There are billions of websites and millions of mobile apps in the app stores. The world is online and there is immense competition for every brand and business out there. User attention span is reducing steadily and captivating their attention is becoming a greater challenge.
While brands use many tools and tactics to capture the attention of their customers, push notifications remain one of the most popular techniques across industries. Businesses of all kinds use push notifications to connect with their website visitors and app users.
We did a comprehensive article in the past where we discussed several aspects of push notifications. However, today we will dive deep into the concept of ‘rich push notifications’ and learn about it in detail.
It is one of the most popular types of push notifications that are now being abundantly used by brands and marketers around the globe. So, what are rich push notifications and how can they help app owners, marketers, and businesses in general, let us find out.
In this blog
- What are rich push notifications?
- Elements of rich push notifications
- How do rich push notifications work?
- How to create rich push notifications? Tips and strategies
- How to create rich push notifications on AppMySite?
- Frequently asked questions
What are rich push notifications?
Push notifications, as we know, are short clickable messages that are delivered to our devices’ screens. These are wonderful marketing tools for brands that want to engage, retarget, or simply inform and educate their customers.
Standard push notifications essentially only contain text that conveys the desired message. Rich push notifications, on the other hand, can be more feature-rich, aesthetic, and meaningful as they contain rich media such as images, GIFS, videos, deep links, CTA (Call to Action) buttons, etc.
The latest versions of Android and iOS devices have started supporting various formats of media. This has allowed marketers to transcend beyond traditional push notifications and craft rich push messages that are more interactive and meaningful.
Integrating such content extensions allows marketers to encapsulate and condense long messages within one visual artwork. Thus, it also allows viewers and users to get a sneak peek into the campaign and easily grasp what the message is all about.
CTAs and deep links further allow users to instantly take action and easily navigate to the promoted screen or section. This in turn helps website and app owners with their engagement and action-related metrics and boosts the chances of conversions.
Elements of rich push notifications
One does not need a survey to know that visuals are more powerful than text. That being said, statistics from the marketing industry highlight that visual content receives 94 percent more views than text-only content.
Additionally, marketers who use visual content marketing strategies experience a 27 percent higher click-through rate. Evidently, rich push notifications are more interactive and visually appealing.
It naturally becomes more powerful than regular text-only notifications that simply resemble a text message. It also gives you the freedom to add branding elements that increase your brand recognition and recall value.
Some popular visual elements and media formats that can be incorporated into rich push notifications are as follows:
- Image: Brands can add an eye-catching image of a product or a campaign message to their notifications. It gives users a visual understanding of the campaign.
- Video: A short explanatory or pitch-like video can power your campaign and help you condense your detailed message into a clip. It is great for marketers.
- GIF: GIFs are a popular animated media format used by brands across channels. Adding GIFs to your messages can increase its power to captivate user attention.
- Carousel: This allows users to scroll through multiple images or cards. Carousels are great for telling visual stories with only a few slides.
- CTA: Adding interactive CTA (Call to Action) buttons to the message increases the chances of lead generation and conversions. It is an important element in rich push notifications.
Other than the elements listed above, rich notifications may also include deep links (links to a specific screen, page, or section), integrated maps, audio, and so on. Essentially, the goal of push notifications is to stimulate multiple senses of the receiver and make it easy for them to grasp the message and take the desired action.
How do rich push notifications work?
Rich push notifications can be used for a range of purposes depending on your campaign and its goal. You may send a welcome message to new users, inform customers of a new product arrival, send reminders related to appointments, endorse deals and discounts, and so on.
When the goal is properly outlined, it becomes easy to create robust push notification campaigns and send impactful rich push messages to users. But before you start to do that, it can be helpful to understand the science behind rich push notifications.
Let us learn how push notifications work
The exact workflow of how a push notification is created and delivered depends on several factors like the software development platform, development environment, push notification tool or service, device type, and so on.
However, in general, developers or marketers create rich push notifications using tools provided by the platform or service they are using. For example, app developers may integrate rich push notification features in the app by incorporating relevant SDKs (Software Development Kits) or APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) specific to the given mobile operating system.
Authorization (or opting-in) is required from users to show that they consent to receiving the notifications. Next, the application generates requests with the push notification service (For Example: Apple Push Notification Service for iOS, Firebase Cloud Messaging for Android) with the content and segmentation criteria.
The service provider then delivers the notification to the users’ devices. Again, the exact process may vary depending on the development platform or service you are using. For instance, AppMySite lets you create rich push notifications in a DIY (Do-it-Yourself) environment that requires no technical hassle.
Rich push notification on Android
Users prefer mobile devices and apps, and this makes mobile push notifications more viable for businesses. While push notification works essentially in the same manner for Android and iOS operating systems, the finer details lead to some distinctions between the two.
Rich push notifications in Android were introduced after iOS and the latest devices are known to support rich push notifications. Android has fewer restrictions as compared to iOS and developers or app administrators can send all kinds of rich push notifications including those with images, videos, and so on.
Android developers essentially use Google’s Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) service for push notification delivery. Based on the recipient’s device and settings, they can receive rich notifications and perform various actions directly from within the message itself.
