How to Write Effective Push Notifications

Posted on August 25, 2024 by Arena

Push notifications can be a game-changer for engaging with your audience. They serve as direct lines of communication, delivering timely and relevant information right to your users’ devices. However, not all push notifications are created equal.

Understanding the different types of messages can help you craft effective push notifications that resonate with your audience. Let’s break down the main categories you should consider.

Types of Push Notifications

Transactional push notifications

Provide users with information about specific actions they have taken. These notifications include order confirmations, shipping updates, and payment receipts. For example, when you make a purchase online, you might receive a push notification confirming your order and providing delivery details. These notifications are direct, timely, and highly relevant, making them an effective way to keep users informed about their transactions.

Promotional push notifications

Aim to drive sales and increase user engagement by offering special deals, discounts, or limited-time offers. These notifications can highlight new products, seasonal sales, or exclusive promotions. For instance, you might receive a push notification from a retail app offering a 20% discount on your next purchase. These messages create a sense of urgency and encourage users to take immediate action, boosting conversion rates.

Informational push notifications

Keep users updated with relevant news, updates, or content. These notifications can include breaking news alerts, weather updates, or new blog posts. For example, a news app might send a push notification about a major event happening in real time. These notifications help keep users informed and engaged with your app or website, providing valuable information that they might otherwise miss.

Geolocation-based push notifications

Use the user’s location to deliver relevant messages. These notifications can include local event updates, nearby store promotions, or location-specific alerts. For instance, a restaurant app might send a push notification offering a discount to users who are within a certain radius of the restaurant. By leveraging the user’s location, these notifications provide highly personalized and timely information, enhancing the user experience.

Benefits of Push Notifications

You might be wondering why you should invest time and resources into push notifications. Well, here’s why they’re worth it.

Effective push notifications grab attention instantly. They appear directly on users’ screens, making them hard to ignore. This immediacy encourages users to interact with your app or website more frequently. For example, a fitness app might send daily workout reminders, prompting users to open the app and complete their exercises. This consistent interaction keeps users engaged and increases app usage over time. For more insights, check out the importance of customer engagement.

Push notifications can significantly boost conversion rates by nudging users towards completing desired actions. Whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or taking advantage of a limited-time offer, these notifications serve as timely reminders. For instance, an e-commerce app might send a push notification about an abandoned cart, encouraging users to complete their purchases. This direct approach often leads to higher conversion rates compared to other marketing channels. Learn more about the benefits of push notifications.

Regular, relevant push notifications help build a stronger relationship with your audience. When users receive valuable content, personalized offers, or timely updates, they feel more connected to your brand. For example, a music streaming app might notify users about new releases from their favorite artists. This level of personalization fosters a sense of loyalty, making users more likely to stick with your app or service over competitors. Discover how real-time audience engagement can enhance your strategy.

Effective push notifications can help drive traffic back to your app or website. They serve as direct links, guiding users to specific content or features. For example, a news app might send a push notification about a breaking story, leading users to read the full article on the app. This not only increases traffic but also enhances user engagement with your content.

How to Create Effective Push Notifications

Let’s face it: not all push notifications are created equal. Here’s how to make yours stand out.

When crafting push notifications, clarity and brevity are your best friends. Users often glance at notifications quickly, so you need to get your message across in as few words as possible. Aim for around 10 words. For example, instead of saying, “We are excited to announce that our new product line is now available for purchase,” you could say, “New products available now!” This approach ensures that your message is understood immediately, increasing the likelihood of user engagement.

Personalization goes beyond just using the user’s name. Tailor your notifications based on user behavior, preferences, and past interactions. If a user frequently buys sports gear, notify them about a sale on athletic wear. Personalization makes users feel valued and understood, which can significantly boost engagement rates. For instance, “John, your favorite sneakers are 20% off today!” speaks directly to the user’s interests and increases the chances of a click-through. Leverage first-party data strategies to enhance personalization.

Action-oriented language prompts users to take immediate steps. Use verbs that encourage action, such as “buy,” “explore,” “discover,” or “join.” For example, instead of saying, “We have a new blog post,” you could say, “Read our latest blog post now!” This type of language creates a sense of urgency and directs users on what to do next, making your notifications more effective.

Timing can make or break the effectiveness of your push notifications. Send notifications when users are most likely to engage. For instance, a food delivery app might send push notifications around meal times. Avoid sending too many notifications in a short period, as this can lead to user annoyance and increased opt-out rates. Use analytics to determine the best times to send notifications and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Not all users are the same, so your notifications shouldn’t be either. Segment your audience based on various criteria such as demographics, behavior, and preferences. For example, a fitness app might segment users into beginners, intermediates, and advanced levels, sending tailored workout tips to each group. Segmentation allows you to deliver more relevant content, increasing the likelihood of user engagement and satisfaction. Learn more about push notification segmentation.

