What’s in this article:
- In-app inboxes are plenty valuable as they build trust and loyalty.
Mobile marketers have plenty of channels at their disposal to reach users, but the in-app inbox is often overlooked. While many marketers let the feature gather dust, it’s one of the easiest ways to reach users while they’re actively engaging with your content. Push notifications and email campaigns are still certainly useful, but with just a little effort, timing, and a sprinkle of good copy, mobile marketers can lower their churn rates and raise their revenue with in-app inboxes.
Become the best CRMer you can:
CRM Hack: Monitoring the User’s Heartbeat
What Does It Mean to Treat a Customer’s Email With Respect?
To Lock or Not to Lock Customers (into CRM Journeys)
What the Efforts to Promote Responsible Gaming Look Like Form the Inside
What is an in-app inbox?
An in-app inbox is a place to send any messaging related to your app directly to your users without bugging them with obtrusive push notifications. You don’t even have to worry about the permissions-based nature of notifications and emails for in-app inboxes, as they exist solely when the user has the app open. That’s not an excuse to bombard users with valueless promotions when they’re trying to engage with your brand — that’ll just prompt people to ignore or, worse, uninstall — but it does mean that all of your users will be notified of desired actions, upcoming in-app events, and more. The in-app inbox is a way to engross users and build loyalty, but only if you leverage it properly.
In-app inboxes versus email and push notifications
Push notifications are instrumental to engaging your users when they’re outside your app, as they encourage immediate actions and can bring back lapsed users. However, they can also be a nuisance. If a user is, listening to music, then your push notification firing off at an inopportune time is simply annoying. We’ve all been interrupted by notifications when a song is transitioning to its chorus, we’re showing a video to a friend, or a key piece of evidence is about to be revealed in a true crime podcast. It’s never fun, and it certainly doesn’t make users see the value of your app. Meanwhile, email notifications feature an entirely different suite of issues. Users can unsubscribe or mark your email as spam, which negatively impacts your entire email marketing campaign. The in-app inbox circumvents those problems, only prompting the user when they’re already engaged or have time to clear a badge notification. Don’t ignore the other channels — they’re proven marketing tools — but don’t let your app go without an in-app inbox either.
How to leverage an in-app inbox
The in-app inbox is all about timing and context. When users perform an action in your app, the in-app inbox should take that into account and generate messages based on them. Send each message with a “right now” call to action, but also let them come back to the messages if they don’t check them right away. When used correctly, in-app inbox messages direct users to a desired action or lucrative promotion, spotlight a specific feature, or alert the user to an in-app event.
Remember: when a user sees a message from the in-app inbox, they are already engaged with your content. If you’re putting contextual, value-rich messages in front of them, they’ll be more receptive to similar messaging in the future. Conversely, if you send messages that are frustrating or irrelevant to their in-app tasks, block a portion of their screen for too long, or prompt them to take an action as soon as they open the app, you may scare them away.
Finally, in-app inboxes should have personalized messages in them. Psychology is on your side. Notifications can cause a positive stimulus, so your users are primed to check on in-app inboxes already. When marketers combine that positive stimulus with rewarding content, it encourages users to stay tuned for the latest offers, events, and features that come to the app. Ask yourself how you’re communicating with users in your app currently. If you aren’t using an in-app inbox, you’re letting a churn-reducing channel for engaging users sail down the river.