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Installs per Mille

< 1 min read

定義：

Installs per mille, or IPM, is a mobile marketing metric that shows how many app installs are generated for every 1,000 ad impressions. It helps marketers evaluate how efficiently an ad, creative, or campaign turns exposure into installs.


 

What are Installs per Mille?

Installs per mille measures the number of installs generated from 1,000 advertising impressions. The word mille means one thousand, which is why the metric is commonly abbreviated as IPM.IPM combines two stages of the mobile acquisition funnel:

Ad impression → Install

 

This makes it a useful high-level measure of how efficient an advertising campaign is at converting exposure into installs. A high IPM indicates the combination of creative, targeting, placement, store listing, and user intent is working well. A low IPM means fewer installs are being generated from the same number of impressions. However, remember that IPM does not tell you whether those installs are profitable.

A campaign can produce a very high IPM while acquiring users who never subscribe, make purchases, retain, or generate meaningful LTV. This makes IPM useful when compared alongside downstream attribution and revenue metrics.

How Do You Calculate Installs per Mille (IPM)?

The formula is simple:

IPM = Installs ÷ Impressions × 1,000

 

If a campaign generates 500,000 impression and 5,000 installs the the calculation would be:

 

5,000 ÷ 500,000 × 1,000 = 10 IPM

 

The outcome is 10 installs for every 1,000 impressions. Another campaign generates 500,000 impressions but only 2,500 installs.

 

2,500 ÷ 500,000 × 1,000 = 5 IPM

 

In this example, the first campaign generates installs at twice the rate per 1,000 impressions or IPM.

Why Is IPM Important in Mobile User Acquisition?

IPM gives marketers a fast way to evaluate the efficiency of the top of the acquisition funnel. It's particularly useful for comparing:

  • Ad creatives
  • Campaigns
  • Ad networks
  • Countries
  • Audience segments
  • Placements
  • Ad formats

For example, two creatives may receive the same number of impressions. Creative A has 100,000 impressions and 2,000 installs for an IPM of 20. Creative B has 100,000 impressions and 800 install with an IPM of 8. At first it seems that Creative A is better at generating installs, but once we look at the numbers, the users from Campaign B generate twice the subscriber LTV at a later point. 

Installs per Mille (IPM)  vs. Click-Through Rate

Click-through rate, or CTR, measures how often users click an ad after seeing it. IPM measures how often impressions ultimately lead to installs.

The metrics answer different questions:

  • CTR: Does the ad generate clicks?
  • IPM: Does the ad exposure ultimately generate installs?

A campaign can have a high CTR but a low IPM if many users click and then fail to install. 例えば：

キャンペーンA

  • 100,000 impressions
  • 5,000 clicks
  • 1,000 installs
  • CTR: 5%
  • IPM: 10

キャンペーンB

  • 100,000 impressions
  • 3,000 clicks
  • 1,500 installs
  • CTR: 3%
  • IPM: 15

Campaign A generates more clicks and Campaign B generates more installs per 1,000 impressions. This could mean Campaign B has stronger post-click conversion or attracts users with greater installation intent.

Installs per Mille (IPM) vs. Conversion Rate

Conversion rate usually measures the percentage of users who complete a desired action after reaching a particular step in the funnel. In mobile UA, install conversion rate may compare clicks with installs. IPM begins earlier because it uses impressions as the denominator. A simplified acquisition funnel looks like:

Impression → Click → Install → Post-install event → Revenue

IPM compresses the first three steps into one metric, which can be quite helpful for creative testing, but it can also hide where performance changes occur. A decreasing IPM could be caused by:

  • Lower CTR
  • Weaker click-to-install conversion
  • Poor audience targeting
  • Creative fatigue
  • App store listing issues
  • Differences in traffic quality

Marketers often need additional metrics to diagnose the actual cause.

Installs per Mille (IPM) vs. CPI

Cost per install, or CPI, measures how much advertising spend is required to generate an install, while IPM focuses on how many installs are generated per 1,000 impressions. A higher IPM can contribute to a lower CPI, but the relationship is not automatic because media prices also matter. For example let's look at two campaigns: Campaign A has an IPM of 20 and CPM of $10, Campaign B has an IPM of 10 and CPM of $3. From this, we can gather that Campaign A generates installs better from impressions, however impressions from this campaign are more expensive.  Campaign B could still deliver a competitive CPI since the impression cost is lower, but it takes more time. These discrepancies show why IPM should be interpreted alongside CPM, CPI, and downstream revenue.