A/B testing helps you understand what works best for your audience. Create two versions of a notification with slight variations in text, timing, or design, and send them to different user segments. Analyze the results to see which version performs better. For example, test different call-to-action phrases like “Shop Now” versus “Get Yours Today” to see which one drives more clicks. Continuous testing and optimization can significantly improve the effectiveness of your push notifications.

Best Practices to Create Effective Push Notifications

Crafting the perfect push notification isn’t just about what you say, but how you say it.

When sending push notifications, always focus on delivering value. Users should feel that the information you provide is beneficial. Whether it’s a timely update, a special offer, or useful tips, the content should be relevant and helpful. For instance, a fitness app might send workout reminders or nutrition tips that align with the user’s goals. Providing value ensures that users look forward to your notifications and engage with your app more frequently.

Respecting user preferences is key to maintaining a positive relationship with your audience. Allow users to customize their notification settings, choosing what types of messages they want to receive and how often. This can be done through a simple settings page within your app. For example, a news app might let users select specific topics they are interested in, such as sports or politics. By honoring these preferences, you reduce the risk of annoying users and increase the likelihood of them staying subscribed to your notifications.

Brevity is crucial in push notifications. Users often glance at their notifications quickly, so your message needs to be clear and concise. Aim for around 10 words or less. This ensures that your message is easily digestible and gets straight to the point. For example, instead of saying, “We are excited to announce that our new product line is now available for purchase,” you could say, “New products available now!” Keeping it short and sweet increases the chances of your notification being read and acted upon.

Emojis can add a touch of personality and make your notifications more engaging. However, use them sparingly and strategically. Emojis should enhance the message, not overwhelm it. For instance, a food delivery app might use a pizza emoji to highlight a special pizza deal. Emojis can help convey emotion and context quickly, making your notifications more visually appealing and easier to understand. Just ensure that the emojis you choose are relevant and appropriate for the message you are sending. Stay updated with the latest customer engagement trends to keep your notifications fresh and relevant.

Creative Push Notification Examples

Alright, let’s talk about real-world inspiration. Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing.

Personalized product recommendations can significantly enhance user experience. Imagine a user browsing through a fashion app. Later, they receive a push notification saying, “Hey Alex, new arrivals in your favorite brand are here! Check them out now.” This type of notification leverages user data to offer tailored suggestions, making the message feel more relevant and increasing the likelihood of a click-through.

Timely news updates keep users informed and engaged. For instance, a news app might send a push notification like, “Breaking News: Major earthquake hits California. Tap to read more.” This immediate update ensures that users are always in the loop, driving them to open the app and read the full story. Timeliness is key here, as users expect to receive important news as it happens.

Location-based offers use geolocation data to provide relevant deals and promotions. For example, a retail app could send a notification such as, “Welcome to downtown! Enjoy 15% off at our nearby store. Show this message at checkout.” This type of notification not only provides value but also encourages users to visit physical locations, blending online and offline experiences seamlessly.

Engaging quizzes or polls can make your push notifications interactive and fun. These are proven tactics to grow engagement for more creative ideas. A fitness app might send a push notification like, “How fit are you? Take our quick quiz to find out!” or “Vote for your favorite workout routine and see what others prefer.” These notifications invite users to participate, making the interaction more engaging and enjoyable. They also provide valuable insights into user preferences and behaviors.

How to Measure the Success of Your Push Notifications

So, you’ve sent out your push notifications. Now what? Measuring success is just as crucial.

Open rates indicate how many users opened your push notifications. This metric helps you understand the initial engagement level. To track open rates, use analytics tools that provide detailed reports on how many users interacted with your notifications. High open rates suggest that your message was compelling enough to grab attention. Low open rates might indicate that your notifications need better timing, more engaging content, or improved targeting.

Conversion rates measure how many users completed a desired action after opening a push notification. This could be making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or any other goal you set. Monitoring conversion rates helps you gauge the effectiveness of your notifications in driving user actions. Use tracking links and analytics to see which notifications lead to the highest conversions. This data allows you to refine your strategies and focus on what works best. Learn how to optimize funnel conversions for better results.

Analyzing user behavior provides deeper insights into how users interact with your notifications and app. Look at metrics such as time spent on the app after opening a notification, pages visited, and actions taken. This analysis helps you understand user preferences and behaviors, enabling you to tailor future notifications more effectively. By studying patterns and trends, you can optimize your push notification strategy to better meet user needs and enhance overall engagement. For more strategies, refer to the ultimate guide to audience engagement.

Create Effective Push Notifications with Arena

Crafting compelling push notifications is essential for boosting user engagement and driving conversions. With Arena’s AI-powered tools, you can create personalized, action-oriented messages that resonate with your audience. Our platform offers advanced segmentation and real-time analytics, ensuring your notifications reach the right users at the right time.

