Telecom App Uses In-App Messages and Stories to Lift CTR 5.6x and Hit 45.6% Read Rate

A leading telecom app needed two things at once. First, explain new and complex features inside the app. Second, move users into partner offers and revenue events without adding friction. Two questions shaped the work.

1. When visuals and copy are the same, does the delivery format change performance?
   
2. Where do stories create the most value in a telecom app that ships frequent updates and seasonal offers?

TL;DR

Our client compared the same plan transfer promo in two delivery formats. One version ran as a story in the home carousel. The other ran as an in-app message shown in context. Visuals and copy were identical to focus on delivery effects.

In-app messages clicked more. On a partner subscription bundle the results are as follows: Story reached 1.16% CTR, while in-app bottom sheet - 6.47% CTR. Lift for in-app: 5.6x on the same promo. 

On the plan transfer offer, across two variants, stories averaged 1.01% CTR and in-app messages averaged 2.84% CTR.

Stories still excelled at onboarding and task education. Read rates landed between 32.61 percent and 45.62 percent with strong click through.

The Challenge

A national telecom app needed one in-app content system that could do two jobs at once. First, teach users how to use core features without long help articles. Second, turn interest into action at the right moment with minimum friction. 

The team already published many stories across the app: onboarding and setup, plan and payments, travel preparation, safety and support, household features. 

They also used in-app messages that appear when a user reaches a relevant step. What they wanted was a reliable way to decide which surface should carry which message and proof that the split works.

What Was Done

One program. Two layers that work together

• Discovery and education layer
  
  Stories live in the carousel and carry short explainers and how-to guides. They help with first-mile onboarding, plan understanding, roaming preparation, and safety features. Each story follows one idea per screen and ends with a clear next step.
  
  
• Decision and action layer
  
  In-app messages appear as bottom sheets at moments of intent. They are used for offers, add-ons, and partner bundles when one tap can complete the action.

This model runs across many subjects: users see education when they browse and a focused prompt when they are ready to act.

A controlled comparison on one live offer

To understand the impact of delivery, our client ran the same plan transfer offer in two formats.

• Story in the carousel with the full narrative.
  
• In-app bottom sheet shown at a relevant product step.

Visuals and copy were the same. Two creative versions were used to avoid single-creative bias. The client measured impressions, story reads, clicks, and CTR.

Results

Same promo, different delivery, measurable lift for in app

Variant 1 — Partner subscription bundle

Story reached 333,043 engaged and 3,847 clicks which is 1.16% CTR
In-app bottom sheet reached 130,365 engaged and 8,435 clicks which is 6.47% CTR
Lift for in-app 5.6x

Variant 2 — Plan transfer, version A

Story reached 140,683 engaged and 1,292 clicks which is 0.92% CTR.
In-app reached 307,670 engaged and 9,240 clicks which is 3.00% CTR.
Lift for in-app 3.27x.

Variant 3 — Plan transfer, version B

Story reached 594,829 engaged and 6,497 clicks which is 1.09% CTR.
In-app reached 1,358,063 engaged and 36,532 clicks which is 2.69% CTR.
Lift for in-app 2.46x.

Average by format across Plan transfer variants

Stories 1.01% CTR.
In-app messages 2.84% CTR.

When a user meets the same idea in context, the click rate rises. The bottom sheet catches people who are already deciding, so fewer steps are needed. The carousel still contributes broad coverage and discovery, which is valuable for brand and education.

Onboarding stories

Virtual assistant onboarding:

543,152 engaged

177,134 reads

32.61% reading rate

62,851 clicks

11.57% CTR

The flow explains value first, then shows the exact UI users will see, then invites the action. That order reduces uncertainty and speeds setup.

Stay Connected balance safety:

14,669 engaged

6,692 reads

45.62% reading rate

1,302 clicks

8.88% CTR

A single scenario with clear numbers makes the concept tangible. An extra express limit is introduced only after the main idea is understood. Users feel safe to continue.

Education without a purchase goal

Roaming guide story:

676,214 engaged

98,886 reads

14.62% reading rate.

Even without a hard CTA, a well structured story holds users. That trust is worth carrying into seasonal pushes and support topics.

Commerce in context

Plus subscription bottom sheet:

130,365 engaged

8,435 clicks.

6.47% CTR

One benefit, one action, shown at the right moment, can outperform broader placements for revenue tasks.

Why It Worked

1. Format matched to job. Stories are perfect for progressive guidance, such as onboarding, feature explainers, and how-to flows. In-app messages shine at high intent moments and reduce the distance between interest and action.
   
   
2. Event based targeting. The bottom sheets appeared when a user was already near a related decision. That timing turned the same creative into more clicks.
   
   
3. Creative control. In the delivery test, visuals and copy did not change. The lift comes from delivery, not art direction.
   
   
4. A living in-app content system. The program does not depend on a single topic. Onboarding and setup. Plan understanding and payments. Travel checklists. Safety and support. Household features. Offers and bundles. The same two-layer logic applies to each.

How to Reuse This Approach in Telecom

1. Decide the job first.
   
   If the task is to teach, choose stories. If the task is to close, choose an in-app message that appears by event.
   
   
2. Keep one idea per screen in stories.
   
   Show the interface users will see. Add the action only after the benefit is clear.
   
   
3. Keep one benefit in a bottom sheet.
   
   One sentence, one button, placed in a relevant flow.
   
   
4. Test delivery when you compare formats.
   
   Reuse the same creative, then vary only placement and trigger. Read both the variant result and the average by format.
   
   
5. Build a simple content map.
   
   Plan which feed carries each type of message. It speeds up production and makes performance easier to read.
   
   

Conclusion

For telecom, the lever is delivery. When the same creative appears at the decision step as a bottom sheet, CTR can rise up to 5.6x versus the story version of the same message. Stories carry the heavy work of understanding. They hold attention at scale with 32 to 46% reading rates and lower pressure, which is ideal for onboarding, coverage tips, roaming guidance, and feature education.

The most reliable pattern is to stage intent in stories and capture it in context: prime users in browse surfaces, then trigger a bottom sheet only when a high-intent event fires, such as starting a plan change, opening add-ons, viewing partner perks, topping up, or entering a roaming flow.

When the goal is commerce, event-based bottom sheets shown at the decision step convert better because they keep one benefit and one action in focus. The takeaway is simple: use stories to teach and in-app messages to close.