mobile notification best practices

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Mobile Notification Best Practices


Diana Laboy-RushSenior Product Marketing Manager

Urban Airship

Alyssa MerittHead of Strategic

ConsultingUrban Airship

Today's Presenters


Agenda

• Mobile Notification Types Explained

• Cross-Channel Marketing Implications

• Your Top Questions, Answered

• Key Takeaways


Mobile Notification Types


Overview of Notification Types

MobileWallet

In-App Messages

MessageCenters

Rich (Interactive

) Notification

s

PushNotifications


Push Notifications Overview

• Opt-in messages delivered directly to phone or tablet home screen

• Broadcast or targeted• Real-time or scheduled• Location-based• Easy to create with • Deep Link Capability

Light up their screen


Push Notification Best Practices1. Identify the action

desired2. Make it timely and

relevant with context

3. Focus on in-the-moment

4. Use precision targeting

5. Make it a conversation


Can They Read It?

Maximum characters by operating system and device

Message Length

43 characters: The briefest display type is "banner style" on iOS with an iPhone 4/4S.

37 characters: The briefest display type on Android in "lock screen portrait" on Nexus 5, 6 and 6P.

Here’s what concise messages around 40 characters look like:

Retail: "Members only: 20% off shoes. Shop now!"

News: "BREAKING: DC homicide suspect in custody."

Travel: "CHANGE: Flt 39 departing from gate C2."

https://support.urbanairship.com/hc/en-us/articles/213491643



Rich Notificatio

n

The New Paradigm: Rich Notifications

Include Rich Media

(JPGs, GIFs, etc.)

Interactive Buttons

Share Directly from the

Notification


Rich Notification Examples


Rich Notifications Considerations

56% higher direct open rate vs. standard notifications• Attention grabbing• Interactive buttons• Images• Video (iOS)• Gifs (iOS)• Sound (iOS)


The Interactive NotificationNot just “notifications,” trackable interactions. • Immediate & specific actions• 2 button, 1 button, no

button• Better conversion routing• Engaging experiences• Yes/No, Like/Share, Remind

Me Later/Share• Emojis

Interactive Notification Types

https://docs.urbanairship.com/reference/built-in_interactive_notifications.html


Rich Notifications Best Practices

• Use rich media to compel action• Video for news and publishing• Gifs for emotional appeal• Images for transactional info

• Use interactions to capture insight• Prompt with a “shop now” button to deep link

into app• Include a “share” button to grow audience


In-App Interactive NotificationsReach opt-outs & create notification continuity

Send in-app only, or with a push notification. Background & font color can be customized.

Great uses for in-app messages• Encourage push opt in• Feature update• Quick tips / pro tips• Contest entry


Message Centers: Now or Later Reading

Your user’s mobile inbox• Reach entire app audience• Unread messages are flagged with

badges• Customize content with different

icons• Can be used for promotions• Marketers can add or expire

messages


Message Center Examples


Rich In-App Pages in Message CenterMarketer-deployed landing pages

• Storytelling through great visuals, video, or audio with rich content landing pages.

• Reach your entire app audience — not just opt-ins.

• Track user behaviors via UA tagging and 3rd party analytics

• Can be promotional

Branded Templates Upload HTML 5


Temporary In-App PagesInterstitial, temporary experience

Reach opt-ins on the flyDisplay stand-alone landing pages to your opt-in audience without a message center• Out-of-the-box with SDK,

leveraging branded templates• Actions can be tagged for

re-messaging• Temporary


Messaging Tactic Recommended UsagePush Notification Lights up screen, provides immediacy, great for time- and location-

sensitive content. Great for re-engaging lapsed users.

Rich Notification When you want a response- follow up on a story, share.

Badging (iOS) Creates urgency, but non-interruptive. Helps bring back engaged and lapsed users.

In-App Notification When your message has to be seen- reaches entire app audience. Can be one, two or no buttons.Delivered to home screen. Temporal, in the moment messaging, that can be sequenced.

Messaging Tactics Help with User Experience


Messaging Tactic Recommended Usage

Message Center Connect and get more value out of users who already use the app. User is brought to the inbox by a standard push or by badging.

More room for copy, offers now or later reading, high engagement via rich content (video, audio, text, surveys), can be used for testing.

In-App Page Larger area, can be temporary (like a pop up) for opt-ins only or within the message center (entire app audience).

Mobile Wallet No app needed. Can be shared via email, sms, print etc. Can be updated and location triggered.

Messaging Tactics Help with User Experience


Messaging Types


Three Main Messaging Types

• Educational: • Value add as your customer grows with your brand (lifecycle)

• Promotional: • Coupons, offers, opportunities (the give for the get)

• Transactional: • Reorder, shipped, confirmed, changed tier (service and loyalty)


The Intersection of Brand & User Goals

USERBRAND• Reach, engage,

retain audience• Gain user

insight• Reduce cost• Repeat

business, increase LTV

• Increase efficiency

• Be informed• Make it easy• Save money• Save time• Security• Better deals• Be reminded• Have fun


Relevant & Useful Messaging

• How is it relevant?

• Why does it matter here and now?

• What do you what them to do?

