Part 1: Overview of Push Ads
Before we dive into the detailed types and workings of push ads, it is important to understand some of their basics.
What are Push Ads?
Short messages that appear on smartphones or other smart devices are called push ad notifications. Many different websites, apps, software, and platforms can send such notifications.
Generally, applications involving news, updates, forecasts, alerts, messages, social media updates, and marketing content use push ads to engage the users and make them open the application.
History of Push Ads
Blackberry first introduced push technology to send and receive emails in real time on Blackberry devices. Apple Push Notification Services (APNS) was the true game-changer in the industry. Considering the success of Apple's Push Technology, Google also introduced Cloud Messaging and Google Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM).
The technology ultimately evolved to support sending push notifications on Android and iOS devices in 2009. As a result, the concept of push ads was adopted by many different use cases other than simple texting or emails.
Now, numerous cross-platform solutions and third-party platforms are available to send push notifications on desktop and mobile devices.
Advantages of Push Ads
The key benefits of sending push notification ads are:
- Maximum Visibility: Push ads are visible 100% of the time, and there are very few, if any, chances of them getting missed by the target audience. businesses make more sales.
- Personalized Targeting: With modern tools like EngageLab, sending personalized push notifications is easier than ever. Such personalized marketing can immediately attract the user's attention and help businesses make more sales.
- Affordability: The cost of sending push notifications is much cheaper than in-app ads or other traditional advertising channels.
- High Security: Push ad notifications can generate high-quality leads to make sure there are no scams or frauds in your advertising channel.
- High Click-Through Rate (CTR): Push ads have a high CTR, so many types of businesses and companies can rely on push notifications to enjoy higher conversions.
Disadvantages of Push Ads
Despite its numerous benefits, there are a few disadvantages and limitations of push ads as well:
- Sending push notifications frequently can annoy users and even cause them to delete the app.
- A limited number of characters are available in a push notification. So, you must get familiar with the push notification character limits to ensure you comply with the best practices.
- Users are required to opt-in for push ads notifications that can limit the overall reach of the ads.
- Some users have privacy concerns when it comes to data collection via push ad notifications.
- Too many push notifications from different apps and platforms can drain the device's battery.
Push Ads vs Other Types of Advertising
Sending ads via push notification is quite different from other types of advertising because they are sent directly to the user's device as a notification. It is also important to reiterate that sending push notifications requires opt-in from the users, which means you can have a more targeted and consented audience with push ads.
Once the users opt-in to receive push notifications, they should also have the notifications enabled on the Chrome browser or any other browser and operating system they might be using.
Part 2: Types of Push Ads
There can be many different types of push ads depending on their use cases and working processes. Generally, push notifications can be categorized into two major categories:
Web Push Notifications
Push notifications sent by a website to a subscriber's device are called web push notifications. While web or in-page notifications might seem similar to mobile app notifications, the major difference between them is that in-page notifications are sent by websites instead of apps. These notifications can appear across all types of devices, including desktop, tablet, and mobile phones.
In-Page Notifications
In-page notifications are different from traditional web notifications because they are displayed on the publishing site to ensure high conversion. Moreover, users are not required to explicitly opt-in to receive in-page notifications or in-app notifications.
Mobile Push Notifications
As the name suggests, mobile push notifications are pop-up messages that a mobile app sends to the target device. The user is able to receive the push notification even when the app is closed. The push notification technology and services relevant to iOS or Android are used to deliver the push notifications to the target users.
The exact use case of mobile push notifications can vary from app to app. Generally, these notifications are used to send product updates, customized offers, emergency alerts, news, reminders, and other such important information through rich push notifications to engage the audience and make them open the app.
Desktop Push Notifications
Push notifications sent to the desktop systems are called desktop push notifications. It is important to note that not all of the desktop push notifications are professional. Instead, you can also get different service push notifications from the OS, such as Windows updates, driver changes, and other messages from the installed software.
