This document discusses best practices for push and in-app marketing campaigns on mobile apps. It provides tips for subscriber engagement, message personalization and timing, audience segmentation, call-to-action language, and metrics measurement. Examples are given for push notifications in ecommerce, fitness, and other apps, as well as in-app messages targeting coupons, surveys, and rewards. The future of engagement is addressed through richer push notifications, interactivity, location awareness, and personalization across channels. Key takeaways emphasize targeting the right audience with timed, tested, and automated campaigns to improve conversions.

1. Do’s & Don’ts
STELLAR PUSH AND IN-APP
MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
THE
OF

2. #AppAnswers
CO-SPONSOR

3. #AppAnswers
MEET YOUR HOSTS
Annum Munir
Content Marketing Manager
@annummunir
Greg Kendall
App Marketing Expert
@g_kendall

4. AGENDA
1. Mobile Engagement
2. Best Practices of Push & In-App
Messages
3. Stellar Examples
4. Future of Engagement
5. Key Takeaways, Next Steps, Q&A
#AppAnswers

5. OVERVIEW OF
MOBILE ENGAGEMENT
#AppAnswers

6. APPS DOWNLOADED EVERY
SECOND
- TechCrunch

7. MOBILE APP
USERS IN 2017
- Portio Research

8. BUT WAIT…
#AppAnswers

9. OF APPS
ARE USED
ONLY
- Localytics
ONCE

10. What is Mobile Engagement?
#AppAnswers
• Users continually
return to your
app
• One-timers turn
into power users
Welcome
back!

11. HOW TO ENGAGE USERS:
PUSH & IN-APP MESSAGING
#AppAnswers

12. What are Push Messages?
#AppAnswers
• Delivered to home screen
when user is outside your
app
• Drive attention and traffic
back to app

13. Remember
me?
Oh yes!
Nice to see
you again.

14. What are In-App Messages?
#AppAnswers
• Displayed while user is
actively using your app
• Drive interaction and
discovery within app

15. That is
cool!
Check out
this cool
feature.

16. SUCCESSFUL MOBILE MARKETING:
BEST PRACTICES OF PUSH MESSAGES
#AppAnswers

17. OF
SMARTPHONE
USERS HAVE
ENABLED PUSH
NOTIFCATIONS
- Responsys

18. OF CELL PHONE USERS HAVE
SLEPT WITH THEIR PHONES SO
THEY DON’T MISS A NOTIFICATION
- Pew Research Center

19. PUSH IS POWERFUL IF YOU DO IT
RIGHT
#AppAnswers

20. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#1 Make it easy to
subscribe (in and out)

21. #AppAnswers
Ask users to opt in
Be transparent about
types of notifications
Make it difficult to
opt out
Do’s & Don’ts
Highlight benefits of
subscribing

22. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#2 Create audiences

23. #AppAnswers
Group people based on
important characteristics
Target push messages to
right segments
Employ a “one size
fits all” strategy
Do’s & Don’ts

24. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#3 Use personalized,
actionable language

25. #AppAnswers
Use language that
conveys urgency
Clearly state offer with
action steps
Always guide users to
app home screen
(use deep linking instead!)
Do’s & Don’ts
Personalize messages based on user segments

26. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#4 Carefully control
timing

27. #AppAnswers
Use local push timing
(people sleep!)
Also customize messages
based on holidays
Forget to expire
messages when they go
out of date
Do’s & Don’ts

28. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#5 Identify the right
frequency

29. #AppAnswers
Figure out what frequency
suits your audience
(depends on type of app)
Send messages too
frequently
Do’s & Don’ts

30. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#6 A/B test to see
what text works best

31. #AppAnswers
Test different action
words, phrases, offers,
message lengths, etc.
Be afraid to experiment
Do’s & Don’ts

32. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#7 Use marketing
automation

33. #AppAnswers
Auto-enroll new users
into campaigns
Chain push messages in a
series to regularly nurture
Let manual roadblocks
make you miss
opportunities to
convert
Do’s & Don’ts

34. BEST PRACTICES
OF PUSH:
#AppAnswers
#8 Measure the
metrics that matter

35. #AppAnswers
Identify and track relevant
metrics
Use app analytics to
improve app marketing
(closed loop system)
Focus on just app opens
Do’s & Don’ts

36. STELLAR EXAMPLES
TOP 3 PUSH CAMPAIGNS BY
INDUSTRY
#AppAnswers

37. M/ECOMMERCE
APPS:
#AppAnswers
Limited time deals
based on hobbies
$

38. #AppAnswers
Target habits
and likes
Convey urgency
Call-to-action
Communicate
special offers

39. FITNESS APPS:
#AppAnswers
Keep users on track

40. #AppAnswers
Use push for
motivation and
accountability
Keep users
engaged and
working toward
goals

41. ALL APPS:
#AppAnswers
Highlight new features

42. #AppAnswers
Drive app traffic
and exploration
Highlight cool
features
Use deep linking

