What are Push Notifications? How to Enable on iPhone and Android

A push notification is a small clickable message that pops up on a user’s device and are increasingly used by brands to educate, entertain and inform.  

Push notifications have become ubiquitous in communications, with just about every app on any device able to integrate the feature.  

Read on to learn everything you needed to know about push notifications, how you can use them, and how to incorporate them into your brand building and marketing.

What is Push Notification?

As stated, a push notification is a small, interactive message that displays on a mobile device’s screen.  

They are different from an SMS, or in-app prompts, which can arrive in a user’s inbox even though the device is not connected to the internet.  

Push notifications generally require an active data connection and most often arrive in the banner or notification section.  

Unlike app notifications, which rely on a user’s action, a push notification can be sent or arrive at any time. As long as a user is online, they can receive a push notification.  

As such, push notifications have become a direct line from brands to consumers and an integral part of many marketing plans.  

Now that we have answered the question of “what is push notification,” let’s explore how you can use them.  

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How to Turn on Notifications on iPhone and Android

Users have control over what push notifications they want to receive on both Android and iPhones. Here’s how to turn on notifications on iPhone/Android devices.

Turn on Push Notification on Android

Open the settings tab on your Android phone and tap Apps and Notifications to access a list of all the installed apps. You should see a brief list of your most recently used apps, but you can click a link to view all installed. Click on any app to go through to the next screen, which will allow you to turn notifications on or off.  

Android has another convenient feature that lists the apps that don’t have push notifications enabled, so you don’t have to scroll through a lengthy list to find the ones you are interested in.

Enable Push Notification iPhone Steps

• Select the Settings app and press on notifications.
• Select the setting for notification preview.
• Choose when you want notifications to appear

You can show Previews by selecting from one of three options; Always, When Unlocked, or Never. If you want to override this setting for an individual app, you can.

A preview can feature textual information or data from a calendar.  

If you allow notifications, you can also choose whether they display on the Lock screen or in the Notification Center.  

iOS also has a grouping feature, which allows you to group notifications by App, automatic, or turn off grouping.  

Individual app settings can be set through Settings > Notifications > Siri Suggestions and select the apps you would like to stop pushing notifications.

Notification History on iPhone

Notifications can seem like they appear and disappear too fast before you have had a chance to read them. In this situation, it’s easy to see your notification history on your iPhone.  

Go to the lock screen without unlocking your phone. Tap and hold, and then scroll up. If your notification setting is turned on, you will see the recent history of your push notifications.

Gmail Push on iPhone

For the millions of people who own an iPhone and use Gmail, it might be convenient to receive push notifications when new mail arrives.  

Firstly, you will need to set up your Gmail account on your iPhone.

• Tap Settings on the Home screen.
• Select Mail and then Accounts.
• Choose the Add Account option and select Google from the options.
• Fill out your Gmail address or phone number in the Email field.
• Tap Next.
• Add your password and tap Next.
• Select the folders for which you want to receive push notifications.
• Go back to the Accounts & Password screen and tap the Push button next to Fetch New Data.
• Check that your Gmail account has Push or Fetch listed next to it.  

If you select Automatically in the Fetch section, this is the fastest way to receive your latest emails. Only iOS11 and above have the automatic feature. The shortest duration in earlier versions was 15 minutes.  

Benefits of Push Notifications

Now that you know a little more about what is push notification on Android and iPhone and how to set it up in both ecosystems, it’s worth exploring some of the benefits of sending out push notifications.  

You Can Inform and Educate

Any means you can use to meaningfully engage with your demographic is beneficial to your brand. Given that push notifications are easily turned on and off, they are one of the least intrusive means of marketing to keep your leads and prospects updated with the latest news.  

Attract New Customers and Engage with Existing Ones

Forty percent of users will interact with a push notification within an hour of it arriving, making push notifications a fantastic tool for improving the CLF (Customer Lifetime Value).

Improve Conversions

Email used to be the king of conversions but push notifications easily topple that crown with a 50 percent higher conversion rate than email marketing. Plus, there is a ninety percent click through rate overall for push notifications. There’s no better medium suited to impulse buyers.  

Improved Brand Exposure

A regular update on a user’s phone will improve your brand exposure through constant reminders that will keep the customer thinking about your company.

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How Push Notifications Fit into Marketing

There are many ways a push notification campaign can fit into your marketing campaign.  

You could use them for:

Creating a welcome campaign by making new members feel included through a friendly push notification.

Reinforcement is a targeted campaign that sends a gentle reminder to a user to review an app they regularly use. They can also be used to send a quick notice about a time-sensitive offer for an added sense of urgency.  

Referrals and rewards campaigns are now quite common strategies in many industries because they are a fantastic method for bringing new leads into the fold. Offer incentives to existing customers for referring your app to people in their social circles.  

Retargeting campaigns are a great way to remind people about an abandoned cart or send a notice to those who may have stopped using your app for some time to get them more active.

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