Originally published November 2019. Some platform details have changed since; the tactics listed (lookalike percentages, interest targeting, bid changes) come from the manual-targeting era, and our current recommendation puts creative testing first while using appropriate audience controls.
Short answer: once a campaign is profitable for an audience, there are two directions to scale it: get more reach from the audience you already target, or start targeting new audiences. The original framework used available margin to choose where to test next; neither direction guarantees profitable growth.
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What does it mean to scale an existing audience?
Take the audience you already reach profitably and capture a bigger share of it. In 2019 the levers were:
- Raise bids, or raise budgets if you are hitting your spend cap.
- Target more placements, and customize assets for each placement.
- Improve creative so it drives installs and purchases more efficiently.
You keep going until the audience saturates or the campaigns stop being profitable. For how to take budget steps without breaking a working campaign, see how to scale a Meta ads budget for app campaigns.
What does it mean to target new audiences?
Start a test against a different pool of users and aim for incremental volume on top of what you already get. The original list of options:
- A wider lookalike of the same behavior, or a lookalike of a different behavior (for example repeat purchasers)
- Different interests, or a broad audience
- A different geography or operating system
- Entirely new channels
Which strategy should you pick?
It depends on where your campaigns sit against your unit economics goals. Going deeper into the current pool works if you are profitable with room to spare. Opening new audiences is the route to take if you do not have much margin to spare.
What has changed since 2019?
The framework is still a clean way to think; the tactics have moved. Our current recommendation is to prioritize new creative directions alongside suitable audience controls. See creative as a targeting strategy, what a lookalike audience is and why it matters less after ATT and our original three pillars of user acquisition strategy. The title’s “only two ways” is a simplification; treat it as a useful mental model, not a law.
Frequently asked questions
What are the two ways to scale paid user acquisition? Reach more of the audience you already target, or start targeting new audiences.
Does this still apply with today’s ad platforms? The framework does. The specific tactics (lookalike percentages, interests, bid changes) are from 2019, and our current priority is creative testing, with appropriate audience controls.
