A successful Mobile Push Strategy requires the perfect blend of communication skills, app UX expertise, and backend integration know-how. It’s not just about sending messages. It’s about delivering the right message, at the right time, through the right technology and present it on Android and iOS in a way that fits the OS.

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This means that an effective push strategy requires collaboration between technical developers, UX designers, and product strategists to ensure that notifications are not only engaging but also seamlessly integrated into the app’s ecosystem.

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However, ineffective push strategies can lead to user fatigue and app uninstalls.

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We often discuss Push Strategies and Best Practices with clients who are about to launch an app with push features. In this article we’ll cover some of the themes regarding Push Notification usage.

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• How to measure relevance
• What you absolutely shouldn’t do when sending push notifications
• Best practices for A/B testing 
• Different Push Strategies

Our experience with push messages across various app projects can be summarized as: “Push works!”.

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We have seen plenty of projects where the user engagement has been increased dramatically by adding a weekly push notification or a project where the usage dropped because a weekly push message reminding about new content was dropped due to a change in the IT setup. 

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So - having a clear plan for the push strategy - and how to measure and track the strategy is key for apps. Below we list all the issues and aspects you need to address to make an effective push strategy. It is important to stress; that the best to do is get started, establish feedback options; and then improve the strategy based on the experiences. 

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Measuring Relevance: The Key to Push Notification Success

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Relevance is the foundation of an effective push notification strategy. Users are bombarded with notifications daily, and if your messages aren't meaningful, they'll either be ignored or lead to frustration. A focus on Relevance means that Conversion Rate and responses becomes more important than how many users you send push to. And Relevance forces you to focus on a long-term strategy over short term and vanity numbers.

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A relevant push notification is:

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• Timely. Delivered at the right moment when the user is most likely to engage.
• Personalized. Tailored to the user’s preferences, behaviors, or past interactions.
• Actionable. Encourages the user to take a meaningful action that benefits them.
• Audience-focused. Are you delivering real value to your users - or are you trying to push products or save time for your own organization?

Delivering relevant push messages is the most important part. Using user segments, personalized messages, hand-crafted texts and delivering high quality content is some of the means to increase relevance. 

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How to Measure Relevance

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Relevance is actually measurable. Do the users react on your push message? Do they un-install the app? To assess whether your push notifications are relevant, consider tracking the following metrics.

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• Click-through rate (CTR). Measures how many users tap on your notification.
• Conversion rate. Tracks the percentage of users who complete a desired action after opening a notification.
• Time to action. Evaluates how quickly users act on a push notification.
• Opt-out rate. High opt-out rates indicate that users find notifications intrusive or irrelevant.
• Uninstall rate. If push campaigns lead to app uninstalls, it’s a red flag that they lack value.

By monitoring these metrics, you can fine-tune your push notification strategy to improve engagement and retention. If you are using a standard system as a Push Proxy or for sending the push messages directly (like Firebase or OneSignal) you will have access to several of these metrics out-of-the box. 

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How to write great push messages?

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Writing short, precise - but preferably personal and humorous push messages is a craft. The best advice is to test, measure and adjust. And make sure that it is easy to change the text as time goes by. Some guidelines which might sound simple, but can be really hard to deliver on are:

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• Keep the Push Message short and clear. A short message is often better than a long one. 
• Add an actionable and compelling CTA
• If you can use humor or a personal tone, it typically performs and converts better.
• Ensure the push message’s “tone of voice” aligns with your app—making sure the app’s design and push backend are consistent.
• Add images 
• Never overdo it - prioritize quality over quantity - both in the length of texts and content and in the number of push messages sent 

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A/B Testing: Finding the Best Push Notification Strategies

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A/B testing (or split testing) allows you to experiment with different push notification approaches to determine what resonates best with your audience. Often simple things like adding emoji's or writing very short texts can make a measurable difference. Here's how to do it effectively:

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What to Test in Push Notifications

1. Message Content. Test different wording styles, from urgency-driven (“Flash Sale! 50% off ends tonight!”) to friendly and conversational (“Hey, we saved you a spot in our sale – check it out!”).
2. Personalization. Compare generic vs. personalized notifications (e.g., using the user’s name or recent activity in the message).
3. Timing. Test different send times to identify when users are most likely to engage.
4. Call-to-Action (CTA). Try variations like “Shop Now,” “Claim Your Discount,” or “Learn More” to see what drives the most conversions.
5. Frequency. Test the impact of sending daily vs. weekly vs. bi-weekly notifications.
6. Rich Media. Compare text-only notifications vs. those with images, emojis, or videos.

Best Practices for A/B Testing

• Test one variable at a time to isolate what’s driving changes in performance.
• Use statistically significant sample sizes to ensure results are reliable.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as open rates, CTRs, and conversion rates.
• Continuously iterate and optimize based on test results.
• Be creative with your text. Have real people craft authentic messages, and prioritize good copy.

