They typically display on a mobile device without prior notice. Well, they’re not a complete surprise. Every push notification requires some sort of opt-in – a permission duly granted by a user to accept certain digital messages pertaining to brand, organization, or institution. The primary reason for the acceptance is a stated personal interest in the sender’s goods or services.
Despite the permission granted to senders of push notifications, acceptance isn’t as automatic as might be supposed. The digital alert must hold an intrinsic value to make the desired impression. Thus, brand marketers should craft each notification to grab the recipient with irresistible force. As with virtually every other form of marketing communication, engagement is the overriding objective.
An engaging and effective push notification typically exhibits certain qualities. The first of these qualifies is an accurate assessment of buyer motivations. As an example, consider an alert sent in response to a user’s previous purchase. Data indicating the true purpose of the purchase is indispensable to the shaping of an appropriate response — if a response is warranted. Perhaps the user in question bought a pair of headphones. Does this indicate the buyer’s deep and abiding musical interest? Maybe, maybe not. The merchandise might be a gift to a co-worker or a contribution to a raffle’s prize lineup. Clearly, accurate conclusions require sufficient data. A push notification based on incomplete info is a wild pitch in the dark.
Also important to the engagement power of the push notification is frequency. The more the merrier is a guiding principle unsuitable for this type of communication. Brand marketers will engage more successfully by limiting messages to the very, very important. If your brand has something to say that simply can’t wait (i.e. limited time offer) AND is of supreme importance and relevance to the recipient, sending it is a sensible move. Selectivity over scattershot is the far more productive way to go.
If you have any questions or comments about increasing the effectiveness of push notifications, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.