We know you are already doing good work with engaging push notifications. We hope this quick guide makes it easier to keep up your good work and frees up energy to let you go even further.
Push notifications are important and valuable for many reasons. However, we may get caught up in the logistics of setting up and sending them, losing track of the player experience.
You should always keep in mind that push notifications are something a player will see during their day, often while they are busy doing something else. This means your push notifications should be interesting, enticing, and maybe even a bit exciting- compelling enough to make them pause in their day and tap. The core of making push notifications that stand out is to center the player experience.
Teak offers a lot of unique ways to make a push notification stand out, and we recommend using all the features available to find what works for your players. With that in mind, here’s our player-centric recommendations for engaging push content:
- Reward the player for tapping:
- Incentivizing people to tap the notification should always be a major part of your copy. Specifically, telling them what they can get by tapping is even better. Something like, “Have a spin on us!” or “Have a big win today with this powerup!” Teak allows you to create a push notification with a specific reward. Players who tap the notification receive the reward, just like you promised in the copy.
- Tell the player what they’ll get:
- Be clear about what the player will get by engaging with the push notification. Don’t try to bury the lede or be too mysterious, or players may not engage.
- In addition to reward amounts, these offers can be new features or an invitation to participate in an event. “Tap to join the tournament and get a free bonus!”
- Have a call to action
- Make sure the action you want players to take is clear and stated in the push - whether tap for free coins, tap to play, or tap for a special offer.
- Use time of day to your advantage:
- A push notification is unique in that it is delivered immediately. A player might not see an email until much later after it is sent, but a push notification reaches them right away. Use this to your advantage by playing with the time of day, such as referencing their morning coffee or evening dinner. For example, “Start your day with free coins over a cup of tea.”
- Be sure to use Player Local Time when sending something like this so it makes sense to all of your players.
- A/B test different wording:
- If you’ve ever wondered whether one sentence might get someone to tap one notification over another, then run a test! Use Teak’s A/B testing feature to send the same notification to the same people but with different wording. For example, you could test whether it’s better to say, “Tap now for free coins” or “Free coins in game now” by using the A/B feature.
- There are also so many ways to A/B test beyond wording. You can test different imagery, reward amounts, and whether there’s a direct reward—more on this from us soon.
- Target a unique audience:
- Use Teak’s interface to reach a specific audience with a unique push notification. You could target high value players with a reward just for them, letting them know it’s an exclusive offer only they can access.
What strategies have you found effective for push notifications? Let us know what you’ve seen work best. We’d love to hear how you’re using Teak and what you’re learning from the work you are doing.
If you’re going to GDC on March 18-22, book some time with us to chat in person about how you’re using Teak, or what you’d like to see Teak do in the future, or just swap tips about our favorite places in SF.
More learnings coming from our team soon!
Until next time,
Teak Team