Post Back Events & Creative Optimization: Connecting Ad Performance to User Actions

You’re spending on ads, but do you know which creatives actually drive real user actions? Without clear tracking, you risk wasting your budget on underperforming ads. Post-back events help by sending data on installs, purchases, and other key actions directly to your analytics. However, the timing and detail of this data can vary depending on the platform and privacy settings.

On Android or for users who've opted into tracking, you can directly link ad performance to user behavior. On iOS, post-ATT (App Tracking Transparency), attribution often relies on aggregated or probabilistic data, particularly with frameworks like SKAN, meaning you may not get user-level insights. This can delay optimization, but still, the insights you receive can help you refine your strategy.

By tracking user actions at a granular level, you can identify high-performing creatives, adjust your campaigns accordingly, and improve your results. In this blog, you’ll learn how post-back events work, why they’re essential for accurate attribution, and how they can help you optimize your ad creatives. Let’s explore how connecting post-back events with creative optimization can enhance your user acquisition strategy.

How Do Post-Back Events Work?

Post-back events are server-to-server notifications triggered by key user actions in your mobile app, like installs, in-app purchases, registrations, or other milestones you define. For example, when someone installs your game after clicking an ad, a post back is fired to your ad network or analytics tool, giving you data on that action. This helps you measure user acquisition and campaign performance on the spot.

These events also record post-install in-app actions linked to media sources and campaigns, which is key in measuring important metrics like ROI and LTV. Since gaming engagement can shift quickly, getting instant feedback lets you react fast and adjust your strategy as needed.

Common types of post-back events you might set up include:

• Installs: To know when a user downloads and opens your app.

• In-app purchases: To monitor transactions and spending behavior.

• Registrations: To track when users create an account.

• Other custom events: Custom actions like completing levels, ad engagement, rewarded video watched, or in-app purchases.

To set them up, you’ll usually work with a mobile measurement partner (MMP) that provides post-back URLs to ad networks for the events you want to track. Just don’t go overboard, triggering postbacks for every minor action can slow things down and add stress to your servers. Stick to the events that truly matter for your goals.

Now that we’ve covered how they function, let’s look at their role in attribution.

Role of Post-Back Events in Attribution for User Acquisition

Attribution helps you figure out which ads or channels led to specific user actions like an install, sign-up, or purchase. Post-back events are key to this. They send data that links in-app behavior to the campaign that drove it, so you can see exactly what’s working.

For example, if an ad creative featuring a popular gaming influencer leads to higher in-app purchase rates, post-back events help identify this, allowing for increased budget allocation to that creative.

Post-backs allow ad networks to fine-tune campaigns based on post-install activities like playing levels or making purchases, improving attribution accuracy. However, with SKAdNetwork (SKAN), the granularity of data is more limited. In SKAN 3.0, campaign IDs are restricted, and SKAN 4.0 offers only coarse conversion values, which aren’t as rich as traditional post-backs. 

Hence, while data remains essential in this process, SKAN provides less detailed insights, limiting dynamic adjustments. With attribution in place, let’s see how post-back events can improve creative performance.

Connecting Post-Back Events to Creative Performance

Creative optimization involves refining ad content images, videos, and text to improve performance, measured by metrics like conversion rates or user engagement. Post-back events bridge the gap between ad exposure and in-game actions, providing data to optimize creatives effectively. This section breaks down the process into four key areas:

1.Tracking User Actions via Postbacks

This is done by passing unique identifiers or parameters from the ad to the app during the user's journey.

Here’s how it works:

• A user sees an ad (say, gameplay footage).

• They install the app and later make a purchase.

• A post back is triggered, linking that purchase to the original ad.

They show which ads lead to valuable actions like completing tutorials, leveling up, or making in-app purchases. This connection helps you understand which creatives are actually driving results.

2.Analyzing Data for Optimization

After collecting post-back event data, analyzing it helps identify patterns in creative performance. For example, these elements can be replicated if ads with vibrant colors and clear calls-to-action (CTAs) result in higher engagement. 

