Re-engagement

What Is Re-engagement?

Re-engagement is the practice of encouraging users who have previously installed and used an app—but have since become inactive or disengaged—to return and resume meaningful in-app activity. It targets existing users who have already demonstrated prior intent, making them significantly more likely to convert than entirely new audiences.

A re-engagement event is defined as a user’s opening of an app they have already installed, following a period of inactivity and a click on a retargeting or re-engagement ad. Unlike user acquisition, which focuses on bringing brand-new users into the app, re-engagement is about reviving existing relationships and extending the value of users you have already acquired.

In mobile marketing, re-engagement is a critical growth strategy. Research shows that apps lose 77% of their daily active users within the first three days after download, and reviving churned users is at least five times cheaper than acquiring new ones. Re-engagement campaigns directly address this challenge by identifying lapsed users and bringing them back with targeted messaging, incentives, and personalized experiences.

How re-engagement campaigns work

Re-engagement campaigns are designed to bring inactive or dormant users back into an app and encourage them to complete meaningful actions. These actions may include making a purchase, completing a game level, interacting with new features, or consuming fresh content. The goal is to re-establish engagement and increase the likelihood of long-term retention and revenue.

These campaigns often leverage multiple channels and personalized messaging strategies to maximize effectiveness:

• Personalized ads: target users with tailored offers or reminders based on previous behavior or app interactions

• Push notifications: deliver timely messages directly to users’ devices to prompt action

• Deep links: direct users to relevant app content or specific features to reduce friction in returning

• In-app messaging: engage users who open the app with contextual content, updates, or offers

• Email campaigns: remind users about app features, new content, or promotions

• Retargeting ads: serve ads across networks and social media platforms to reconnect users outside the app

By using these methods strategically, re-engagement campaigns create opportunities to revive lapsed users and increase overall app performance.

Measuring re-engagement effectiveness

To evaluate the success of re-engagement efforts, marketers monitor key performance indicators such as return rate, in-app activity, conversion events, and revenue generated from reactivated users. Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) track these interactions to attribute re-engaged users to the appropriate campaigns, helping teams understand which strategies are most effective and cost-efficient.

Best practices for re-engagement campaigns

• Set clear objectives: define the goals of your re-engagement campaign, such as increasing app opens, driving purchases, or boosting retention.

• Use relevant timing: send messages or ads when users are most likely to respond, based on their previous activity patterns.

• Offer compelling incentives: provide rewards, discounts, or exclusive content to encourage users to return to the app.

• Test multiple channels: experiment with push notifications, in-app messages, email, and paid ads to determine which channels perform best for each segment.