The festival of Diwali, celebrated by millions around the world, isn’t just about lighting lamps and indulging in sweets—it’s a beacon of hope, a celebration of prosperity, and a time for rekindling connections. For your business, it’s a remarkable opportunity to shine brightly in the eyes of your audience.

In 2022, CAIT reported that business during Diwali exceeded USD 16 billion. As the festive season approaches, savvy marketers and brands are gearing up to embrace the spirit of Diwali.

In this blog, let’s delve into the in-app engagement hacks and brands that shined during Diwali.

6 Brilliant In-App Engagement Hacks for Diwali

Hack #1 In-App Messages: Virtual Greetings

In-app messages are like virtual greeting cards that offer a personalized touch to user engagement. Diwali is a time for exchanging greetings and good wishes, and in-app messages allow app marketers to convey their festive greetings directly to users. 

Whether sending personalized Diwali wishes, promoting special discounts, or notifying users about flash sales, in-app messages can suit the festive mood and drive engagement. Vibrant colors, festive emojis, and catchy copy can make these messages more appealing to users.

During Diwali, BookMyShow leverages in-app messages to provide users with a personalized Diwali discount code, encouraging them to make bookings for movies and events during the Diwali season. It’s a great way to deliver timely and targeted in-app messages to boost festive-season engagement and sales.

Hack #2 Personalization: Tailoring the Experience

In the world of apps, personalization is key. Customers expect apps to cater to their individual preferences, and personalization is crucial in enhancing engagement, especially during festive seasons like Diwali. 

Personalization not only enhances the customer experience but also fosters a sense of connection with the app. Customers are more likely to return to an app that understands and caters to their needs and preferences, making it a critical aspect of in-app engagement during festive seasons like Diwali.

Practo, a leading healthcare platform in India, often sends personalized messages during festive times, reminding users to take care of specific health concerns they might have. They also suggest doctor consultations or wellness checks suitable for the season.

Hack #3 Gamification: Adding Fun and Excitement

Gamification is a proven way to keep users hooked to your app, and it works exceptionally well during Diwali when people are in the mood for games and contests. 

Apps can incorporate gamified elements like quizzes and spin-the-wheel features to add a fun and exciting twist to the user experience. 

Paytm, a popular Indian digital wallet app, introduced gamification to encourage users to make Diwali payments. Paytm launched a Diwali-themed quiz where users could answer questions about Diwali and win prizes. 

The gamification factor made the financial transactions entertaining and tapped into Diwali’s spirit, traditionally associated with fun and games. This helped Paytm to increase the number of Diwali payments made on its platform.

Hack #4 Streaks: Fostering Habitual Engagement

Streaks are a powerful tool to encourage habitual engagement with your app. Apps like fintech, fitness trackers, habit-building apps, or language learning apps often use streaks to motivate users to engage daily.

During Diwali, payment apps can introduce Diwali payment streaks to encourage users to make daily payments and bill payments with the app to maintain a streak. This boosts app engagement and increases the chances of users choosing your app for their festive shopping needs.

For instance, we can take inspiration from Duolingo, a popular language-learning app. Duolingo uses streaks as a fundamental feature to motivate users to engage with the app daily. You can adapt the streak feature to encourage users to visit your app regularly during the Diwali period.

Hack #5 Rewards: Making Users Feel Special

One of the most effective ways to engage users during Diwali is to make your customers feel special and appreciated. Offering exclusive rewards for loyal users can go a long way in retaining and attracting new users. 

These rewards can come in the form of cashbacks, discounts, or personalized Diwali gifts. The element of surprise and the feeling of being appreciated can create a sense of belonging among users, making them more likely to choose your app for their festive purchases.

The eCommerce giant Amazon uses rewards to encourage users to make Diwali purchases. Amazon launches a Diwali Sale where users can earn cashback and other rewards for purchasing. These reward campaigns helps Amazon engage customers and increase sales.

Hack #6 Data-Driven Insights: Connecting with Users’ Needs

Making your offers contextual is essential during festivals like Diwali when people actively seek deals and discounts. 

Use data-driven insights to understand user preferences and purchase behavior. Offer personalized discounts on products users have shown interest in, and create exclusive Diwali offers that resonate with the festive spirit. Aligning your offers with users’ needs will help you boost user engagement and conversion rates.

Cleartrip, using its data analytics, sends personalized Diwali travel recommendations to its users. This includes serene retreats for those looking for relaxation or vibrant cities for those seeking festive excitement.

Conclusion

In-app engagement hacks are pivotal in ensuring your app stands out and thrives during festivals like Diwali. 

From personalized Diwali greetings to exclusive offers and gamified experiences, these hacks exemplifies the power of creative engagement tactics. Reflecting on these shining examples, it becomes clear that harnessing cultural celebrations and incorporating user-centric features can significantly enhance app engagement.

By going beyond sales and adding value to your customers, you can create a memorable and enjoyable Diwali experience, fostering loyalty and ensuring that your app shines brightly not only during the festival of lights but all year round. 

How can we help? Join the Revolution!

At this point, you might be wondering, “These strategies sound incredible, but how do I implement them?” That’s where Upshot.ai comes into the picture.

• Personalization at Scale: With our intelligent customer segmentation and personalization tools, Upshot.ai enables you to create hyper-personalized experiences. It’s like having a one-on-one conversation with each of your customers, no matter how big your audience is.
• User Experience Mastery: Our seamless integration and user-friendly interfaces mean that providing a smooth user experience is no longer a mountainous task. You can design and tweak customer journeys that feel natural, enjoyable, and effortless.
• Gamification Unleashed: Looking to turn engagement into a fun game? Upshot.ai’s gamification tools allow you to design engaging challenges, badges, and rewards that keep customers coming back for more.
• Omnichannel Communication Hub: Be everywhere your customers are with our robust omnichannel communication platform. Keep the conversation flowing seamlessly across platforms, ensuring a consistent and engaging brand voice.
• Onboarding Brilliance: From the first hello to the successful conversion, Upshot.ai’s onboarding tools guide your users through the process with ease and style, all while keeping it personalized and engaging.
• Rewards & Incentives Reinvented: Tailor-made reward systems, easy-to-implement referral programs, and incentives that resonate with your brand – Upshot.ai’s reward and loyalty tools have it all covered.
• Analytics and Insights: Monitor, analyze, and adapt with real-time analytics and insights. Understand what wows your customers and continuously evolve your strategies with Upshot.ai’s powerful analytical tools.

Upshot.ai isn’t just a platform; it’s a partner in your quest to redefine the customer experience. With our comprehensive suite of tools, seasoned expertise, and customer-first approach, we stand with you in your mission to WOW your customers in 2023 and beyond.

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