Arena’s suite of features, including AI-powered chatbots and dynamic content streams, enhances your ability to engage users effectively. Whether you’re in media, e-commerce, or any other industry, Arena provides the tools you need to elevate your push notification strategy.

Sign up now to explore how Arena can help you craft compelling push notifications and transform your audience engagement. Visit our pricing page to get started.

How to Optimize AI Feed Search Results

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Arena

You’ve probably noticed that AI-powered search is everywhere these days. Whether you’re looking up recipes, shopping for gadgets, or researching for work, AI algorithms are working behind the scenes to deliver the most relevant results. But to truly benefit from these technologies, it’s essential to understand how to optimize AI feed search results effectively.

Understanding the types of AI algorithms used in search can help you not only appreciate how these systems work but also give you the insight needed to evaluate and improve their performance.

Here’s a breakdown of the main types of AI algorithms used in search and how they function.

Types of AI Algorithms Used in Search

So, how exactly do these AI algorithms work their magic in search engines? Let’s dive in.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Natural Language Processing (NLP) focuses on the interaction between computers and human language. It enables search engines to understand, interpret, and generate human language in a way that is both meaningful and useful. NLP algorithms analyze the structure and meaning of text, allowing search engines to comprehend user queries more accurately. Techniques like tokenization, stemming, and lemmatization break down text into manageable pieces, making it easier to process. Named Entity Recognition (NER) identifies and classifies key elements in text, such as names of people, organizations, and locations. Sentiment analysis gauges the emotional tone behind words, helping to refine search results based on user sentiment.

Machine Learning (ML)

Machine Learning (ML) involves training algorithms on large datasets to recognize patterns and make predictions. In search, ML algorithms learn from user interactions to improve the relevance of search results over time. Supervised learning uses labeled data to train models, enabling them to predict outcomes based on input data. Unsupervised learning, on the other hand, identifies patterns and relationships in data without predefined labels. Reinforcement learning involves training models through trial and error, rewarding them for correct actions and penalizing them for mistakes. These techniques help search engines adapt to changing user behaviors and preferences, ensuring more accurate and personalized results.

Deep Learning (DL)

Deep Learning (DL) is a subset of machine learning that uses neural networks with many layers (hence “deep”) to analyze various forms of data. In search, DL algorithms excel at processing unstructured data like text, images, and audio. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are particularly effective for image recognition tasks, while Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) handle sequential data, making them ideal for language processing. Transformer models, such as BERT and GPT, have revolutionized NLP by enabling more nuanced understanding and generation of text. These models can grasp context, disambiguate meanings, and even generate human-like responses, significantly enhancing the search experience. For more insights, explore the applications of generative AI.

By leveraging NLP, ML, and DL, AI-powered search engines can deliver highly relevant, personalized, and efficient search results. Understanding these algorithms provides a clearer picture of how search engines work and how to evaluate their performance.

Benefits of AI-Powered Search

You might be wondering why AI-powered search is such a game-changer. Let’s explore some key benefits that address common concerns.

Improved Relevance

AI-powered search engines excel at delivering highly relevant results. They analyze vast amounts of data to understand the context and intent behind your queries. This means you get search results that are more aligned with what you’re looking for, reducing the time spent sifting through irrelevant information. The algorithms continuously learn from user interactions, refining their understanding and improving the relevance of future searches. Stay updated with the latest trends in customer engagement.

Enhanced User Experience

A seamless and intuitive search experience keeps you engaged and satisfied. AI-powered search engines offer features like autocomplete, spell correction, and personalized suggestions, making it easier to find what you need quickly. These systems also adapt to your search habits, providing a more tailored experience over time. The interface becomes more user-friendly, and the overall search process feels smoother and more efficient. Learn more about enhancing customer experience in eCommerce.

Increased Efficiency

Efficiency is a significant advantage of AI-powered search. These systems process and analyze data at incredible speeds, delivering results almost instantaneously. This rapid processing saves you time and allows you to focus on what matters most. Whether you’re conducting research, shopping online, or seeking information, AI-powered search engines streamline the process, making it faster and more efficient.

Personalized Results

Personalization is a standout feature of AI-powered search engines. They use data from your past searches, preferences, and behavior to deliver results that are uniquely tailored to you. This means the search results you see are more relevant to your interests and needs. Personalized search enhances your experience by showing you content, products, and information that you are more likely to find useful and engaging. Discover how customer-centric strategies can enhance your search results.

How does AI-Powered Search Work?

Curious about the nitty-gritty of how AI-powered search engines operate? Let’s break it down into simple steps.

