Push notifications have been around since 2009, starting with Apple's release of iOS 3.03. Since that time consumers have become increasingly accustomed to this service, particularly as used in apps and more recently in web applications. Rich Media Push Notifications in particular offer marketers a new channel to connect with consumers, especially in this era of increasing adblocker usage.
Consumers enjoy receiving push notifications that are relevant. According to a recently released report by Vizury, static push notifications receive abysmal click through rates (CTR) ranging from 4% to 8%. The reason for the low CTR is that mobile users don't like wading through dozens of generic and irrelevant messages before finding one that is actually useful.
Think of this as the modern day equivalent to email inbox overload, except worse. Push notifications are highly distractive and you can't quickly scan through them in the same manner as your email inbox.
However, the same study found that relevant Rich Media Push Notifications received an enviable 20%-30% CTR. According to this MailChimp analysis, these are the results one could expect from a really good email campaign. Push notifications aren't a magic bullet, but those that are well executed can see significant results.
For e-commerce brands, the best type of notifications are those that are personalized and recommend relevant products along with the product image. These multi product Rich Media Push Notifications offer ample opportunity for engagement because they are clickable, scrollable, and typically offer deep-linking to in-app product views.
Apple's soon to be released iOS10 will be a boon to both marketers and consumers. According to TechCrunch, push notifications will be a lot more useful and relevant. Now marketers will be able to offer Internet-based recommendations that are more memorable, thanks to the use of product images and videos within the Push. Notifications can be sent based on event, location and time triggers. Plus, pending notifications will never go stale as they can be supplied with updated information.
Rich Media Push Notifications are flexible in that they can be used for different stages of the buyer's journey. New users can receive a custom Push with specific recommendations and first-time discounts for that user. This is a relatively straightforward implementation based on categories and products that a new user has visited.
Active users can also be engaged using Push retargeting. It's not uncommon for existing users to look at many products, add something to their cart, yet fail to complete their purchase. Implementing a Push with product images can help nudge these people towards making the final purchase.
Push Notifications can help increase sales to frequent buyers, especially through the use of upsells and cross-sells. Rich Media Push can be used to send product recommendations based on a customer's purchase and also to offer loyalty discounts. Alerts can be dispatched when new products are added to a category in which a user has displayed interest. Alternatively, alerts can be issued for price drops of products added to a cart but never purchased.
Push Notifications are extremely useful in re-activating dormant users. By analyzing past behavior, personalized Push Notifications can be created to bring inactive prospects back into the buyer's journey. Typically, this type of notification will offer customer discounts for the most relevant products or categories.
Implementing Rich Media Push Notifications requires a marketing automation platform that allows for the integration of product feeds. User data needs to be gathered and analyzed to determine relevant interests. Using behavior-based insights, Push Notifications must be structured based on the prospects stage in the buyer's journey. Employ deep-linking to connect the Push with applicable product landing pages. Remember that relevancy is key to achieving high CTR; only send something that is relevant and important. Continually analyze your results and refine your messages to improve your performance.
