ˈā ˈbē ˈtes-tiŋ

A/B testing empowers marketing professionals to evaluate two distinct versions of a communication piece (or other resources) in order to establish the superior-performing option.

A/B testing refers to a method of analysis that enables the examination of a single variable within a specific customer communication, application, or webpage, among other assets. This form of testing is commonly juxtaposed with multivariate testing, which permits the evaluation of more than two communication alternatives.

Marketing experts can utilize A/B testing to ascertain the most effective iteration of a site experince, push notification, email, or other customer communication in terms of conversions or other engagement indicators. For example, one might assess two email variations to determine which subject line yields the best performance.

As a Symplify customer you will be able to run A/B tests on your sign up flow, testing messaging, imagery and design. In order to achieve an uplift.

Learn more about A/B testing in our blog posts Unveiling the Power of A/B-testing and 7 Steps to launch your own A/B testing program.

ˈapppush

App Push is part of the Symplify offering. Push notifications are a way for apps to send messages or notifications to a user even when the app is not in use. They can be sent to the user’s device by the app server or a third-party server, and can display a message, play a sound, or perform some other action.

To enable push notifications, the app must first register with a push notification service, such as Apple Push Notification service (APNS) for iOS devices or Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for Android devices. The app sends a request to the push notification service to register for push notifications and receives a device token, which is a unique identifier for the device.

When the app server or third-party server wants to send a push notification to the user, it sends a message to the push notification service, along with the device token and the notification payload. The push notification service then sends the notification to the device.

The notification payload typically includes the notification title, body, and any associated data. When the user receives the notification, it is displayed on their device and they can choose to tap on it to open the app or dismiss it.

Push notifications can be used to deliver a variety of messages to users, such as alerts, promotional offers, or updates. They can be a useful way to keep users engaged with an app and provide them with timely and relevant information.

ˌa-plə-ˈkā-shən ˈprō-ˌgram-miŋ ˈin-tər-ˌfās

API stands for Application Programming Interface.

An API encompasses a collection of protocols, routines, and tools aimed at constructing software and applications. Its purpose lies in defining the guidelines for interactions between software components, facilitating the exchange of data and information. By enabling communication between disparate systems, an API enables seamless access to the functions and data of one system by another.

“With this weather API, we’ll be able to personalize our messaging to reflect the actual weather conditions in the users’ local area.”

ˈbraʊzə pʊʃ

Browser Push is part of the Symplify offering. Browser push notifications are a type of notifications that can be sent directly to a user’s desktop or mobile device through a web browser, even when the user is not actively on the website.

Websites employ push notifications as a means to re-engage with their users by delivering pertinent and timely updates, including news, promotions, and alerts. To receive these push notifications, users are required to grant permission to the website, allowing it to send them notifications. This opt-in process ensures that users have control over the push notifications they receive from the website.

“Trigger a browser push to inform the customer of a new update or offer”

kæmˈpeɪn ˈmænɪʤə

Symplify Campaign Manager is bespoke Symplify software, which informs the next action based on the result of the latest sent campaign.

The platform then automates this entirely. For instance, customer bounces? Symplify can automate an SMS and Web Push send out asking for the customer. An elementary yet powerful example of how automate key elements of engagement and customer experience.

“Use the campaign manager to act on every eventual outcome of your typical promo offer or message.”

siː-ɛl-viː

CLV stands for Customer Lifetime Value, it’s an estimate of the total amount of money a customer is expected to spend on a company’s products or services over the course of their relationship with the business.

CLV helps companies understand the financial value of retaining a customer and guides decisions on customer acquisition and retention activities.

“Gauge how much to spend on reactvating a customer based on their CLV”

kən-ˈtrōl ˈgrüp

A control group is a segment in a test that continues to receive marketing with no change, so that you can compare results with a segment that is receiving a new campaign, channel outreach, etc.

A control group refers to a specific group of users within a test who are not exposed to the variable being tested. This group serves as a benchmark to establish a comparison data set for measuring results. When exploring a new channel or adopting a fresh approach to engage users, the control group continues to receive regular marketing activities instead of the new channel or approach. If the tested group exhibits a statistically significant increase in conversions compared to the control group, it can be inferred that the new approach was effective. However, if there is no notable difference in conversions between the two groups, it may be necessary to consider an alternative approach, as it cannot be concluded that the new tactic had an impact.

It is crucial for control groups to consist of users with similar demographics to the overall user base. This helps avoid unintended variables, such as having a predominantly female control group, which could introduce additional factors that are not part of the intended test. Additionally, it is important to establish a hypothesis before commencing the test and focus on a single variable to ensure clear and comprehensible results.

“To test how push notifications enhanced our onboarding campaign, we kept a control group (who received everything but the new push notifications) and that made it much easier to see the great effect the notifications had on the tested group.”

kən-ˈvər-zhən

A conversion is a completed action by a customer—such as a purchase—that a brand is working to encourage.

A conversion takes place when a brand effectively motivates a customer to perform a specific desired action. This action could encompass various goals, including making a purchase, clicking on a digital advertisement, opening an app, subscribing to a newsletter, or achieving any other predetermined objective. Brands typically utilize advertising and customer outreach channels like email and push notifications to drive conversions, forming integral components of their broader strategies for engagement, retention, and monetization. Through tracking conversions, brands can enhance their comprehension of the factors that influence customer behavior and gain insights into the progression of their audience along the customer journey.

“Because our brand makes its money through in-app advertising instead of purchases, the conversion we focus on the most is app opens.”

kənˈvɜːʃᵊn reɪt

CLV stands for Customer Lifetime Value, it’s an estimate of the total amount of money a customer is expected to spend on a company’s products or services over the course of their relationship with the business.

CLV helps companies understand the financial value of retaining a customer and guides decisions on customer acquisition and retention activities.

