Why In-App Messages Are Important to Your Cross-Channel Strategy

There’s a reason in-app messages (IAMs) are known as customer engagement’s most effective channel. The latest data from our 2024 Global Customer Engagement Review—which includes the comprehensive analysis of the interactions of 9 billion users with nearly 1,000 companies that use the Braze customer engagement platform—reveals even more reasons why in-app messages are important for customer engagement and how marketers can maximize campaign outcomes across customer activation, monetization, and retention by incorporating IAMs as part of a broader customer engagement strategy. Let’s dive into the findings.

In-app messages increase monetization KPIs

Encouraging customer monetization is key to sustainable growth, and in-app messages are an effective tool for accelerating the likelihood of a purchase being made by 20%, compared to those observed among customers who receive outreach via other channels, and by as much as 15.5X, compared to rates among customers who receive no campaigns at all. Similarly, in-app messages can supercharge repeat buyer rates, enabling brands to achieve gains of 19%, compared to when other channels are used, and +111%, compared to when customers receive no campaigns at all.

Winning Cross-Channel Combinations Featuring In-App Messages That Increase Customer Activation, Monetization, and Retention

In-app messages are a dynamic tool for engaging users directly within your app—but their power is magnified when they are part of a strategic cross-channel campaign. To uncover how leveraging in-app messages together with other channels can significantly enhance user engagement, Braze has conducted an extensive analysis of billions of interactions across hundreds of global brands. Our research identifies the most effective combinations of engagement channels for increasing app sessions, boosting purchases per user, and improving retention rates.

By integrating in-app messages into a broader marketing strategy, brands can create a more cohesive and personalized user experience. Whether used for timely updates, feature promotions, or personalized offers, in-app messages serve as a crucial touchpoint in a multi-channel approach, working synergistically with other channels to drive improved outcomes in user engagement and brand loyalty.

However, an interesting point to note is that the most impactful combinations for in-app messages are with out-of-app channels like push and SMS. This presents a great opportunity for marketers to boost their customer engagement efforts by using those quick-hit channels to drive users to their apps, where they can be engaged with more deeply by leveraging in-app messages.

How to Maximize Your In-App Messages with a Cross-Channel Engagement Strategy

Check out our new guide Mix and Match: Supercharge Engagement, Monetization, and Retention with Cross-Channel Experiences for more insights on how different channel combinations impact engagement, monetization, and retention, and how to optimize your customer engagement results channel by channel.