At Smadex, success in the fintech market means blending precision, personalization, and performance. It’s about helping fintech apps connect with the right users: those ready to register, deposit, and engage long-term. That’s why we sat down with Jennifer Chan, our Senior Client Growth Manager for APAC, for insights about acquiring high-value users, localizing strategies, and building trust in the Fintech’s competitive and highly regulated space.

“There are four key strategies I think are worth highlighting:

1. Prioritize high-value users. Focus on acquiring users that are most likely to register and make deposits, as their strong engagement and monetization potential drive better results.

2. Leverage advanced testing. Use methods like incrementality and geo-lift studies to accurately measure the true impact of your efforts.

3. Localize your creatives. Tailor content to regional preferences and current promotions to increase relevance and boost conversion rates.

4. Optimize around key events. Concentrate on milestones like First-Time Deposits to attract users with higher lifetime value and improved retention.”

“Given the competitive and sensitive landscape of fintech mobile advertising, personalization is a critical driver of high performance. Users are far more likely to engage with ads that demonstrate an understanding of their individual needs. This makes it necessary to tailor creatives based on factors like user intent, demographics, app usage, and financial goals, which demonstrably boost engagement, conversion rates, and retention.

Equally vital for success is localization. Adapting ads with region-specific offers, currencies, and even regulatory language serves to build trust with users in those markets and ultimately leads to improved overall campaign results.”

“Fintech apps can capture user attention by focusing on three core pillars: clarity, personalization, and value-driven messaging. Here are some key strategic tips to emphasize these:

• Simplify complex concepts with clear visuals and concise copy to build trust quickly. For instance, short videos highlighting features like instant transfers, investment tools, or rewards can effectively showcase the app’s value.
• Tailor creatives to user segments. Emphasize security and ease of use for first-time users, while promoting advanced options like stock trading or portfolio insights to more experienced audiences.
• Localize content to resonate with regional language, culture, and current events to make campaigns feel relevant and timely.”

“One standout success story is with a global and multi-asset online trading platform. They were looking to scale user acquisition while optimizing for quality and ROI. Smadex focused on driving first-time deposits (FTDs) efficiently across their top-performing markets. We achieved up to a 60% reduction in cost per first-time depositor (CPFTD). This not only improved campaign efficiency but also ensured sustainable user acquisition at scale.

The campaign also delivered strong incremental results, including:

• 74.4% lift in app installs
• 11.75% lift in first-time deposits
• 15% lift in registrations

These results have translated into measurable ROI growth and long-term user value for them, underscoring how Smadex’s performance-driven approach can help fintech apps hit and exceed their growth goals.”

“This year, fintech apps expect to prioritize hyper-personalization, deeper service integration, and stronger regulatory compliance. Users want tailored experiences, and fintech is expanding into areas like crypto and embedded finance while navigating stricter regulations on data privacy. For advertisers, the focus is shifting from sheer volume to ROI-driven acquisition, targeting high-intent users and valuing long-term engagement.

At Smadex, we’re aligned with this shift, offering customized algorithms (LGBM), incrementality measurement, and creative strategies tailored to key fintech KPIs like registrations and first-time deposits.”