Decoding SKAN: The Future of Mobile Ad Attribution

What is SKAdNetwork?

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What is SKAdNetwork?

SKAdNetwork is Apple’s solution for tracking ad campaign effectiveness while preserving user privacy. Introduced in iOS 14, SKAN replaces traditional device-level tracking with aggregated campaign-level data, ensuring users’ data privacy is protected.

Why SKAN Matters: As people continue to worry about privacy and with the emergence of laws like the GDPR and CCPA, advertisers can now make use of SKAN to track their ads while maintaining the user’s anonymity. This helps marketers in their ad-serving optimization and apple app tracking transparency.

Core Features of SKAN: Privacy Focused: Unlike most similar platforms, SKAN does not need its user’s personal data, thus maintaining anonymity.

Attribution Tracking: Determines how effective particular ad campaigns are within specific post-install actions like how often they open the app or make a purchase.

Limited Data Granularity: Enables campaign-level analysis but does not have a user-level analysis.

How Does SKAdNetwork Work?

SKAdNetwork is Apple’s solution for tracking ad campaign effectiveness while preserving user privacy. Introduced in iOS 14, SKAN replaces traditional device-level tracking with aggregated campaign-level data, ensuring users’ data privacy is protected.

Ad Click

App Install

Post-Install Event

Attribution Report

How SKAdNetwork Works Overview of SKAN Attribution Flow Ad Click: It is given a unique identifier each time a user clicks on the ad App Installation: The user installs the app. The SKAdNetwork framework records the install Post-Install Event: SKAN tracks the user behavioral data at the app level, such as ‘purchase,’ ‘sign-up.

Attribution Report: The information flows to ad network and yields details about the campaign success.

Key Components of SKAN Attribution:

Source App ID

Campaign ID

Conversion Value

Identifies the ad network that drove the install.

Tracks the specific campaign within the ad network.

A numeric value indicating the post-install activity or engagement.

Privacy Features: SKAN aggregates data, delaying the reporting window to further protect privacy. This means that post-install data is not immediately available, and attribution details are shared in an anonymized manner to prevent the tracking of individual users.

SKAdNetwork Limitations & Challenges

Speed (delayed reporting)

Privacy (limited data)

Key Points:

Delayed Reporting: Data takes 24+ hours to reach.

Limited Data: No individual-level tracking or granular insights.

Conversion Values: 64-bit limit on what can be tracked.

No Cross-Device: Attribution is limited to iOS devices only.

While SKAdNetwork offers a privacy-conscious alternative to traditional tracking, it does have some limitations:

Delayed Reporting: SKAN’s reporting system is delayed by at least 24 hours, meaning marketers must wait before receiving detailed campaign data. This delay can impact the ability to react quickly to optimize campaigns.

Limited Data Granularity: Advertisers only receive aggregated data, which limits insights into individual user behavior. For example, user-level actions such as frequency of purchases or retention rates cannot be tracked.

Conversion Value Limitations: The conversion value is capped at 64 bits, offering limited detail on user actions post-install.

Advertisers must choose the most important events to track, which may not capture the full user journey.

No Cross-Device or Cross-Platform Tracking: SKAN is limited to iOS devices and does not support cross-platform or crossdevice attribution. This makes it challenging for brands running campaigns across multiple platforms.

SKAdNetwork 4.0: New Features & Updates Multiple Conversion Values

Improved Privacy

Hierarchical Attribution

Better Reporting Flexibility

Key Points:

Multiple Conversion Windows

Hierarchical Attribution

Track user actions across 3 stages.

Better insights into campaign sources.

Increased Reporting

Enhanced Privacy

More flexible data, less randomness.

Randomized post-install data for extra privacy.

SKAN 4.0, introduced with iOS 16.1, brings several improvements over previous versions:

Multiple Conversion Values: Previously, SKAN only allowed one conversion value per app install. With SKAN 4.0, marketers can define up to three conversion windows, enabling better insight into user engagement over time.

Hierarchical Attribution: SKAN 4.0 introduces hierarchical attribution, allowing app developers to track conversions from multiple sources (e.g., ad networks) within the same campaign, improving campaign insights.

Increased Reporting Flexibility: The enhanced report structure offers better flexibility, with more granular data on conversion values. This helps marketers understand campaign performance in more detail.

Improved Privacy Features: With SKAN 4.0, Apple has introduced better privacy safeguards, including randomization of post-install event data to reduce the risk of user identification.

Improved Install & Attribution Logic: This version reduces the impact of

“

”

ad network spoofing

and ensures more reliable

attribution, even when users are exposed to multiple campaigns across different channels.

SKAdNetwork Best Practices

Cross-Channel Optimization

Define Conversion Values

Test Ad Creatives

Monitor

Long-Term Trends

Stay Updated

Key Points:

Focus on Key Actions: Define essential conversion values like in-app purchases.

Optimize Across Channels: Integrate SKAN across all ad networks.

Long-Term Monitoring: Focus on trends, not immediate results.

Creative Testing: Experiment to see what drives engagement. eep Learning: Stay updated with SKAN changes and pple’s policies.

K

A

To get the most out of SKAdNetwork, marketers should follow these best practices:

Define Clear Conversion Values: Prioritize key actions (purchases, sign-ups) as conversion values. Use the additional conversion windows available in SKAN 4.0 for deeper insights into long-term user engagement.

Optimize Campaigns Across Channels: Integrate SKAN with all major ad networks to ensure holistic campaign tracking. By managing multiple networks, you can compare the effectiveness of each and adjust budgets accordingly.

Monitor Performance Over Time: Due to the delayed reporting, patience is key. Look at long-term trends in campaign performance rather than immediate outcomes.

Test Different Ad Creatives: Experiment with ad creatives and messaging, as SKAN allows for limited visibility into user behaviors. Testing will help you understand what drives the best conversion rates.

Stay Updated with SKAN Updates: Apple continually updates SKAN to improve functionality and privacy.

M

arketers should

stay informed about new features, such as updates in SKAN 4.0, to leverage the framework effectively.

Why Choose Apptrove for

Your SKAN Needs?

Apptrove provides a comprehensive, user-friendly platform for managing mobile app marketing campaigns, specifically designed to optimize SKAdNetwork performance. Here's why Apptrove is the perfect choice:

Seamless SKAN Integration: Apptrove makes it easy to integrate and track SKAN campaigns across multiple ad networks, simplifying attribution and providing you with reliable, privacy-focused insights.

Real-Time Data & Reporting: While SKAN has its reporting delays, Apptrove combines aggregated SKAN data with real-time campaign performance metrics, enabling better decision-making and faster optimization.

Advanced Conversion Value Setup: Apptrove offers intuitive tools for defining and tracking conversion values, ensuring that you can extract maximum value from SKAN’s advanced features in iOS 16.1 and beyond.

Cross-Channel Campaign Management: Apptrove allows you to manage campaigns across multiple platforms and networks, ensuring consistency and streamlined optimization of your ad spend.

Dedicated Support & Expertise: Apptrove’s team of experts can guide you through the complexities of SKAN, providing tailored support to ensure that your campaigns are always optimized for success.

Conclusion:

F

or businesses looking to harness the full potential of

SKAdNetwork while simplifying mobile app marketing, Apptrove is the ideal platform.

W

ith robust reporting, seamless

integration, and advanced SKAN features, Apptrove ensures that your campaigns are future-ready and privacy-compliant.