4 Key Findings from a Historic Increase in Mobile Customer Engagement During March 2020

As many businesses continue to remain closed in the midst of a pandemic, customers are turning to their smartphones and tablets to stay in touch with their favorite brands. Double-digit increases in both send volume and open rate during March demonstrate just how crucial it is to be connecting with your customers during uncertain times.

At Airship, we help thousands of brands form real connections with their customers and drive engagement across a variety of platforms. Our database of over 36 million users allows us to analyze data on how customers and brands are evolving when it comes to mobile engagement during a pandemic.

We recently hosted a webinar to share that data, “How Is COVID-19 Changing Customer Engagement With Mobile Notifications?,” in which we took an in-depth look at the key takeaways and strategies you should know as you guide your brand through an uncertain season.

Check out four key insights below – and register here to get access to the full webinar recording.

Increases in Send and Open Rates Are Up Across the Board 

Send and open rates reached historic heights in March across a variety of verticals – although media saw the biggest jump, up 43% in notification send volume and 60% in open rates, most industries have seen a robust increase. 

We found double-digit increases in send volume and open rate across medical, social, retail, education and food & drink brands – also including some increases in opt-in rates. Webinar presenters, Emily Buckman and Jennie Lewis, shared their explanations as to why these industries saw the increases and you can learn more by watching a recording of the webinar here. 

Push Notification Direct Open Rates Reach 4-Year High

One of the most significant statistics to come from our data is the fact that direct open rates for push notifications increased 22% for apps, the highest rate in over four years. Websites saw a 119% percent increase for their open rates.

Customers have shown a desire to stay connected to normalcy and keep in touch with brands they care about and that is reflected in these statistics. Many people, confined to their homes, are finding themselves with more time on their hands – this is another factor to consider as direct open rates are climbing to historic levels.

Users Are Relying on Mobile Devices More Than Ever

During COVID-19, customer engagement on mobile devices is more relevant than ever. Mobile devices remain the best way to deliver information to and connect with your customers as users are turning to their smartphones and tablets more than ever during this pandemic.

Approximately 88% of web notification direct opens originated from a mobile device,  which has been steadily on the rise with a 10% increase since January 2020. With this information in mind, plan a mobile-oriented approach to your web notifications; users are more than likely going to be opening them on their mobile devices.

Opt-In Rates Remain Steady, With Exceptions

Opt-in rates have remained fairly steady for most brands, but we did find some significant increases among key verticals. Medical, health and fitness notably saw an 8% increase in opt-in rates, with media and entertainment seeing 6% and 5% increases, respectively.

This signals that customers want to stay in touch with their favorite brands, and is an important reminder about how important it is to make sure you carefully evaluate and plan your messaging in the coming months.

While your brand – and many others – may be affected by this pandemic, make sure that your messaging and strategies take into account these recent statistics. For more on this information, you can watch our webinar here.

If you’re trying to figure out how best to connect with customers during this pandemic, take a look at some of our actionable strategies in our latest eBook.

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