The way your business engages with its customers has changed, evolved and morphed multiple times over the last 20 years. From local newspaper ads, flyer drops to email marketing, text messaging and the all-encompassing social media posts... it's safe to say one of these would have "worked" and done a job for you at some point in time.
Then came along the new kid on the block "push notifications" which has changed the game completely and put the rest to shame.
Push Notifications are not only free to send through your app they are also instant customer engagement! You know....those clever little banners that appear on the top of your locked phone screen enticing you to click them to see the latest deal, hot trend or even which celebrity is cheating on their partner. They are designed to get your attention and they do just that!
The good news is that you have this technology at your fingertips and you can send these exact messages through your App.
Our Top 5 Tips for effective Push Notifications
1. Plan at least a month in advance, know what you want to say and when (day, hour, minute) be specific and think about when your customers are most likely to be on their phones
2. Schedule 90% of your push notifications in advance so that you can get the creative juices flowing and you are not rushing because you have to open the shop or get the kids to school. Once they're scheduled you can focus on the important stuff...like looking after your customers.
3. Value .... probably one the most important rules of push notifications, make sure what you are sending represents value to your customers! Stuff like latest deals, special offers, end of range sale, new menu launch, BOGOF etc... not happy Monday morning from the team at Bob's Burgers.
4. Entice your customers back through the door. You know your business better than anyone else on the planet, you know what days you want more business and what you can offer your customers to lure them in on those days. If you run a coffee shop then perhaps "get a free coffee with any slice of cake - Mondays & Tuesdays only" or if you're a restaurant "half price starters with any mains on Wednesday night"..... you get the gist.
5. Fun .... the world is moving faster than ever before and people are dealing with more and more stress everyday, so try and put a bit of happiness in front of your customers. Smiley faces, happy pictures, bright colours or maybe even a bit of cheeky humour....it will make your business stick in your customers' mind that little bit longer.