Data Collection and Indexing

The first step in AI-powered search involves gathering and organizing data. This essential guide to customer data includes search engines crawl the web, collecting vast amounts of information from various sources. This data includes text, images, videos, and other content types. Once collected, the data is indexed, which means it’s organized in a way that allows quick retrieval. Indexing involves creating a structured database where each piece of content is tagged with relevant keywords and metadata. This process ensures that when you search for something, the engine can quickly locate and retrieve the most relevant information.

Query Processing and Understanding

When you enter a search query, the search engine needs to understand what you’re looking for. This is where Natural Language Processing (NLP) comes into play. NLP algorithms analyze the query to determine its intent and context. They break down the query into individual words and phrases, identify the main topics, and interpret any nuances or ambiguities. This step ensures that the search engine comprehends the true meaning behind your query, allowing it to provide more accurate and relevant results.

Ranking and Result Generation

Once the search engine understands your query, it needs to rank the available results based on their relevance. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms play a significant role in this process. These algorithms evaluate various factors, such as keyword matches, content quality, and user engagement metrics, to determine the importance of each result. The search engine then generates a list of ranked results, presenting the most relevant ones at the top. This ranking process ensures that you see the best possible answers to your query first. Learn more about real-time audience engagement and its impact on search results.

Continuous Learning and Improvement

AI-powered search engines continuously learn and improve over time. They analyze user interactions, such as clicks, dwell time, and feedback, to refine their algorithms. This ongoing learning process helps the search engine adapt to changing user behaviors and preferences. Deep Learning (DL) models, which involve neural networks with multiple layers, are particularly effective in this regard. These models can identify complex patterns and relationships in data, allowing the search engine to make more accurate predictions and deliver better results. Continuous learning ensures that the search engine remains effective and relevant, providing you with the best possible search experience. Discover how data management platforms contribute to continuous learning.

What Factors Influence AI-Powered Search Results?

So, what really shapes the results you see when you search for something? Let’s dive into the key factors.

User Behavior and Preferences

Your interactions with search engines play a significant role in shaping the results you see. AI algorithms analyze your past searches, clicks, and time spent on pages to understand your preferences. This data helps the system predict what you might find useful or interesting. For instance, if you frequently search for tech news, the search engine will prioritize similar content in future searches. This personalized approach ensures that the results align closely with your interests and needs. Learn more about understanding customer engagement.

Content Quality and Relevance

The quality and relevance of content are paramount in determining search outcomes. AI algorithms assess various aspects of content, such as readability, depth, and accuracy. High-quality content that provides valuable information typically ranks higher. Relevance is also crucial; the content must match the intent behind your query. For example, if you search for “best smartphones 2024,” the search engine prioritizes recent and comprehensive reviews over outdated or superficial articles. This ensures that you get the most pertinent and reliable information.

Domain Authority and Trust

Domain authority and trustworthiness significantly influence search results. Websites with high domain authority, established through consistent quality content and reputable backlinks, rank higher in search results. Trust factors include HTTPS encryption, clear privacy policies, and positive user reviews. Search engines prioritize these trusted sources to ensure you receive reliable and credible information. For instance, well-known news outlets and educational institutions often appear at the top of search results due to their established authority and trustworthiness.

Freshness and Timeliness

The freshness and timeliness of content are vital for providing relevant search results, especially for queries related to current events or rapidly changing topics. AI algorithms prioritize newer content to ensure you receive the latest information. For example, if you search for “latest COVID-19 updates,” the search engine favors recent articles and reports over older ones. This focus on freshness ensures that the information is up-to-date and relevant to your query, enhancing the overall search experience.

How to Evaluate the Performance of AI-Powered Search

Now that you know how AI-powered search works, how do you measure its effectiveness? Here are some strategies.

Assess Relevance and Quality

Evaluating the relevance and quality of search results involves examining how well the results match the user’s query. Start by reviewing the top results for a variety of search queries. Check if the content is accurate, up-to-date, and directly related to the search terms. Use metrics like precision and recall to quantify relevance. Precision measures the proportion of relevant results among the retrieved ones, while recall measures the proportion of relevant results retrieved out of all relevant results available. High precision and recall indicate that the search engine is effectively delivering relevant and high-quality content.

Measure User Engagement

User engagement metrics provide insights into how users interact with search results. Track metrics such as time spent on the page, scroll depth, and bounce rate. High engagement levels suggest that users find the content valuable and relevant. Conversely, a high bounce rate may indicate that the content does not meet user expectations. Analyzing these metrics helps you understand user satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, consider using heatmaps to visualize user interactions and identify which parts of the page attract the most attention.

