January 27, 2014
American Media Inc.’s Muscle & Fitness magazine has seen not just a rise in in-application purchases, but additionally a 23 percent increase in average session length after integrating new push messaging strategies.
Optimum Nutrition sponsored a free download of 1 of the publication’s mobile issues, and American Media leveraged push notifications to drive users to milk the offer. American Media worked with Localytics to power this campaign.
“In-app and push messaging from Localytics offered a distinct opportunity for us to speak with our user base,” said Chris Tarrow, manager of tablet production at American Media, Boca Raton, FL.
“Since Apple doesn’t share customer email addresses, campaigns like this are the sole way for us to have interaction directly with our customers,” he said. “Push messages, which appear at the phone or tablet’s home screen, are great for driving app opens, while in-app messages work to have interaction users inside the app.”
Free muscle
Through in-app messaging and push notifications, Muscle & Fitness let users know that they can access a sponsored issue called “The Ultimate Starter’s Guide” inside the Muscle & Fitness app. The problem was sponsored by Optimum Nutrition.
The Muscle & Fitness app is obtainable at no cost in Apple’s App Store, but consumers normally ought to pay for individual issues once within the app. This sponsored issue enabled consumers to access free content.
Muscle & Fitness sent push messages to consumers to drive them into the app, and so they sent in-app messages to remind them of the free download.
During the ten-day period after the campaign was launched, subscription purchases increased by 40 percent and issues purchased increased 29 percent from the former 10-day period. This represented a 34 percent increase in total in-app purchases.
Additionally, the typical session length increased 23 percent, and the median session length increased 53 percent.
A digital version of fellows & Fitness
Mobile reading
The first iteration of mobile publications tended to be publishers copying online or print content onto mobile devices. This basic transformation didn’t bear in mind the original attributes of mobile devices.
Now, more publishers are searhing for new the right way to enhance the reading experience on mobile devices, leveraging the original functions of smartphones and tablets.
In-app messaging and push notifications are two the right way to add onto the reading experience, but there are many different ways to innovate on mobile as a publisher.
For instance, Forbes recently added a brand new way for its readers to engage with content in its mobile application via a feature called “Stream” (see story).
The Long island Times offers a novel paywall on mobile that lets readers access three articles an afternoon (see story).
Other publications are making content in mobile issues easily shoppable. For instance, Rodale’s Men’s Health Magazine partnered with ShopAdvisor to make its content shoppable and likewise added other features equivalent to image sequences and a free preview function in iTunes Newsstand (see story).
Different tactics like these will help a publisher comparable to American Media drive consumers to its apps more frequently and for longer periods of time.
“Almost all people download apps but stop wanting making an in-app purchase, but when possible drive them toward free content, like American Media did in these messaging campaigns, you’re offering them a chance to sample your content and get to understand your brand,” Mr. Tarrow said. “This organically results in a better variety of purchases.
“The Ultimate Starter’s Guide included plenty of video content, that is great for engaging mobile users,” he said. “The more engaged users are, the longer they are going to spend together with your app.”
Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York