43. PUSH MESSAGING:
KEY TAKEAWAYS
#AppAnswers

44. Push Messages:
Drive app traffic
Simple format
Outside app (loud)

45. SUCCESSFUL MOBILE MARKETING:
BEST PRACTICES OF IN-APP MESSAGING
#AppAnswers

46. What are In-App Messages?
#AppAnswers
• Displayed while user is
actively using your app
• Drive interaction and
discovery within app

47. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#1 Find the right
audience

48. #AppAnswers
Identify key attributes
users should share
Segment your ideal
audience
Build in-app
messages without
targeting specific
groups
Do’s & Don’ts

49. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#2 Analyze your funnels

50. #AppAnswers
Pinpoint important user
actions within app
Analyze how users are
moving through funnels
Create campaigns
that don’t correspond
to conversion steps
Do’s & Don’ts

51. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#3 Create a personalized
offer

52. #AppAnswers
Determine offer and
preceding conversion steps
Align with right audience
Integrate offer into funnel
Make offer feel intrusive
or unnatural
Do’s & Don’ts

53. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#4 Write compelling
content

54. #AppAnswers
Speak to benefits
Make value-add clear
(“What’s in it for me?”)
Use actionable language
Make it too long
Do’s & Don’ts

55. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#5 Add a clear
call-to-action

56. #AppAnswers
Make CTA highly visual
Use quick verbs to convey
action
Make button too
small to click
Do’s & Don’ts

57. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#6 Incorporate visual
branding

58. #AppAnswers
Maintain brand identity
with typeface and color
Experiment with visual
elements
(like borders, icons, etc.)
Make in-app message
look like an ad
Do’s & Don’ts

59. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#7 Use marketing
automation

60. #AppAnswers
Auto-enroll new users
into campaigns
Chain messages so it’s not
a “one-and-done”
Let manual roadblocks
slow down conversion
abilities
Do’s & Don’ts

61. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#8 A/B test

62. #AppAnswers
Test different content,
layout, timing, etc.
Fail to get additional
insights by not
changing things
Do’s & Don’ts

63. BEST PRACTICES
OF IN-APP:
#AppAnswers
#9 Measure and
repeat

64. #AppAnswers
Always measure all
campaigns
Track important metrics
(like impressions, click-through
rates, etc.)
Keep app analytics separate
from app marketing
Do’s & Don’ts

65. STELLAR EXAMPLES
TOP 3 IN-APP CAMPAIGNS BY
INDUSTRY
#AppAnswers

66. M/ECOMMERCE
APPS:
#AppAnswers
Coupons after viewing
product
$

67. MORE LIKELY TO REDEEM
MOBILE COUPONS VS.
PRINT COUPONS
- Juniper Research
CONSUMERS ARE

68. #AppAnswers
Concise text to
communicate
offer
Brand color
incorporated
Clear CTA
Triggered after
product view
(based on in-app
behavior)

69. TRAVEL APPS:
#AppAnswers
Reward signing in/up

70. #AppAnswers
“Do this to earn
rewards”
Large enough
to click
Actionable
CTA
Highlight
benefit

71. ALL APPS:
#AppAnswers
NPS survey

72. #AppAnswers
Warm
messaging
Easy to answer
1 question
survey
Promoters can
be further
nurtured to
rate app in
app store
(detractors can
provide feedback)

73. IN-APP MESSAGING:
KEY TAKEAWAYS
#AppAnswers

74. In-App Messages:
Drive discovery &
interaction
Rich design
Inside app (subtle)

75. MOBILE ENGAGEMENT:
THE FUTURE
#AppAnswers

76. #AppAnswers
FUTURE OF
ENGAGEMENT:
Android

77. Richer Push Notifications
• Messages with images
(not just app icons)
• More interactive push
notifications
(less friction)
• More A/B testing variations
to play with
#AppAnswers

78. #AppAnswers
FUTURE OF
ENGAGEMENT:
Apple

79. iOS
• Push notifications turned
on by default
• Interactive push allows
users to respond without
launching app
• New potential for what
push can do
(Type reply, confirm, like, etc.)
#AppAnswers

80. #AppAnswers
FUTURE OF
ENGAGEMENT:
Proximity awareness

81. Geofencing

82. iBeacons

83. #AppAnswers
FUTURE OF
ENGAGEMENT:
Personalization

84. User Profiles

85. #AppAnswers
FUTURE OF
ENGAGEMENT:
Multi-channel
approach

86. Multi-channel approach

87. MOBILE IS GOING TO CHANGE…
#AppAnswers

88. BUT THESE THINGS WILL REMAIN
TRUE
#AppAnswers

89. KEY BEST PRACTICES OF:
TOP-PERFORMING CAMPAIGNS
#AppAnswers

90. Key Components of Awesome App Marketing
WHO:
Segmented audience
Targeted offers
Carefully timed
A/B tested and automated
Improve conversions
WHAT:
WHEN:
HOW:
WHY:

91. WHAT DO I DO NOW?
NEXT STEPS
#AppAnswers

92. ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES OF KILLER APP
MARKETING
#AppAnswers
DOWNLOAD NOW

93. Q&A
#AppAnswers