App Marketing Services in 2025: Costs, Strategies, and Why Agencies Outperform Solo Specialists

Launching a mobile app is exciting, but converting those installs into loyal, paying users is where the real challenge begins. In a market with millions competing, strong marketing is what makes the difference between success stories and just another forgotten app.

For five years, Mobihunter has helped apps grow more sustainably in Europe, LATAM, and APAC for such brands as AliExpress, Monobank, Joom, and many others. Here's what we've learned about how to make app marketing actually work.

App marketing services include everything that helps your app attract users, build visibility, and keep engagement high.
They usually cover:

• User Acquisition (UA) Paid Campaigns on Meta, Google, TikTok, Apple Search Ads, and more.
• Creative Production: Data-driven video and static ads optimized for each market.
• ASO: App Store Optimization includes title, icons, screenshots, and descriptions that will increase store visibility.
• Retention and Engagement: Push notifications, CRM, and re-engagement flows that keep users active.

Tracking and Analytics: at every step, AppsFlyer and Adjust ensure user quality and performance. At Mobihunter, all these elements work together: not as separate services but as one integrated growth system.

Every app and market is different, but here's a realistic breakdown from our experience:
Startups and indie developers: $5,000–15,000 per month for testing creatives, channels, and initial traction.

Growing apps: $30,000–70,000 per month to scale campaigns, add geos, and optimize ROAS.

Established brands: $100,000+ per month for multi-channel performance, retention, and monetization strategies.

It is not about spending more, but spending smart. Proper tracking and optimization can make even a smaller budget outperform poorly managed big campaigns.

Many companies start by hiring one freelancer or a “UA expert” they find through Google or Upwork.
And sometimes - for low ad volumes-that might work.
But once real scale begins, a single person simply can't cover all areas of app marketing.

They might be good at buying ads but not at creative testing. They might set up campaigns but lack analytics depth or ASO expertise.
When working with an agency like Mobihunter, you get a full team, not just one person:

• 3 dedicated media buyers, each specialized in different ad platforms.
• 1 project manager - to ensure coordination, reports, and results;
• 2 creative designers: creating and A/B-testing visuals on a regular basis.
  
  That’s six professionals focused on one goal: the growth of your app.
  And unlike freelancers, we bring years of cross-vertical experience and direct partnerships with top ad platforms. Agencies aren't something to be feared. They're a quicker, safer, and more effective way to scale.
  

1. Creative testing is everything
We test hundreds of video and static concepts across verticals.
Short UGC clips, native-style ads, and localized storytelling outshine polished brand videos because users want authenticity.

2. Mix Paid with Organic
Paid UA fuels growth, while ASO keeps it sustainable.
Every install from the ad feeds your store ranking, creating a snowball effect for organic visibility.

3. Retention starts from day one
We study user behavior starting from the first session.
We optimize app onboardings, triggers, and re-engagement campaigns, making them retain more users for longer and spend more.

4. Track beyond CPI
We measure D1/D7 retention, lifetime value, and cohort performance-not vanity metrics.
Our analytics stack consists of AppsFlyer, Adjust, and custom dashboards for SKAN 4.0.

5. Scale what works
Once high-performing creatives and audiences are identified, we scale fast, keep the CPA under control, and are performance-first at all times.

Over the years, Mobihunter has helped apps grow across a wide range of verticals - from e-commerce and fintech to mobile games and local products. Here are a few examples that show our scope and results.

AliExpress - Scaling Global E-commerce Growth

AliExpress trusted Mobihunter to strengthen mobile user acquisition across several regions. Our team tested hundreds of creatives across Meta and Google Ads, focusing on key shopping categories like accessories and apparel. The result - an average of 400,000 new installs per month, with 5,000 purchases within the first day after installation. The campaign became a benchmark for high-scale e-commerce UA efficiency.

Tile Mansion – Creative Production for Casual Games

For Tile Mansion - Puzzle & Design, we created an ongoing creative production pipeline across Google, Facebook, and TikTok Ads. By combining data from our media buyers with storytelling concepts from the creative team, we delivered multiple ad variations tailored to player behavior. This collaboration proved that quality creative testing can directly drive retention and engagement in the puzzle game niche.

Ofsayt – User Acquisition & Retention Growth in Turkey

Ofsayt, a Turkish football fan app, needed scale during peak match seasons and consistency in off-season periods. We restructured campaigns on a CPA model, optimized ad funnels, and leveraged Google Ads as the main acquisition channel. The result - 5× improvement in retention (from ~3% to ~15%), plus measurable growth in registrations and engagement quality. This project showcased our ability to handle highly seasonal apps and local market dynamics.

Autodoc – E-commerce App Growth in the Automotive Vertical

For Autodoc, one of Europe’s largest online auto parts retailers, we built campaigns that adapted to seasonal user demand. Through close collaboration with the client’s marketing team, we tested new ad formats and even explored Snapchat as a fresh UA channel. The outcome - over 50,000 new users acquired and a long-term communication framework that continues to deliver daily conversions.

In summary:
From global marketplaces like AliExpress, to regional fintech leaders like Monobank, to casual games and local Turkish apps, Mobihunter delivers measurable growth across all app categories. Our cross-vertical expertise allows us to adapt strategies for any market, any budget, and any goal.

You should consider working with an agency when:

• You’ve reached a performance plateau and can’t scale further.
• You want to test new geos or ad networks.
• You need professional creative production and tracking setup.
• You’re ready to move from “testing” to real growth.

The right agency is not just an executor - it’s a growth partner that understands your product and audience.

Building an app is one thing. Growing it into a profitable business is another. If you’re serious about scaling installs, improving retention, and reducing acquisition costs - it’s time to work with people who live and breathe app marketing.

That’s where Mobihunter comes in. We combine creative expertise, analytics precision, and performance mindset to help apps reach their next growth stage.

📞 Let’s talk about your goals: clients@mobihunter.co