Push notifications. Those annoying little banners that pop up on your phone, or a valuable tool in your digital CRM strategy? If it’s the first one, then chances are someone’s not using them properly…

So, let’s start with what push notifications are—messages delivered directly to a user’s device. It’s easy to confuse them with in-app messages, but they differ in that the user doesn’t need to have an app open to receive them. Because of this, they serve a completely different purpose, and the way they’re used should reflect this. So, the big three questions are how can they be used? How should they be used? And why should they be used? We’ve got a few tips below to help you get the most out of using push notifications within your CRM strategy.

When to use Push Notifications

Push notifications are great for driving customers back into action. Whether you want to get them back into your app to view a new feature or direct them online to take advantage of an offer, you should consider adding push notifications to your marketing strategy to enhance your programs and campaigns. If, for example, you’ve sent someone an offer in an email but they haven’t yet acted upon it, sending a push reminder would be better than sending them another email. Or, if they haven’t opened your app and seen your latest in-app message, then a push notification reminder could be just the ticket. Our strategy team are always looking for the best way to communicate a message to a customer, and using push notifications at the right time for the right message can really boost your results.

Keep your copy short and to the point

As with a lot of digital CRM comms, we know that the audience won’t always have a lot of time to digest and act on what you’ve sent them. We also know that push notifications will normally land at a moment when a user isn’t actively engaging with your brand because it’s unlikely that they’ll see the message when they’re browsing your website or using your app. So with this in mind, the shorter the message, and the clearer the action required, the more chances there are of it being engaged with. What we’ve found is that ultimately we can take a lot of learnings from what we know about writing great email and social copy, and apply the same logic to push notifications—short and snappy always wins.

Actions speak louder than words

Ssshhh - don’t let our copywriters hear me say that. However, what we mean here is that push notifications have moved on from just being short text-only messages. It is now possible to include quick action buttons within the notification itself to make it even easier for your audience to engage with the message. These can help to reinforce what the next expected action is for the customer to take, making things even clearer for them. The key takeaway here is to make sure you explore the opportunities you have within your CRM tool to make sure you’re using all available features. It might be that your tool doesn’t offer the ability to use buttons, but if it does then it’s worth looking into how you can use them to your benefit.

They’re more than just text messages now

In the same way that it’s possible to include quick action buttons within a push notification, it’s now also possible to include images as well. These are often called rich push notifications and are offered by ESPs such as Braze. With rich pushes, you can include imagery, animations, multiple messages in a sliding carousel, and even video content, which will all increase your chances of engagement. So gone are the days when the responsibility of your push notifications sat solely with the strategists and copywriters in your team… best tee up your designers too to make sure you’re getting the most out of this channel.

Remember your audience and their environment

What I mean by this is that a push notification is a very direct and personal way of communicating with your audience. You’re sending a message straight to their device regardless of what they’re doing. Chances are, you may even be interrupting something they’re already in the middle of, so it’s nice to soften this approach where possible. Personalisation will go a long way to helping with this - recognising your customer, making the content relevant to them, and giving them actions that will be of benefit them will help them feel like the notification is worth acting upon, and ultimately improve the image of your brand—no one wants to feel like they’re being spammed!

Here at ActionRocket, we’ve always been focussed on getting the right message to the right customer at the right time. As digital CRM has grown and evolved, we’ve now added ‘on the right channel’ to that goal too. Push notifications can be an invaluable tool when it comes to reaching your customers and encouraging continued engagement, so the more you understand about how they work and the opportunities they present, the better. Need a little more advice? Our team of specialists is always on hand to help, so drop us a message here and start maximising your digital CRM channels with a little push today.