Analyze Click-Through Rates (CTR)

Click-Through Rate (CTR) is a key performance indicator for search engines. It measures the percentage of users who click on a search result after seeing it. A high CTR indicates that the search results are appealing and relevant to users. To analyze CTR, compare the number of clicks to the number of impressions for each search result. Look for patterns in queries with high and low CTRs to identify factors that influence user behavior. For instance, compelling titles and meta descriptions often lead to higher CTRs. Regularly monitoring CTR helps you gauge the effectiveness of your search engine in attracting user clicks.

Conduct A/B Testing

A/B testing involves comparing two versions of a search algorithm or interface to determine which one performs better. Create two groups of users and present each group with a different version of the search results. Measure key metrics such as relevance, CTR, and user engagement for both groups. Analyze the data to identify which version delivers better performance. A/B testing allows you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your search engine based on user preferences. It also helps you test new features or changes before implementing them on a larger scale.

Monitor Conversion Rates

Conversion rates measure the percentage of users who complete a desired action after interacting with search results. This could be making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource. Monitoring conversion rates helps you understand the effectiveness of your search engine in driving user actions. Analyze the conversion rates for different queries and identify patterns or trends. High conversion rates indicate that the search results are not only relevant but also persuasive. Use this data to refine your search algorithms and improve the overall user experience. For more insights, explore data-driven marketing strategies.

Strategies to Optimize AI Feed Search Results

Ensuring that your AI-generated search results are accurate and reliable is crucial. A reliable AI and live chat can enhance customer experience.

Here are some validation strategies.

Cross-reference with Reliable Sources

When evaluating AI-generated search results, always cross-reference the information with reliable sources. Check multiple reputable websites, academic journals, or official publications to ensure the data’s accuracy. This step helps you confirm that the AI is pulling information from credible sources. For example, if the AI suggests a medical treatment, verify it against trusted medical websites or peer-reviewed journals. Consistency across multiple reliable sources indicates that the AI-generated results are trustworthy.

Verify Facts and Figures

Accuracy in facts and figures is non-negotiable. Scrutinize the numbers, dates, and statistics presented in the search results. Compare these figures with those from authoritative sources. For instance, if the AI provides economic data, cross-check it with official statistics from government databases or recognized financial institutions. Discrepancies in data can highlight potential errors in the AI’s processing or data sources. Verifying facts ensures that the AI’s output remains reliable and accurate.

Assess Logical Consistency

Logical consistency is key to validating AI-generated search results. Examine the coherence and flow of the information. Ensure that the AI’s conclusions follow logically from the provided data. For example, if the AI summarizes a news article, check that the summary accurately reflects the article’s main points without introducing contradictions. Logical consistency helps you trust that the AI is processing information correctly and not generating misleading or incorrect conclusions.

Seek Expert Opinions

Consulting experts in the relevant field adds an extra layer of validation. Share the AI-generated results with professionals who have deep knowledge in the subject area. Their insights can help identify any inaccuracies or biases in the AI’s output. For instance, if the AI generates legal advice, a lawyer can verify its accuracy and relevance. Expert opinions provide a human touch to the validation process, ensuring that the AI’s results are not only accurate but also contextually appropriate.

What is the Best Approach to Evaluate AI-Powered Search Outcomes?

Evaluating AI-powered search outcomes requires a balanced approach. Here’s what you need to consider.

Combine Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

Evaluating AI-powered search outcomes requires a balanced approach. Quantitative methods provide measurable data on performance metrics such as precision, recall, and click-through rates. These metrics offer a clear picture of how well the search engine is performing in delivering relevant results. However, numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Qualitative methods, such as user feedback and usability testing, provide insights into the user experience. They help you understand how users interact with the search engine and whether it meets their needs. Combining these methods gives a comprehensive view of the search engine’s effectiveness, blending hard data with user-centric insights.

Continuously Monitor and Adapt Evaluation Strategies

AI-powered search engines evolve over time, learning from user interactions and adapting to new data. Continuous monitoring ensures that you stay on top of these changes. Regularly track key performance indicators and user behavior metrics to identify trends and areas for improvement. Adapt your evaluation strategies based on these insights. For instance, if user engagement drops, investigate potential causes and adjust your algorithms or user interface accordingly. This iterative process helps maintain the search engine’s relevance and effectiveness, ensuring it continues to meet user expectations.

Prioritize User Satisfaction and Business Goals

User satisfaction is a key indicator of a successful search engine. Happy users are more likely to return, engage with your content, and convert. To prioritize user satisfaction, focus on delivering accurate, relevant, and timely search results. Use user feedback to identify pain points and areas for improvement. At the same time, align your search engine’s performance with your business goals. Whether it’s increasing sales, boosting engagement, or driving traffic, ensure that your evaluation metrics reflect these objectives. Balancing user satisfaction with business goals creates a win-win situation, where users find value in their searches, and your business achieves its targets. Discover how you can enhance customer satisfaction with AI.

