User Acquisition Strategy: A Framework for Mobile Apps
Most UA “strategy” is a channel list. Here’s the framework I actually use: economics first, then channels, creative, measurement and disciplined scale.
Key takeaways
- Strategy starts with economics (CAC, LTV, payback), not a channel list.
- Pick channels by intent and payback, then make creative the priority.
- Scale only what the data confirms; reserve a fixed slice for testing.
A user acquisition strategy isn’t “run Meta and TikTok.” It’s a set of decisions about where money goes and why. Here’s the framework I run, in order, because the order matters.
1. Set the economics first
Before a dollar is spent, model CAC, LTV and payback, and write down the target. Budget should follow the unit economics, not the other way around. If you don’t know your allowable CAC, you don’t have a strategy, you have a spending habit.
2. Choose channels by intent and payback
Apple Search Ads for high-intent capture, Google UAC and Meta for scale, TikTok for creative-led discovery. Weight budget toward whatever clears your payback target, and treat the rest as a testing line, not the main bet.
3. Make creative the priority
On every mature channel the algorithm handles targeting, so creative is your real lever. A strategy without a creative-testing engine is a plan to plateau. This is where most of the upside lives.
4. Measure honestly, scale with discipline
Wire up attribution you can trust (MMP, SKAN, the occasional incrementality test), make decisions on payback, and raise spend in steps the data confirms. Define kill criteria up front so dead channels don’t linger.
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