“Based on the conversion rate, we can see that customers answer better to SMS than to email”

ˈkrȯs ˈcha-nᵊl ˈme-sijiŋ /

This approach to customer engagement uses multiple messaging channels—think push notifications, email, etc.—in tandem to reach customers effectively across a variety of communication touch-points

Cross-channel messaging refers to the practice of a brand employing multiple messaging channels in a coordinated manner to communicate with customers. This approach has demonstrated its effectiveness in generating higher levels of engagement compared to using a single channel, and it has become an increasingly significant aspect of contemporary customer outreach.

When marketers adopt a cross-channel strategy, they leverage a combination of email, push notifications, in-app messages, and other conventional and modern methods to reach users across various touchpoints, ensuring they connect with customers wherever they are while maintaining a balanced approach. To successfully execute cross-channel marketing, it is crucial for all departments within an organization to communicate and collaborate effectively, even if they have different goals and priorities. This collaboration ensures a cohesive and synchronized messaging experience for customers across channels.

“There’s a big difference between knowing that a cross-channel strategy is smart business and understanding just how much adding a second marketing channel can boost engagement.”

ˈkəs-tə-mər bi-ˈhā-vyər

Customer behaviors are user actions that can be tracked and analyzed to improve marketing efforts.

Customer behavior encompasses any action taken by a customer in relation to a company, with a particular focus on trackable actions that enable marketers to glean insights and cultivate relationships. In the mobile realm, these behaviors typically indicate various forms of engagement, such as views, downloads, opt-ins, or purchases.

Understanding the types of customer behavior data that can be collected through a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is valuable. It allows marketers to target specific behaviors, thereby informing their strategies. Additionally, identifying which behaviors indicate goal achievement is crucial. For instance, if the objective is to increase engagement one month after download, the focus might be on measuring app opens, activity levels, or responses to offers in push notifications. Valuable insights can also be derived from data such as the most responsive time of day for customers and the outreach methods that entice them to click for further information. The information gathered empowers marketers to refine segmentation, enhance personalization, and increase the likelihood of reaching the right individuals with the right message at the right time.

“I’m glad we tracked those re-permission customer behaviors—now we have a much better sense of what triggers could lead up to an opt-in after onboarding.”

ˈkəs-tə-mər in-ˈgāj-mənt

Customer engagement refers to the interactions that members of your audience have with your brand, whether online or in person.

Customer engagement refers to the active interaction between a customer and a specific brand. It encompasses various actions, such as opening an app, visiting a website, commenting on a social media post, reading an email, tapping on a push notification, or physically visiting a brick-and-mortar store. To foster consistent engagement, many brands utilize customer outreach strategies, leveraging channels like email, push notifications, in-app messages, social media postings, and more.

Brands track customer engagement to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns and brand messaging. It provides valuable insights into the resonance of their marketing efforts and helps identify whether specific customers or audience segments are at risk of churn (disengagement). By monitoring engagement, brands can make informed decisions to optimize their campaigns and initiatives, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.

“Customer engagement was a problem for us until we started sending personalized emails and push notifications to people who hadn’t visited our website or app in the last week.”

ˈkəs-tə-mər i-ˈvents ˈa-trə-ˌbyüts

Customer events and attributes are data collected by a CRM on behaviors and user information that can be used to personalize outreach.

Customer events and attributes are collected by your CRM and can be used to develop segments or personalized content. Events include behavioral information about engagement and usage: number of sessions, when a message was last received, most recent purchase, etc. Attributes are data points about the user: their name, age, location, gender, favorite item, etc. Combined, this information can help you develop relevant campaigns and build relationships with customers.

This information can be used to highlight items users are more likely to be interested in, at times when they are more likely to respond, in their prefered channel. By monitoring this data, you can begin to see trends that indicate steps to greater engagement, and begin segmented campaigns to guide more users down that path. Capturing the data in your CRM is the first step, and once you have the information, you have nearly endless possibilities to personalize your outreach. But it’s important to be intentional. It will help to avoid creepy messaging if you always use it to provide value to users and help them understand how data was collected (such as asking them to complete a profile or fill out a preference center).

“Since we track a number of important customer events and attributes, we can always segment our new campaigns appropriately, so our customers are always getting a personalized experience.”

/ˈkəstəmər/ /ˈjərnē/

This term describes the full process a customer—or potential customer—goes through from the moment they become aware of your brand, until they convert into a purchasing customer or a loyal long-term user.

In the past, customers were tracked using a linear funnel model that followed the stages of awareness, interest, desire, and action. However, with the advent of new technologies and evolving business objectives, the customer journey has become significantly more complex and nuanced.

Today’s customer journey is not a straightforward path, nor is it limited to a single purchase. Instead, it encompasses various stages that can occur in a non-linear order. The modern digital customer journey involves elements such as loyalty, activity, lapses in engagement, and periods of inactivity. These stages differ from person to person, and their sequence is not consistently predictable.

It is crucial to understand the typical customer journey, have a vision of the ideal customer journey, and establish systems to effectively track and capture user attention at each stage. By gaining insights into the dynamics of the customer journey, brands can engage customers more effectively, improve their overall experience, and optimize their strategies to achieve desired outcomes.

“For most companies, today’s customer journey isn’t a straight line—and it’s not about getting people to make a single purchase, either.”

ˈkəs-tə-mər pər-ˈmi-shənz

Customer permissions are requests—for personal information, device access, and more—that brands make of members of their audience.

Customer permissions refer to the requests made by a brand to its customers within the context of a mobile app or website. These requests typically involve access to customer data, such as location or contacts, authorization to send push notifications, emails, or other messages, or the ability to utilize certain features of a customer’s smartphone or tablet, such as the camera.

Customer permissions play a significant role in modern marketing strategies as they directly impact the types of messages marketers can send and the level of customer data they can gather. The granting or denial of customer permissions influences the extent to which marketers can deliver personalized and targeted outreach to their audience. As a result, customer permissions are a crucial element in shaping and implementing effective marketing strategies in today’s digital landscape.