Three questions to ask before you push send:Use everything you know about users to deliver value• Inform• Alert• Direct• Entertain• Connect• Choose wisely• Save money• Increase

efficiency


Educational


Promotional


Framing the Communication Opportunity

EMOTIONAL

Regular /PUSHE

D

Content based on calendar or lifecycle. Heighten customer emotional

engagement.

Content that responds to a specific event or customer

behavior. Heighten customer emotional engagement.

Content based on calendar or lifecycle. Aim to grow, serve, protect,

engage.

Content that is specific to customer need or

transaction. Aims to make experience hassle free and effortless.

Action /TRIGGERED

PRACTICAL


Transactional


Process

Planning your messaging:• Draft your message• Ask the 3 questions• Identify where the message should go • Consider and tag for interactive notification

elements• Send to a specific segment


Cross Channel Considerations


Cross Channel Opportunities

App

Mobile Wallet

Email

Web


Cross Promotion with Email

Email to increase downloads, push to reinforce message


Multiple Channels Working Together

Voucher to new users after they download the app. Helps welcome,

onboard and drive adoption.

Objectives

• Educate and on-board new users• Cross promote Redbox content

across channels• Give users easy access to rental

kiosks and content availability

Redbox employs a multi-channel marketing strategy, which includes its app with push notifications and a message center, as well as text messaging and email


Multiple Channels Working Together


Multiple Channels: Offer Flow


Consider Social


Expand Your Reach to Numerous Platforms

Web Notifications WearablesIn-App

Notifications


Your Questions


Where should mobile notifications direct the audience?


Mobile web page

Specificapp screen

In-app landing page

• Push notifications (or msg delivered within a message center) can take your customer anywhere within the app itself, or on the mobile web

• Avoid the default, sending your message recipient to the home screen

• Use “deep links” to ensure each message takes your audience to precisely where they want to go

Help Them Take Action


How often should I send a push notification?


• Is this something your customer asked for?

• Is this expected communication?

• Is this message helpful to my customer?

• Is it on a reasonable cadence for my brand?

Think About Your User’s Expectations


What makes a good message center?


• Badge• Iconography• Preview text• Expiration date

Strongly Branded, Easy-to-Use, Rich Source of Content


How do I move beyond broadcast push?


Even adopting a single variable for targeting can drive massive improvements in response, let alone combining multiple points of user insight for precision-targeting.

Targeted push notifications were more impactful than broadcast push notifications

Effect Of Targeting On Push Response

Source: Urban Airship’s “Good Push Index” Study

https://www.urbanairship.com/lp/GPI-targeting


How can I get more people to opt in?


• Tell users why they should opt in

• Show them how to opt in

• Welcome them to the app

Clearly Demonstrate Value


What should I do to re-engage inactive users?


• Highlight features not yet used

• Offer value based on segments

• Updates based on preferences

Remind Them Why They Downloaded


Key Takeaways


Plan! Build Editorial, Marketing Calendars

Balance your messaging• Determine key

segments• Establish messaging

types• Look at potential

volume• Assess messaging

coming from other channels


For notifications:1. Identify the action desired2. Decide on best notification type 3. Make it timely and relevant with context4. Focus on in-the-moment 5. Use precision targeting6. Make it a conversation

Best Practices

Remember: How is it relevant?

Why does it matter here and now?

What do you what them to do?


• Sign up for a free trial

• Utilize our docs for best practices & quick start guides:• In-App Messaging: Quick Start Guide• Custom Events: Quick Start Guide• Lifecycle Lists: Quick Start Guide• Interactive Notification Types• Maximum characters by operating system and device

Resources

https://www.urbanairship.com/products/mobile-app-engagement/pricing



https://docs.urbanairship.com/

http://docs.urbanairship.com/topic-guides/iam-quickstart.html



http://docs.urbanairship.com/topic-guides/custom-events-quickstart.html

http://docs.urbanairship.com/topic-guides/custom-events-quickstart.html

http://docs.urbanairship.com/topic-guides/lifecycle-lists-quickstart.html

https://docs.urbanairship.com/reference/built-in_interactive_notifications.html



• Check out our blog, where we post content designed to make your mobile growth easier:• How to Make a Successful App: 10 Fundamentals for Maxi

mizing Your Investment• How to Earn Push Notification Opt-Ins: 7 Essential Resourc

es• Addressing — and Winning Back — Dormant App Users

Subscribe to receive a weekly digest of our best posts.

Resources

https://www.urbanairship.com/blog

https://www.urbanairship.com/blog/how-to-make-a-successful-app-10-fundamentals-for-maximizing-your-investment

https://www.urbanairship.com/blog/how-to-make-a-successful-app-10-fundamentals-for-maximizing-your-investment

https://www.urbanairship.com/blog/how-to-earn-mobile-push-notification-opt-ins

https://www.urbanairship.com/blog/how-to-earn-mobile-push-notification-opt-ins

https://www.urbanairship.com/blog/addressing-and-winning-back-dormant-app-users


Q&A Luke, we need a slide here that we can sit on while we have Q&A. Also add: “Want more? Check out the online resources in our Content Library for more best practice and benchmark resources.” in smaller text on the slide. Thx!

Q & A

Want more? Check out the resources in our online

Content Library for more best practices and

benchmark reports.


Thank you

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