Apps are seen as the core of mobile terminal devices, such as smartphones and tablets. According to the ARD/ZDF online study in 2013, 44% of German-speaking online users have used apps. In the target group 14 – 29 year olds it is as high as 70 %. Apps are one of the most important channels for marketing in order to get in touch with mobile users. According to artegic’s study Online Dialogue Marketing in Retail 2016 apps are used by 57.7 % of mobile marketers. The most important mobile marketing tool however are mobile optimised emails (68 %).
Email marketing as well as apps are not autonomous channels, but should form part of an integrated marketing mix. Both tools offer a variety of approaches to link them with each other. Ultra responsive emails allow you to dynamically provide links (and other content) in emails, depending on the terminal device the email is opened on. When a user has installed the app of a provider and opens an email of this provider on his smartphone, links in the email can lead the user directly to the app. When a user does not use the app, he will see the “normal” links plus a call-to-action to download the app.
Many Application Possibilities
Email marketing cannot only be used to lead a user to an app, the app can also technically integrate email marketing. The application possibilities are manifold and offer a lot of play to experiment with innovative ideas. A relatively simple possibility is to use apps for the generation of email marketing opt-ins. Furthermore, you could have mobile trigger emails, which are linked to specific actions in the app, email-based payment procedures in app shops or geo location-based communication via email.
It is also possible that emails are not only displayed in the email client but directly in the app. This means that there will be no media break between email and app use. In this case, the technical displayability of common email clients does not need to be taken into consideration, which means more freedom in the design of the email, e.g. interactive elements.