Desktop push notifications are also critical for marketing strategies. Small businesses, as well as corporations, use them to reach a wide audience, such as Facebook ads for Windows desktop push. Precisely targeted notifications facilitate the advertisers in promoting their products or services directly to desktop users, often using themes like Facebook ads for Windows theme push to fulfill the user's expectations and preferences.
Source:pressable
Part 3: How Do Push Notification Ads Work?
Push notification ads are consent-based ads. It means users have to opt-in to receive the push ads on their website or web browser. The process of sending push notifications typically starts from a website, after which the target user receives the notification ads whenever they visit the website.
Similarly, when a user downloads and installs an app on their Android device or iPhone, the app will ask for permission to send push notifications. This permission is typically included with the rest of the permissions to ensure the user is providing their consent to receive the push ads.
Some of the key elements of a push ad are:
- An icon or image that immediately captures the user's attention.
- An engaging title should be added to tell the purpose and goal of the push notification.
- A short sentence that prompts the user to take some action upon seeing the notification ad.
- A web page or the mobile app screen to which the users are led after clicking on the push ad. This can be a download option, sign-up form, updates, or any other relevant screen.
Here's another example of a well-crafted personalized push notification ad that has the brand's logo, a clear CTA, and an engaging copy:
Source:https://netcorecloud.com/
Another example of an interesting and personalized push ad is as follows:
Source:https://netcorecloud.com/
Part 4: How to Set Up a Good Push Notification Ads via Push Ads Example
Since push notification ads have become so popular across the board, it is important that you follow certain best practices to compete with others and maximize the impact of your push ads.
Use a Simple and Captivating Image
The image you use in your push ad is likely to be the very first thing that the user notices. Therefore, you must use simple but captivating visuals to grab the notification receiver's attention and encourage them to explore the ad even further.
Many advertisers also make the mistake of ignoring the quality of the image because they are simply too focused on the ad's copy. However, an effective push notification is the one that strikes the balance between visuals and text.
Write a Brief and Engaging Title
When you are writing the main title for your push notification, you need to optimize it for the small section of a smartphone. So, avoid lengthy content and titles. Instead, focus on the keywords that can entice the users immediately and compel them to take the required action.
Creating a sense of urgency through a compelling title will make the user feel like they are losing out on an extremely important opportunity. Moreover, a succinct and engaging title for the push notification ad will ultimately help you reach more people and increase the conversion rate.
Add a Description Ad Copy
A push notification is likely to lead the users to a landing page to successfully make the sales. Therefore, it is important that when you are creating a push notification ad, you also focus on writing engaging ad copy for the landing page.
If there are inconsistencies between the landing page and the push ad, the user is likely to avoid performing the action you want them to do. Try to follow the same pattern and tone of language on both the landing page and the push notification ad.
While the text within the push notification is short and direct, you can add more details on the ad page to explain the action you want the user to take. Moreover, the page can be made compelling by adding descriptive images, detailed text, and reviews.
Use Emojis
Adding emojis within your push notification ads is another way of enhancing creativity and engagement. People are more likely to interact with an ad if it's creative and has some fun elements like emojis.
But don't overdo the emojis. It is recommended that you add one or two emojis relevant to the push ad you are sending. It is also dependent on the type of ad you are sending via push notification and the industry in which you are operating.
Send Personalized Messages
Personalized marketing messages tend to perform much better than generalized ones. This also applies to push notifications. Personalizing push ads can seem difficult at first, but you can do it by identifying your target audience and using a powerful tool like EngageLab to create and manage a successful push notifications campaign.
Choose A Suitable Time to Send Push Ads
The time at which you send the push notification ads can also have a significant impact on their success. Even the most compelling push notification ads can get ignored if they are sent to the target audience at an unsuitable time.
It is recommended that you send a push ad between 7 to 9 AM for maximum impact as it is the time at which most people get started with their day. Another period of maximum engagement is considered to be 10 AM to 2 PM as it coincides with lunch hours.
On the other hand, the hours between 1 AM and 7 AM should be avoided as the majority of users are likely to be sleeping at this time, so they won't be checking their phones.
