Push notifications are not just as another format of the message. If wisely utilized, it can be a potential mobile app marketing strategy. Embrace number one position on app stores using the power of push notifications. It holds an exceptional competence to maximize user engagement and app downloads. Well, a bad strategy can drive reverse results like app abandonment.
In other words, push notifications are bread and butter for the success of mobile apps. Enabling users with relevant and rewarding notifications can generate a positive effect on your app installs. Irrelevant notifications end up by adding annoyed users. Irritated users merely uninstall your app and never come back again.
If you are going through increasing app abandonments, then a smart push notification strategy can definitely work as fuel for your growth engine. Let’s start with basic understanding.
What Are Push Notifications?
At first sight, it looks like a simple message that pops up on your device. But, it comes from the apps you have installed on your phone. App publishers send these messages to reach out to a larger customer base and engage them. Users need not access the app and use the device to receive the push notifications. For greater user engagement, app owners can send push notifications in the various forms such as:
- Reminders
- Traffic Drivers of the app
- Emergency Alerts
- App Functionality
- App Updates
- Innovations
Effective utilization of push messages boosts user’s interest in the app and eventually raises the conversion rate. Here are some cues that help you in defining the best push notification strategy for your mobile app. excited to explore how to deliver maximum values to the users through push notifications? Here you can go…
Growth Hacking Push Notifications Practices for Apps
1. Opt-in
Before sending push notifications, app owners should ask for the user’s permission. In iOS app development, this is a compulsory practice. While on Android, you have the flexibility to send push notifications to the users anytime.
So the prior action for you is, to get your iOS users to opt-in to push. Later on, you can plan out push notification content. Most of the iOS apps display the opt-in messages in a standard iOS format. Here you can try out something different by creating stunning app screens for the opt-in message to speak to users personally.
Write down appealing content to convince users why they should opt-in to your push notifications. Rather than sending them merely notifications, deliver value to users in a friendly onboarding screen. Don’t forget; the message must be designed in a respectful and inviting fashion.
Basically, it is the first point of interaction with your customers. Facilitate users with a great experience and a well-crafted onboarding strategy.
2. Frequency of Push Notifications
Never bombard push notifications to customers! Overloading of messages irritates the users. Especially, don’t send promotional and advertising messages to the users now and then.
3. Personalization
In compared to generic notifications, custom messages are more appealing. To improve the open rate of push notifications, you can use segmentation and custom messages to individual users. Prepare personalized content according to the preference of your target audience.
Analyze app installs and post-install activities to determine the user lifecycle. Also, examine user navigation pattern to get detailed information about the various phases they are going through. Such practices help in creating personalized push notifications after recognizing the phases of your users.
If possible, also consider users’ demographics, recently viewed items or favourites while sending customized messages. A tailored message, based on personalized details of the users, will make your consumers feel special. It also allows you to initiate one-to-one conversation with the users. This will encourage users to re-open your app and explore its latest offerings.
4. Special Offers/ Discounts/ Deals
Harness the power of push notifications to inform users about the great special deals or offers. Also, notify users about the discounts on the products.
5. Push Limited-Time Offers
By announcing limited time offers, app owners can engage the users. However, it’s not as easy as it said. App owners have to be clear about what values users are looking for and what will encourage them to re-open the app. Once you are ready with the offer, work out on finding a right balance and adequate tone.
Create effective push notification content based on your objectives, targets, and offers. For instance; if you have an online shopping app, then facilitate customers with good discounts on their recently viewed items. Be creative in pushing the offers to the customers.
6. App Updates
Use push notifications to inform users about latest updates of the app. When you release an app update, few users have their automatic system update option ‘OFF’. So, they will not be able to get the benefits from your update. Here you can create a push notification that contains a message related to the new update and its advantages.
7. Announcements and Event Reminders
Send event reminders to the users that might take a few moments for the app owner to create reminders, but help users a lot by saving their time to search for the information. It increases brand loyalty as users can have all the essential information handy through the push notifications.
8. Analytics Integration
When you send messages to specific customers and segments, it enhances the content relevancy. You will be clearer about targeted users as you know about – what interests them, what they are buying, what they searched but didn’t buy, etc. Track and analyse such data on a frequent basis using advanced analytic metrics. It helps you in defining more relevant push notifications for a specific user base.
9. Think Out-of-the-Box
Rather than always pitching an offer or deal, try something new using other strategies such as social media. For example; learn about how Facebook and Twitter increase their user engagement by sending event-based push notifications. It helps a lot in improving users’ interests and bringing them back.
10. Give Control to Users
It is very essential, as you allow users to decide what notifications they want to receive. Define the push notifications into various categories. It helps your customers to make a decision which category push notifications they want to subscribe.
Having more than a decade-long experience in the sphere of mobile app development, Intuz team has successfully delivered robust mobile apps to versatile industry domains. We help clients in customizing the push notification strategy by analysing their target audience briefly. Intuz has a team of market experts who offers thorough guidelines and understanding of advanced push notifications tactics that help app owners in increasing installs and reducing app abandonment.
