App push notifications are among the best ways to boost audience engagement and retention on your mobile app. Statistics reveal that 90% of users who open an app once a week become regular users. To increase app stickiness, developers tend to deploy multiple techniques to drive app opens, app push notifications is the most common one.
App push notifications are a direct channel to deliver timely and relevant updates to users. They also play an important role in bringing visitors to the app through notifications sent directly to the user’s device.
Some of the benefits to app publishers of integrating app-push notifications are-
- Improve app visits, contributing to higher loyalty
- Increase time spent on the app and, ultimately user engagement.
- Boost app conversions (7x higher than email marketing)
- Improve revenue through ads and subscription
- Latest updates, offers, promotions, and personalized content recommendations with the users
According to a report by Pugpig, publishers who effectively utilize app push notifications see more than 2x engagement compared to those who don’t. Let’s understand how to achieve these benefits with app push notifications.
Best Practices for App-Push Notifications for Publishers
1) User Segmentation
Users don’t share the same interests, so sending the same notification to everyone isn’t fruitful. Segmenting your audience based on demographics, reading habits, and behavior can help you deliver more relevant and engaging notifications.
Segmentation also helps with re-engagement. Frequent readers can get exclusive content alerts, while inactive users can receive tailored recommendations to bring them back.
By targeting the right users with the right messaging at the right time, you improve engagement and reduce opt-outs. A well-segmented push strategy ensures that every notification is valuable and elevates the user experience.
Example 1: For a sports fan
“Big game tonight! Catch live updates on your favorite team, [Team Name].”
Example 2: For a tech enthusiast
“Apple just unveiled the latest iPhone—here’s everything you need to know!”
2) Personalize
Generic push notifications are often ignored. Instead, monitor users browsing history, reading preferences, and location to deliver targeted content. Personalized notifications feel more relevant, increasing open rates and engagement.
You can personalize your app push notifications to match user preferences and behaviors. Moreover, you can customize the content, tone, and even the timing of your messages as per collected data and user demographics. Sending alerts when users are most active ensures better response rates.
Example 1: Based on Reading History:
“You enjoyed our latest AI trends article—here’s what’s next in tech!”
Example 2: Location-Based Personalization:
“Heavy rainfall is expected in [City] today. Stay updated with live weather alerts.”
3) Avoid Notification Fatigue
Sending too many push notifications can overwhelm users, leading to high opt-out rates and app uninstalls. A well-balanced approach ensures engagement without frustration.
One effective strategy is setting frequency limits. Limiting general news updates to 1-2 per day while allowing real-time alerts for breaking news. This prevents users from feeling bombarded.
Another method is prioritizing notifications based on importance. Alerts should be reserved only for major events, trending stories, or personalized recommendations rather than spamming minor updates.
User preference controls can also help. Allowing users to customize notification categories ensures they only receive updates they care about.
4) Use Compelling and Concise Messaging
Users quickly scan notifications. Your message needs to be direct and engaging. Instead of “New article available,” a more compelling approach would be: “Tech Stocks Surge: What This Means for Investors.”
Here are some effective strategies to create highly engaging push notifications-
- Optimize word length. Keep messages under 10 words (40 characters) for lock screen visibility.
- There should be a clear call-to-action (CTA). Example: “Polls are closing soon! Vote in our survey now.”
- Create a sense of urgency. Example: “Limited-time offer! Unlock premium content at 50% off—today only.”
- Use power words & emojis to grab attention. Example: “🚨 Exclusive: Behind-the-scenes interview with Elon Musk—watch now!”
- Personalize for the user to improve relevance. Example: “John, your favorite team just won! Check out the highlights.”
- Use rich media for higher engagement. Adding images, GIFs, or videos to push notifications improves visually appeal and click-through-rates. Example:
5) Encourage Interaction and Feedback
Push notifications can do more than just inform—they can also invite user interaction.One effective way to encourage interaction is through polls and surveys. For example, a news app can send: “Who should win the election? Vote now!”
Another strategy is to encourage discussions by linking to comment sections or forums. A notification like “Breaking: Major tax reforms announced! Share your thoughts now.” can spark conversations and keep users active.
Additionally, quizzes and user-generated content prompts can make notifications more engaging. For example: “How well do you know world history? Take our quick quiz!”
Interactive push notifications are specifically helpful for publishers who want to foster a stronger connection with their audience.
6) Timing Your Notifications
Even the most well-crafted push notifications can go unnoticed if sent at the wrong time. Scheduling them strategically ensures higher engagement and a better user experience.
One effective approach is behavior-based timing—sending notifications when users are most active. For example, news summaries in the morning or evening work well, while sports updates should align with live games.
Another method is time-zone-based scheduling, ensuring users in different locations receive alerts at optimal local times. Whereas, real-time notifications are essential for breaking news, live events, or trending stories. Sending instant alerts—“Earthquake tremors felt in [City]—Stay tuned for updates.”—ensures users get timely, relevant information.
Lastly, user-preferred timing lets readers set their notification preferences, increasing satisfaction and reducing opt-outs.
7) Track Performance and Tweak
Optimizing push notifications isn’t a one-time task—it requires continuous tracking and refinement. Monitoring key performance metrics helps identify what works and what needs improvement.
Start by analyzing open rates and click-through rates (CTR) to see how users engage with different types of notifications. Another important metric is opt-out rates. A rising opt-out rate indicates that notifications might be too frequent, irrelevant, or poorly timed. Reducing notification overload and refining personalization can help retain users.
A/B testing is another valuable tool. Testing different headlines, message lengths, or send times can reveal which versions drive the most engagement.
Well executed App-push notifications can be a powerful tool for publishers to increase engagement, retain readers, and drive revenue. By focusing on personalization, timing, audience segmentation, and compelling messaging, publishers can enhance user experience while maximizing app performance. Implementing these best practices ensures notifications remain a valuable asset rather than a disruptive experience.
If you’re a publisher, iZooto can help you drive audience loyalty, retain users, and drive revenue growth using iZooto. Boost your engagement through app-push notifications by iZooto today.