“It’s really hard to craft best-in-class messaging campaigns without a campaign permissions strategy in place—after all, you can’t personalize push notifications if customer don’t opt in to push and don’t give you access to personal data that you can include in your copy.”

ˈkəs-tə-mər -shən-ˌship ˈma-nij-mənt

A tool, software, or platform to help you effectively manage customer relationships and preferences.

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a technology tool or platform utilized to track customer information and assist marketers in guiding customer journeys. CRMs serve as repositories for collecting and organizing data on campaign interactions and results across all users, providing valuable support for campaign reporting and planning. Since CRMs come in various forms with unique features, it is important for companies to focus on identifying the key functionalities they require when selecting a CRM.

In recent times, CRMs have become integrated with automated marketing messaging systems, enabling marketers to leverage CRM data for sending targeted messages and campaigns. When properly set up and monitored, a robust CRM can aggregate performance statistics for user groups, offering insights that inform marketing strategies in terms of timing, design, historical trends, preferred devices and channels, and other user preferences. The data gathered within a CRM enables marketers to create highly personalized campaigns tailored to individual customer profiles and behaviors.

“Now that we have a CRM that can manage a variety of user data, we can finally personalize messages for our non-local sports fans.”

ˈkəs-tə-mər ri-ˈten(t)-shən

Customer retention rates measure how many customers a company holds onto over a given period of time.

Customer retention is a vital metric that indicates the number of customers who maintain engagement with a brand beyond their initial interaction. This metric is typically measured over a specific timeframe, such as determining how many customers from a particular cohort continue to engage two months later. Retention can be expressed in absolute numbers, such as “300 customers retained for one year,” or in percentages, for example, “a six-month customer retention rate of 20%.”

In the mobile context, customer retention carries particular significance due to the high cost associated with acquiring each new customer and the typically lower retention rates observed in most apps. As a result, many brands employ personalized outreach and other strategies to enhance their retention rates. By leveraging tailored approaches and relevant tools, brands aim to foster a stronger connection with their customers, increase engagement, and boost customer retention rates.

“The whole marketing team started getting nervous when our three-month customer retention rate dropped below 25%.”

ˈdēp ˈliŋˈkiŋ

Deep linking connects a message with a targeted piece of content within a website or mobile app, so that users are directed to their next action or engagement.

A deep link is designed to direct users to a specific web page or content within an app. For example, when sending a push notification about a deal on a particular item, you would want the deep link to lead users directly to the corresponding product listing or News Feed Card within the app. Deep linking enables you to enhance relevancy by guiding users to content that aligns with their interests. Additionally, deep linking can provide valuable insights on installation attributions, helping you track the effectiveness of your acquisition efforts.

While sharing web URLs is straightforward, the process becomes more complex for apps due to their diverse structures. To handle deep linking effectively and ensure users are directed to the intended destination, you need a dedicated solution. One option is to set up a basic URL scheme, similar to a URL but limited to users who already have your app installed. Alternatively, newer technologies like deferred and contextual links can determine whether to open the app (if installed) or redirect users to the app store for download. Implementing these systems may require modifications to your existing setup, but the investment is worthwhile as it enables a more valuable, efficient, and relevant user experience.

“We saw conversions increase dramatically when we started using deep linking—users were no longer left on a generic app page after opening a promotional notification.”

daɪˈnæmɪk wɛb

Dynamic webpages are webpages that are generated by a server-side application or script, rather than being served as a static HTML document.

Dynamic webpages are webpages that are dynamically generated by a server-side application or script, as opposed to being served as a static HTML document. Unlike static webpages that remain unchanged, dynamic webpages can adapt and modify their content based on various factors. This adaptability allows the webpage to respond to user input, time-based events, or specific user attributes like location.

Dynamic webpages enable a more interactive and personalized user experience by providing real-time updates and tailored content. Through server-side processing, the webpage can retrieve and integrate data from databases, external APIs, or user interactions to generate customized content on the fly. This dynamic nature enhances the versatility and functionality of webpages, enabling them to serve different users with relevant and up-to-date information based on specific criteria or conditions.

ˈē-ˌmāl

Email is a mobile messaging channel preferred for longer or richer content messages.

Email serves as a pivotal channel for mobile marketing, given the widespread use of email on smartphones and tablets. It is crucial for marketers to develop messages that are optimized for functionality and visual appeal across various devices. To efficiently send messages to large email subscriber lists and maintain the reputation of the IP address, marketers rely on Email Service Providers (ESPs). ESPs help ensure the successful delivery of emails, enhancing the chances of user engagement. Issues such as spam reports or high bounce rates can negatively impact the acceptance of the email domain by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and hinder email delivery.

Emails offer the advantage of delivering richer content with greater depth compared to push notifications or text messages. Certain messages, such as transactional messages, are often expected and preferred by users to be received via email for the convenience of storing and referencing receipts and confirmations. As marketers refine their email strategies and conduct more campaigns, there are various aspects to test and improve. Among them, crafting intriguing subject lines and maintaining consistent brand presence and voice within the email are crucial. These practices contribute to building stronger relationships with users and enhancing the overall effectiveness of email marketing efforts.

“Transactional emails, like payment confirmations, can sometimes get overlooked once the automation is set up, but they’re actually a great opportunity to feature additional value for users.”

ˈē-ˌmāl ˌre-pyə-ˈtā-shən di-ˈli-v(ə-)rə-ˈbi-lə-tē

Email reputation and deliverability are determined by ISPs which are more likely to deliver emails to their clients if they trust the sending IP and domain, based on previous engagement with quality emails.

