R
Ravi the Revenue-Focused
Persona · Paid promotion / "Promote My App" gap
Chapter 1 of 7 · Microsoft Store Discoverability
WHOSE PAIN

Meet Ravi,
the dev willing to pay.

Indie dev. Free productivity app, live 4 months. Organic discovery isn't working. He has $200/month of his own money to spend. On Apple he uses Apple Ads Basic; on Google he uses App Campaigns — both self-serve in the same console he manages his app from.

On Microsoft Store, the equivalent doesn't exist. No "Promote My App" button in Partner Center.

Apple Ads Basic: self-serve in App Store Connect
Google App Campaigns: 5 networks from one campaign
MS "Promote My App" button: none
MS Store Ads: contact sales
Ravi · indie dev with budget
feeling: tried organic, wants to spend to be discovered
What Ravi does on each store today
Apple
Opens Apple Ads Basic inside App Store Connect. "Promote an App" → choose app, countries, monthly budget, suggested CPI. Save.
Google
Opens Google Ads → New campaign → App promotion. One campaign serves on Search + Play + YouTube + Discover + Display Network.
Microsoft
No Promote My App surface in Partner Center. The canonical program (App Campaigns) lives behind a 9-question Interest Form. You apply, you wait.
THE PAIN

"No 'Promote My App'
button anywhere."

"There is no 'Promote My App' button anywhere in the developer experience."

Ravi opens Partner Center expecting a "Promote My App" button. There isn't one. The product surface he'd use to spend money doesn't exist where he'd look for it.

Microsoft has paid programs — just not in Partner Center, and not where an indie dev's first $200/month can land in minutes.

"Promote My App" in Partner Center: none
Self-serve for indie devs: no
App Campaigns entry: 9-question form, then wait
Wait time to start: up to 6+ months
MICROSOFT STORE ADS · FEB 2023 BLOG
"Ask your marketing team to reach out to their Microsoft Advertising account manager or Microsoft Store representative."
A real program. Not self-serve. Gated by a sales contact.
APP CAMPAIGNS · INTEREST FORM (LIVE TODAY)
9-question Microsoft Form. Asks for Company name, then "Estimated Monthly Budget for Microsoft App campaigns" with options "Less than $10,000 / $10,000 or more / Unsure", then "When would you expect to begin?" with options up to "6+ months".
A real program. Form collects budget tier + start-time signal, then onboards on Microsoft's timeline.
WHAT RAVI HITS

No Promote My App
button. Anywhere.

Ravi's journey today
Step 1
Opens Partner Center. Searches for "promote", "ads", "campaign".
↓
Step 2 · the pain
No button.
No surface. No link. No nav entry.
↓
Step 3
Leaves Partner Center. Google-searches Microsoft blogs. Finds 3 paid paths — all outside, all gated.
Three programs.
Zero in Partner Center.
The 3 paths Ravi finds, in order
Path 1 · the web ad platform
Microsoft Advertising
Self-serve ad platform at ads.microsoft.com. Serves Bing search, MSN feed, Outlook. You bring the link (e.g. your Store listing) and build the ad yourself.
Gate: separate console + 5-step wizard (asset group → targeting → budget → account → payment). You do the building.
Path 2 · ads INSIDE the Store
Microsoft Store Ads · Feb 2023
Sponsored placements inside the Microsoft Store with "Ad" label.
Gate: "Ask your marketing team to reach out to their account manager or Store representative."
Path 3 · across Microsoft surfaces
App Campaigns program · May 2025
One budget → Microsoft auto-runs your ad across Store + Bing + MSN + Outlook. You give the app, MS picks the placements. (Same idea as Google App Campaigns.)
Gate: 9-question Interest Form at aka.ms/appcampaigns. Asks for company name, monthly budget (Less than $10k / $10k+ / Unsure), and start-time (ASAP to 6+ months). You apply, you wait.
APPLE SHIPS IT. GOOGLE SHIPS IT.

Apple: 4 fields, instant.
Google: 5 networks, one campaign.
We: no button in Partner Center.

Apple Ads Basic · "Promote an App"Source: ads.apple.com/app-store/help/apple-ads-basic
Real Apple Ads Basic Promote an App page screenshot. Four fields: Choose an app (Sprint Pacer), Select eligible countries (91/91), Enter monthly budget ($2,000), Enter max cost-per-install (suggested $0.60). Save button. Ad preview pane on the right.
What this is in one row
1
Choose app
2
Countries
3
Monthly budget
4
Max CPI (suggested)
Click Save → live. No survey. No sales team. No minimum budget. Up to 50 apps per account. Apple automates targeting + creative from existing App Store assets.
GOOGLE ADS · APP CAMPAIGNS
One campaign reaches five networks.
Google Ads → New campaign → "App promotion" → pick platform → budget → assets. From a single setup, the campaign serves on:
Search
google.com
Play
search + related + homepage
YouTube
in-video + relevant pages
Discover
Google Discover feed
Display
Gmail + AdMob + sites
Source: Google Ads Help · support.google.com / google-ads / answer / 6247380
Apple App Store
4 fields
Apple Ads Basic · one click in App Store Connect
Google Play
5 networks
Google Ads · one App Campaign reaches all
Microsoft Store
No button
No "Promote My App" surface in Partner Center; paid programs gated outside
Entry · how Ravi starts a campaign
Self-serve dashboard inside the store console
✓
✓
✗
No minimum budget
✓
✓
✗
Live within minutes
✓
✓
✗
Reach · where the ad runs
In-Store ad placements (Search / Home / rails)
✓
✓
°
Cross-network reach from one campaign
°
✓
°
Optimisation · can Ravi tune it
Install-conversion bid optimisation
✓
✓
✗
Per-keyword Store install attribution
✓
✓
✗
IF WE GAVE RAVI THIS TOMORROW