Take the Next Step with Arena

Evaluating AI-powered search results requires robust tools and strategies. Arena’s AI-driven solutions offer the precision and adaptability you need to ensure your search outcomes are accurate and relevant. Our platform leverages advanced AI algorithms to enhance user engagement, personalize interactions, and provide real-time insights.

By integrating Arena’s suite of tools, you can streamline your evaluation processes and improve the overall quality of your search results. Whether you’re looking to boost user satisfaction, drive conversions, or enhance content relevance, Arena has the capabilities to meet your needs.

Sign up now to explore our offerings and see how Arena can transform your approach to AI-powered search. Visit Arena’s Pricing Page to get started.

Future of Cookies In Marketing: Strategies That Work

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Arena

Prepare for the cookieless future. User privacy concerns have prompted the advertising industry, Apple, and Google to develop new marketing strategies. New privacy laws make the conventional approach to personalized advertising no longer work.

To succeed, advertisers need to meet new consumer expectations and regulatory restrictions by creating direct connections with their audiences. Success in a world without third-party cookies starts with understanding how the world has changed.

New Opportunities In The Digital Landscape Changed

The future of cookies will take two primary forms: cohort-based marketing and first-party relationships. These opportunities deserve a prominent place in any effective marketing strategy today.

The Rise of Cohort Based Marketing: Not Ready For Prime Time

Rather than tracking each user’s online behaviors, the new approach pioneered by Google and adtech companies is cohort-based advertising. This means aiming your advertising at a group of people with similar interests instead of a single user. One example of this trend is the federated learning of cohorts (FLoC) that Google has pioneered. This concept is exciting because it will leverage machine learning to enhance digital advertising.

The FLoC concept was initially developed in 2021 in a privacy sandbox created by Google. This particular technology came to an end in January 2022. There are some ongoing consumer privacy concerns with the approach taken at Google. As a result, the company is moving in a new direction called “Google Topics” (or Topics API).

It’s not just privacy concerns that cause difficulties for cohort-based marketing. Fundamentally, tracking a large group of people may not be a good match for the customer journey you have developed.

First-Party Relationship: The New Way To Understand Consumer Behavior

Also known as a first-person cookie, this marketing approach is exciting. A first-party cookie is direct rather than relying on third-party cookie data from others in the marketing industry. For example, a potential customer lands on your website and accepts browser notifications or signs up for your email list.

Companies can target relevant advertising directly to their potential customers with this direct connection. Using your Customer Data Platform and Google Analytics, you might notice that one user is regularly visiting your “on-sale” pages. Based on that information, you can tailor marketing to that individual user. For example, send them more emails or notifications emphasizing your seasonal sales. In essence, establishing a robust first-party relationship means personalized messaging becomes much more manageable. A deep understanding of what your customers want means you can improve your emails, Google Ads, and other marketing campaigns much faster.

How To Succeed With First Party Cookies

Thriving in a 1st party relationship world requires solving two problems: the need for more website traffic and user consent.

1) Increase Website Traffic

First, this strategy requires potential customers to come to your website. That is getting harder today because many popular websites and tech companies operate as walled gardens. These walled gardens maximize user time on their website rather than sending people elsewhere.

2) Renewed Focus on Earning Consumer Consent

The second challenge is that privacy standards require you to seek consent to establish a direct relationship with a user. The adtech industry has previously played fast and loose with the privacy rules. Also, privacy regulations like GDPR have pushed companies to change their advertising strategies. It’s not just regulations either – companies like Apple have pushed back hard against invasive tracking methods. As a result, third-party data like traditional cookies are largely becoming obsolete.

Gaining consumer consent in this brave new world requires offering something attractive to users. There are different approaches to gaining consumer consent to individual user tracking. Common solutions include promising users a personalized experience, offering a discount (i.e. a discount code) or a free resource like an exclusive webinar or report.

Audience Engagement: A New Hope For Marketing

The future of cookies is fundamentally focused on creating and deepening direct relationships. Your online presence has to become more exciting and appealing to your potential customers. Your online content, events, and experiences have to be so appealing that your audience happily agrees to receive marketing messages from you.

Three Strategies To Grow And Deepen First Party Relationships

Use the following strategies to keep users returning to your website week after week, even as the digital landscape changes. By the way, offering engaging content and experiences has a secondary marketing benefit. You’re giving your users more chances to share your content with other people.

1. Boost Investment In Content Marketing and Online Events

To keep people coming back to your website repeatedly, appealing products and services are not enough. Your marketing itself needs to add value like original data, a community of like minded people and exciting content.

So, what exactly does a boosted effort in content marketing look like? According to the Content Marketing Institute, more than half of B2B marketers have increased their spending on video, events (including digital and hybrid), owned media assets (i.e., content you own and control), and paid media.

As third party cookies decline, it’s wise to take inspiration from a variety of brands who are achieving wins in content marketing.

