How can you monetize your mobile app with push notifications?

1 Benefits of push notifications

Push notifications have several advantages over other forms of mobile advertising, such as banners, interstitials, or native ads. First, they are less intrusive and more user-friendly, as they do not interrupt the user experience or take up valuable screen space. Second, they are more effective and personalized, as they can be tailored to the user's preferences, behavior, location, and time. Third, they are more measurable and actionable, as they can track the user's response, feedback, and conversion rate.

2 Types of push notifications

There are two main types of push notifications that you can use to monetize your mobile app: direct and indirect. Direct push notifications are those that directly promote a product, service, or offer that the user can purchase or subscribe to within the app or on a landing page. For example, you can send a push notification to inform the user about a limited-time discount, a new feature, or a free trial. Indirect push notifications are those that indirectly generate revenue by driving the user to engage with the app or with other monetization methods. For example, you can send a push notification to remind the user to complete a task, to unlock a reward, or to view an ad.

3 Best practices for push notifications

To maximize the revenue potential of push notifications, you need to ensure that your messages are relevant, timely, and valuable to your users. Start by segmenting your users based on profile, behavior, interests, and preferences. This will help you deliver more personalized and targeted messages that will increase click-through and conversion rates. Test different types of messages, formats, frequencies, and timings to measure performance. Additionally, provide clear and compelling value propositions that will motivate users to take action. Utilize incentives, urgency, scarcity, social proof, or curiosity to create more engaging and persuasive messages. Respect user privacy and preferences by always asking for permission before sending push notifications. Give options to opt-in, opt-out, or customize settings. Avoid sending too many or too irrelevant messages that will annoy or spam users.

4 Examples of push notifications

To give you some inspiration, here are a few examples of push notifications that you can use to monetize your mobile app. For instance, you could send a direct message such as "Last chance! Get 50% off your first month of premium subscription. Offer ends in 24 hours. Don't miss out!" or an indirect message like "You've earned a free spin! Try your luck and win amazing prizes. Hurry, this offer expires in 15 minutes." You could also send a direct message like "New update available! Download now and enjoy the latest features and improvements" or an indirect one such as "You have 3 unread messages from your matches. Open the app and see who's interested in you." Additionally, you could send a direct notification like "You're invited to our exclusive webinar on how to master mobile app development. Register now and get a free ebook" or an indirect one like "You have 10 coins left. Watch a short video and get 20 more coins to continue playing."

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?