Use of push notifications on mobiles as an effective marketing tool

Smartphones have been a pivotal part of our daily lives for the longest time – yes, we are stating the obvious- and that trend doesn’t seem to change for quite some time to come. The relationship people have with their phones has transformed the way they view and interact with the world. With an ever-increasing number of people viewing content and using internet on their mobile devices, marketers have had to consider different communication channels to get their messages heard and read.

One such channel has been push notifications that pop up on mobile devices, and the best part is app publishers can send them out as many times as they like. Phone users just need to have that app downloaded on their devices or the push notification feature should be switched on. These notifications serve several purposes for marketers – share information, provide updates, stay in contact with users. Typical push notifications that users receive can be categorized as either convenience or promotional. Sports scores, weather and traffic updates belong to the former category, while promotion of products and offers, improving customer experience, among others, fall under the latter.

Push messages are usually not welcome and are considered to be annoying, but when done correctly, it is a powerful marketing tool. Let’s see how to use this tool optimally.

1. Keep the message short:
Always remember that a push message is not a text message. When a user opens a push notification, it brings them to the app, but the message is gone from the screen. A long push notification will be automatically cut off if the user’s phone screen capacity does not support it. So, keeping messaging short is crucial.

2. Keep the content personalized:
Refrain from sending generic content that feels like spam. Break the message or promotion basis gender, location, age group, browsing history, among other factors, to make the content as relevant as possible. It will be really nice if you can include the person’s name in the message.

3. Don’t overdo it:
Push notifications are notorious for being annoying so don’t send too many messages or it can backfire greatly. Users have the option of muting your messages and once they do that, getting them to opt back in is a tough task.

4. Send timely updates:
Whenever and wherever possible, use push messages to enhance customer experience.
If your customers are waiting for an update on something, tell them via a push notification. A good example is of online shopping – if the delivery is going to happen on a particular day, especially within the next couple of hours, notify the customer.

5. Use geo-fencing technology:
Let’s say you have a commendable number of stores across a certain city, if a user has your app on their phone, make sure to send them a notification when they are nearby. This technology isn’t the future; it is the present, with a number of different retailers already using it. Biggies like Netflix and H&M are aboard this technology’s wagon.

A push notification is a more intimate form of communication than some others. It is ideal to reconnect with previous customers and remind already engaged ones that you are there.