You’ve invested time, money, and energy into building your app — but what happens after the download?
If users aren’t sticking around, your growth is stalling.
Truth is: acquiring users is only half the battle. If they churn after one session, your growth flatlines.
We’ve helped companies across mobility, shopping, health, and fintech transform app installs into loyal, high-LTV users — not with gimmicks, but with strategies that actually work inside the app.
This guide breaks down 17 proven in-app marketing strategies, with examples, data, and real-world results.
We’re REPLUG, a Berlin-based app marketing agency specializing in OEM marketing, paid user acquisition, ASO, tracking and analytics, and more.
Contact us today if you’re looking for expert solutions to promote your app and scale through mobile marketing.
In-app marketing refers to targeted marketing activities that happen inside the app environment to engage users, guide them through key features, and improve user retention.
Unlike mobile app marketing, which focuses on user acquisition through external channels like social media, paid ads, or influencer marketing, in-app efforts begin after the download.
They achieve the same objective — driving growth — but the approach differs due to platform constraints.
For example, mobile messaging (like push notifications) must be concise, or users may perceive it as spam. In contrast, web-based messaging can be more elaborate.
Additionally, the app marketing funnel is usually faster — going from awareness to acquisition and conversion — while the web funnel focuses more on nurturing and gradually guiding the user to retention.
The goal of in-app marketing? Keep active users engaged, improve the user experience, and ultimately boost conversion rates.
Whereas a typical mobile app marketing strategy might include ASO, email marketing, or landing pages, in-app marketing is more focused on real-time, contextual messages, prompts, and interactive elements that support the user journey.
| Mobile App Marketing | In-App Marketing |
| Focuses on acquisition | Focuses on retention and engagement |
| Happens outside the app (ads, ASO, etc.) | Happens inside the app |
| Includes tactics like paid UA, influencers, ASO | Includes walkthroughs, tooltips, and prompts |
| Targets new users and awareness | Targets active users and usage patterns |
| Funnel stage: Awareness & Acquisition | Funnel stage: Activation, Retention, Referral |
These two work hand in hand — but in-app marketing is often the missing link between user acquisition and long-term growth.
With the app market more saturated than ever, grabbing a user’s attention isn’t enough. You need to keep it. An effective in-app marketing strategy helps bridge the gap between app installs and long-term retention.
Here’s why it matters:
Given the increasing cost of mobile user acquisition, in-app retention efforts are no longer optional — they’re essential.
According to REPLUG, after just three months, only 1.7% of users remain active. That’s why modern customer relationship management (CRM) plays a central role in app growth strategies.
The aim is to engage users wherever they are — with real-time, personalized messaging — to forge stronger bonds and drive higher retention.
A complete mobile app marketing funnel includes:
In-app marketing sits squarely in the Activation, Retention, and Referral stages, helping move users deeper into the funnel.
These aren’t theoretical — they’re based on campaigns REPLUG has run across industries like fitness, finance, mobility, and shopping apps.
Before in-app tactics can work, users need to get inside the app. Optimize your landing page with:
Use welcome screens and in-app data to understand user personas and demographics. Then customize experiences with relevant walkthroughs, messages, and CTAs based on their goals.
Guide users through high-value actions using contextual checklists. Bonus: gamify them with progress bars or badges.
Long, linear tours overwhelm. Contextual, step-by-step walkthroughs help users discover your app’s features while staying engaged.
Like Grammarly, use UI patterns that nudge users toward sticky features. Help them find repeated value.
Create viral loops with referral programs, social sharing, or user-generated content that brings in new traffic organically.
Celebrate user progress with animations, achievements, and visual feedback. Apps like Asana do this effectively to retain loyal users.
Use full-screen modals to combat feature blindness. Keep the copy benefit-focused with a clear call to action.
Show upgrade nudges when users hit limits or explore premium features. Context is key.
Use tools to optimize copy for clarity, tone, and engagement. Keep in-app messages concise but impactful.
Target promoters (via NPS) and use modals to request reviews. These organic endorsements build trust.
Don’t send users elsewhere. Embed short, action-focused videos inside the app to support learning and reduce friction.
Offer searchable, categorized help content directly inside the app. Improve customer experience and reduce support load.
Let users experience value before asking for commitment. This increases perceived ownership and upsell potential.
Use CSAT, NPS, and quick polls to gather insights. Act on the data to refine your marketing plan and improve functionality.
Use content marketing (like guides and thought leadership pieces) to build credibility and retain users.
Coordinate email marketing, push notifications, and CRM tools for unified messaging.
Case: PhotoSì
Case: Winelivery
“A winning in-app marketing strategy starts with understanding the user journey—not guessing it. You can’t fix what you haven’t measured. That’s why we always start by analyzing the funnel, segmenting real behaviors, and testing what actually moves the needle.”
Lorenzo Rossi, co-founder at REPLUG
The most successful apps in 2025? Not the ones with millions of downloads — but the ones users keep coming back to.
In-app marketing is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s your edge. It bridges the gap between user acquisition and long-term retention, between curiosity and loyalty.
Whether it’s personalized walkthroughs, contextual nudges, or multichannel CRM strategies, what matters most is timing, relevance, and execution.
At REPLUG, we help brands turn their apps into marketing machines. From smart onboarding flows to high-performing in-app messages, our team knows how to engage, retain, and convert users — even in saturated markets.
Let’s talk about turning your app into a retention machine. Contact us.
Start by mapping your user journey and identifying drop-offs. Then implement contextual messages, walkthroughs, or gamified prompts to keep them engaged.
It increases retention, supports upsells, boosts conversions, and improves the overall user experience.
Mobile app marketing includes acquisition tactics (e.g., ASO, ads), while in-app marketing focuses on engaging users after the download.
By surfacing the right messages at the right time, based on user actions or segments — increasing interactivity and stickiness.
Personalization, contextual nudges, gamification, and education work well on both — with compliance to Google Play and Apple App Store guidelines.