The successful delivery of your sent emails depends greatly on the reputation of your IP address and domain. A positive reputation, which is typically earned through consistent sending practices and minimal spam reports, instills trust in Internet Service Providers (ISPs). As a result, ISPs are more likely to place your emails in recipients’ inboxes rather than redirecting them to spam or junk folders. It’s crucial to maintain a good reputation not only to preserve your relationship with ISPs but also to adhere to spam laws and avoid potential financial consequences.

To enhance your reputation, there are various tools available, but it’s important to adopt a long-term perspective. Implementing double opt-ins ensures that subscribers are genuine users who genuinely desire to receive your content, reducing the likelihood of them marking your emails as spam. Building or improving your reputation can be achieved through IP warming: initially sending emails to a small and engaged group, and gradually increasing the volume while maintaining high open and click rates. Implementing sunsetting policies to remove disengaged email addresses helps ensure that your list consists only of interested users, preventing accidental spam traps associated with outdated email addresses. By taking these steps and diligently monitoring your sender score, you can ensure the health of your email deliverability and maintain a positive reputation.

“Paying attention to email reputation and deliverability can help ensure that your subscribers actually get the chance to see and read your emails.”

ik-ˈsep-shən i-ˈvents

Exception events refer to user actions that halt triggered messages because they signify that the user has already achieved the intended goal.

In a triggered message campaign, exception events refer to user actions that indicate they have already achieved the desired goal. When users perform these actions, they are exempted from receiving the triggered message as it is unnecessary for them. Exception events are essential in ensuring that the messages delivered to users remain relevant and timely.

For example, let’s consider a scenario where a reminder message is set up to trigger when users fail to update their profile. In this case, if a user returns and successfully completes their profile (an exception event), it is important to exclude them from receiving the reminder message. By incorporating exception events in conjunction with message delays, a brief window of time is provided to allow users to complete the desired action before the triggered message is sent. This approach guarantees that the triggered message aligns with the user’s current status and maintains its relevance.

Exception events play a crucial role in optimizing the user experience by ensuring that users do not receive redundant or unnecessary messages. By actively recognizing when users have already accomplished the desired goal, marketers can enhance the effectiveness and personalization of their triggered message campaigns.

“I’m so glad we created the exception event to catch users who had already updated their preferences—this time we won’t get feedback from annoyed users!”

ˈfrē-kwən(t)-sē ˈka-piŋ

An automated message limit is implemented to prevent users from receiving an excessive or bothersome number of communications within a short timeframe.

An automated message limit is implemented to prevent users from receiving an excessive or bothersome number of communications within a short timeframe. This limit serves to maintain a reasonable frequency and avoid overwhelming users with an absurd amount of messages.

By setting up an automated message limit, marketers can control the volume and timing of their communications to strike a balance between staying engaged with users and respecting their boundaries. This ensures that users do not feel bombarded or annoyed by receiving an excessive number of messages in a condensed period.

The specific limit can vary depending on various factors such as the nature of the messages, user preferences, and industry norms. By implementing this automated limit, marketers can enhance the user experience, prevent message fatigue, and foster a more positive and respectful communication environment.

“I’m glad we set up frequency capping for our push notifications—this group would have received 33 messages today!”

frʌsˈtreɪʃᵊn klɪks

Frustration clicks or Rage clicks is when users click or tap several times an element of a website or app.

Frustration clicks or rage clicks occur when users repeatedly click or tap on a specific element of a website or app due to frustration or annoyance. These actions are often the result of encountering usability issues, unresponsive elements, or unmet expectations within the user interface.

When users experience frustration or dissatisfaction with the functionality or responsiveness of an element, they may resort to frustration clicks as an attempt to elicit the desired response or outcome. These clicks are characterized by their rapid and repetitive nature, indicating the user’s increasing frustration and impatience.

Frustration clicks are valuable feedback for website or app developers as they highlight areas of user experience that require improvement. By analyzing and understanding these interaction patterns, developers can identify and address usability issues, optimize responsiveness, and enhance the overall user interface to reduce user frustration and improve user satisfaction.

It’s important for designers and developers to monitor frustration clicks and leverage this feedback to make necessary improvements, ultimately creating a more intuitive and user-friendly experience for their audience.

“We need to to some extra QA on the new form on the site, we get an unusually high percentage of frustration clicks from that module”

ˌjē-o-ˈfen(t)s

Geofencing is a type of location-based marketing that targets people when they enter, leave, or dwell within a certain physical location.

Geofencing utilizes GPS technology to create a virtual boundary or “fence” around a specific area of your choice. When a user and their device enter or exit this defined area, it can trigger targeted outreach from a brand, such as receiving a text message or push notification, given that the user has opted-in to such a service.

For example, a retail store may want to catch your attention as you drive into their vicinity, or a vendor may aim to engage you as you pass through a bustling concert venue. The primary objective of geofencing is to identify a user’s location and utilize that information to deliver relevant and valuable communications.

By leveraging geofencing, brands can deliver personalized messages or offers tailored to a user’s specific location and context. This approach enables businesses to enhance customer engagement, drive foot traffic to physical locations, and create more meaningful interactions with their target audience.

It’s worth noting that geofencing relies on users’ explicit consent and opt-in to ensure privacy and compliance with applicable regulations. Additionally, users have the option to opt-out or adjust their preferences regarding location-based messaging at any time.

Overall, geofencing allows brands to leverage the power of location data to deliver targeted and contextually relevant communications, fostering a more personalized and engaging customer experience.

“When my team set up a geofence around the mall and triggered promotional messages when people entered the parking lot, our in-store engagement went up significantly.”

hiːt mæp

Heatmaps take large amounts of visitor data and turn it into easily understandable visual snapshots of your website.

Heatmaps are powerful tools that transform extensive visitor data into visually intuitive representations of your website. These snapshots provide valuable insights into how users interact with your website and help you understand their behavior, preferences, and areas of interest. Heatmaps display data in a visual format, typically using color gradients to represent the intensity or frequency of user interactions on different parts of your website. The hotter or brighter the color, the higher the level of activity or engagement in that particular area.