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Push Notification Strategies for Apps

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1. Behavior-Based Notifications

Trigger push notifications based on user behavior, such as:

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• Abandoned cart reminders for e-commerce apps.
• Re-engagement prompts for inactive users.
• Milestone achievements for fitness or learning apps.

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2. Segmentation & Personalization

Not all users should receive the same notifications. Segment your audience based on factors like:

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• User activity (active vs. dormant users, what kind of content the user has consumed, etc.)
• Purchase history (high-value vs. first-time customers)
• User Status (Loyal users vs. seldom active users) 

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3. Transactional & Informational Pushes

Users appreciate push notifications that provide valuable information:

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• Order confirmations and delivery updates.
• Account security alerts.
• Personalized content recommendations.

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4. Silent Push Notifications

Not all push notifications need an alert sound. Use silent push notifications for:

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• Background app updates.
• Content refreshes that improve app experience without interrupting users.

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5. Win-Back Campaigns

For users who haven’t engaged in a while, send a reactivation push with a compelling reason to return:

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• “We miss you! Here’s 20% off your next purchase.”
• “Haven’t heard from you in a while—check out what’s new!”
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Improving Push Message Conversion Rates with Advanced Features

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Both iOS and Android offer different ways to enrich push messages to make them more interesting and to integrate with the OS. These extra features can sometimes improve the effectiveness of the push messages - and have a huge ROI compared with other app features. You can test features like:

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• Rich Media. Adding images, GIFs, or videos to make messages more engaging.
• Sounds & Vibration. Using audio cues to increase attention.
• Deep Linking. Direct users to specific app screens to simplify user actions.
• Interactive Pushes. Allowing users to take actions like replying to messages or marking tasks as done directly from the notification.
• OS-Specific Optimizations. Leveraging platform-specific features (e.g., iOS’s Notification Actions or Android’s Rich Notifications) for a seamless experience.

For example media apps can gain a huge advantage by adding images and a custom sound to the push notifications. 

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Feedback Loops: Reporting Push Notification Efficiency

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A challenge we've often met, is that the push texts are hidden deep in a server some place and really hard to change or access. And in the same way that information about conversion rates, un-installs and segment sizes isn't sent to the product owner(s) or content creators. It is key for the Push Strategy to establish a strong feedback loop which consists  of data like:

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• Tracking & Analyzing Engagement Metrics. Compare notification performance across different campaigns.
• User Feedback & Surveys. Ask users about their preferences and adjust accordingly.
• Attribution Analysis. Identify how push notifications contribute to app conversions and retention.
• Testing & Iteration. Constantly adjust and optimize campaigns based on performance insights.

‍Actually, we prefer a monthly or bi-weekly report generated and sent via Email. Because such a report has a tendency to be read and forwarded. This works better than most dashboards and analytics systems.

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Timing 

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When to send push messages varies quite a bit depending on the app. In general you should avoid sending push notifications at night. But different app types have different optimal timings. 

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• For media apps the best timing is between 9 AM to 2 PM and then again between 5 PM and 7 PM. Of course breaking news should be sent ASAP - and preferably before the main competitor. 
• Health and Fitness-apps have the best conversion in the afternoon. 
• For most apps, the  weekdays give a better conversion rate than weekends 

But as with many things with Push notifications; the most important thing is to be able to measure the conversion rate and learn how your users respond. 

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Common Push Notification Mistakes to Avoid

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Push can make a huge difference for yourapp. But it can also hurt your app. Avoid these common pitfalls to maintain an effective push strategy:

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• Sending Too Many Notifications. Leads to user fatigue and opt-outs. This is the most common error we see. Especially in the media industry. In the long run Conversion Rate is a much better KPI than Opens. 
• Poor Timing. Sending messages at inconvenient times reduces engagement.
• Lack of Personalization. Generic messages are easily ignored. 
• No Visuals. Text-only messages fail to capture attention compared to rich media push notifications.
• Weak or Uninspired Copy. Messages should be compelling and encourage action.
• Errors - don't send "Testing Testing" to all your customers.

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Conclusion

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A well-crafted push notification strategy can significantly improve user engagement and retention. By prioritizing relevance, leveraging A/B testing, utilizing advanced push features, and avoiding common mistakes, you can create an effective communication strategy that adds value rather than annoyance. Often the most important part is to establish monitoring and feedback loops so it is possible to measure the effectiveness of the push strategy and adjust accordingly. 

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Start testing, optimizing, and refining your push notifications today to drive meaningful engagement and enhance your app’s success!

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Need help streamlining your push strategy? Shortcut can help you with experiences from 100s of app projects. We have both experience in the technical setup and in how to make an effective push strategy. 

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