Let’s be honest: most in-app messages are ignored. We’ve all clicked away from a pop-up that’s out of touch or just plain annoying. But when you get targeting right, in-app messages can quietly nudge users to stick around and actually use your product.
This guide is for people who run SaaS products or apps, especially folks wearing multiple hats—product managers, marketers, founders—who use Intercom and want a practical, no-fluff way to set up in-app messages that actually help retention.
Why Targeted In-App Messages Matter (and Where Most Go Wrong)
Nobody wants to be bombarded with irrelevant tips or promotions. Blanket messages to everyone are easy to set up, but they’re also easy to ignore—or worse, uninstall over.
If you want your in-app messaging to move the needle on retention (the number of people who keep using your product), you’ve got to:
- Send the right message, at the right time, to the right users.
- Avoid spamming or pestering users who don’t need it.
- Test, tweak, and resist the urge to send “just one more” message.
Targeted messages can remind new users to finish setup, help people discover features, or bring back folks who drifted away. But, if you’re not careful, you can end up with a mess of half-baked campaigns that do more harm than good.
Step 1: Get Your Targeting Data in Order
Before you start writing clever copy, you need the right data to target users. Intercom’s targeting options are only as good as the data you send to it.
What You Need
- User properties: Things like signup date, plan type, and last active time.
- Event tracking: Actions users take—completed onboarding, used a feature, hit a milestone.
- Segments: Groups like “new users,” “power users,” or “at-risk” users.
How To Do It
- Set up your data feed: Make sure your app sends key user properties and events to Intercom. Don’t just rely on the defaults—custom events are where the magic happens.
- Double-check your naming: Keep your event and property names simple and clear. You’ll thank yourself later.
Pro Tip: If you’re not sure what to track, start with "last seen," "signup date," "plan type," and a few key actions (like "invited teammate" or "finished tutorial"). Don’t get lost trying to track everything from day one.
Step 2: Define Your Retention Goals (Keep It Simple)
You can’t fix retention if you don’t know what “good” looks like. Decide what behavior you want to encourage:
- First week activation: Did they use the core feature in their first 7 days?
- Ongoing engagement: Are they coming back at least once a week?
- Feature discovery: Are they trying out new features that make your product sticky?
Pick 1–2 goals to start. Don’t try to fix everything with messaging.
Step 3: Map Out Key Moments in the User Journey
Think about where users fall off. Here’s what usually matters:
- Onboarding: Most drop-off happens in the first session or two.
- Core habit: Are users getting to that “aha” moment? (Think: sending a first message, creating a project, etc.)
- Stagnation: Users who signed up but stopped logging in, or never tried key features.
List these moments out. You’ll use them to trigger your messages.
What to skip: Don’t bother with “broadcast” messages to all users unless you’ve got something genuinely useful to say to everyone (major outages, big launches, etc.).
Step 4: Create Targeted Message Campaigns
Now, set up your actual messages in Intercom. Here’s how to do it without annoying people:
1. Pick the Right Message Type
- Chats: Good for quick tips or nudges.
- Posts: Better for announcements or rich content.
- Tooltips: Best for feature walkthroughs or inline help.
2. Set Your Audience
Use the segments and events you set up earlier. Example triggers:
- New users who haven’t set up X after 1 day.
- Users who haven’t logged in for 7 days.
- Customers who used Feature A but not Feature B.
3. Write Like a Human
- Keep it short—no walls of text.
- Get to the point fast.
- Tell them what to do, and why it matters.
Example:
“You haven’t created your first project yet. Projects help you stay organized—want to try it now?”
4. Set Frequency and Exit Conditions
- Don’t bombard people. Once a message is seen, don’t repeat it.
- Set clear exit triggers (e.g., if a user completes the action, stop messaging them about it).
Pro Tip: Always preview your messages as a user. If it feels spammy or annoying, it probably is.
Step 5: Test, Measure, and Adjust (Relentlessly)
You’re not done once the messages are live. Pay attention to:
- Open and click rates: Are people even reading your messages?
- Downstream actions: Did users actually do the thing you suggested?
- Uninstall or opt-out rates: Are you accidentally driving people away?
If something’s not working, turn it off or tweak the targeting. Don’t fall in love with your own copy—users won’t.
What to Ignore: Vanity metrics like “messages sent.” If it’s not moving retention, it’s not helping.
Step 6: Avoid These Common Pitfalls
Here’s what trips people up:
- Over-messaging: It’s better to under-message than to annoy.
- Lazy targeting: “All active users” is rarely the right audience.
- Ignoring feedback: If users complain about messages, listen.
- Feature FOMO: Don’t message users about every single feature—just the ones that matter for retention.
Step 7: Keep a Simple System for Maintenance
It’s easy to end up with dozens of stale, conflicting messages. Every quarter (or so):
- Audit your campaigns—see what’s working and what’s just noise.
- Turn off, update, or combine similar messages.
- Document your triggers and logic somewhere outside Intercom (even a Google Doc works).
Pro Tip: If you’re not sure whether a message is still needed, pause it for a week and see if anything breaks. If not, it’s probably safe to kill.
What Actually Works—And What’s Just Hype
- Works: Targeted onboarding nudges, “you forgot this” reminders, and contextual tips right before users need them.
- Doesn’t work: Mass promos, generic “did you know?” tips, or nudges for features users clearly don’t care about.
- Ignore: Any temptation to automate everything. Sometimes a personal email or call does more than 10 in-app messages.
Recap: Keep It Focused, Iterate Often
Don’t overthink it. Set up a few smart, well-targeted in-app messages in Intercom. Watch the results. Cut what’s annoying or pointless. Add more only if users respond well.
Retention is about helping users succeed—not just pushing messages. Start small, stay human, and make every message earn its place.