Should You Be Using Push Notifications as Part of Your Marketing Strategy?

We are used to having our phones light up non-stop with email alerts, WhatsApp messages and news bulletins, but push notifications can be used for more than that. While some marketing experts are already utilising this format for advertising purposes, it’s still a rarely used method, despite having lots of potential. 

So what exactly sets push notifications apart from other ad formats?

They Don’t Look Like an Ad

As push notifications are just a standard part of our everyday life with a mobile device, the ads blend in with the typical notifications users are used to seeing on their screen. We’re used to seeing ads interrupt our social news feeds or break up a web page during browsing; we’re also used to scrolling past and getting frustrated at the ad for disrupting the user experience. 

Push notifications grab the attention of the user without being too intrusive, meaning they are more likely to click and engage with the ad. 

Targeted Content

Looking to re-engage with a user who hasn’t opened your app in a while? Flash sale and want to alert your customers? Whatever the notification, you can alert your customers urgently and in a way that is more personalised to them. 

Push notifications also work to keep users in the loop with well-targeted information and personalised offers, which only serve to improve the user experience and customer relationships.

Direct Communication

There are not many instances businesses get the opportunity to directly communicate with their customers, but push notifications can be a simple yet effective way of doing so. That’s not to say you should push your luck and overuse the format. Users can easily opt-out if your notifications become overbearing or don’t provide anything useful. Use them sparingly, but definitely use them.

While push notifications can clearly be a valuable part of the marketing funnel, you can quickly outstay your welcome if you use them incorrectly. 

Don’t bombard your users with notifications and make sure your message is relevant and useful. You need to ensure you find a good balance between the content of your message and how often you get that message across. 

Timing is also a crucial part of push notifications. When we wake up in the morning, chances are, we’ve already got an assortment of notifications to run through so your coupon or awareness message is likely to get lost. Evening is a good time to send a notification out, but it’s always ideal to test and monitor to see what works best.

The other issue is that push notifications are only an option if your business has a published app. However, as shopping online and via mobile devices is dominating, it’s likely that apps will become an even bigger part of our future. It might be worth keeping push notifications in mind.

For more information on how we can assist you with your digital ads and marketing strategy, contact us here.