· 6 min read
Create your Push Notification Strategy
Earlier, I covered why it’s important to send good push notifications to your users and how to do it.
Now you know how to craft valuable messages for gamers, it’s time to take a step forward and learn about how important the underlying notification strategy really is.
Maybe you’re wondering: Why bother with push notifications? The answer is threefold. Having a push messaging strategy helps:
- to make the game experience more fun,
- to add another element to the game analysis, and
- to help you monetize your game
Anyone can implement a winning strategy for push messaging. It just takes knowledge of your business and time to experience.
Following, I’ll lead you along a ten step journey that will empower your video game communication strategy.
1- Design for Mobile from the Start
Mobile design is a changing environment, constantly adapting new technologies. Getting it right the first time is rare, expect to have to test what works best for your game and to adapt to it.
2- Give what Gamers Want
Every push notification must convey value to the user. The messages’ worth is determined by the users, not by what you wish them to hear you say. It won’t matter that your reach is astronomic when the messages are received with indifference. When push misses, so does your ability to leave players happy.
3- Message When the Time is Right
Simply sending users the right content might not cut it. How annoying is it to get push at the wrong time? Imagine you’re at work and you start getting messages from events going on in your favorite games… when what you only care about this time of the day are work related email notifications. Give them the ability to customize when push is delivered to them and they’ll value your game more and you’ll make their lives better.
4- Get Push into Players Life
Becoming part of a player’s daily life is such a powerful gift push gives developers. It comes at a price though. You must be able to deliver the level of quality you promised to the players. You should aim to engage users in the way they demand. Once you’ve got their trust, it might be the right time to ask for permission to access their location. The request should come in exchange to additional advantages for players. Put yourself in the gamers’ place. Why should they give you this intimate information when you don’t have something compelling to offer in return?
5- Location Affects Behavior
Knowing where gamers are at any given time can set you apart from competition. Gamers aren’t ready to engage in a play session the same way whether they are in the subway, at home, or at work. Maybe they just have time for a snack game while commuting, or want a lengthy play session while they’re in the comfort of their homes. Reaching this kind of trust from players isn’t easy, you must deliver value from the get go. Show players what advantages sharing their location have over not doing so.
Apps with Push —Retain x2 and Engage x4— than Apps with No Push
6- Less is Best
Players are being very generous by sharing their personal information with you. When you receive, it makes sense to give back in return. What is the information gamers want, and how much? Craft your game to allow players to modulate push. The messages people enjoy getting the most are the ones they have been anticipating. Let players experience that feeling.
7- Here We Are Now, Entertain Us
Develop your game and push message strategy to provide gamers the best possible experience. Prioritize fun, and selling will follow. This is especially true in free to play games. If players aren’t having fun, how do you plan to monetize anyway?
8- Transcend Video Games
App developers have been using this for years, and I’m sure game developers can implement it to their advantage too. Particularly games that already have a strong brand. For instance, you could use them to provide discount coupons for merchandising to the players.
9- The Power of Qualitative Data
The time and space delivers a qualitative property of the players. With user location, you’ll be able to add an extra layer of information on top of the quantitative data. You might not know what to do with this tremendous amount of information right now, but if you can collect it, do it. You might be able to use it down the line to bolster an already engaging experience for a game. You still don’t know whether it’s when they’re on the run, or during weekdays in the afternoons that more purchases are made. Segmentation has never been so powerful.
10- Know the Value of Users
While mobile gaming adoption is quickly growing, the player population broadens. Now, even your mom plays video games! Analyzing all the data, you can have a better idea of why people stop playing games. When you’re able to contrast the time, place and in-game data you get closer to the players’ behavior. Are your users equally valuable for you? Not all the players that download your game show the same engagement. First, you have the players that download your game. Then you have a smaller group that agrees to receive push notifications. Finally, you have gamers that tell you their location to achieve the most complete gaming experience.
A Blazing Fast Recap
- Provide gamers with a good experience upfront. Result. Gain player trust.
- Ask players to generously accept receiving push notifications. Promise. Enhance player experience feeding them with the information they want to receive.
- Live up to the expectations you promised when they opted-in for push. Result. Engaged players that enjoy your game.
- Ask players to share their location information. Promise. In exchange, you’ll deliver a customized experience that’ll captivate them.
Would you like to learn how to send push notifications that turn regular players into loyal players? Check out the Guide to Send Good Push Notifications.
You can find the original article here.