If you’re a small business owner looking for a way to boost your sales, the answer you seek is sitting in the palm of your hand. The statistics to support the reach of mobile marketing are extensive. Recent studies have determined that “”, “people pick up their mobile devices 150 to 200 times a day” and “4.8 billion people globally will use mobile phones in 2016” (http://blogs.forrester.com/julie_ask/15-11-10-2016_predictions_key_trends_will_transform_mobile_engagement). Even with the knowledge of these staggering numbers, a study by Forrester Research found that only 25% of business owners plan to fully transform their marketing strategies to cater to mobile audiences.
That means those that do use mobile marketing have a huge advantage right now!
So what is the easiest way to reach consumers through mobile devices? Two words: PUSH messaging. PUSH notifications are messages that pop up on your app users’ devices and look like SMS text messages / mobile alerts. Users are prompted to opt-in to your PUSH messages after the app is downloaded, which statistics show they will do 49.8% of the time. The great news about letting your customers decide if they want to receive your notifications is that it builds trust, which is the foundation to any relationship. You have now carved out an audience who likes your business enough to download your app AND wants to hear from you!
PUSH notifications are also a proven way to keep users engaged with your business’ mobile app. Data from Localytics has shown that users who opt-in to PUSH notifications from an app, launch that app 3 times more often than users who opt-out.
Good uses for PUSH
One excellent use of PUSH messages is to take advantage of geo-targeting is by offering users near your place of business a limited time discount. For example, a hair salon could offer “20% off walk-in haircuts for the next 2 hours” on a slow afternoon or a pub could send out a notification that “all pints are only $5!” during a sports event to all the app users within 5 kilometres. Offering discounts with an expiry date encourage customers to act quickly and studies have shown that retailers see high redemption rates on offers that are sent out to customers who are already near their establishment.
Other worthy uses for PUSH include providing your subscribers with useful information about upcoming contests, events, flash sales and holiday hours. PUSH messages take just 2 minutes to create so it’s an easy way to keep your customers in the loop. Your customers will appreciate having the convenient information and these little reminders also help to keep your business top-of-mind.
One of our clients, Suze Casey of Belief Re-patterning, has found an additional function for PUSH messages. Every day Suze sends out a “Word of the Day” to her 365 Re-pattern! mobile app subscribers as a daily tool. It’s a wonderful way for Suze to keep her subscribers engaged and gives them a helpful reminder to be mindful and re-pattern their thoughts. This application of PUSH would also work for life coaches, nutritionists, personal trainers, financial advisors and many others as a way to send out valuable information and tips to their clients on a daily, weekly or as-needed basis.
Businesses located in Airdrie, Alberta can leverage the to send out PUSH messages to connect with local customers. Businesses along International Avenue, a unique ethnic cultural district in Calgary, Alberta can use PUSH through their mobile app, which we created for the International Avenue BRZ. Both of these business apps are the result of a community of businesses leveraging a localized mobile app for economical mobile marketing using coupons, punch cards, and PUSH messaging.
Trends Mobile and Web Solutions can help your business take advantage of the amazing abilities of PUSH notifications. We are proud to offer affordable apps for business owners that include unlimited PUSH notifications as well as countless other features. If you have any questions about mobile apps or PUSH messaging, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Trends Mobile and Web Solutions connects businesses with customers, and customers with the businesses they love through mobile websites, mobile apps and social media services. Our focus is small business – be seen, be connected, be profitable.