4 Best Practices for Creating Captivating, Cross-Channel App Marketing Campaigns (Plus Examples!)

Last night, I was up watching the latest season of New Girl via the Hulu Plus app on my Apple TV (full disclosure, this show rocks). Alas, I fell asleep before the episode was over, a sacrilegious act for a true fan.

In the morning, I rushed out the door feeling like a ghost with unfinished business. What happens next? What weird shenanigans did Jess (the main character) get into?

Then I got a push notification to quell my curiosity.

Hallelujah! Hulu granted my unuttered wish and gave me exactly what I wanted (to resume watching one of my favorite shows), when I wanted (after starting a new episode), and how I wanted (on-the-go).

This example is a hallmark of brilliant cross-channel app promotion.

An Inspirational Look Into the Future

Okay so, Hulu didn’t actually send that push notification. It was a hypothetical illustration used to show you the future.

Indeed, this wish-granting scenario is on the horizon and it’s only a matter of time before cross-channel app promotion becomes the standard. As our industry moves forward and embraces this much-anticipated new era, we promise to help ensure your first steps on this path are smooth and steady.

That’s why in this article, we’re laying out best practices and sharing conjectural examples (as we wait for real ones to roll in!) to inspire you to implement cross-channel app promotion.

A Definitive Explanation of Cross-Channel App Marketing

“Huh? Cross-channel app promotion? That sounds like marketing balderdash.”

If this sentiment is running through your head, don’t worry – the concept of cross-channel app marketing is new because Profiles are new (by the way, Profiles are rich repositories of data on who your users are outside your app). In today’s interconnected and increasingly mobile world, cross-channel app marketing is poised to take off and be a huge deal so let us break down what it means.

Cross-channel app marketing is built upon Profiles, which provides organizations with the ability to collect, manage, and share customer data from all marketing channels. And because people are spending more and more time using apps, Profiles helps better inform your app’s push and in-app messages.

It’s about delivering personalized marketing as people move from your store to your website, and from your website to your app. In short, it’s about bringing a people-centered approach to your app’s marketing.

4 Best Practices for Cross-Channel App Marketing Campaigns

1. Identify your mobile objectives and choose appropriate attributes to target

The news that app marketers can now target based on profile data is fresh off the presses. Despite your eagerness to get started right away, take a moment to re-evaluate your mobile objectives. Now that cross-channel app marketing is possible, figure out how your app fits into your larger business strategy.

Ask Yourself:

• What are your app’s top goals in relation to other platforms?


• What kind of conversions do you want it to drive?


• How do people engage with your business outside your app versus inside your app?

Profiles also opens the door for all sorts of new information (that you’re tracking outside the app) to be funneled into your app marketing. But don’t pump in everything just for the sake of having more data at your disposal. Isolate the attributes that will be most appropriate to target within your app. For example, information on the gender of your users can lead to better push and in-app messages while hair color probably won’t.

Below, we’ve listed some more profile attributes you can target on. Keep in mind, the importance of these attributes will vary depending on the type of app you have. The main thing is: don’t be a creep and don’t use attributes that are inapplicable to what your app does.

• Location


• Age group


• Birthdate


• Social media sentiment


• Last login


• Purchase date


• Family unit


• Income bracket


• Job role


• Interests


• Subscription history


• Favorites


• Customer acquisition cost


• Comments received


• Store credit

Here is a hypothetical example of how the Profiles field: Income Bracket, is relevant for an app like Zillow, but creepy for an app like PEOPLE Magazine. Zillow can use data from the income-bracket field because it directly correlates with what their app is trying to do (showcase applicable residential listings). On the other hand, income is not a good attribute to target on for PEOPLE Magazine because it doesn’t tie well with their app’s offering and comes off as unnerving.

2. Start collecting in-app profile information

Profiles are a way for you to consolidate your customer data from other channels and use it in your app marketing. But you can also capture profile information within your app. How? Simple, ask your users to sign up! Then, as people continually engage with your app, you can ask them for additional information (like requesting users to enter in their loyalty card number or to disclose some interests).

Look at how CBS’ app collects profile data (such as social media accounts, email, and gender) right from the get-go. And as I engage more and more with this app, CBS can ask me what my favorite shows or entertainment genres are. It’s like getting to know someone – start with their name and then slowly get more personal.

3. Be relevant, timely, and concise

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s nonetheless important enough to mention again. Stop sending everyone with the same, generic marketing messages. Now that you have more profile data on who your users are, you have an increased responsibility to craft your messages so they are personalized, punctual, and to the point.

For example, let’s say I just visited an H&M store and purchased a jacket. A good push and in-app message would incorporate this information and show me other complementary items to buy a few days later:

4. Maintain a healthy balance between all your marketing channels (be inbound and don’t spam!)

“Boy do I hope I get blasted with lots of advertising today.” Said no one ever. No matter how much you like a brand; nobody wants to be constantly bombarded with marketing.

How awkward would it be to send someone a push notification that says, “We miss you!” when this person just bought something from your brick-and-mortar store yesterday. You’d come off as too clingy and lose major brownie points with this customer.

Smart brands need to balance their app marketing with their marketing on other channels so they don’t overwhelm customers. Aim for quality, not quantity. Be persistent, but not annoying.

Here’s an example of a well-executed cross-channel app marketing strategy. If Amazon keeps track of when customers open their emails, they can send this information (Profiles field: Recent Email Opened) to their app analytics and marketing vendor. Then, they could schedule a related push message to go out a few days after to nicely tie together their email and app marketing.

Hello Apps. Meet People.

The short story with cross-channel app marketing is that it allows you to see your app users as people – real people with wonderfully colorful lives. And this vivid new insight can help you connect more deeply with your app customers because you’ll understand what they want and why they want it better.

The web has been humanized. It’s now time to bring that to apps.

4 Best Practices for Creating Captivating, Cross-Channel App Marketing Campaigns (Plus Examples!)