Getting Started With App Push Notifications
What are App Push Notifications?
App push notifications are bite-sized messages sent to users who have installed an app on their mobile device. Starting Android 13, users on Android also have to explicitly give permission to receive push notifications from the app just like iOS devices.
App push notifications can be sent even when the user is not actively using the app, which makes it possible to engage and interact with the audience base effectively and bring them back to the desired page.
App push notifications are delivered to the users in real-time regardless of the mobile being on silent mode, locked or unlocked. These notifications appear in the notification tray/notification center, making it evidently visible and easily accessible.
User's experience of App Push Notifications
Where do App Push Notifications appear on Android and iOS?
Android Push Notification
On Android, users can see the notifications in the notification tray by swiping down. On Android, notifications are clubbed and displayed in the order of priority. Android users can swipe down to see an integrated pane of both system controls and notifications, unlike on iOS. Once a notification is received users can slightly swipe left or right to see options like Settings, Snooze and Delete. Under settings, users can mute the notifications as well.
iOS push notification
For iPhone users, you can swipe up to see various system controls and swipe down to see the recent iOS push notification (for some devices, the control center is moved to a swipe down direction). Push notifications are clubbed and listed in chronological order. iOS also lets users make changes to how you receive a push notification at an individual app level. Once a notification is received, a user can swipe left to find options like Manage, View, and Clear. Users have the ability to make this change from inside Settings > App Name.
Anatomy of push notifications
Push notifications on Android
- If a small icon is not defined, the Default Icon for Android, which is a Bell (🔔) will be displayed to the user
- Time Stamp shows the time the notification was received. It can not be changed since it is provided by Android at which the notification came.
- The arrow next to the Time Stamp (Inverted ^) would appear next to the timestamp which, if clicked would minimize or maximize the notification banner image.
- The inverted arrow would only be shown if the notification either has image or CTAs
- A max of 3 CTA’s can be made use of prompting users to take action.
Push notifications on iOS
- The image on the right is a compressed version of the banner image/Gif. On iOS, the banner image or the gif gets picked up as an icon and does not have an option to add an icon separately.
- There is also an option to add a subtitle along with the notification
- Users can expand the notification to reveal the banner image by clicking on ‘View’ (which can be found by slightly swiping left or by using 3D Touch/Force Touch).
- Up to 4 CTA’s can be made use of nudging users to take action.
Why do marketers use App Push Notifications?
In this fast-paced life, users are in the loop with everything that is going around and also be with things that interest them. What could be an easier way than to be spoon-fed information with a solution that provides relevant information on the go? Being the last person in the room to know something important is not a good feeling, and FOMO makes one stay updated, always. An average US mobile user receives 46 app push notifications per day.
In this age of immediacy, push notifications have made its mark by reaching out to users at the right time with relevant information to the right users in real-time. It is quick to engage and spur a response from the users. Businesses across industries, especially publishers have already had reaped benefits and consider app push a valuable asset in their marketing stack along with web push notifications, messenger push notifications, and email.
App push notifications are heavily used as a communication channel to grab users’ attention and engage users. Here are 3 ways push notifications are used to drive the marketing flywheel.
Content Distribution
Publishing content is not enough. The marketing of the content becomes vital to bring users back to your app. With app push notifications, inform users every time you push out new articles, podcasts, video content, social posts, videos, and so on.
Retargeting
Bring users back to your app and make them complete the desired action. Have they left a video half-seen or did not read an article to completion? Send them a push notification and bring them back to continue where they left off.
Retention
With app push, users can be engaged constantly for your brand to be on top of their minds. Provide them with a good user experience for them to keep interacting with your push notifications and make them keep coming for more.
How app push notifications are different from web push notifications?
- Native app notifications can take full advantage of the device features – the camera, GPS, accelerometer, compass, contact list and current location, whereas web push notifications can’t tap into any of these features yet.
- As Native apps can only be installed on tablets and smartphones, native app notifications are limited to these devices only. Web push notifications on the other hand can be used to reach users on Desktop as well.