There are different types of heatmaps that focus on specific aspects of user behavior, including:

Click Heatmaps: These heatmaps show where users click the most on your web pages. They help identify popular areas, navigation patterns, and elements that attract the most attention.

Scroll Heatmaps: Scroll heatmaps track how far users scroll down a page before leaving or engaging with specific content. This helps you understand which sections of your page are more or less visible to users.

Movement Heatmaps: Movement heatmaps track the mouse cursor’s movement across your website, providing insights into user attention and areas of interest. They can reveal whether users are following a specific path or encountering difficulties in navigation.

Attention Heatmaps: Attention heatmaps analyze eye-tracking data or mouse hover behavior to determine which elements receive the most visual attention. They highlight where users are focusing their attention on your website.

By analyzing heatmaps, you can uncover valuable information about user engagement, page effectiveness, content performance, and usability issues. This data can guide website optimization efforts, such as improving navigation, enhancing user experience, and optimizing conversion funnels.

Heatmaps are particularly beneficial for data-driven decision-making, as they provide actionable insights in an easily digestible format. By understanding how users interact with your website visually, you can make informed adjustments and improve the overall user experience, ultimately leading to higher engagement, conversions, and customer satisfaction.

“We can se in this heatmap that the scroll depth on this landing page is really bad, but the 20% of all the users that are scrolling two folds down has a really high interaction with the “sign up” CTA. Maybe we should move that CTA element higher up on the page?”

Learn more about heatmaps in our blogpost: Heatmaps: Transforming Visitor Data into Actionable Insights

ˈin ˈap ˈme-sij

In-app messages are digital messages that only reach people when they’re using your app or visiting your website.

An in-app message is a form of notification that is specifically delivered to individuals while they are actively interacting with a brand’s digital platform. This messaging channel is designed to engage users within the app itself and can take various formats, sizes, and levels of complexity. Essentially, it appears as a popup or modal that is displayed when users are actively consuming content or using the app’s features. Originally developed for mobile apps, these messages are referred to as “in-app messages,” while their counterparts on the web are known as “in-browser messages.” In-app messages are often employed alongside push notifications, email, and other message types as part of a comprehensive multichannel customer engagement strategy.

“Sure, you could send your loyal customers push notifications to let them know about your new spring collection—but since they’re using your app regularly, why not just use in-app messages?”

in-ˈstȯl ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən

Install attribution refers to the process of tracking and identifying the source or origin of a user’s app download. It involves collecting data on the specific channel or link through which the user discovered and downloaded the app.

Install attribution refers to the process of tracking and identifying the source or origin of a user’s app download. It involves collecting data on the specific channel or link through which the user discovered and downloaded the app. This information is valuable for marketers and app developers as it helps determine the return on investment (ROI) of their acquisition efforts and gain insights into user preferences and behaviors.

By analyzing install attribution data, marketers can assess the effectiveness of various marketing campaigns, advertising channels, and referral sources in driving app installations. It allows them to measure the impact of their promotional efforts and allocate resources more efficiently to channels that generate higher install rates or better user engagement.

Additionally, install attribution data helps in understanding user acquisition patterns, enabling marketers to tailor their marketing strategies to specific user segments or demographics. By knowing where their most valuable users are coming from, they can optimize their campaigns and focus on acquiring similar high-quality users.

Overall, install attribution plays a crucial role in app marketing by providing valuable insights into user acquisition, campaign performance, and user preferences, leading to more informed decision-making and effective resource allocation.

Regenerate response

“We should really figure out what’s causing this shift in install attributions—Facebook used to be our number one source.”

ˈī ˈpē ˈwȯrm’ing

IP warming is the process of you letting your ISP know, through various means, that you’re a trustworthy sender, and not a nasty spammer.

If your brand hasn’t sent a significant volume of email in the past, ISPs have no way of knowing who you are. There’s no sending behavior, pattern, or history to see. So, over a period of 4-6 weeks, and sometimes longer thoughtful marketers warm the IP addresses associated with their email sends in order to build their reputation with the ISPs that make delivery possible.

They start by slowly scaling up the volume of emails they send, keep the frequency of their mailings in check, and make sure the vast majority of email addresses on their mailing lists are clean, valid, and confirmed via double opt-in or active subscriptions, among other steps. If your sender reputation is low, you could find legitimate, wanted messages getting filtered into recipients’ spam folders or blocked entirely. And if you don’t properly warm up your IP address, and suddenly start sending loads of messages in a short time frame, it could take weeks (or even months) to recover.

“When we tried to send our holiday campaign without going through the IP warming process, a big chunk of the messages we sent ended up our customers’ spam folders.”

ˈkē pə(r)-ˈfȯr-mən(t)s ˈin-də-ˌkā-tər

Key Performance Indicators are metrics of success relative to business goals.

When brands have not previously sent a substantial volume of emails, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have no knowledge of their sending behavior or reputation. To establish a positive reputation and ensure successful email delivery, marketers employ a process called IP warming.

IP warming involves gradually increasing the volume of emails sent over a period of 4-6 weeks or longer. Marketers start with a small volume of emails and gradually scale up the sending volume while closely monitoring the results. This gradual approach allows ISPs to become familiar with the sender’s IP address and establishes a positive sending pattern.

During the IP warming process, marketers also pay attention to the frequency of their mailings to maintain a balanced sending pattern. They ensure that their email lists primarily consist of clean, valid, and confirmed email addresses, which can be achieved through practices such as double opt-in or active subscriptions.

Failing to properly warm up an IP address or suddenly sending a large number of emails in a short period of time can have negative consequences. It can lead to messages being filtered into recipients’ spam folders or even being blocked entirely. Recovering from a damaged sender reputation can be a lengthy process, taking weeks or even months.

By following a careful IP warming strategy and adhering to best practices, marketers can establish a positive sender reputation, ensure email deliverability, and maintain a healthy relationship with ISPs.

