Push Notification Strategy: What the Influencers Have to Say

The internet is a vast chasm of information, an expedition into its depths can be both fruitful and time-consuming. But sometimes you just can’t find what you’re looking for. We’ve all experienced that head-scratch moment while looking at Google search results. Which of the 100s of clone-like blog posts will be a trustworthy authority for your business?

With 2,400 average monthly searches, ‘push notifications’ are a sought after topic for marketers. But when it comes to creating your push notification strategy, you really want the best of the best informing you every step of the way.

That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you by putting together this expert-round up of useful tips to live by when it comes to your push notifications.

What do the influencers have to say?

1. Neil Patel on Personalisation:

“The great thing about push notifications is that you can segment the audiences you’re targeting in a very personalised way. For instance, a clothing brand may want to send different messages to users based on the types of items that they’ve browsed and purchased in the past. Sending different recommendations to men and women is probably a good idea – and the same applies to customers who have browsed products for young children versus those for adults.

This approach is backed up by data. Of people who open a push notification, 54% of users convert from segmented pushs, compared to only 15% who convert from broadcast messages.

Geo-targeting is another great feature you can use. If you’re a retail outlet, for example, you may want to send out reminders for time-based promotions to anyone who’s within the immediate area. Bars may want to promote happy hour specials using the same technique. By including the user’s first name and mentioning what area they’re currently in, you’ll capture their attention far more effectively than a generic message would. Using emoji’s has also been found to increase retention.”
 

Neil Patel
New York Times best selling author and all-around marketing guru, Neil Patel, has been called ‘the world’s leading online marketer’. Patel puts his clients at the heart of his digital marketing and along with his partner, Mike Kamo, is creating a new type of agency.
https://neilpatel.com/

2. Econsultancy on loyalty:

“Push notifications, which are sent by an app installed on a user’s device, can likewise be a good medium for directly communicating and engaging with users. Mostly, push notifications are used to reduce churn rates and re-engage users that have forgotten-about or abandoned an app.

However, they can also be effective for boosting regular usage and long-term loyalty. This is because they are often personalised or highly contextual – reaching users in high-impact moments.

Take Netflix as one example, which might send a push notification informing users of a brand new season of a show they’ve previously watched and enjoyed. Or the BBC weather app, which might send a push notification informing users of real-time or contextual changes in weather.

The fact that these push notifications offer real value to the user – and are not merely designed for advertising purposes – means they are likely to be well-received and prompt engagement.

What’s more, messaging via this channel can also spark overall engagement on a longer-term basis. According to Localytics, users who have push notifications enabled for certain apps have 53% more monthly sessions than users who do not.”

Econsultancy
Founded in 1999, Econsultancy has long-since been a thought-leader in the marketing industry. Their global team pride themselves on their ability to provide modern marketing solutions that demystify digital marketing information.
https://econsultancy.com

3. MarketingProfs on Timing:

“In addition to its content, the timing of a push notification can have quite a bit of impact on its reception by the user. Rationally or not, users get annoyed with push notifications that come at inopportune times, such as during an important meeting or in the middle of the night.

Because users' mobile devices are usually nearby, haptics associated with push notifications can be an irritating distraction. Unfortunately, your brand will be blamed for the disruption, even when human error causes your user to leave his or her phone on full volume during an important meeting.

To avoid mishaps, figure out what timing works for which users. If you send a push notification to all users at 8 AM PST, that's fairly reasonable for people in California but pretty early for users in Hawaii. Sending push notifications by time zone is usually a safer bet than sending them all at once. That way, no matter where users are in the world, they would receive the notification at 8 AM their time. 

The ideal time for the majority of your users can be figured out using some trial and error, combined with A/B testing.”

MarketingProfs
MarketingProfs believe that ‘learning changes lives’ and, as such, design training programs and resources which inspire teams to  create marketing that matters and in turn grow revenue.
https://www.marketingprofs.com/

4. Nielsen Norman Group on permissions:

“Users who have just downloaded your app do not necessarily have a clear understanding of the value the app will bring to them. At that point, the app has not yet gained their trust, but it asks for permission to invade their screens. What will users get from the app’s notification?

This offence is so frequent that users barely read the message anymore. In many of our studies, the immediate response is to click Don’t Allow. Instead, apps should take advantage of the reciprocity principle and offer users some value first. Allow them to experience the app and only in a later session ask them to accept notifications.”

Nielsen Norman Group 
World leaders in research-based user experience, Nielsen Norman Group was founded by Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman to create an elite organisation dedicated to improving the experience of using technology.
https://www.nngroup.com

5. Convince & Convert on Frequency:

“Don’t break users’ trust by being send-happy with your alerts—or else they might turn them off altogether.

Be strategic about what’s helpful to them, and base your frequency off how often you see them in-store or interact with them through other channels. If your email newsletter goes out monthly, chances are you might want to send push notifications no more than once a week or once a month, to stick with a cadence they’re used to.”

Convince & Convert
Founded by digital marketing influencer and New York Times best-seller Jay Baer in 2008, Convince & Convert is a highly focused analysis and advisory firm.
https://www.convinceandconvert.com 

These industry experts have made some really interesting points that will help guide your push notification strategy. From engagement-driving personalisation tactics to the subtle art of timing and frequency, they have covered a wide range of elements that all have unique importance when it comes to mobile app success.

It will take time and testing to create a strategy that works for you, but with the biggest names in mobile digital marketing informing your decision making, you’ll know that you're on the right track.

To learn more about the various other marketing techniques that you can use to grow your app user base and retain loyal app users, check out The Ultimate Guide to Mobile App Marketing. I’d love to hear from you so feel free to reach out to me directly via contact@hurree.co if you have any questions, or you can leave a comment below.