- Native app notifications support rich media – images, videos, gifs, audio, and other interactive elements. Web push notifications as of now, only support large images (only on Chrome 56 and above).
Amp the subscription experience
Subscription for Android push notification
Starting Android 13, users have to explicitly grant permission to receive notifications. You can start sending them notifications and engage them right away once a user grants permission and bring them to the desired screen. It could be a welcome notification promoting the most popular article or something that is trending.
Subscription for iOS push notification
Explicit consent from app
This is a native prompt, and hence can not be customized. This push notifications for iPhone prompt is displayed as soon as a user downloads an app and opens it or after a specific custom activity, such as - after a user signs in, provide them a button to opt-in for notifications (at customer’s end).
Usually, apps display the prompt on app launch as the chances of users subscribing to notifications are higher with app download. The prompt provides users with an option to click on Allow or Don’t Allow. If they click Allow they will start receiving notifications. This can be changed anytime from the settings.
iOS push notification
Show and tell. Instead of asking for consent on app launch, the experience of consent is embedded inside the notification. This gives the users an idea of the kind push notifications for iPhone, they can receive from you and then make an informed decision.
This push notification on iPhone is silently delivered - they don’t interrupt the user with a sound or banner, or appear on the lock screen. They only appear in the notification center’s history. If clicked on Keep Receiving, they would be asked - If the user wants to receive push notifications on iPhone Quietly or if they want it to be Delivered Prominently with them being alerted with sound or badge.
What are silent notifications?
Segment your audience to cater better
Demographic
Users can be segmented based on age group, gender, and ethnicity to send them push notifications that are relevant to them. For example, an article on ‘5 ways to groom your beard’ will be relevant to users who are male.
Psychographics
Capture user interest, keep tabs on genre articles read, the videos they watch, and more, to strike the right chord. These need to be taken into account to provide users with information and updates on topics that they like to read about.
User Behaviour
Segment users based on their behavior traits. What does their session duration look like? Do they read an article to completion? How many times do they visit your app? Bring back your dormant users affected with a segmentation like this.
User engagement
Segment users based on the engagement on the app. It is a beautiful way to reach out to dormant users with content you think they will like, and bring them back to your app. For example - Target users who installed your app 10 days ago but their session count(unique) is < 2.
Language
Reach out to users in a language that they are comfortable with. This comes in handy especially when your reader base is from different regions that speak different languages. Also, maintain brand consistency by notifying users in the language your publication is in.
Hyper-local
Readers resonate with local content and the changes of engaging with the notification are higher. People have a sense of belonging to their locality and news pertaining to the vicinity makes it a thumb stopper and quinces FoMO.
Timezone
Target users from a particular time zone for maximum impact. Tap the right marketable moment, reach out to them at the right time, and engage better. Imagine receiving a push notification at 3 AM in the night on how 4 tips to wake up early.
Supercharging audience engagement
Personal notifications
Send notifications addressed directly to the user. User-specific notifications such as including the name of the user, subscription expiry fall under this.
Target notifications
Notifications that target a specific segment of users based on gender, location, behavior, interest, and so on. This helps in reaching out to a set of readers to get maximum impact.
Broadcast notifications
Notifications are sent to your entire subscription list. These notifications cater to the entire audience and notify everyone at lightning speed.
Role of push notifications in marketing
How are Newsrooms using Push Notifications?
Updates in real-time
Send breaking news, important news flash, score updates, and so on in real-time so that the users are up-to-date.
Recover abandoned screen
Users tend to get distracted but they can always be brought back! Send them a notification at the right marketable moment and make them revisit.
Category-specific notifications
Sending specific notifications related to users’ interest to keep them in the loop of what they are keen to read. These notifications usually attract more interactions.
Updates in real-time
Send breaking news, important news flash, score updates, and so on in real-time so that the users are up-to-date.
Recover abandoned screen
Users tend to get distracted but they can always be brought back! Send them a notification at the right marketable moment and make them revisit.
Category-specific notifications
Sending specific notifications related to users’ interest to keep them in the loop of what they are keen to read. These notifications usually attract more interactions.
How are Bloggers using Push Notifications?
