Amazon provides a broad range of tools, but Pinpoint drifts more into marketing than their standard developer tool.
Pinpoint is About Applications
The first thing you should know is that this service aims at communicating with your app users. As a side effect, it tracks usage. This service integrates with several other application related services we have not yet covered. These include the Mobile Hub, Device farm, Cognito, and others.
Pinpoint provides an API and related services to generate analytics for your application users. Then you can feed that data into the messaging service to communicate with your users. The message is sent based on usage. Thus, it has an improved chance of being read. Think of it as a form of Mail Chimp for applications. However, in includes messaging way beyond email. Also, it targets messaging based on user patterns.
Baby Steps
I recommend you start your Pinpoint tour by creating a project in AWS. Next, download the integration code for your application. Options are available for Swift, Android, iOS Objective C, and Javascript for a web application. This service can get complicated fast. Not unlike Much like Google Analytics (that we have discussed many times). It also provides a lot of power and detailed data.
You are probably asking what sort of things this excellent service offers. First and foremost, you have ways to communicate with your users. You can create campaigns or even send direct messages based on segments. For example, this communication might be a Beta invitation to users that have been active recently. Alternatively, you can communicate about a special sale based on geography or even frequency of use.
This service can be used in small steps. Thus, you can start by gathering information about usage. Then that data can be used to plan campaigns. As you progress, you can build targeted relationships with users. This service can even be a great entry into A/B testing of new features. Your users like to hear from you. Therefore, a tool like this can increase your brand value and customer loyalty.