This analysis can also link creative performance with user behavior metrics, such as time spent in the app or bounce rates, offering insights into what keeps players engaged.

Here’s a table summarizing potential analysis metrics:

This data-driven approach ensures creative changes are based on real evidence, improving ad effectiveness.

3. Personalizing Creatives Based on User Behavior

For instance, if data shows that users who engage with specific features like puzzle challenges tend to stay longer, you can create ads highlighting these elements. 

Personalizing your ads helps improve user acquisition by aligning the content with user preferences, making the ads more relevant and engaging. This could involve creating ads tailored for casual gamers by emphasizing simple mechanics, while competitive gamers could see ads showcasing leaderboard features.

4. Optimizing for Specific In-App Events

Optimizing creatives to drive specific in-app events, like first-time purchases, tutorial completions, or subscriptions, is key to improving performance. Developers can focus on refining those elements by analyzing which creatives lead to these actions. For example, if social feature ads encourage more registrations, future creatives can highlight community aspects to promote this behavior.

This targeted approach ensures that advertising aligns with key performance indicators, helping marketing efforts directly contribute to the game’s success, whether it’s boosting revenue through purchases or enhancing retention through engagement.

Looking ahead, let’s explore future trends shaping post-back events and creative optimization.

Also Read: Receiving Postbacks in Different Conversion Windows with SKAN 4.0

Future Trends in Post-Back Events and Creative Optimization

Post-back events and creative optimization are constantly evolving, shaped by privacy concerns and technological advancements. Two key trends are particularly relevant to you:

1. Privacy-Focused Tracking Solutions

With regulations like GDPR and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, tracking individual user behavior is becoming more limited. This affects post-back events, pushing you toward privacy-focused solutions. For example, you may need to use aggregated data or anonymized identifiers to maintain compliance while still gaining valuable insights. You might also find it necessary to adjust your tracking methods, possibly using tools like SKAdNetwork for iOS, which combines install and in-app event post-backs into one.

This shift is significant for mobile gaming, where user acquisition relies on detailed tracking. You’ll need to balance privacy and adequate attribution, exploring innovative tracking methods to keep your campaigns on track.

2. Emerging Technologies for Creative Optimization

AI and predictive analytics transform creative optimization, allowing you to use post-back event data for more in-depth analysis. Machine learning can help you identify patterns in creative elements that drive high engagement and predict how new creatives might perform. Real-time optimization, where you adjust ads based on user behavior, is another emerging trend that can improve your ad effectiveness instantly.

Alongside privacy-focused solutions, emerging technologies are also transforming creative optimization. AI might suggest ad copy or images based on historical data, streamlining your optimization process. This could be especially beneficial in mobile gaming, where quick iterations are key to staying competitive.

Also Read: Receiving Ad Attribution and Postbacks in SKAN 4.0

Conclusion

By tracking user actions such as installs, in-app purchases, and registrations, businesses can better understand which ads are driving real user engagement. This data empowers advertisers to refine their creative strategies, personalize ads, and allocate resources more effectively. Leveraging post-back events allows for more accurate attribution, ensuring marketing efforts focus on high-performing creatives that lead to the desired outcomes.

Segwise can significantly enhance your creative optimization process by providing AI-powered insights for better user acquisition. Through its AI Creative Insights feature, you can automatically tag visuals, text, audio, and other elements in your ad creatives, offering data-backed recommendations on which elements are driving the most engagement. 

With seamless integrations, you can track performance across ad networks and refine your creative strategy by identifying high-performing assets. By continuously monitoring trends and providing proactive recommendations, Segwise helps you stay ahead of creative fatigue and maximize ROAS.

Maximize the effectiveness of your UA campaigns with Segwise and experience these powerful features first-hand. Sign up now for a 14-day free trial and see how AI-driven insights can elevate your creative strategy.