The result? You improve product engagement<\/a>.<\/p>\n That said, below are go-to in-app marketing strategies I use to drive product growth.<\/p>\n This strategy involves tailoring users\u2019 onboarding experiences<\/a> to their specific personas<\/a>, roles, or use cases, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.<\/p>\n We collect such data via a welcome survey<\/a> or signup questions. Then, we adjust checklists, tooltips, or walkthroughs accordingly.<\/p>\n One of my favorite examples of brands that perform personalization so well is HubSpot.<\/p>\n When new users sign up for HubSpot\u2019s CRM, they answer a short onboarding survey<\/a>. Using those responses, HubSpot configures the user\u2019s dashboard and guides to fit their needs.<\/p>\n This means a sales manager might see tips on deal pipelines, while a marketer might see lead forms.<\/p>\n Another great example is Cledara<\/a> (a SaaS subscription management platform) that moved from a generic high-touch email onboarding<\/a> to segmented, behavior-driven onboarding. With this approach, Cledara saw a significant increase in customer engagement within a week.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div> What can be personalized?<\/strong><\/p>\n Gamifying routine actions<\/a> (such as completing checklists) adds a sense of accomplishment.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at Groupize<\/a> that created a gamified onboarding<\/a> assistant named \u201cG.G.\u201d that acts like a friendly guide. G.G. introduces herself playfully to new users and walks them through tasks via interactive product tours<\/a> and checklists, almost like quests.<\/p>\n For example, G.G. pops up with encouragement and tips as users complete steps.<\/p>\n Groupize brought G.G. to life by building out content and flows easily. This included guided onboarding tours<\/a> and step-by-step checklists. Groupize also used a resource center<\/a> to enable users to request G.G.’s assistance and access help faster.<\/p>\n One of my favourite examples that always comes up when we talk about gamification is Duolingo.<\/p>\n The language app uses XP points, skill levels, daily streaks, leaderboards, and fun animations (the Duo owl) to keep learners coming back. As a result, Duolingo boasts a 55% next-day retention rate<\/a>, up from only 13% in its early days.<\/p>\n Even in B2B, elements like Asana\u2019s celebratory unicorn animations after completing tasks make work feel rewarding and encourage you to use the product more.<\/p>\n For complex SaaS products, dumping all capabilities on day one can confuse and discourage users. I encourage progressive disclosure<\/a> to simplify the initial customer experience because it reduces cognitive load and the learning curve.<\/p>\n With this \u201clearn as you go\u201d approach, show the essentials first, then unlock advanced options once users meet the prerequisites. For example, don\u2019t expose advanced segmentation until the user has finished setting up basic event tracking<\/a>.<\/p>\n Slack does an excellent job of hiding a lot of its options behind a simple \u201c?\u201d help menu. Then, it gradually introduces tools (Slack even lets advanced users skip steps entirely). It\u2019s also evident in its user-friendly onboarding process.<\/p>\n Loom also uses this strategy with its hidden advanced menu. When you finish recording a video and go to edit, Loom initially shows a simple toolbar with just a few core options (trim video, add title, etc.). It hides more advanced editing settings behind an expandable menu or widget.<\/p>\n A well-designed help center makes self-service easy, which means fewer users give up when stuck. It also lightens the support load: users find answers in-app, so support tickets decrease<\/a>.<\/p>\n Look at Beable<\/a>, an e-learning platform.<\/p>\n They built an in-app resource center segmented by relevant use cases. So, when a teacher clicks \u201cHelp\u201d in the app, they see guides specific to teaching workflows; a student sees simpler guides for using the app, and so on.<\/p>\n Beable implemented this approach and track usage. They gained valuable insights that revealed which segment clicked on which resources, enabling them to optimize their content.<\/p>\n The impact was huge. By combining funnel analysis<\/a> with resource center analytics, Beable identified which tutorials each group found useful. In addition, it used in-app surveys<\/a> to increase content engagement by 77%.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div> Asana also implements this strategy. Their slide-out panel features written guides, embedded videos, and academy courses, all without requiring you to visit YouTube. So, you can learn and complete tasks simultaneously.<\/p>\n Relevance and timing are everything in user communication. Behavior-triggered experiences feel personal because they directly address the user\u2019s situation. This personalization can dramatically increase engagement compared to generic pop-ups.<\/p>\n For instance, displaying a tooltip tutorial for the analytics dashboard<\/a> exactly when the user navigates to it yields a significantly higher click-through rate than an out-of-context tutorial. Conversely, if a user hasn\u2019t touched a crucial feature, a well-timed slideout can catch their attention and re-engage them<\/a> before they slip away.<\/p>\n Loom excels in this area with its in-app upsell prompt<\/a>. When a user reaches a freemium limit, they get an in-app message that notifies them of an upgrade opportunity.<\/p>\n In-app marketing strategies go beyond one channel. After all, no single channel reaches 100% of users 100% of the time. In-app messages<\/a> only reach in-app users; emails can reach inactive users, but inboxes are crowded. By combining them, we can increase the likelihood that users will see our messages.<\/p>\n In particular, using both channels reinforces key steps during the onboarding process.<\/p>\n Ensure your emails align with your onboarding flows and customer lifecycle strategy<\/a>. Don\u2019t repeat the same thing across channels. Instead, expand and complement content so that you add value through other channels.<\/p>\n Other tips I recommend are:<\/p>\n Power users are far more likely to convert on upsells because they already see value<\/a> in your product. A contextually timed prompt makes the upgrade feel natural, as users think along the lines of \u201cI do need this extra capacity now,\u201d rather than a generic sales pitch.<\/p>\n Identifying the right segment (e.g., users who hit 90% of their quota or gave an NPS<\/a> of 10) ensures we focus on expanding where we\u2019re most likely to succeed.