“When we tried to send our holiday campaign without going through the IP warming process, a big chunk of the messages we sent ended up our customers’ spam folders.”

ˈkē pə(r)-ˈfȯr-mən(t)s ˈin-də-ˌkā-tər

LTV, which stands for “lifetime value,” refers to the total financial worth associated with a customer or a specific segment of a brand’s audience.

It can be expressed as the current or projected revenue or profit. However, the term is used differently by various brands. Some use it to forecast the potential profit or revenue that customers will generate, while others utilize it to calculate the actual profit or revenue generated by customers up to a certain point. To determine the projected LTV for the average customer, the following equation can be employed:

LTV encompasses a broad concept, leading some companies to calculate it in multiple ways, such as LTV to date in terms of profit or projected LTV in terms of revenue. This allows them to gain a better understanding of the costs and impacts associated with customer acquisition, retention, and monetization efforts. Nonetheless, the fundamental idea behind LTV remains consistent.

“It turns out that increasing audience retention did more to boost our average customer LTV than all our promotional campaigns put together.”

ˈməʊbaɪl ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ

Mobile marketing is marketing carried out using a mobile device.

Mobile marketing refers to the implementation of marketing strategies utilizing mobile technology. Broadly speaking, it involves leveraging smartphones and tablets to collect customer data and insights, subsequently engaging with these customers through various mobile messaging channels such as push notifications, in-app messages, and even email to a growing extent. By employing mobile marketing techniques, marketers can establish responsive and personalized communication with their target audiences, fostering stronger and more profound relationships between customers and brands than ever before.

“Mobile marketing was the heart of Leo Vegas’s drive into the gaming market, while considered vanguard then, it’s now considered unthinkable to be without a responsive site.”

Multivariate ˈtɛstɪŋ

Multivariate testing allows marketers to simultaneously compare two or more versions of a message (or other test subject) to assess which variant performs the best.

Multivariate testing enables the simultaneous testing of multiple variables by comparing several versions of a customer message, web page, or any other asset to determine the most effective variant. This form of testing, also known as MV testing, differs from A/B testing, which focuses on comparing two variants to test a single variable.

Marketers frequently employ multivariate testing to enhance their customer messaging. This involves comparing various message variants to assess the impact of different copy, images, and color schemes on conversion rates. Additionally, marketers can evaluate the effectiveness of diverse in-app message types and explore other optimization opportunities through multivariate testing.

“To determine the effectiveness of email subject lines, we initially conducted A/B tests comparing those with question marks against those without. However, it was only through the implementation of multivariate testing that we discovered the optimal combination: subject lines that posed a question while incorporating emojis. This comprehensive approach enabled us to uncover the most impactful and engaging subject line strategy for our emails.”

ˈɒnbɔːdɪŋ

The method that brands employ to educate and engage new users in order to foster long-term loyalty is crucial.

The initial challenge lies in making potential users or customers aware of your existence. Convincing them to download your app is even more challenging, but it marks a significant milestone. However, what truly matters is what follows thereafter. Many individuals who download an app either never open it or do so only once without returning. To encourage their continued engagement, brands must implement an onboarding process that guides users from being new to becoming loyal customers.

An effective onboarding plan utilizes various communication channels such as email, push notifications, opt-ins, and other means to capture a user’s attention and entice them to return, ultimately leading to repeated conversions. A well-designed onboarding flow involves asking users relevant questions, introducing them to the app’s standout features, obtaining their consent to stay connected, and seizing the opportunity to demonstrate that you are reliable, enjoyable, useful, or rewarding—whatever aligns with your app’s purpose—as a valuable addition to their digital experience.

“We tested three different versions of our app’s onboarding flow before we found one that significantly improved new user retention.”

ɒpt-ɪn prɒmpt

An opt-in prompt serves as a request for users to grant permission to enable specific functionalities like SMS, push notifications, or location data.

These prompts come in two types: native/generic to the operating system (OS) of the device, typically seen on smartphones, and custom prompts. Native prompts are generated by the device’s OS and, once selected, require manual adjustments to reverse the choice. On the other hand, custom prompts are created by marketers to request the same permission as the native prompt but offer opportunities for branding and enhanced messaging to emphasize the value of opting in.

It is often advantageous to design custom prompts that can be displayed before the native prompt appears. This approach allows for greater control over the messaging and provides an additional opportunity to convey the value of opting in more effectively, especially if the initial response is “no.” Unlike native prompts, which lack flexibility, custom prompts offer the chance to communicate the value in a better way and ask again. Changing settings and modifying permissions becomes significantly more challenging once users decline a native prompt. Another useful strategy is to “prime for push” or other opt-in requests by clearly presenting the benefits of the functionality during onboarding and selecting the most appropriate moment for prompting (usually not immediately after installation).

“Our cleverly crafted custom opt-in prompts are delivering significantly superior results compared to the generic prompts provided by iOS”

ˈpɜːsᵊnᵊl’sation

Utilizing technology to consider the unique preferences and behaviors of each individual user when engaging with them is a key aspect of personalized communication.

Personalization involves leveraging data to tailor customer experiences to each individual, ranging from simple elements like incorporating real first names in emails (“Hi, Jim!”) to more intricate strategies such as integrating information from a user’s customer profile into the messages being sent. The objective of personalization is to effectively deliver relevant and valuable experiences to customers while respecting their boundaries.

Successful local merchants excel at understanding their customers. They are familiar with their names and product preferences. In the realm of digital marketing, where physical distance and screens create obvious barriers, data can provide insights into customer behavior and preferences. When marketers have the necessary tools to capture this information and employ it intelligently, users can feel acknowledged and comprehended as unique individuals. This significantly enhances their connection with your brand.

