Mobile messaging trends for 2024: What marketers need to know 

Things are constantly changing in marketing. What might be a best practice one year has completely changed the next. That’s one of the reasons marketing is such an exciting field to work in. When you look at marketing trends year-over-year, you can see how innovation leads to disruption, action, and strategic transformation.

Mobile messaging is a trend that continues to drive the marketing field forward. And as we move into 2024, this channel is poised for an even greater impact.

Here, we've compiled a list of mobile messaging trends for next year and the years to come. We analyzed internal data from our platform and synthesized insights from brands across various industries.

The results might surprise you.

Last year, brands predicted the following three mobile messaging trends would impact their marketing strategies in 2023. Let's see how these trends played out.

Unlike the crowded inbox, in-app messaging capitalizes on a user's engagement within your tool. Brands can take advantage of the high engagement rates of in-app messaging to deliver personalized and timely messages to their customers.

Where we stand today: This trend continued to grow throughout 2023, with more brands incorporating in-app messaging into their overall marketing strategy.

Within Customer.io, the number of accounts sending in-app messages grew by 187% from 2022 to 2023. That's a gigantic leap and a testament to the effectiveness of in-app messaging! Yet, our data shows there’s still room for growth. Only 12% of total customer accounts are sending in-app messages today.

The takeaway? In-app is growing as a mobile messaging channel, and there are a lot of opportunities to leverage it further in 2024. Hint? Personalization will be key (and we'll cover why below).

The need for efficiency and agility drove this trend prediction, as no- and low-code tools allow brands to quickly adjust their strategies in response to changing market conditions. Plus, the lower cost of these tools compared to traditional development methods makes them an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.

Where we stand today: Instead of focusing on low- and no-code solutions, brands told us their primary focus is more on budget optimization for efficiency gains. In fact, 79% of brands forecast little to no increase in their marketing budget year-over-year. This means businesses are looking for technology to help them make the most of their budget while driving impact. Tool consolidation plays a key role here.

The takeaway? Cost efficiency is a top priority for brands today. As we move into 2024, businesses will likely continue seeking technology to help them streamline their processes and save on costs. After all, time is money!

Omnichannel marketing has been a buzzword in the industry for some time now. Brands predicted that in 2023, they would focus more on creating seamless customer experiences across all channels. Mobile messaging is a critical component of that strategy.

Where we stand today: This trend gained substantial traction in 2023. In fact, 64% of brands integrated messaging across multiple channels for a unified omnichannel strategy.

A combination of channels proved fruitful. Campaigns that combined at least two channels performed 67% better than those that used just one—and campaigns that used three performed 244% better.

Yet, while combining in-app and push was the most popular choice among marketers, pairing these two channels with email was the way to go. This trio converted at a whopping 913% higher rate than email alone.

The takeaway? Omnichannel marketing isn’t just a buzzword—it's an essential strategy for businesses looking to deliver personalized, unified customer experiences.

Now that we've taken stock of the trends that shaped mobile messaging in 2023, let's turn our attention to the future. Here are three emerging mobile messaging trends that marketing leaders should watch in 2024.

While brands are committed to keeping email as a primary messaging channel, mobile optimization lags behind. Only 16% of brands reported that a mobile-friendly email experience is a key strategy for improving engagement. Compared to 66% of customers who primarily open email on their phones, there is a clear divide between brand priorities and user preferences.

In 2024, we expect forward-thinking brands to adopt responsive and mobile-first email design. Why wouldn’t they? It’s the perfect opportunity to gain an advantage over the competition.

With increasing demand for personalized experiences, businesses must find a way to use data within their messaging campaigns. Leveraging user insights to deliver timely, relevant messages across all channels will be critical.

Our data reveals that 81% of brands acknowledge the paramount importance of personalization in their messaging strategy. And guess what? 73% said they were planning to increase their personalization efforts in 2024.

The driving force behind these intensifications is rooted in the power of customer data. To deliver personalized messaging at scale, marketers need technology that can precisely segment and target audiences. In 2024, we expect more brands to invest in customer data platforms (CDPs) to help them achieve their engagement goals.

In 2023, over half of brands used SMS as a messaging channel, demonstrating its increasing popularity and effectiveness. And for brands without a mobile app, SMS will continue to be a critical part of their mobile messaging strategy in 2024.

Alternatively, refining their in-app messaging efforts will be just as important for businesses with a mobile app. While in-app messaging adoption increased in 2023, only 3% of brands conducted more than half of customer interactions on this channel. Translation? We foresee brands optimizing their in-app communications to boost customer engagement in 2024.

These trends provide a glimpse into the landscape of mobile messaging—but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of what the future holds for your messaging strategy, check out The State of Messaging Report.

Packed with a wealth of insights, predictions, and detailed analyses, you’ll learn how mobile messaging is shaping the world of customer engagement. You’ll then be able to translate insight into action for your own campaigns in 2024—and beyond. Happy sending!