{"id":27613,"date":"2022-06-14T10:57:32","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T09:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/?p=27613"},"modified":"2022-06-14T12:26:13","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T11:26:13","slug":"what-is-a-push-notification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/what-is-a-push-notification\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a push notification?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A push notification is a short, typically clickable form of pop-up message that is sent directly to users\u2019 devices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These messages notify users of useful information, including new product or app features, unread messages, special offers, among other timely updates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Done well, push notifications are highly effective and engaging marketing tools that inspire users to take specific calls to action. Ideally, these will add value for users by giving them information they want; otherwise, push notifications risk being irritating and interrupting other important tasks.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specific types of push notifications that add value to users include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Targeted news items<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including weather updates, political news, and industry updates tailored to the user based on their specific interests.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Behavior-based messages that are triggered in response to specific user actions. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if a user downloads a new app, these push notifications may remind them to complete a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/product-tours\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user tutorial<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. For activity-based apps, such as language learning or fitness apps, they may remind users to engage on a daily basis and keep up their progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Upgrades and updates <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that let users know about new features and improvements that will allow them to get even more value out of your product or service.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-mobile-push-notification\"><b>What is a mobile push notification?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On mobile devices, an app can send users mobile push notifications whether they have the app open or not. These messages appear on users\u2019 mobile device home screens and can serve a variety of purposes, from alerting users to new features to informing them of sales and promotions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, push notifications ensure users have timely documentation on hand, such as concert tickets for upcoming shows or flight tickets on days of travel. Typically, users opt in to receive these notifications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media apps, messaging apps, and email apps might use push notifications to alert users when they\u2019ve received a new message or when a follower has commented on a social media <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">post. The goal of these kinds of push notifications is to increase user engagement with the app by ensuring that users are instantly alerted to any activity.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pullquote-style-one\"><p>&#8220;<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding emojis to push notifications increases the open rate by 20%&#8221;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, push notifications may alert users to an emergency or hazard. Some federal, state, and municipal government entities use mobile push notifications to alert citizens of drastic changes in weather, such as approaching storms or wildfires.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessofapps.com\/marketplace\/push-notifications\/research\/push-notifications-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research shows<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the average US smartphone user receives 46 app-based push notifications each day. Adding emojis to push notifications increases the open rate by 20%, and adding rich formatting, like images and video, to push notifications increases the open rate by 25%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies also show that restraint is key for brands using mobile push notifications. Even one weekly push notification from a brand can lead to a 10% reduction in the number of users who opt in to receive notifications.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-web-push-notification\"><b>What is a web push notification?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Web push notifications are messages sent to users through their desktop or mobile web browsers. These notifications typically appear in the top or bottom corner of the user\u2019s browser window and resemble mobile push notifications. Web push notifications can be sent to any user who has their web browser open, even if they aren\u2019t on the website that\u2019s sending the push notification.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like mobile push notifications, users almost always have to opt in to receive web push notifications. But unlike some email or SMS notifications, users don\u2019t have to provide any personal information to sign up for web push notifications.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with mobile push notifications, there are a number of reasons companies may send users web push notifications. Brands often use them as a marketing tool to promote products and special deals. News sites might use web push notifications to notify users of breaking news events, and to spur engagement with their articles and websites.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-recommended-frequency-for-sending-push-notifications\"><b>What is the recommended frequency for sending push notifications?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on your marketing goals, the number of push notifications you send out will vary. Some high-activity apps, such as project management tools, may send real-time push notifications to inform users of daily tasks and project updates. These daily notifications are most successful when they are relevant and personal to the user. For other apps, weekly push notifications may suffice: for example, a personal finance app may send out a weekly recap on a user\u2019s progress against their financial goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A push notification is a short communication sent directly to users as a pop-up message. They can appear on mobile devices and on computer browsers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":513,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"category":[1],"tags":[12724,25018,316],"coauthors":[25017],"class_list":["post-27613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-faqs","tag-glossary","tag-push-notification"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is a push notification? | Intercom - The Intercom Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A push notification is a short communication sent directly to users as a pop-up message. 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