Three moves.
One entry point.

Move 1
"Promote My App" button in Partner Center.
Single entry point on the app Overview page. No interest form, no Google-searching old blogs.
Move 2
Skip the Interest Form for small budgets.
App Campaigns Interest Form asks budget tier (less / more than $10k / unsure) + start time (up to 6+ months). Auto-onboard indie devs with under-$10k budgets — live the same hour, like Apple Ads Basic.
Move 3
4 fields, not 5 steps.
App Campaigns + Microsoft Advertising both run on a 5-step wizard. Replace with Apple-Basic 4-field form for indie devs. Power users can still drop into the full wizard.

What ships when

P0 · this sprint
Move 1.
Add the button. Zero algorithmic work.
P1 · 1Q
Move 2.
Drop the budget floor & collapse 5 steps to 4 fields.
P2 · 2Q
Move 3.
Ship the Apple-Basic 4-field form inside Partner Center.
END-GOAL · DISCOVERY MET

Paid acquisition as a two-way revenue loop.

Today · budget routed to rivals

1 · Ravi has the budget
Wants to spend on MS Store.
2 · Platform gates him
App Campaigns Interest Form asks budget tier + when you'd start (up to 6+ months). Indie devs apply and wait.
3 · Routes spend elsewhere
Pays Google App Campaigns instead. Drives MS Store installs through Google.
4 · MS loses on both sides
No ad revenue from indie devs. Indies trained to skip MS in their media plan.

After the four moves · budget stays, revenue flows

1 · Self-serve dashboard
"Promote My App" in Partner Center. 4 fields. Live in minutes.
2 · Ravi spends with us
First time MS captures the ad spend instead of routing devs to rivals.
3 · Indie devs join the funnel
$1/day campaigns supported. Long tail of indie devs now bringing budgets MS never captured before.
4 · Loop closes both ways
Devs spend on MS → install velocity climbs → organic rank improves → ad CPMs rise. MS earns. Devs earn. Catalog wakes up.
PROTOTYPE · IF RAVI HAD WHAT HE WANTED

A new Promote page
inside Partner Center.

One place to spend ad budget on Microsoft surfaces — self-serve, 4-field form, live the same hour, no Interest Form to fill.
Microsoft Partner Center
Search
Home > Insights > Promote
Overview
Apps and games
Summary
Acquisitions
Add-on acquisitions
Usage
Health
Reviews
Highlights
Insights
Product page experiments
Promote
Create campaign
XDP Analytics
Download reports
Downloads hub
Promote Apps and games
DownloadShareNotifications
Last 30 days ▾
Market: All ▾
Promote is in preview. Run paid campaigns across Microsoft Store Ads, App Campaigns, and Microsoft Advertising from a single self-serve dashboard.Send feedback
FocusDrop Timer
Overview — last 30 days
Active campaigns
View details
Paid campaigns currently delivering impressions
3
Spend
View details
Total ad spend across all networks
$840
Paid installs
View details
Attributed installs from your campaigns
312
Cost per install
View details
Spend ÷ attributed installs
$2.69
Your campaigns
CampaignNetworkDaily budgetSpend (30d)InstallsCPIStatus
FocusDrop — US launchMicrosoft Store Ads$15$420168$2.50ACTIVE
FocusDrop — UK / CAApp Campaigns (Open Beta)$10$280112$2.50ACTIVE
FocusDrop — Bing searchMicrosoft Advertising$5$14032$4.38ACTIVE
FocusDrop — Q1 burstMicrosoft Store Ads$25$1,820720$2.53Ended
Microsoft Store Ads is your best ROI at $2.50 CPI. Bing search is converting at $4.38 — double the CPI — worth reviewing keyword bids or pausing.
Available ad networks
Microsoft Store Ads
SELF-SERVE
Sponsored placements inside the Microsoft Store, labelled "Ad". Reaches users already browsing for apps.
App Campaigns
OPEN BETA · INTEREST FORM
One campaign delivered across Microsoft Store, Bing, MSN, and Outlook from one budget — MS picks the placements.
Microsoft Advertising
SELF-SERVE
Bing search, MSN feed, and Outlook ads pointing to your Store listing.