In 1988, as Millennials were just populating this earth and Motorola was still a year away from releasing its MicroTac flip phone -- which paved the way for our current mobile technology -- some sage advice was blasting from boom boxes across the country. Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It,” which sampled a 1977 recording called “Keep on Pushin,” could now be the anthem for a successful, modern mobile engagement strategy.
Why You Should Use Push Notifications -
Email is essential to your association, but its effectiveness is waning. As open and click rates continue to decline, your association’s app can pick up the slack to deliver timely, easily-digestible information to your members and industry associates by using push notifications. These short messages that pop up on your members’ phones are an effective alternative to communicate concise information and encourage immediate action. When you are regularly communicating to your members, they feel more part of your community and are reminded of the value in their membership. More engaged members become more active members, and more active members become better advocates for your mission.
Some Push Notification Best Practices -
- Advertise the importance of opting in to receive notifications and show members how to turn them on (both iOS and Android). Remind your members of the value they’ll be getting: timely, relevant prompts and information can streamline processes and offer a simple route to fulfill otherwise more complex processes, such as dues remittance or event registration.
- Allow your members to indicate areas of interest and preferences so that you can provide customized and personal user experiences.
- Include a clear Call to Action (Register Now! Vote Today! Join the Discussion! Download the Report!) that can be accessed with one click.
- Set up personalized automatic notifications that tie into your database to, for example, send a “Happy Anniversary” message on your members’ join dates. A little personal touch goes a long way.
- Use notifications to target specific groups, committees, or segments. This could be based upon preferences that members have identified, attendance at an event, or volunteer committee work. Targeted groups will receive relevant information and it will not be perceived as spam.
Your association’s app will transform your members’ experience and can truly drive member engagement to new heights. So be sure to leverage this tool by incorporating a smart and strategic push notification plan into your member outreach. As the 80s anthem says, Push It Real Good.
