Fintech Marketing: Sling Money from installs to high-value users
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The Challenge
Sling Money is a fintech app designed to make moving money simple but scaling user growth efficiently presented a challenge.
While installs were growing, too many users weren’t progressing to meaningful actions like transactions. At the same time, limited visibility into post-install behaviour and strict Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations made it harder to optimise campaigns and iterate on creative.
As spend increased, performance risked plateauing. Unlocking the next stage of growth required more than acquisition volume. It required rebuilding the system around higher-quality signals and smarter optimisation.
Rebuilding Tracking & Attribution
To enable meaningful optimisation, the tracking infrastructure was completely overhauled. Meta’s SDK was implemented to capture in-app events, while Firebase was integrated with Google Ads to improve visibility into post-install behaviour. Attribution was structured through AppsFlyer to create a single source of truth.
This shift allowed both platforms to optimise toward real user actions, rather than just installs.
Optimising for Transactions
With better data in place, campaign optimisation shifted away from installs and toward transaction events and high-intent user behaviour.
This fundamentally changed performance. Instead of driving volume, the platforms began prioritising users who were more likely to generate revenue, significantly improving overall acquisition quality.
Platform & Account Restructuring
The acquisition setup across Meta and Google was restructured to support scalable growth. Campaign architecture was rebuilt around event-based optimisation, while automation and platform best practices were introduced to accelerate learning.
This created a more stable and scalable foundation, allowing spend to increase without compromising efficiency.
Turning Compliance into a Growth Lever
Operating within FCA guidelines required careful control over messaging and creative. Rather than limiting performance, this became an opportunity to build trust-led campaigns with clear, compliant communication.
By aligning performance marketing with regulatory standards, campaigns were able to convert effectively while maintaining full compliance.
Creative System & UGC Scaling
To unlock scale, a structured creative testing system was introduced. UGC-style content was developed and tested across multiple formats, with rapid iteration on hooks, messaging, and positioning.
This approach enabled continuous discovery of high-performing creatives, while reducing the impact of fatigue and keeping performance stable as spend increased.
AI-Driven Optimisation
With high-quality conversion signals feeding into the platforms, campaigns were able to fully leverage automation and AI-driven optimisation.
Learning phases became more efficient, and performance improved as budgets scaled — ensuring growth did not come at the expense of efficiency.
Competitive Positioning
A detailed analysis of the fintech landscape revealed gaps in competitor messaging and positioning. These insights informed new creative angles and helped differentiate Sling Money in a crowded market.
This ensured campaigns weren’t just optimised — they were strategically positioned to win attention.
Building a Repeatable Creative Pipeline
To sustain long-term performance, a repeatable system for creative ideation and refresh cycles was introduced. New concepts were continuously developed and tested, ensuring a steady flow of fresh assets.
This reduced performance drop-offs and made scaling more predictable over time.
The Results
Shifting optimisation toward transaction events led to a clear improvement in user quality, with campaigns attracting more valuable, high-intent users.
Paid acquisition was successfully scaled across Meta and Google while maintaining efficient CAC, supported by a robust tracking and attribution system.
At the same time, a repeatable creative engine was established, providing a sustainable foundation for ongoing growth.
Sling Money is a fintech app designed to make moving money simple but scaling user growth efficiently presented a challenge.
While installs were growing, too many users weren’t progressing to meaningful actions like transactions. At the same time, limited visibility into post-install behaviour and strict Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations made it harder to optimise campaigns and iterate on creative.
As spend increased, performance risked plateauing. Unlocking the next stage of growth required more than acquisition volume. It required rebuilding the system around higher-quality signals and smarter optimisation.
Rebuilding Tracking & Attribution
To enable meaningful optimisation, the tracking infrastructure was completely overhauled. Meta’s SDK was implemented to capture in-app events, while Firebase was integrated with Google Ads to improve visibility into post-install behaviour. Attribution was structured through AppsFlyer to create a single source of truth.
This shift allowed both platforms to optimise toward real user actions, rather than just installs.
Optimising for Transactions
With better data in place, campaign optimisation shifted away from installs and toward transaction events and high-intent user behaviour.
This fundamentally changed performance. Instead of driving volume, the platforms began prioritising users who were more likely to generate revenue, significantly improving overall acquisition quality.
Platform & Account Restructuring
The acquisition setup across Meta and Google was restructured to support scalable growth. Campaign architecture was rebuilt around event-based optimisation, while automation and platform best practices were introduced to accelerate learning.
This created a more stable and scalable foundation, allowing spend to increase without compromising efficiency.
Turning Compliance into a Growth Lever
Operating within FCA guidelines required careful control over messaging and creative. Rather than limiting performance, this became an opportunity to build trust-led campaigns with clear, compliant communication.
By aligning performance marketing with regulatory standards, campaigns were able to convert effectively while maintaining full compliance.
Creative System & UGC Scaling
To unlock scale, a structured creative testing system was introduced. UGC-style content was developed and tested across multiple formats, with rapid iteration on hooks, messaging, and positioning.
This approach enabled continuous discovery of high-performing creatives, while reducing the impact of fatigue and keeping performance stable as spend increased.
AI-Driven Optimisation
With high-quality conversion signals feeding into the platforms, campaigns were able to fully leverage automation and AI-driven optimisation.
Learning phases became more efficient, and performance improved as budgets scaled — ensuring growth did not come at the expense of efficiency.
Competitive Positioning
A detailed analysis of the fintech landscape revealed gaps in competitor messaging and positioning. These insights informed new creative angles and helped differentiate Sling Money in a crowded market.
This ensured campaigns weren’t just optimised — they were strategically positioned to win attention.
Building a Repeatable Creative Pipeline
To sustain long-term performance, a repeatable system for creative ideation and refresh cycles was introduced. New concepts were continuously developed and tested, ensuring a steady flow of fresh assets.
This reduced performance drop-offs and made scaling more predictable over time.
The Results
Shifting optimisation toward transaction events led to a clear improvement in user quality, with campaigns attracting more valuable, high-intent users.
Paid acquisition was successfully scaled across Meta and Google while maintaining efficient CAC, supported by a robust tracking and attribution system.
At the same time, a repeatable creative engine was established, providing a sustainable foundation for ongoing growth.
"Oliver managed paid acquisition for Sling Money across Meta and Google and played a key role in scaling our user growth.
He brought a very structured approach to performance marketing, continuously testing creatives, audiences and campaign structures while keeping a strong focus on CAC and downstream user quality.
Oliver quickly understood the nuances of marketing a fintech app and consistently optimised campaigns for meaningful users rather than just installs, which made a real difference to our growth.
I’d strongly recommend Oliver to any app brand looking to scale paid acquisition effectively."
Alex Wilson - Head of Growth