New content announcement
Notify users every time you publish something new. Get more eyeballs and nudge than to visit your site.
Recover abandoned videos
Notify users every time you publish something new. Get more eyeballs and nudge than to visit your site.
Engage dormant users
Bring back inactive users by sending them notifications on topics that interest them. You could also slide in a free course and so on.
New content announcement
Notify users every time you publish something new. Get more eyeballs and nudge than to visit your site.
Recover abandoned videos
Notify users every time you publish something new. Get more eyeballs and nudge than to visit your site.
Engage dormant users
Bring back inactive users by sending them notifications on topics that interest them. You could also slide in a free course and so on.
Automate to increase efficiency
Scheduled Notifications
Create push notifications to be delivered at a future date and time. This lets you maximize the time, and helps avoid making last-minute blunders.
Recurring Notifications
Set push notifications to be sent on a periodical basis to keep users engaged. These notifications are sent on a recurring basis and act as reminders.
Drip Notifications
Create a series of notifications to be sent one after another at a predefined time. Keep users engaged with a set of notifications by just setting it up once.
Triggered Notifications
Set triggers on specific user actions to send notifications to capture them at the right time. Bring them back and encourage them to complete the desired action.
Best Practices
- Send relevant and personalized messages. Users are 38% less likely to uninstall an app after receiving a personalized message.
- Observe the time of the day when people open your notifications the most and leverage it
- Location insights around app users to send them relevant information in the place they are currently in.
- Make use of emojis, make your copy catchy, use different multimedia formats, and use CTAs.
- Conduct an A/B test
What not to do
- Don’t bombard the users with a lot of push notifications. Spamming leads to app uninstallation.
- Don’t keep the copy too long. The best performing push messages are under 25 characters.
- Don’t send users to the app homepage if the CTA button indicates differently. Take deep links seriously.
- Don’t send each and every push notification to your entire audience base. 30% of users opt-out of messages that aren’t relevant.
Must track Push notifications KPIs to drive better results
CTRs
The idea behind sending a notification is to encourage users to click on the notification and land back on your app. CTRs need to be tracked to know how effective your push campaign is. Influenced opens also needs to be taken into consideration as a lot of users directly open the app influenced by the notifications they have seen.
Active users
Daily, weekly and monthly active users need to be tracked to know the stickiness of your app. This is a clear reflection of user engagement, by tracking people who open the app in a given time frame. This is based on the individual and not the number of sessions, For example, in DAU, a user opening the app four times a day, is counted as one.
Avg Session
Track both average and unique open to know how your app is performing. A good way to track the number of sessions you generate is by taking a ratio of DAU and MAU. You also need to track session length to know the duration a user spends on your app. For publishers, the session interval is also a metric that can be tracked.
Retention rate
Track the percentage of users returning to your app in a given period of time. Returning users on your app on a consistent basis shows high retention, which translates to your app being valuable for them. Track the number of users who open your app regularly, keep tabs on the percentage of uninstalls MoM as well. Retention is inversely related to churn.
Android 13 - Giving users control
Android app developers until now could send notifications to users once they had downloaded their app. That’s no longer the case now. With Android 13, users explicitly need to give permission to receive notifications just like in iOS. With power comes responsibility and to ensure that users are not bombarded with notifications they never wanted to receive, now more control is given to users by asking them if they like to receive notifications from a particular brand.
“Apps targeting Android 13 will now need to request permission from the user before posting notifications,” states Dave Burke, VP of Engineering, Android at Google.
Users can now Allow (consent offered by the user to be a part of the app audience and start receiving notifications), not allow (user declines the to receiving notifications from a particular app) and even dismiss the notifications (If the user is on v12 and lower and has not explicitly disabled receiving notifications, then you are eligible for a temporary grant. This basically means that a prompt can be shown at a more convenient time.)
The developers need to ensure that their app is on the latest version. Users on Android 13 will see a prompt if they keep sending notifications and do not upgrade to Android 13. This creates an unpleasant user experience and might lead to users declining to receive notifications from you. Upgrading to Android 13 gives you flexibility over when you want to display the prompt.
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