How App Academy Scaled Growth with Paid Media Excellence
Context
App Academy is a leading coding bootcamp dedicated to building the next generation of software engineers. With a goal of dramatically increasing high-quality student applications, App Academy engaged Ads by Jer to overhaul and scale their Paid Search and Paid Social programs for maximum efficiency and reach.
The Challenge
App Academy needed to expand its digital pipeline while facing saturated paid channels and rising cost-per-acquisition. Their paid search and social structures relied on broad targeting, lacked segmentation, and delivered inconsistent funnel attribution—making it difficult to scale qualified enrollments at sustainable costs.
Approach
Ads by Jer delivered a full-funnel, data-driven transformation, including:
Segmented paid search campaigns by intent and geographic region, shifting budgets toward high-converting keywords and localized landing pages.
Introduced advanced creative formats and A/B tested CTAs across all major social platforms.
Built robust retargeting pools and launched cross-channel remarketing to re-engage prospective students.
Consolidated reporting into a single dashboard, measuring cost-per-application, conversion rates, and channel ROI in real time.
Incrementally increased paid media investment by 15% month-over-month, using clear performance guardrails to guide spend across branded and non-branded campaigns.
Results
Decreased blended cost-per-application (CPA) by 29% over six months, while simultaneously achieving a 2.1x increase in qualified applications.
Rolled out paid campaigns in four new geographic markets, driving a 38% increase in out-of-region program interest.
Upgraded retargeting and landing page experience, resulting in a 44% lift in lead-to-enrollment conversion rates.
Delivered efficient, sustainable growth—allowing App Academy to rapidly scale programs while maximizing return on ad spend.