Salesforce offers a wide range of content marketing initiatives like podcasts (e.g. the Marketing Cloudcast and the Marketing Trends podcast), events (i.e. the Dreamforce conference has attracted tens of thousands of attendees) and much more.
Dropbox shows that interactive approaches to content marketing can become wildly successful. A few years ago, Dropbox created a “What kind of marketer are you?” quiz to create awareness – a campaign that attracted significant leads.
PayPal, the well known financial technology firm, shows a simple way to create content marketing: work with your users. PayPal Stories have recently featured a variety of successful small business owners and entrepreneurs. This PayPal approach to content marketing shows that you can make customers the star of your content marketing.

Investing more deeply in content marketing matters because it gives your customers a reason to keep coming back to your website. When customers are motivated to visit your site regularly, you have more opportunities to ask for their consent to market to them through their browser, email, and other means.

2. Grow Your Social Media Audiences

The best way to be ready for the end of cookies is to drive the audience to your own website. This way, you can generate proprietary, first-party data about your audience. Attracting your audience from social media is worthwhile because these audiences have already shown interest in your brand.

Since there are many social media platforms, there are two simple techniques to decide which platform to focus on. Start with your customers – what social media platforms do they like the most? Running a survey of your customers to ask them about their favorite social media sites can help to guide you.

Further, you also want to think about which platforms have sufficient reach and advertising opportunities. For example, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have a significant market share and interesting significant advertising features. Building a following on those platforms is another way to grow despite the uncertain future of cookies.

3. Build Your Customer Data Platform

Simply increasing the number of website visitors and subscribers is not enough to succeed in a cookie-less future. It’s vital to deepen your understanding of consumer behavior.

Implementing a Customer Data Platform is a significant next step. A CDP connects to your existing apps and platforms like your email marketing software, Google Analytics, and CRM. Drawing together multiple sources, it can help you understand the content and experiences that your customers engage in before buying.

Once you have a CDP in place, use to understand the customer journey in detail. Look at how many touchpoints a potential customer has with your brand before they buy. For example, you might see that high value buyers attend events like live shopping and download a few specific types of content.

As a result, you can quickly refresh your advertising strategies monthly based on the specific patterns your users are engaged in.

What To Do This Month To Thrive Without Traditional Cookies

Choosing the right marketing strategy matters, but your team also needs to know what exactly to do this week and this month to succeed. Use these tactics to win in today’s marketing game without focusing on third-party cookies.

1. Integrated Email Marketing Analytics

The emergence of new marketing opportunities like the metaverse is exciting. Positioning your brand to win in these emerging areas can pay off long-term. However, you also need to keep your eye on this quarter’s results.

Optimizing your email marketing effectiveness remains one of the best ways to drive higher returns. For example, check if your email marketing software supports A/B testing on subject lines, links and other elements. This approach lets you achieve individual user tracking through email.

Logging into your email platform and reviewing its trends on open rates, clicks and replies only give you part of the picture. It is also vital to know whether a subscriber has attended an online event or engaged with your sales team. Arena’s CDP platform makes it easy to connect the dots between email marketing data and other customer interactions.

2. Boost Push Notification Marketing

While email marketing has exceptional ROI, it is not the only opt-in digital marketing option. With push notifications, you ask the customer for permission to send messages to them directly through the browser or mobile apps.

According to Airship research, opt-in rates for mobile app push notifications range from 29% to more than 70%! To earn high opt-in rates from your prospects, keep investing in engaging content and virtual events. When prospects enjoy your content and experiences, they will happily opt in to receive more information from you.

3. Review Your Privacy Policy

Customer expectations for privacy and data protection are increasing every year. As marketers pivot away from cookies, your privacy policy needs to keep up. There are several layers to updating your privacy policy for the post cookie era.

Start by reviewing your privacy policy to see if it reflects the customer data you are currently collecting. If your privacy policy was last updated over a year ago, it might be out of date. For example, adopting a customer data platform to build a comprehensive customer profile may require an update to your privacy policy because you are changing how you use data.

Next, take a hard look at your security safeguards. You probably have robust systems to protect highly sensitive data like payment data. However, your marketing databases also contain personal information, ensuring that data is protected.

The New Way To Achieve Personalized Marketing

Cookies were powerful because they unlocked personalization for digital marketers. As we say goodbye to cookies as a central strategy, how can you keep data-driven personalization?

The answer lies in setting up a customer data platform for your brand. It’s more than data dashboards and exciting reports. A customer data platform is one of the best ways to identify advocates and passionate fans in your audience. With a CDP, your marketing team can also learn which marketing assets are driving your results.

Discover how a customer data platform can solve today’s most pressing problems in marketing. Download Arena’s CDP Ebook: The Future of Marketing and Sales. Your marketing personas will be grounded in factual data with a CDP in place.

