Push notifications are messages sent directly to your customers' mobile devices, allowing you to engage with them in real-time. In-app campaigns, on the other hand, are interactive in-app pop-ups that appear within the app to guide user actions, promote offers, and deliver relevant content.
When used together, these two features can help guide users through their journey, from re-engagement to conversion, creating a seamless and impactful experience that drives results.
In this article, you’ll learn:
How push notifications and in-app campaigns complement each other
When and why to combine these two tools inside your mobile app
How using both features together helps guide users from re-engagement to action
How consistent in-app campaigns can build habits, leading to long-term retention and predictable conversions
Let’s go through how push notifications and in-app campaigns work together to improve user engagement and guide users through their journey.
Push Notifications vs In-App Campaigns
Push notifications are designed to bring your users back into the app.
In-app campaigns continue the experience after the app is opened. They allow you to guide users inside the app by highlighting the right message, ensuring offers are visible, and helping users complete the intended actions.
When to pair Push Notifications with Campaigns
By having a campaign in place, you ensure that the message introduced by the push notification is clearly reinforced inside the app, no matter how the user enters.
The campaign creates continuity between the re-engagement moment and the in-app experience, keeping attention focused and reducing friction.
Pairing push notifications with in-app campaigns makes sense whenever:
A message should be both announced and reinforced
Timing and visibility inside the app are important
You want to guide users smoothly from entry to action
This combined approach is especially effective for moments where clarity, timing, and focus matter, such as:
Early access launches
Product drops
Limited-time offers
Bundles and promotions
Together, push notifications initiate the return visit, while in-app campaigns ensure that the visit delivers on its intent.
Building Conversion & Retention Loops
Push notifications are a powerful way to bring customers back into your mobile app. They remind people that your brand exists and give them a reason to return.
But opening the app is only the first step. What matters most is what happens next.
This is where in-app campaigns play a critical role. By consistently showing relevant offers, messages, or actions inside the app, you train users to expect value every time they open it.
Consistency is the key. When in-app campaigns are used regularly, not just occasionally, customers develop a habit of checking the app because they know there’s always something worth seeing.
Over time, your app becomes a place of opportunity, not just a store. These habits are what drive long-term retention, and that retention is what leads to consistent, predictable conversions.
💡 Tip
You can use a push notification to spark curiosity, letting customers know there’s something special waiting for them in the app, and then rely on an in-app campaign to guide them to the offer once they open it, increasing the chance of conversion. |
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Combining Push Notifications & In-App Campaigns
Using push notifications and in-app campaigns together can be extremely effective, but only when they’re used with intention. Small missteps in timing, messaging, or consistency can weaken the experience and reduce impact.
This section highlights the mistakes you should avoid when combining these two features, so you can avoid confusing users, overwhelming them, or missing opportunities to build lasting engagement and retention:
Showing too many campaigns at once: Stacking multiple in-app campaigns after a push can overwhelm users. One clear message tied to the push intent is more effective than competing offers.
Inconsistent messaging between push and campaign: If the push promises one thing and the in-app campaign highlights something else, trust and clarity break down. Both should reinforce the same goal.
Overusing push notifications instead of relying on in-app guidance: Push notifications should trigger the visit, not carry the entire message. Overloading pushes with details reduces their impact and can lead to opt-outs.
Being inconsistent with campaigns over time: Running campaigns only occasionally makes it harder to build habits. Consistency is what trains users to expect value when opening the app.
All done! You're now ready to use push notifications and in-app campaigns most effectively together!
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