Choose A Reliable Push Notifications Platform
Choosing a reliable platform to send push notifications is another crucial part of creating a successful push notifications campaign. Having the right idea, content, or image is not sufficient to send high-converting ads via push notifications, as you need an efficient system of delivering the notifications as well.
You should consider the following factors to choose the right push notification platform:
- The user-friendliness of the platform's interface.
- Language support
- Features and options available to create and send push notification ads
- Reviews from existing customers
- Customer support
- Pricing
- Integration options
The overall features available to help you create and run a successful push notifications campaign.
Examples of Poorly Designed Push Notifications
There are certain mistakes you must avoid while creating and sending push ads. These mistakes are:
- Using push ads that are too generic and not personalized
- Writing too much text
- Not writing an engaging heading
- Lack of an image
The following is an example of an app sending too many push notifications that should be avoided:
Source:https://media.nngroup.com/
Part 5: Using EngageLab - One-Stop Push Ads Assistant
Considering the varying requirements of advertisers and businesses nowadays, EngageLab combines all major marketing and customer engagement channels on the same dashboard. In terms of push notifications, EngageLab can help you create and send web push notifications and app push notifications to reach a wide audience.
More importantly, you can handle the entire process of crafting and sending different types of push notifications from the same user-friendly dashboard of EngageLab.
Key Benefits of EngageLab to Send Push Notifications
-
Supports All Platforms:
With EngageLab, you can send push ad notifications on all major operating systems, including Web, iOS, and Android. So you don't have to use any separate platforms. -
High Delivery Rates:
EngageLab uses powerful and smart delivery systems to ensure all of your push notifications are sent on time. Moreover, it increases the delivery rates of push notifications. -
High Efficiency:
EngageLab is powered by international messaging channels and a reliable multi-point backup system. As a result, the entire infrastructure to send push notifications via EngageLab is efficient, stable, and secure. -
Versatility:
EngageLab supports the versatile use cases of push notifications by helping you send notifications in different scenarios, such as located-based notifications, service change-based notifications, content update reminders, service change notifications, promotional push ads, and many others.
How to Start A Push Ads Campaign?
Here are the key steps involved in setting up a push ads campaign in EngageLab:
- Open the official EngageLab website and log in to your account. If you are a new user, you can easily Sign Up with an email or Log In using your Google, Facebook, Apple, or GitHub account.
- EngageLab supports multiple channels to engage your customers. When you are using the platform to send web push notifications, choose Get Started on the WebPush option to enable the service.
- Provide information about your application name, service access point, and application icon to set up the push notification Campaign.
- To send web push ads with EngageLab, you have to start by connecting your domain with the platform. Moreover, you have to provide the relevant permissions to ensure EngageLab can successfully send the push ads.
- Create an engaging push notification message by writing a title and content. You can easily preview the notification under the Preview section to see how it will appear on different operating systems.
Tips to Write Engaging Push Notifications:
- Write content that stands out from the other notifications and piques the curiosity among the users.
- Facilitate the users meet their goals and expectations through clear CTAs
- Add a challenge in push notifications to quickly engage the target audience.
- Present an update excitingly.
- Use a suitable tone that strikes the balance between being conversational and authoritative.
- Consider making a joke to make the user interested in what you say.
- Use simple language and create a sense of urgency.
Source:https://clevertap.com
As discussed before, choosing the right time to send push notifications is vital to ensure their success. So, it is not necessary that you choose to send the push ads immediately. Instead, you can schedule them to be delivered at suitable periods through EngageLab.
You can also monitor the key analytics related to your push notifications under EngageLab. The goal of these statistics is to ensure you know the key metrics about the effectiveness of your push ads campaign.
Summary
If you are looking for a reliable, affordable, and effective way of reaching a massive audience, you should include push notifications in your marketing campaigns in 2025. With the steps and tips discussed throughout this article, you should have no issue in creating and running a successful push ads campaign.
With EngageLab, you can streamline your entire process of engaging customers and marketing via different types of push notifications. So, sign up for free today at EngageLab and start using it to reach your target audience with push notification ads.