8 Tips for Choosing a Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) in 2022

Choosing a Mobile Measurement Partner can be a difficult task and requires the input from multiple teams to get it right.

It doesn’t take an expert to work out that mobile phones are fast becoming the device of choice for most people. In fact, most credible sources report that mobile traffic accounts for over 50% of total web traffic in 2022. 

As marketers, product owners and technologists, we need to be able to easily understand app performance, attribute sales and calculate return on investment. This is where the Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) comes in.

Over the years we’ve had experience with a number of MMP’s, including Appsflyer, Kochava, Branch, Tenjin and Singular, all of which have their own pros and cons. Rather than review these partners, we’ve put together a list of questions you should consider when selecting the MMP that’s right for you.

1. Compatibility with Tech Stack + Software Development Kit (SDK) Weight

Firstly, how does the MMP you’ve selected integrate with your existing tech stack? Are you using a Customer Data Platform (CDP) like Segment or Tealium? Does your MMP integrate with them? If so, it can save hours in development time. 

Secondly, how heavy is the MMP SDK and what impact does it have on the performance of the app? Will it slow it down and impact user experience? This is an important factor.

2. Ad Platform & Owned Channel Integrations

One of the key benefits of an MMP is their ability to measure and de-dupe conversions across multiple channels. It’s important to do your due diligence and understand how they integrate with these channels (email, QR code etc) as it can have a big impact on how quickly you can integrate and measure campaigns.

3. Ability to Measure Last-Touch and Previous Attributions

This is a big one. As you might be aware, most mobile attribution is done via last-touch i.e. the last channel the user interacts with via touch will be attributed with the conversion. However, some MMP’s are getting more sophisticated with this and are able to see channels that had upper-funnel influence on the conversion, making their data-set very valuable from a marketing perspective. 

4. Ability to integrate with Reporting Suites

It’s important to be able to report back to internal and external stakeholders with minimal effort. One thing that can really help is the ability to connect your MMP to your reporting suite such as Funnel, Tableau etc without the requirement to build custom data connectors. This can really speed things up by reducing development time and reporting complications.

5. SKadnetwork Reporting Abilities

Skadnetwork…What a pain in the @#%$! We get it…Apple wants more rigor around data privacy. However this has really impacted businesses' ability to control ad spend and ROI (especially small businesses).

MMP’s are working around the clock to try and bridge the gap here, and some are doing better than others. Here’s some things to consider in relation to Skadnetwork reporting:

  • Does the MMP probabilistically or deterministically identify the source of the conversion?
  • Does the MMP have a single dashboard that combines actual identified conversions, including the above?
  • Is the MMP able to push absolutely identified + predicted conversions back to ad platforms? 

6. Ability to Track Web-to-App Journey

Sending users directly to an app store landing page/in app is not always the best path to conversion, especially for new businesses looking to educate the consumer on their brand. WIth this in mind, it's important to do your due diligence on your chosen MMP's ability to track the web-to-app journey i.e. how effectively can they attribute users who come from an external source, land on the website, download the app then purchase. If this isn't done effectively, then it's very difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing channels.

7. Tech & Implementation Support-Levels

Mobile measurement is complicated and to do it well it requires a unique skillset. It's really important that the partner you choose has a good level of tech and implementation support so you can get everything working correctly right from the start.

8. The Commercials 

As much as we’d like to say just get the best-featured MMP, some are more expensive than others and may not suitable for start-up businesses. 

In saying that, some are more flexible when it comes to their payment tiers depending on the stage of your business. It's important to begin the relationship with a partner that's willing help you along the way, regardless of the size of your business.

Summary

Identifying the right MMP for your business can be a difficult task that requires input from various business units including IT, Product & Marketing. Hopefully the tips above help you in your decision-making process, however feel free to reach out to us for a free consultation.