Your fans visit your website and download your app, but what happens next? Effective messaging is crucial to keeping them engaged and coming back for more. It’s important to ensure that they not only visit frequently but also stay actively involved with your content and updates.
Whether rights holders delivering breaking transfer news, live match updates, or exclusive offers, push notifications have become a crucial tool in the sports industry. These brief messages sent directly to users’ devices, whether through a web browser or a mobile app, are designed to capture attention and prompt action. Push notifications deliver timely and personalised information, enhancing fan engagement, retention, and conversion.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the nuances of web and app push notifications, the differences between them, and best practices to ensure rights holders’ notifications resonate with the fans.
Difference Between Web and App Push Notifications
Mobile Push Notifications:
Mobile push notifications are particularly beneficial for engaging sports fans even when they are not actively using their devices. These notifications appear on the smartphone’s lock screen, ensuring fans receive real-time updates about live scores, match highlights, and transfer news directly, keeping them informed and connected.
Web Push Notifications:
Web push notifications, on the other hand, are useful for reaching fans who are currently active on their devices via their browsers but may not be actively browsing rights holder’s sports websites. These notifications can keep fans updated on team announcements, ticket sales, or exclusive content while they are surfing the web.
Best Practices for Website and App Notifications
Crafting Compelling Messages
The foundation of any successful notification strategy is compelling messaging. Notifications should be concise, clear, and attention-grabbing. Given that the average consumer spends only a few seconds on a website's homepage, it's crucial to make those moments count.
Example: "Game Day Alert! Don't miss the action as the team takes on the rivals tonight at 7 PM. Click here to watch live!"
Tip: Use action-oriented language and include a clear call-to-action (CTA) to encourage immediate engagement.
Personalisation
Personalisation is key to making fans feel valued and understood. By leveraging fan data, rights holders can tailor notifications to individual preferences and behaviours, increasing engagement.
Example: "Hey [Fan's Name], we noticed you love weekend games! Get 20% off your next Saturday game ticket."
Tip: Utilise segmentation to categorise fans based on their interactions, purchase history, and preferences. This allows for more targeted and relevant messaging. Timing is Everything
The timing of notifications can significantly impact their effectiveness. Sending notifications at the right moment ensures they are seen and acted upon.
Example: A push notification reminding fans of an upcoming game should be sent a few hours before the event, not days in advance, to maintain relevance and urgency.
Tip: Analyse data to identify peak engagement times for your audience. This could vary based on factors like time zones, game schedules, and user behaviour patterns.
Avoid Overwhelming Fans
While notifications are a powerful tool, it's essential to avoid overwhelming fans with too many messages. Overloading users can lead to frustration and increased opt-outs.
Example: Instead of sending multiple notifications about the same event, consolidate information into a single, comprehensive message.
Tip: Implement frequency capping to limit the number of notifications a user receives within a specific timeframe. This helps maintain a positive user experience.
Use Rich Media
Incorporating rich media, such as images, videos, and GIFs, can make notifications more engaging and visually appealing. Rich media can convey more information in a shorter amount of time and capture the user's attention more effectively.
Example: A notification promoting a highlight reel could include a thumbnail of an exciting play, enticing fans to click and watch.
Tip: Ensure that media elements are optimised for different devices and screen sizes to provide a seamless experience for all users.
Push Notification Types and Examples
Reminder to New Fans:
Push notifications can be used to welcome and engage new fans by reminding them about upcoming events, latest news, or exclusive content. This helps in building a connection from the very beginning and encourages them to stay active.
Example: "Welcome to the Fan Club! Don't miss the live match this Saturday at 7 PM. Click here for exclusive pre-match insights!"
Target Fan Drop-off:
Notifications can target fans who have shown a decline in engagement, offering them personalised competitions or special offers to bring them back into the fold. This helps in retaining fans and maintaining a consistent level of activity.
Example: "We miss you! Vote for your 'GOAL of the SEASON' and get 20% off your next ticket purchase. Come back and join the excitement!"
Match Reminder / Live Match updates:
Sending reminders about upcoming matches or live updates during games keeps fans informed and engaged in real-time. This enhances the fan experience by providing timely information and fostering a sense of community.
Example: "HOME RUN! BOSTON BBF (1) ARIZONA WEST (0). Scored by Tim Amber."
Re-engage Lapsers:
Re-engagement notifications target fans who haven't interacted with the app or website for a while, offering them compelling reasons to return, such as special content, new features, or limited-time offers.
Example: "It's been a while! Check out the new season's fixtures and get early bird discounts on our new season KITs. We’ve got exciting updates waiting for you!"
Analysing Performance and Optimization
Track Key Metrics:
Monitor key metrics such as CTR, conversion rates, and user feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of your notifications. Use this data to identify what works and what doesn't.
A/B Testing:
Conduct A/B testing to experiment with different variations of your notifications. Test elements such as titles, images, timing, and call-to-action buttons to determine what resonates best with your audience.
Iterate and Improve: Based on your analysis and testing, iterate and improve your notification strategy. Continuously refine your approach to deliver more engaging and effective messages.
Conclusion
Push notifications are a powerful tool for sports organisations looking to keep their fans engaged and informed. By understanding the differences between web and app notifications, implementing best practices, and continuously analysing and optimising performance, rights holders can ensure push notifications are effective and well-received.
Crafting compelling messages, personalising content, and timing notifications correctly are key elements to success. Avoid overwhelming fans with too many messages and make use of rich media to capture attention.
With the right strategy, push notifications can enhance the fan experience, increase engagement, and drive conversions, helping rights holders build a loyal and engaged fan base.
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