“At its essence, personalization revolves around actively engaging with every customer on an individual level, recognizing their distinct preferences, needs, and characteristics.”

prɪˈdɪktɪv ˌænəˈlɪtɪks

Predictive analytics encompass various data tools within marketing automation platforms that leverage existing user information to generate personalized, successful campaigns.

These analytics go beyond relying on intuition by extracting valuable insights from user data to estimate the effectiveness of marketing tactics such as send time, segmentation, variations, and channel usage.

When seamlessly integrated with a mobile marketing automation platform (MMA), predictive analytics empower marketers to automate the selection and delivery of the most impactful messages. This includes monitoring the results of A/B tests and distributing the more successful version, as well as customizing send times based on users’ previous activity levels. With careful implementation, predictive analytics enable the creation of optimal conditions for personalized marketing at scale: targeting the right individuals with the right messages at the right time, thereby delivering the sought-after value.

“Given the absence of time travel technology, predictive analytics stand as the most effective means to anticipate the performance of a marketing campaign. It relies solely on the information gleaned from user interactions, enabling accurate predictions and informed decision-making”

prɪnt

Direct print messaging has emerged as one of the most impactful channels available throughout the customer’s lifecycle.

Despite being overshadowed by electronic messaging in the past, print communication has experienced a revival in recent years. This channel boasts an exceptional opening rate, nearly reaching the 100% mark, providing a unique opportunity to engage with customers in a genuine and meaningful manner. By incorporating an onboard QR code generator, you can seamlessly integrate your print direct mail into your customer’s digital journey, enhancing the overall experience.

In the digital age, post communication remains relevant and effective. Our print builder offers complete customization and high personalization, enabling you to craft compelling physical communication within minutes. With a simple click of a button and the application of journey rules, direct mail will be promptly dispatched to your customers’ homes, ensuring maximum reach and impact.

“A trouble engaging customer in digital channels? A print article sent via direct mail can do the trick”

pʊʃ ˌnəʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃᵊn

A push notification is a concise and attention-grabbing message that is directly sent to a user’s screen, regardless of whether it’s on a smartphone, tablet, computer, or wearable device.

In essence, a push notification is a message delivered by a server to a computer or mobile device. Initially popularized by apps after Apple’s decision to allow brands to send push notifications to iPhone users in 2009, this communication method has expanded to include web visitors on both desktop and mobile platforms, as well as wearable devices like smartwatches. These notifications appear on a user’s screen, even if they are not actively using the associated app or visiting the corresponding website, making push notifications a highly effective way to capture someone’s attention.

“Once my package was delivered I received a push notification confirming its pick up. ”

reɪt ˈlɪmɪtɪŋ

Rate limiting refers to the practice of restricting the number of messages sent within a specific timeframe to prevent server overload.

In simple terms, rate limiting involves setting limitations on the number of messages that can be sent during a designated period. This approach is employed to prevent overwhelming responses or targeting a particular individual who might belong to multiple segments. For instance, if you have a significant announcement to make and a large number of subscribers, sending a single push notification could potentially overload your servers with excessive traffic, thereby hindering your overall momentum. To mitigate this risk, it is advisable to establish rate limits. For example, you could set a restriction where only 10,000 messages are sent per minute, allowing for a staggered response.

When implementing rate limiting, it is crucial to consider the implications for time-sensitive or supply-limited offers. Depending on the size of your database and the set limits, it is possible that some messages may not be sent until a day or longer. For instance, if you have 5 million messages to send at a rate of 10,000 per minute, it will take more than two days to deliver them all, potentially causing the offer to expire. Additionally, it is important to coordinate rate limiting with other delivery features such as send-time optimization or frequency caps to ensure a cohesive and effective messaging strategy.

“Implementing rate limiting for a popular campaign can effectively maintain the stability of your servers while ensuring a smooth flow of conversions.”

ˈrē-ˌlāˌ-shən-ˌship ˈmär-kə-tiŋ

Relationship marketing is a marketing strategy that emphasizes the cultivation and sustenance of mutually beneficial relationships between a brand and its customers for the long term

In essence, relationship marketing entails an approach to marketing that prioritizes the establishment and nurturing of enduring, reciprocal connections between a brand and its customer base. While this concept initially stemmed from traditional one-on-one relationships between consumers and local merchants, the advent of mobile technology has enabled marketers to foster such relationships on a global scale like never before.

Through the utilization of digital messaging channels such as email, push notifications, and other forms of communication, marketers now have the ability to consistently provide personalized value to customers. This allows customers to express their preferences and exercise greater control over their experiences with the brand. Consequently, this fosters stronger customer/brand relationships and increases the likelihood that the relationship serves the best interests of both parties involved.

“We adopted a relationship marketing approach in response to the challenge of retaining the new users we acquired for our app..”

ˌriːˈraʊt

Being able to seamlessly switch IPs during high volume send outs protects you and ensures your customers are getting reached.

With Symplify Re-route, you can eliminate the need to worry about bounce-related issues. Considering that the average database experiences a yearly loss of 6% due to bounced addresses, it becomes crucial to address your bounce problem in order to safeguard your email deliverability and ensure a successful marketing campaign.

By applying Symplify Reroute your email communication will be screened over one or more IPs, which will be act as a protective layer should your database have suffered significant decay in terms of interaction and engagement.

“Reroute large database wide campaigns such as Black Friday customer wide offers.”

ri-ˈtär-gə-tiŋ

Retargeting involves employing reminder messaging that adopts a different approach or utilizes a different channel to engage users who have not taken a specific action.

To elaborate, retargeting serves as a means to follow up with users and encourage them to complete a desired action that they did not initially take. For instance, if someone opens your app but fails to read a Content Card about new features, an in-app message can be triggered at a later time to invite them to explore it. Similarly, users who did not open an email can be retargeted with a push notification after a few days. Retention marketers leverage retargeting to optimize their available channels and ensure that users receive pertinent and valuable information.

