Mobile phones have entered and influenced all aspects of our lives, especially during this worldwide Corona pandemic. These have become our primary means of connecting with the world outside. This has made mobile app notifications a common technique employed by mobile apps to connect with their users. 

However, popups are often considered to be annoying, disturbing, and interruptive. But the problem is not with the popups themselves. It is the way they are used that many (60% of app users) finally resort to turning off push notifications permanently. So brands with mobile apps should know how to build a fruitful notification campaign. 

Here are 17 best practices for mobile app notifications.

• Send pre-permission notification for iOS.

Unlike Android phones where you can begin sending push notifications as soon as a user downloads your app, with iOS phones, you need the user’s prior permission for sending them notifications. So, the opt-in rates are almost 20% more on Android phones when compared to iOS. So, send a pre-permission notification to your iOS users. 

Be creative while telling why receiving your notifications would be useful to them. Include rich content like GIFs, videos, images, etc. to assure them that you won’t be bombarding them with marketing ads. 

Look at the above-given instance where Intermedia Labs sends out a notification with a video to HQ Trivia app downloaders. In the video, a person congratulates the users for downloading the app and describes their intention of sending notifications. 

• Send out notifications at the right time.

Sending out notifications at a time when the user is free for reading those is essential. Though usually, smartphone users are often free after work and before bed, the timing can vary from user to user. So, derive insights from your popup notification analytics to know their habitual use of the device. Make sure that your notifications don’t interrupt them during their important life and work schedules. 

For example, in the above image you can see, Curiosity, a part of the Discovery family of brands, sending its push notifications at a time when its users’ smartphones are likely to be less-crowded with notifications. Plus, the notification pops up between 5 and 6 pm- just when most of the users would be getting back from work. 

• Arouse Curiosity

To stand out in an ocean of notifications, you should arouse Curiosity. Notifications that have an element of suspense often get clicked. This is the reason why messages from social and communications apps are one of the highest opened ones. Users want to immediately know someone’s response to their posts and photos.

Such Curiosity can be evoked by other brands and businesses as well. You just need to be creative while reinforcing the value of your service or product. For instance, look at the following image bearing a mobile app notification from The New York Times. It kindles the interest of the reader to know more about the story. 

• Include social proof 

When your message has social proof from a study or event, it builds a feeling that the user is not alone. This instills the hope that one is taking or has taken the right decision. Humans tend to feel secure and assured when they go by the majority. This, in turn, promotes user retention by allowing them to appreciate your services and products. 

Such messages also leave a lasting impression of your brand on the user’s mind. For instance, look at the below-given image of two notification messages sent by Proof Leads, a US-based firm that helps its customers send proof notifications. 

• Segment your customers before targeting 

Derive valuable insights from your backend analytics data to find your most engaged user segments. Notify them with special offers based on their in-app behaviors. Also, use geo-targeting to send special offers to them.  

For instance, look at the above notification sent by the beauty company Sephora. It is short, timely, geo-triggered, and useful. Besides, fun emojis tend to make one’s spirit light. The message definitely would have driven a favorable action for Sephora. 

• Personalize your notifications

Personalizing your notifications will bring a dramatic increase in user engagement. You can add a touch of personalization in the following ways-

• Addressing the user with his or her first name.
• Mentioning a product of the user’s interest by looking into his or her navigation or transaction history. For instance, you can send a push about a new product line or about the things he or she recently added to the cart. 
• Taking into account the user’s location. For instance, have a look at the following in-app notification sent by Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. It mentions that the weather at the user’s location is forecasted to have snowfall, and hence asks the user to stay indoors and get free delivery from it. 

• Use a conversational tone

Conversational notifications tend to grab the user’s attention more than mere statements. So, convert your statements to conversations before sending them as notifications. For instance, let your message read “Don’t wait! Our offer won’t last for long!” instead of “Do not wait! Our offer will not last for long!” 

Make sure that your message is short enough, and does not have stuffy words. For, shorter messages are good at grabbing the reader’s attention, and simpler words are better understood. “We’ll ensure that your garden looks lovely” works better than “We’ll ensure that your garden looks exquisite and splendid”. Below given is an instance from FourSquare, a location data platform. 

• Induce self-reflection

Retrieving memories of how your users used to be in the past can subtly kindle them to take action in your favor. So, try self-reflection and thought-provoking messages in your notifications. While doing so, use a lively tone. 