Tips You Need to Know

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Paola Magni

Push Notification Segmentation is super-effective for marketing purposes. Notifications become even more efficient when the audience is segmented.

Unless you have a static audience (which is impossible), Push notification segmentation is one of the essential steps you can take to get the right messages to the right audience and achieve your marketing objectives.

The goal of sending push notifications to your subscribers is not just to get them to buy what you are selling. Actually, the purpose is to enable you to get closer to them.

You can only do this when you send highly personalized messages. This is what segmentation will help you achieve.

What is segmentation?

In simple terms, segmentation means dividing a heterogeneous audience into more homogenous and manageable parts. Segmentation is done based on parameters marketers consider very important, such as demographic, geographic, social, and behavioral patterns.

By segmenting your audience, you are creating target groups. This is normally done directly on websites by embedding filters, forms, and questionnaires before or after a visitor has made a purchase. External tools can also be used when trying to attract new customers.

How is segmentation used in marketing?

It has been reported that as much as 75% of internet users are concerned about how their personal data are used by companies. At the same time, up to 62% of users expect brands to send them personalized messages. How do you reconcile this? The answer is segmentation.

Basically, segmentation is used in marketing to get the right message to the right audience. For push notifications, segmentation is used to create a target audience so that it becomes relatively easy to reach the different target audiences with the right message.

Types of segmentation

As hinted earlier, there are parameters used for segmentation. These are the criteria that determine where each member of the audience falls into. They determine the type of segmentation in use:

Geographic

This is segmentation based on the location of the website visitor. You can collect data on the location of website visitors and use it to target your audience. You can target according to country, city, or even district.

Demographic

This pertains to age, gender, nationality, and a few other parameters. Age significantly affects people’s buying behaviors, and you can use your demographic data to target your audience and send relevant push notifications.

Social

Social parameters, like education level, income, marital status, among others, are also used for segmentation.

Behavioral

Based on the behavior and activities of a subscriber or website visitor, you can send push notifications that will get him/her to buy your products or services. It is not rocket science; frequency of purchase, interest in certain products, etc., can be used for targeting.

Segmentation can also be based on device type, whereby the device used by the visitor to subscribe to the push notification is captured.

How does segmentation work for Push Notification?

Fundamentally, segmenting works in push notification almost the same way it works with other marketing methods. Here, you will need different subscriber groups and create push notifications with information that corresponds to their tastes and needs.

It is important to state clearly here that segmentation is not exactly the same as personalization. Rather, segmentation facilitates personalization. In effect, it allows marketers to improve campaign conversion rates and overall efficiency.

Depending on the tools in use, push notification segmentation may operate on metadata, tags, and aliases.

Metadata filters

This is deployed during the subscription process of the push notification system. Within the little time it takes to subscribe, the system can capture information regarding the browser being used (Opera, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.), the Operating System (Windows, iOS, Android), and the location of the device. The information can be used for location-based push notifications.

Aliases

Aliases are personal identifiers that can be effectively used to personalize offers and trigger notifications. The push notification system accesses personal identifiers for subscribers as they log in or provide their details.

It can be the username, email address, token, etc.; this allows marketers to send push notifications to subscribers individually.

Benefits of segmenting your audience

Good push notifications are the ones that help marketers to get closer to the subscriber and convince them to buy. It has to be personalized, and it has to convert. These are the things push notification segmentation can bring. Here are specific benefits of push notification segmentation:

It Gets you closer to your audience

Segmentation is regarded as the first important step towards personalization. When you are able to effectively segment your audience for push notifications, you will be able to send everyone messages they will find useful. You can take a step ahead to personalize the messages. When you do, it takes you a huge step closer to your audience.

It Improves your conversion rates

Conversion rates, and not click rates, actually defines success in marketing. As you most likely know already, push notification segmentation will take the right messages to the right people who will click through and make purchases or subscribe to your services because it actually interests them.

It Improves user experience

If you want to run a sustainable business, user experience is another important area you need to work on. Luckily, push notification segmentation helps you so much in that regard.

Personalized messages to your target audience will show them that you actually care about them, even though you want to sell.

It Improves your marketing efficiency

When you get the right messages to the right people and get many of them to take the actions you want them to take, your marketing efficiency improves.

That is what data-driven marketing is all about. That is one of the benefits you get from segmentation of push notification and Arena Personas use. Overall, you will spend less to achieve great results.

Conclusion

Push notification segmentation improves your marketing efforts in many ways. It is based on customer data and helps marketers personalize push notifications.

As you probably know already, data-driven marketing is the future. Push notification segmentation is part of the future.

Arena is always here for you. Your brand’s Customer Engagement Platform can leverage Arena Personas first-party data. Get started for free in minutes.