Rich push notification on iOS
Push notifications for iOS users are powered by Apple’s Push Notification Service (APNS). It supports the delivery of rich push notifications with elements like images, videos, CTAs, and so on. However, these notifications must be consistent with the iOS design specifications.
Apple requires developers and marketers to always follow strict guidelines and safeguard user privacy and security. iOS devices running iOS 10 and later versions support rich notifications. Users with the latest versions can also set their notification preferences and choose how and when they receive the notifications.
Thus, we can say that sending notifications can be trickier on iOS due to its strict content and security guidelines. However, with the right tools at your disposal, you can let your creativity flow and send equally captivating messages to Android and iOS users.
How to create rich push notifications? Tips and strategies
Push notifications hold the power to make or break your image. There are many brands that are known for sending quirky and attractive push messages to their customers. Thus, it is important to follow a defined and robust strategy if you want to do it right.
Here are some tips that you can follow for sending powerful rich push messages to your users:
Conduct proper research
Extensive research is the key to the success of any campaign or initiative. It is important to follow this practice for push notification marketing as well. Before you launch a campaign, spend some time studying the latest trends and practices that are being followed by your competitors and brands around the globe.
Understand how your notification delivery channels work and craft messages accordingly. Also, analyze your audience and understand their behavior and preferences. This will help you segment your users and send targeted messages that have the most impact.
Incorporate the right media and content
Not every notification needs to be a rich notification. Similarly, not every rich notification needs to include a video or audio. Thus, it is important to use the right and high-quality visuals that are meaningful and compelling at the same time. For example, if you are running a discount campaign, you can simply add an image that sums up the deal or offer.
While using attractive visuals is important, do not forget to add links and a powerful title and CTA options. Utilize the space carefully and do not clutter. Use action-provoking content and inspire users to click on links. Make sure they land on screens that are related to the campaign and make navigation to the desired point easier. Create device-compatible messages and responsive designs and make a good impression on your users.
Adhere to guidelines
It is important to comply with the guidelines of the platform you are working with. As discussed above, Apple and iOS have set guidelines and recommendations for sending push notifications to users. Follow the same and make sure your notifications land in your users’ inboxes and do not get rejected on grounds of violation.
Remember, it is important for your users to opt-in for the messages. Therefore, your opt-in request message should be well-crafted and compel users to allow notifications. You can also A/B test your notifications on sample devices and users before sending them to your actual customers. Time your messages well and make sure the frequency is well-defined and suitable.
How to create rich push notifications on AppMySite?
AppMySite is the best no-code app creator that lets you build premium and feature-rich Android and iOS apps without coding. It is the best platform for creating apps that are equipped with the push notification feature alongside many other advanced modules.
The notification feature is built-in on AppMySite, and you can configure it for your Android and iOS apps in minutes. The app builder allows you to create and send standard and rich push notifications from within your AppMySite dashboard itself.
With AppMySite’s rich push notifications feature, you can do the following:
- Create rich push notifications without any coding.
- Send notifications to Android and iOS users.
- Add images to your notifications to make them more engaging.
- Add a compelling title, content, links, and action buttons.
- Create segment-focused messages for targeted customers.
- Add links to redirect users to relevant screens and content.
- Review detailed notification analytics and track performance.
In short, AppMySite enables you to unravel many benefits of rich push notifications without having to go through the hassles of traditional methods of coding. It is the best tool to create Android and iOS applications, and the best way to schedule and send notifications to your customers.
Wrapping up
That was our detailed guide to rich push notifications. When used correctly, these tiny messages can do wonders for your brand, especially if you own an app or are planning to launch one. Implement them correctly and increase your audience engagement and activity across channels.
Once your campaigns are up and running, do not forget to measure the impact of your notifications. You can use analytics and track how your notifications are performing. Use the data to enhance your campaigns and level up your push notification game.
If you are still looking for options and wondering how to create an app and integrate push notifications into it, feel free to try out AppMySite. It is the best DIY tool for creating apps that are powered with the latest features. Explore now and create winning apps that power your growth.
Frequently asked questions
What is rich media in push notifications?
Rich media in push notifications refers to the use of various media formats for enhancing the visual appeal of the messages. This may include images, videos, GIFs, audio, etc. Rich push notifications also include interactive elements such as deep links, call-to-action buttons, and so on. These notifications have become highly popular among marketers and business owners.
What is the difference between push notifications and rich notifications?
Rich notifications are an extension of standard push notifications. While standard push notifications are often created in a text-only format, rich notifications contain multimedia elements and interactive buttons that increase the functional value and visual appeal of the messages.
Why should one use rich push notifications?
Rich push notifications are known to be more effective. It is a proven fact that visual content easily captivates the attention of users and increases the impact of any message or content. It is also easier to understand imagery and remember graphic or animated messages. Thus, marketers and developers prefer rich push notifications for capturing user attention and generating leads and conversions.
How to send rich push notifications without coding?
The best way to send rich push notifications without coding is to create your app with a no-code app builder that offers built-in support for rich push notifications. You can try out AppMySite’s no-code mobile app development platform that lets you build Android and iOS apps in a DIY environment. It offers support for both standard and rich push notifications and you can easily set up and send notifications from within your account dashboard.