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I spot power users:<\/p>\n Trigger your upsell<\/a> when a user experiences a friction point<\/a> or milestone. Like when they reach their plan\u2019s quota.<\/p>\n For example, Slack\u2019s free plan limits message history and the number of integrations. They target power users by prompting them on how to expand their usage.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Your upsell messages<\/a> should be warm, such as \u201cyou might love our advanced analytics features,\u201d rather than a generic thank-you after the survey. Our users find it more welcoming.<\/p>\n Push notifications<\/a> are great for engaging users. When you personalize and time them around the customer lifecycle, they feel helpful rather than spammy.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say our user was on our app\u2019s landing page, but left before placing an order. We can send a push notification 30 minutes later saying, \u201cYour cart is waiting \u2013 complete your purchase and get 10% off!\u201d<\/p>\n You can create such triggers for mobile apps. This way, users receive push notifications when they abandon a core action.<\/p>\n Beyond reminders for when a user misses a step, you can use push notifications to drive daily engagement proactively. For example, Headspace prompts users to return to their app for their daily session.<\/p>\n People are more likely to use it when they see others trust it. The goal of this in-app marketing strategy is to encourage your existing users to promote your brand.<\/p>\n Satisfied users often won\u2019t think to promote your product on their own, but a simple prompt can nudge them to do so.<\/p>\n Remember the promoters we send expansion prompts to? These loyal users are more likely to provide quality customer reviews<\/a> because they genuinely love your product.<\/p>\n1. Personalize onboarding flows<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"In-app](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/hubspot-welcome-survey_785d0acd5b8d292aea0b983aebb6aea4_800.png)
<\/picture>![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/How-Cledara-Increased-Customer-Engagement-in-Just-1-Week-With-Userpilot-1.png\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
2. Use gamification elements to encourage deeper product usage<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gg-welcome-page-1_2a7b021a903db1faf744e623e306ff03_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gg-in-action-publish-event-1_2a7b021a903db1faf744e623e306ff03_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gg-hey-gg-1_2a7b021a903db1faf744e623e306ff03_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gg-resource-center-1_2a7b021a903db1faf744e623e306ff03_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"In-app](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/duolingo-streak-example_1277c4f4f2ba83428491a88ad5cc4991_800.png)
<\/picture>![\"In-app](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/asanacelebration_69389fdf85759ce8ee4e790e2152ac17.gif)
<\/picture>3. Use progressive disclosure for complex products<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/slack-onboarding-1_93f7e56a0e9f9d7abd516fdc0ea85206_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/slack-onboarding-2_1f248f84105a27ad2c5a371ad10eef43_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/slack-onboarding-3_aaa22b55201e79ccb04fc94525053c2b_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/slack-onboarding-4_9e3de07c5b74b1dcd6022403991c80d1_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/slack-onboarding-5_61ddd62ebdaeb04201bbe47183ec8126_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/slack-onboarding-6_ca7958452f10d62bfccba8dc9df4e90f_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/loom-video-options-1_8ad1429d01e35be08ef233779b9fc571_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/loom-video-options-2_7a7e10dab041e63e7871064dc5346218_800.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n4. Create an in-app resource center to educate users<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Use](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/beable-example-of-tracking-usage_c99db91cc5ecdc08806e49124e743b0e_800.png){kind=tracking}
<\/picture>![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/how-beable-leveraged-userpilot-analytics-to-increase-app-engagement_fdd655a8c2d09f29d04fa0744e51b3b0_2000.png\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Example](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/asana-help-center-example_22ee055ff7c706781f7e758a95785e17_800.png)
<\/picture>5. Trigger behavior-based experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Loom\u2019s](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/loom-upsell-prompt_eed2fd68c17a077232f06ba1592a4d05_800.png)
<\/picture>6. Combine in-app with email for omnichannel experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"omnichannel-experience\"](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/omnichannel-experience_a11dbf87dc9d02a89111dc480f1b345c_800.png)
<\/picture>\n
7. Identify power users and send expansion prompts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Create](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-nps-survey-in-userpilot_092b9f6c8381f7df6e8f99e4a451be1e_800.png)
<\/picture>![\"Example](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/slack-expansion-prompt_7cd6b1407607a91077f30de881c9cb1c_800.png)
<\/picture>![\"Tooltip](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/userpilot-contextual-tooltip-in-app-marketing-strategies_e3643d4568b8018c79ef419133cd64db_800.png)
<\/picture>8. Send lifecycle-triggered push notifications<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Set](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/userpilot-push-notification-settings_e691ef13f8e2f80e968ca61be3233dba_800.png)
<\/picture>![\"Example](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/headspace-push-notification-reminder_eeb0b1d8321e664e1a1b5b52f8188caf_800.png)
<\/picture>9. Drive word-of-mouth marketing with in-app messages<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Modal](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/modal-asking-for-user-review_9ed844fac7d1481a188d4329d37242f3_800.png)
<\/picture>![\"Example](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/evernote-referral-page-in-app-marketing-strategies_46b7afbe2d5760cad4a0e19457392b70_800.png)
<\/picture>