In the broader marketing realm, particularly for acquisition marketers, the term “retargeting” often refers specifically to displaying “follow” ads for web visitors who have been cookied, aiming to entice them to return. The underlying concept of retargeting remains consistent for both acquisition and retention marketers: prompting users to complete an action they did not take initially. However, it is important to note the distinctions between the two approaches.

“When sending a rich push notification, you have the opportunity to include a visually appealing image showcasing the items on sale, rather than relying solely on a text-based sentence describing their greatness.”

ˈrich ˈpu̇sh

A push notification has the ability to incorporate various multimedia elements such as images, GIFs, videos, or interactive content alongside text.

Typically, push notifications are associated with concise messages that primarily consist of text. However, with the introduction of iOS 10 in 2016, the capability to include rich media experiences, including images, GIFs, videos, and more, within push notifications became available to brands when communicating with their customers. While traditional push notifications have limited space, relying solely on text can still be effective in many cases. However, by leveraging the power of images and videos, the impact of the message can be significantly enhanced within the same limited space.

“When you utilize a rich push notification, you have the opportunity to showcase a visual representation of the discounted items available for sale, rather than relying solely on a sentence describing their appeal.”

sdk

An SDK, which stands for Software Development Kit, refers to a collection of code developed by a third party that can be integrated into existing mobile or desktop applications to enhance their core functionalities.

SDKs, also known as software development kits, empower brands with the capability to augment the functionality of their mobile apps or websites. Imagine having a native app and desiring to incorporate a social media feature. Instead of creating the necessary code from scratch, SDKs offer pre-existing social media integration code that can be utilized. For instance, you can refer to the Facebook iOS SDK to access the code that enables seamless integration of social media components into your app. SDKs are particularly valuable when there is an opportunity to significantly enhance the performance of your app or website, or when they provide solutions to development challenges that would otherwise require significant time and resources to develop internally.

“We are currently seeking a customer engagement solution for our team that enables us to collect user data. As part of our search, we are exploring marketing platforms that offer SDK integration, allowing us to seamlessly incorporate their functionalities into our existing platform.”

seg-mən-ˈtā-shən

Segmentation involves dividing users or customers into distinct groups to deliver more personalized and relevant content to each group.

Segmentation involves dividing users or customers into distinct groups to deliver more personalized and relevant content to each group.

Segmentation is a strategic approach that involves categorizing similar users or customers into specific groups to enhance the effectiveness of tailoring messages according to their individual needs and interests. Once a sufficient amount of user data is available, creating targeted messages or campaigns for specific segments can yield significant improvements in conversion rates.

Segments can be developed based on a wide range of characteristics, as long as the data is collected and available in the customer relationship management (CRM) system. However, it is often beneficial to segment users based on their position within the customer journey. By identifying their current behaviors and preferences, you can encourage users to become more engaged and enhance conversion rates. Successful segmentation strategies are driven by clear objectives and involve continuous analysis and testing to refine and improve the segments over time.

“Our customer relationship strategy relies heavily on the segmentation of our users as it forms the foundation for tailoring our messaging to meet their unique needs.”

sms

SMS has become a central pillar of the digital marketplace.

The reliability of SMS as a communication channel is unparalleled due to its distinctive characteristics. With Symplify SMS, you have access to a range of essential features such as classic automation triggers, activation, validation, password reset, two-step login, and more. Additionally, the introduction of campaign SMS can significantly enhance your mobile marketing communication strategy, providing you with expanded avenues to engage with your audience.

“Upon bounce of a recipients email address, we ping them an SMS encouraging them to update their profile.”

ˈsəʊʃᵊl ˈʧænᵊl

Social Audience Builder gives you 360 access to your customer database.

Experience targeted communication through the innovative Social Audience Builder feature. This powerful tool allows you to engage with your audience in a highly focused manner, opening up new channels for effective communication. Leverage its capabilities to elevate the customer experience post-purchase, revitalizing interactions with inactive customers and rekindling their interest. Moreover, the Social Audience Builder presents an exciting opportunity to tap into a pool of prospective customers by harnessing Meta’s “lookalike” feature. By identifying individuals who closely resemble your existing customer base, you can expand your reach and connect with a fresh audience primed for engagement.

“A customer leaves a cart in your web shop and receives a reminder email X days later. If no action is taken on the email to continue the purchase, Meta will show an ad connected to the purchase, why not with an offer the customer can’t resist?.”

ˈsti-kēˈnes

Stickiness is a metric that measures the extent to which users consistently engage with a product or brand, and the level of relevance it holds in their lives.

In marketing, stickiness refers to the memorability and lasting impression that a brand or concept creates in the minds of consumers.

When it comes to mobile apps, stickiness is directly associated with the ratio of daily active users (DAU) to monthly active users (MAU). By calculating stickiness as the percentage of monthly users who return daily, a higher value indicates stronger user engagement and retention.

What factors contribute to user stickiness? Paying careful attention to user experience and consistently delivering value are key elements that can enhance stickiness over time, as they provide users with compelling reasons to remain actively engaged and return repeatedly.

“Given our upcoming major annual sale, it was crucial for us to ensure effective communication by reaching users’ inboxes. To achieve this, we utilized spam testing to identify the most optimal messaging strategies that would successfully land our emails in their intended destinations.””

ˈspam ˈte-stiŋ

Spam testing enables brands to assess the likelihood of their emails reaching a user’s inbox versus being flagged as spam and redirected to the spam folder.

To optimize open and bounce rates in email marketing campaigns, brands employ spam testing tools to receive insights and recommendations on preventing their messages from being mistakenly classified as spam. A reliable spam testing tool examines email subject lines and content, providing valuable suggestions to enhance deliverability.

“Given our upcoming major annual sale, it was crucial for us to ensure effective communication by reaching users’ inboxes. To achieve this, we utilized spam testing to identify the most optimal messaging strategies that would successfully land our emails in their intended destinations.””