1. Prioritize Notification Relevance
Consider the sheer volume of notifications you receive from different applications. How many genuinely offer value? We’re overwhelmed by trivial alerts that interfere with our day-to-day life, which often leads to us uninstalling the offending apps. Conversely, notifications that provide genuine value, that are informative and beneficial, are more welcome. The significance of issuing value-adding messages instead of interruptive ones cannot be overstated. A prime example of unsolicited messages comes from Facebook, bombarding users with prompts to connect with others or with mere reminders. These are hardly beneficial. 
Netflix, on the other hand, smartly notifies users about new seasons of shows they enjoy based on their viewing habits, ensuring each alert is personal and relevant. 
Personalization Enhances Engagement
Customization can dramatically increase user engagement. Notifications designed for individual users are more likely to be opened, with personalized messages seeing four times the open rate of standard ones. Personalization can be as simple as addressing users by name or as sophisticated as offering promotions based on user data.
Succinct and Engaging Messages
Notifications should convey the core message succinctly, ensuring users can quickly grasp the information they contain.
2. Optimal Timing for Notifications
The right timing is critical for the effectiveness of push notifications. Ill-timed messages bear the risk of being ignored or leading to the deletion of the app. Despite this, 63 percent of marketers fail to appropriately time their notifications.
Nocturnal Silence
Refrain from sending push notifications during nighttime hours when users are likely to be asleep. Even if devices are on silent mode, a backlog of notifications upon waking can lead to users dismissing them without a second glance.
Engagement Timing
Schedule notifications for times when users are most likely to be active and receptive, usually early mornings or evenings. Fine-tuning delivery times by considering user behavior patterns can maximize engagement.
Emergency Alerts
Urgent notifications are an exception and can be dispatched whenever necessary—but ensure your understanding of ‘urgent’ aligns with your users’.
3. Action-Driven Notifications
Avoiding the Notification Avalanche
Bombarding users with too many alerts in a short timeframe can overwhelm them and lead to a phenomenon called “notification fatigue.” It’s essential to determine the optimal cadence based on user feedback.
Direct and Purposeful Notifications
Notifications should guide users to relevant content or sections within an app, rather than leaving them stranded at the main page or homepage unrelated to the notification.
4. Define a Notification Strategy
Establish clear objectives for your push notifications, knowing precisely the actions you expect from your users upon receipt.
Experimentation and Analysis
The effectiveness of notifications for your audience can only be determined through experimentation and iterative testing. A/B testing is a powerful method for fine-tuning your approach.
Gauging Push Notification Success
Measure both the positive (open rates, conversions) and negative (app uninstalls, opt-in rates) outcomes of your push notification efforts. A successful strategy requires long-term performance assessment, not just short-term gains.
Additional Communication Channels
Push notifications are part of a broader communication ecosystem. Depending on the content’s urgency and nature, a combination of emails, in-app messages, and news feed engagement can complement your communication mix. The diagram illustrates the optimal use of each channel based on certain criteria. 
Choose the appropriate notification channel based on urgency and message content.