Does a Higher IPM Mean a Better Campaign?

A higher IPM doesn't necessarily mean a better campaign. A high IPM shows how effective an ad is at generating installs from impression count, but it doesn't go further than that. It doesn't reveal whether the users are valuable after installing.

Let's use two campaigns to help demonstrate. Campaign A has an IPM of 25, CPI of $1.20, and Day 30 LTV at $0.90. Campaign B has an IPM of 12, a CPI of $1.80, and Day 30 LTV at $4.00. In this example, Campaign A looks stronger at the top of the funnel and Campaign B captures users who generate more value. If your app monetizes through subscriptions, then Campaign B could produce more trials, renewals, and subscription revenue even though it has a lower IPM. Overall, the right optimization depends on your business objectives. 

How Does Attribution Affect IPM Measurement?

The number of installs always matters, especially for accurate IPMs. Even though ad networks report installs according to their own attribution system, independent MMPs attribute installs across a broader set of campaigns. 

Tenjin distinguishes between Reported installs from ad network APIs and Tracked Installs which are attributed through Tenjin's measurement framework. These install totals do not always match because attribution methodology and visibility differ. It also means that IPM calculations based on network-reported installs may not be identical to one based on independently attributed installs. If you are using more than one ad network, it would make sense to use a normalized metric compared to network-reported numbers. 

Teams should know which install definition is being used when comparing performance. To learn more about the difference between reported and tracked installs in Tenjin, you can read our blog こちら. 

How Can an MMP Make Installs per Mille More Useful?

An MMP connects installs that come from ads with what happens after the install, allowing marketers to move from the top to the bottom of the funnel. This helps answer questions like: which creative produces the highest IPM? To more deep questions like: which campaign produces the strongest ROAS? Which campaigns generate more paying subscribers? Does the creative with the highest IPM also produce the best user quality? 

Being able to move through the funnel is critical for subscription and hybrid monetization apps since most earned value comes post-install.

Take a productivity app that wants to test two creatives: A and B.

Creative A

  • Impressions: 1,000,000
  • Installs: 20,000
  • IPM: 20
  • Trials: 1,000
  • Paid subscribers: 300
  • Six-month subscription revenue: $15,000

Creative B

 

  • Impressions: 1,000,000
  • Installs: 12,000
  • IPM: 12
  • Trials: 1,500
  • Paid subscribers: 600
  • Six-month subscription revenue: $36,000

Creative A wins on IPM, but Creative B wins on trial quality, subscriber conversion, and long-term revenue. This demonstrates why treating installs  as the final measure of campaign quality isn't the right end point. 

What Can Cause Installs per Mille to Change?

IPM can move because of changes in:

  • Creative performance
  • オーディエンスターゲティング
  • Ad placement
  • 広告フォーマット
  • 地理
  • 季節性
  • App store conversion
  • Brand awareness
  • Creative fatigue
  • Traffic quality

A drop in IPM should therefore be investigated rather than automatically blamed on one factor. If CTR falls, the creative may be losing attention. If CTR remains stable but IPM falls, the issue may be happening after the click.

Best Practices for Measuring IPM (Installs per Mille)

Use a consistent install definition.
Know whether the metric uses network-reported or independently attributed installs.

Compare similar audiences and placements.
IPM can vary substantially by country, format, and targeting.

Do not optimize on IPM alone.
Include retention, conversion, LTV, revenue, and ROAS.

Track creative changes over time.
Declining IPM can be a sign of creative fatigue.

Use cohort analysis for downstream quality.
A high-IPM campaign may still generate poor long-term value.

Keep the acronym in context.
IPM has meanings outside mobile marketing, so consistently use “installs per mille (IPM).

関連用語

よくある質問

What does IPM mean in mobile marketing?

IPM means installs per mille, or the number of installs generated for every 1,000 ad impressions.

How do you calculate installs per mille?

Divide installs by impressions and multiply the result by 1,000.

Is a higher IPM always better?

No. A higher IPM means more installs per 1,000 impressions, but those users may still have weak retention, LTV, or revenue performance.

What is the difference between IPM and CPI?

IPM measures installation efficiency relative to impressions. CPI measures the advertising cost required to generate one install.

Why should an MMP be used alongside IPM?

An MMP connects installs with acquisition sources and post-install outcomes, helping marketers determine whether high-IPM campaigns also generate valuable users.