About Careerwill
Careerwill is a Delhi-based edtech company transforming exam prep and school education in India. Launched in 2018 by Rakesh Yadav and Pawan Kumar, Careerwill has empowered over 27 lakh students through its app, with over 4 million downloads and learners from 2,500+ cities.
With LIVE adaptive classes, Careerwill provides high-quality, affordable education to students even in Tier 6 cities. Its Online School, started in 2019 for students from Grade 9 onwards, has organically reached 12 lakh+ paid learners in just three years.
The Challenge
As the ed-tech market grew, Careerwill faced the following challenges:
- Increase Conversions: The company needed to boost App installs and in-app actions.
- Expansion into Rural Markets: The focus was on reaching smaller towns with limited resources, particularly in Tier 2-6 cities.
- Cost Control: Careerwill aimed to keep the Cost Per Conversion (CPC) low while achieving high returns on ad spend (ROAS).
- Maintain Efficiency: With budget constraints, Careerwill needed to scale without overspending on ads.
Our Strategy: The 3-Pillar Growth Plan
We developed an efficient performance marketing plan focused on relevance, optimization, and reach.
1. Precise Audience Targeting
- Focused on students most likely to convert using interest-based and custom segments.
- Geographically targeted Tier 2–6 cities to reach smaller towns.
- Created bilingual ads (Hindi and English) to increase relatability.
2. High-Impact Creative Testing
- Highlighted Careerwill’s affordability and success stories to build trust.
- Used a mix of images, short videos, and carousel ads.
- Ensured videos showcased app results within the first 3 seconds.
3. Dynamic Budget Optimization
- Started with Target CPA bidding and later shifted to Max Conversions as volume scaled.
- Implemented performance-based budget shifting.
- Followed best practice of keeping daily budget at 15x the CPA.
4. Conversion Tracking Setup
- Implemented precise event tracking (first_open, sign_up, purchase) via Firebase.
- Verified real-time data flow using “Debug View.”
- Conversion data informed all optimization decisions.
5. Smart Campaign Structuring
- Started with install optimization before shifting to purchase-based optimization.
- Kept campaigns unified initially, introduced split testing later (geo/language).
- Used a staged funnel strategy for in-app actions.
6. Bid Strategy & Budget Logic
- Applied tCPA to begin with, moved to Max Conversions in low-volume scenarios.
- Maintained budgets at 15x of tCPA for stable algorithm learning.
- Helped Google Ads exit learning phase faster and perform reliably.
7. Refined Targeting
- Expanded targeting to state-level and pan-India to unlock more volume.
- Avoided language restrictions; always used Hindi + English.
- Added custom segments including competitor search intent and niche keywords.
8. Full-Funnel Optimization
- Streamlined user flow from ad click to course enrollment.
- Continuously optimized landing pages and onboarding experience.
- Built a predictable and scalable install-to-enrollment funnel.
9. Ad Creative Strategy
- Used diverse formats—videos, statics, and rich text assets.
- Highlighted USPs: top faculty, affordable pricing, and exam relevance
- Showcased app functionality within the first 3 seconds in videos.
10. Weekly Creative Optimization
- Regularly reviewed asset performance under the “Assets” tab.
- Replaced low-performing creatives weekly to prevent fatigue.
- Experimented with headline-image combinations for improved engagement.
11. Learning Window & Patience
- Allowed 7–10 days for campaigns to stabilize before making changes.
- Avoided daily tweaks and waited for sufficient data.
- Trusted the machine learning algorithm for scaling efficiently.
App Campaign Optimization Techniques Used:
- Conversion Tracking: All in-app actions were tracked via Firebase to ensure accurate data.
- Campaign Setup: Optimized for installs, then transitioned to deeper actions like sign-ups and purchases.
- Targeting & Bidding: Expanded targeting to state/national levels and shifted bidding strategy to Max Conversions.
- Ad Assets: Used multiple formats (text, images, and videos), with a minimum asset mix including headlines, descriptions, images, and videos.
- Campaign Structure: Initially ran a single campaign, later split by event type and geographic location.
- Creative Refresh: Replaced underperforming creatives every 7 days, monitoring asset-level performance weekly.
- Audience Signals: Utilized custom segments and first-party data to target users of competitor apps and past converters.
Results That Speak Volumes
Careerwill’s app campaign scaled significantly across multiple performance dimensions over the months, with strong returns driven by strategic lead generation plan execution:
1. Massive Growth in App Installs
- App installs grew by over 450% from initial to peak campaign months.
- High-volume acquisition was sustained across Tier 2–6 cities.
- Early CPI remained under ₹1, showcasing cost-effective scaling with our strategic lead generation plan.
2. Surge in Course Enrollments
- Course enrollments rose more than 6x, driven by deeper funnel optimization.
- Transition from install to purchase targeting boosted bottom-funnel actions.
- Bilingual creatives and localized targeting enhanced relatability and conversions.
3. Exponential Growth in Conversion Value
- Revenue from course enrollments saw over 700x growth over the campaign period.
- Optimized onboarding and user journey design improved purchase likelihood.
- Performance-based budget scaling unlocked higher-value users.
4. Efficient Cost Per Install (CPI)
- Early-phase CPIs were kept under ₹1 while maintaining quality installs.
- Even at large scale, CPI increases were proportionate and manageable.
- Budget logic and creative testing helped sustain low acquisition costs.
5. Consistently Strong Install-to-Purchase Rate
- App install to course purchase conversion rate remained between 7.3–8.5%.
- Funnel predictability improved with full-funnel tracking and creative strategy.
- Retained user quality despite broadened targeting.
6. Sustained Impact Despite Scale
- While app install-to-impression rate dipped as reach expanded, enrollments stayed high.
- Campaign learnings enabled smarter audience expansion without losing efficiency.
- Strategic bid shifts and longer learning windows ensured algorithmic stability.
Key Achievements
- App installs increased by over 450% from the initial to the peak campaign months.
- Early CPI remained under ₹1, displaying cost-effective scaling.
- Course enrollments increased by 6X.
- Revenue from course enrollments increased by 700X.
- App install to course purchase conversion rate remained between 7.3% and 8.5%.