In App Marketing
In App Notifications
When you think of notifications for a mobile app, you probably think of push notifications. They are widely used and proven to be effective at increasing mobile app launches. In fact, thousands of new apps in Apple’s app store and the Google play store use push notifications frequently.
But unlike push notifications, in-app notifications can provide users with a quick and obvious action to take. Users also find them far less intrusive and more helpful, since they’ve already opened the app when they show up.
The value of in-app notifications is twofold
Notifications can be used to build habitual behavior. Think of a Pinterest user opening the app and immediately checking to see who repinned their content.
Most app users don’t experience all the features an app has to offer. In-app notifications can drive users deeper into an app by showing them new or unused features.
See the red “New” badge in the screenshot above? It’s designed to show users a new feature, but it also draws the user in as soon as they open the app. It prompts immediate action, meaning users have a clear place to tap. Without a suggestion for immediate action, users could lose interest and leave the app.
You can also use in-app notifications to
Update users about activity since their last visit
Point out new features or updates
Suggest people, places, or things to follow
As with all notifications, you should run some tests to figure out how often they should be used. You want to deploy notifications often enough that users find value in them, but not so often that it irritates them.
Tooltips
Tooltips are the overlays that show users where to navigate or how to use an app. While tooltips are most often used to introduce new users to an app, they can also be used to encourage a habitual behavior or direct users to new or underused features.
You probably try to make your app as easy as possible to use, but that doesn’t eliminate the need for tutorials and walkthroughs. Tooltips are a good way to make easy-to-use apps even easier. Use them to:
- Show users where to tap
- Create simple tutorials
- Explain where to find features, configure settings, etc.
Splash Pages
A splash page is the equivalent of a full-screen pop-up. It requires the user to take action, whether they are responding to a call to action or opting out.
Splash pages are useful for pre-empting system prompts. In the example below, the app informs the user that it’s going to ask for permission to send notifications, and explains why allowing notifications is beneficial.
This works for other system prompts as well, like asking for access to the photo library, camera, microphone, and location. It asks the user to make a decision, and gives them the context they need to allow it without feeling uncertain or unsafe.
In-App Messages
Many apps take advantage of in-app messages to communicate with their users. In-app notifications can drive users to an inbox, where they can get long-form messages from the app maker.
In-app messages can be used to:
- Send promotions to users (“50% off until tomorrow”)
- Ask users to take an action (e.g., write a review, read a blog post, start a meditation challenge)
- Remind users to finish a task (“You’re almost done!”)
Provide updates (“74 people read your review”)
While in-app messages are often used for promotion, they can also be used for two-way communication. You can do this at scale by sending surveys or asking for feedback, or you can send one-off messages to check in with high-value users — or those who might be about to churn.
Modals
In-app modals are full window overlays that temporarily overtake the user’s behavior, and require interaction to be dismissed. Carefully placed modals can drive sales, subscriptions, or upgrades to higher tier plans.
Just like notifications, modal windows should be used carefully. You should make them timely and personalized to avoid annoying users. You might try them to:
- Upgrade users to a paid subscription
- Ask users to invite friends
- Suggest that the user creates an account or logs in
- Tell users about new features, products or promotions
Modals are incredibly useful mobile marketing tools when used correctly. Like all in-app marketing, plan to run tests on your modal windows to optimize their timing, messaging, and calls to action.