In-App Messaging: The Forgotten Mobile Messaging Channel

According to our latest benchmarks, roughly 55% of app users say “thanks, but no thanks” to app push notifications. It is imperative to be able to communicate to your app users because they are often your most valuable customers. So how can you engage them elsewhere? How about in the app? While push notifications are one of the most ubiquitous forms of mobile messaging, they are not the only way to reach your mobile audience.

Consider In-App Notifications

Subtle in-app notifications are served up when the user is in the app and they don’t have to have push notifications enabled to receive them. Thank your new app users for downloading your app the first time they open it with an in-app welcome notification to get them used to hearing from you in this manner. Consider updating this message seasonally.

Dedicate a Spot for Targeted Messaging

Implementing a message center is another great way to reach all of your app users regardless of opt-in status. I received an email from Zappos recently that incentivized me to check out the in-app message center by offering $10 off my next app order available only through that channel.

Connect Mobile Messaging and Email

Email is another great way to reach your mobile users to drive them into the app. By implementing a cross-channel communication strategy, it is possible to target push notification opt-outs with an email — provided they’ve authenticated in your app so you can connect the two systems.

When It Makes Sense, Try the Opt-In Message Again

Finally, while these are great ways to engage with app users, they may not provide the same experience or utility as a push notification. Consider asking the big question again around the context of utility. By building logic into your app to recapture opt-outs when it makes sense contextually, you get another bite at the mobile engagement apple.

More In-App Messaging Best Practices

Learn more about in-app messages and read up on in-app message truths and lies, reasons to implement an in-app message center and how to differentiate in-app message content from push notification content.