4 Mobile Marketing and User Retention Strategies

User Retention and Mobile Marketing are extremely important, especially for mobile applications that are ad supported and reliant on a user base. Mobile marketers are constantly trying to determine how to retain customers; therefore they must think creatively and determine how to sustain a steady user base.

Mobile Marketing and Retention Tactic #1: Push messaging that is Contextual, Not Irritating and has an Engaging Headline.

Push messaging is a valuable tool when executed properly, but can lead to a user deleting an app or sharing negative comments via social broadcasting. When creating a push messaging strategy it is important to consider the time of day, the type of application, and how the user will respond. For example, CNBC has a great mobile application that I use for researching financial markets and obtaining business information, they send out push messaging that includes breaking stories within the trading day. Sometimes, the messaging is irritating (like when your in a meeting and a notification goes off) but approximately 25% of the time I click through and open the app because I want to read content that is relevant. The other 75% of the time I am educated on a current business, simply from the headline and it acts as a conversation piece while interacting with a client or trying to extend my network.

Martin Fisch via Compfight

Mobile Marketing and Retention Tactic #2:Listen to User Needs and Objectives

Qualitative and quantitative data is tremendously valuable to marketers and app developers. It is crucial to have a section within a mobile application that allows users to give feedback. The marketing team can use push messaging to provide notifications and a call to action to feedback areas of the application. It is important to create an incentive because no one likes filling out a survey or providing feedback, unless they are unsatisfied. Try using contesting to incentivize users and improve product development.

Mobile Marketing and Retention Tactic #3: New Member Drip Campaigns

Email with well-written subject lines, creativity and interesting copy is a great way to establish a relationship with a new user. A drip campaign is a gradual direct marketing strategy that educates new users on product features, contests, promotions, testimonials, etc. For example, a drip campaign strategy would send a new user an email on day 1, day 4, day 7, day 14, and day 21 therefore maintaining top of mind awareness and increasing user retention. Drip campaigns are important to user retention because they “strike while the iron is hot”, provide insight to the user, help refresh the memory of new users and an create engaged audience, therefore leading to retention.

Mobile Marketing and Retention Tactic #4: Event Based Emails

Facebook is the king of event based emails, anytime someone socializes via their platform, the user gets an email, which increases user retention and time on site. It is important to role out event-based emails that are contextual to the application.