Consider this notification by Resy, an American firm that provides an app and backend management software for restaurant bookings. It gently reflects on the past user behavior using both old and modern language. It certainly would have coaxed the user to book dinner if they hadn’t. 

• Create a sense of urgency

Create urgency by setting a time limit on your offer. An hourly or daily countdown to the offer’s end will persuade the user to purchase before the offer or sale expires. 

In the above-given mobile app notification by an e-commerce platform, you can see how well the message is crafted to create a sense of urgency. The words “going out of stock” and “lose it forever” simply wheedles the user to make an immediate purchase. Further, it has a personal touch without an assumption that the user might have purchased the product from elsewhere. 

• Make users feel cherished

Occasionally send notifications that make them feel special. It can promote a friendly relationship of the user with your brand. Your message can mark a special day in their life, like a birthday or wedding anniversary, or a special time of the year, like Diwali, Ramjan, or Christmas. If there is no occasion, it can be a simple “Thanks for being a part of us”. 

While greeting them for the occasion, do remember to state that you appreciate their tie with you. Consider the following notification, which not only sends birthday wishes but also gives an account of how long the user has been connected with the brand. This stimulates positive emotions which can not only bring sales but also long-term associations with you. 

• Ask for a rating or review

Good reviews and ratings given by customers boost your sales further. For, positive reviews have a positive influence on prospective buyers. Ask for a rating or review as soon as your service or product has been delivered to the user. 

Look at the above notification sent by Ubereats asking its user for a rating soon after making a delivery. Asking a rating straightforwardly makes things easy and actionable. Further, the use of the word “please” incorporates politeness. Also, pay attention to the inclusion of the location of the McDonald’s, where the user placed an order. This will help if the user has simultaneously ordered from more than one McDonald’s. 

• Include several emojis

Emojis can substitute language and trigger emotional responses in the viewer. The use of these in your mobile app notifications can make your message stand out while painting a picture of the event, product, offer, or service mentioned. 

The above-shown instances of notifications incorporated with many emojis render an energetic message which otherwise would have been stale. Because of the fun inherent to such messages, these fascinate the user and drive action in them. 

• Remind users to complete an action

Sending a reminder to complete an action left halfway by the user can get the passive user to commit, say studies. It applies to not only e-commerce sites, but also job search platforms, gaming apps, and more. 

While sending reminder notifications, include an urgency element like “Already ten people have applied for this position”, “Only two more leggings of your favorite color are available in stock”, “Items in your cart are expiring soon”, etc. 

• Present a thrilling update

Send notifications with updates of products or services of interest to the user. This would excite the user to know more details of your message. 

The above notification sent by Product Hunt, a platform for sharing and discovering new products, updates the user that he got a new follower. Along with this, the message also has the profile picture of the follower, a hugging emoji, and an exclamation mark to trigger thrill in the user. 

•  Help users rediscover your app’s features

An educated user is an engaged user. So, if you observe a user using your app less often, the reason could be that he is bored, or he has already completed the purpose he downloaded your app for. In both cases, you can make him active again by reminding him of what he is missing out on or introducing him to a section of the app he didn’t know existed.

You may also choose to present him with a newly launched feature, just like how Amazon has in the above-given mobile app notification. This would have made the user inquisitive to know more about the newly launched feature. 

• Express gratitude

Let your users know how grateful you are to have them. Convey this through an app notification. It need not be just a “Thank you!” You can incorporate more into the message to accomplish more from your app notifications. 

Have a look at the above app notification sent by DailyLook, a personal styling service. It not only has conveyed gratitude but also includes an offer on the next purchase. Thus, it achieves its dual mission of expressing gratefulness and making a sale. 

• Stress on why you are important

Last but not least, the significance of stressing your dominance in your industry should not be overlooked. This is because often users end up turning off notifications. After all, they are overwhelmed by the many numbers of apps launched with each passing day. So, make sure that your users consider your notifications as important.

Just like placing testimonials at your site, send out notifications that tell them why you matter. The above given is an instance from Bodybuilding.com. See how wisely they have included a code to get a discount on a purchase! That’s how you need to combine value with your bragging. 

Now, let’s wind it all up.

Despite the widespread belief that push notifications are intrusive and annoying, these can be employed wisely for growing your brand or business. You can make Mobile app notification campaigns fruitful by following the best practices discussed in our blog. Take some insights from the examples discussed by us in the blog. This will let you know the tactics of keeping your users engaged and tied with you for a long time.