Guide

Customer messaging in 2026: Email, SMS, push, in-app & beyond 

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Customer messaging has never been more complex—or more powerful. We surveyed 750+ marketers, product managers, growth leaders, and engineers to find out how teams are actually connecting with customers today.

This is your guide to what's working, what's changed, and where the smartest teams are investing next.

Key findings

  • 73% of marketers report meaningful AI impact on their messaging strategy
  • 28% say improving personalization is their #1 priority for 2026
  • 66% track conversion rates as their primary success metric—not open rates
  • 3–4x year-over-year growth in in-app messaging volume, the fastest-growing channel

From channel deep dives to AI adoption trends, this report will cover the full picture of customer engagement in 2026.

  • How AI went from experiment to infrastructure—and what marketers are actually using it for
  • Why segmentation and behavioral triggers outperform every other personalization tactic
  • The difference between multi-channel broadcasting and true journey orchestration
  • What metrics teams track now that conversion rates have overtaken open rates
  • How messaging strategy differs by company size, revenue motion, and business model

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Janelle P
Janelle P
Content Marketing Manager
State of customer messaging and engagement 2026 | Customer.io