house marketing channels to serve targeted ads or content.
Who Should Use a DMP?
If you’re a marketer just starting out with digital advertising and audience segmentation, a DMP can be a useful tool for you. It allows for the creation of look-alike audiences based on key data points, such as individuals who live in Cleveland and own a Play Station 5.
However, many marketers have a wider focus that goes beyond digital ads, making it beneficial to integrate a DMP with other marketing technology tools. This allows for a comprehensive view of the customer journey, enabling the identification of customers like John Doe, who lives in Cleveland, owns a PS5, is researching iPADs, and recently purchased a smartwatch from your online store.
What Sets a DMP Apart from a Customer Data Platform?
While a DMP can be a great starting point for becoming a data-driven marketer, it’s best used as part of a larger marketing ecosystem. On the other hand, a Customer Data Platform (CDP) is designed for all types of customer data and creates a 360-degree view of named, individual customers.
DMPs focus on anonymized audience data, while CDPs gather data from various sources, including first-party data and personally-identifiable information (PII). DMPs store data for a maximum of 90 days, while CDPs retain data long-term to build robust customer profiles.
In conclusion, DMPs are suitable for short-term audience segmentation tasks, while a CDP is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of individual customers and intelligent orchestration of their journey. Most CDPs can be integrated with any DMP, using the DMP identifier to enhance the customer profiles in the CDP.
DNT
Do Not Track (DNT) is specifically a HTTP header field that sends a signal to other websites, namely analytics companies, ad networks and social platforms, requesting them to disable any tracking of individual users. Despite the request, many sites still do not honor the DNT signal. There currently exists no standardized protocol for its enforcement.