How Saucey Charms with Promotional Push

If you’ve got a smartphone (and don’t make a point of always opting out of push), the odds are good that a significant number of the push notifications you receive from brands run something like this:

Hey! Buy things and get 25% off! Seriously, buy right now! Please? Pretty Please? Okay, fine, 26% off—are you happy?

These kinds of promotional push notifications are a tried-and-true way to convince disengaged customers to return to your app and to nudge active customers to make an in-app purchase. But while the basic approach is solid, so many brands use this approach so often that customers can find themselves starting to tune out this kind of outreach, reducing their effectiveness and making for a less-than-ideal brand experience.

It doesn’t have to be that way. With the right approach, promotional push can be eye-catching, appealing—even charming. To see what that looks like, let’s check in with on-demand alcohol delivery brand Saucey, which has made this kind of outreach into an art:

4 keys to great promotional push notifications

What a great promotional push looks like

1. Get the timing down

Too many promotional messages arrive at times when the recipients are unlikely to engage with them, hurting their effectiveness—after all, how many people are really looking to shop for shoes at 4 a.m., or to book a flight at 11 p.m. on a weekend?

Saucey, on the other hand, sent its push notification at 5:05 p.m., arguably the ideal time to reach people who might be interested in having alcohol delivered. It’s late enough of in the day that people are starting to think about what’s happening after work, but early enough that you haven’t necessarily already made plans. By being thoughtful about when users receive the message, Saucey is priming that outreach for success.

2. Know your audience and write copy that’s right for them

The quick, punchy, genuinely funny voice that Saucey deploys in this push notification doesn’t just charm the recipient—it’s a reminder of the kind of fun that can come from taking advantage of the service they offer. Having an appealing voice in your push copy can do a lot to win over recipients and cut through the haze of messages they receive, but it’s important to make sure that voice fits your brand; the sort of copy that Saucey uses makes sense given their industry and brand promise, but it might make for an awkward fit for an app that provides retirement advice or lets you schedule doctors appointments on your phone.

3. Catch the eye with emojis (but don’t overdo it!)

The cocktail emoji that Saucey uses in this message grabs your attention and effectively sets the stage for the notification’s copy by establishing a light, fun tone right from the start. But while the well-chosen emoji stands out, what’s even more notable is Saucey’s restraint—when the brand wants to wink at recipients at the end of the message, they didn’t add in another emoji or three, choosing instead to deploy an emoticon. By mixing up these kind of eye-catching symbols, Saucey is able to take advantage of emojis in a smart, balanced way.

4. Have a clear CTA

A great push notification that doesn’t inspire recipients to take action isn’t as great as it could be. So while Saucey makes a point of keeping this message engaging and eye-catching, the brand doesn’t neglect its call-to-action. The $10 discount offer is simple, clear, and provides an appealing reason for customers to tap the notification. It’s not the only part of the message that matters, but without it, the notification wouldn’t work nearly so well.

Taking the next step

Putting together a great promotional push notification can do a lot to encourage customers to open your app, engage with your brand, and make a purchase. But it’s possible to boost the effectiveness of your promotional outreach even more by using push as part of a coordinated multichannel promotional campaign. A multichannel approach can lift conversions by 2.2x and give your brand more opportunities to reach your audience in the channels they prefer, providing a better user experience and supporting stronger customer/brand relationships.