How to Use Push Notifications to Drive Business

Think about all the various messages you receive in a day. Some are verbal, some are in your inbox, some are written and others are on your phone. Which ones do you give your attention to? Most likely, it’s those that come straight to the forefront of the messaging clutter. Americans now spend more than 3.5 hours per day on their smartphones—and push notifications are designed to be delivered front and center, where and when it’s most relevant for consumers to see them. More than 77% of US adults now own smartphones, meaning they use apps on a regular basis. And because they’re rarely further than an arm’s length away, smartphones present the opportunity to send quick, convenient push notifications to consumers to engage, remind, inform and even drive new revenue. The Push Notification Advantage Push notifications are messages that pop up on a customer’s status bar or lock screen as a result of downloading an app, whereas text messages can be sent to any phone. With push notifications, consumers are more likely to engage with the message because they took time to download the app and presumably have affinity for the brand. Push notifications work hand-in-hand with the apps they’re sent from because the messages often drive users to take action in-app. In fact, businesses that send push notifications have 88% more app launches than those that don’t. Push notifications can drive a number of benefits for brands with apps, including:

• Higher engagement
• More targeted marketing
• More convenient sending and redeeming
• Higher retention
• Increased business

Use Push to Drive Traffic and Sales Push messages provide a unique opportunity for marketers to not only communicate directly with consumers, but do so in a timely, targeted, and relevant way that increases ROI by driving them right back into the app. The most successful push notifications are:

1. Relevant.Is the topic of the message important to the customer?
2. Engaging. Does the subject line/teaser message entice opens?
3. Timely. Are notifications sent at the right times and within a reasonable frequency?
4. Personalized.Are messages tailored to the user?
5. Action-oriented.Does the message drive the customer to do something?

When executed successfully, push notifications have the power to drive business in multiple ways:

• Boost app opens and activity. With an enticing message, users are drawn to open the app to find out more and even explore new or underused areas. This might include checking their rewards balance, seeing what products are new, or redeeming a digital offer to pre-order food directly from the app.
• Increase in-store traffic.Sending digital offers via push or in-app notification encourages customers to come in-store while they wait to fuel up. With a digital coupon or special promotion, customers have an incentive to make a purchase while simultaneously engaging with your brand.
• Enhance the brand experience. Consumers are savvier than ever, and they expect all of their shopping experiences to be too. By utilizing push, you can meet them where they spend a large portion of their time with mobile offers that are easy to open and convenient to redeem. Plus, digitizing allows you to incorporate customer data, making offers that much more targeted for a personalized shopping experience.
• Drive loyalty. With every new interaction, whether in-app or offline, customers engrain themselves more and more in your brand. As you communicate with them more frequently, they’re given opportunities to spend more time in the app, see what’s new, and come in-store to continually engage—increasing brand loyalty over time. And when rewards information is kept right in the app, they can even see the value of being a loyal customer right before their eyes.

E-commerce apps boast the highest engagement of any other industry. When you combine the convenience of push with the selling power of a mobile commerce platform, you can not only stay connected to your customers, but keep them coming back with offers that drive increased business. Send Notifications from an Integrated Mobile Platform P97’s mobile commerce and digital marketing platform makes reaching retail fueling customers and c-store shoppers easier than ever with push notifications that can be triggered using geo-location for the utmost timeliness and relevance. Build offers based on deep data like purchase history, consumer preferences, and location to convert more customers through promotions that appeal to their immediate needs. Plus, automate everything from notification creation and delivery to payment and follow-up analytics so the process is even easier. Start driving increased sales with mobile capabilities by scheduling a demo today.