The 5W Rule for Perfect Push Messages

APP operators know the importance of push messages to improve user engagement.The good news is that the user engagement will improve significantly, and the number of users will be greatly reduced.
How do we get the push messages to the desired effect?APP operators must pay close attention to the behavior of users, have a clear preference for users’ interests, and push the content of interest to different groups of users at the right time.The perfect push messages are valuable to the user, which can help the product to improve the user experience and increase the user’s liking.
Who: Object
What: Content
When: Time
Where: Situation
Why: Reason

Figure out these 5 Ws, then we can push messages satisfying users’ need.

1. Why: Why do we push this message?

“Why” always comes first, with every push message having a clear goal — to make the user login for the first time or for the user to upgrade?Not only do we need to know the target of the push message, but we need to know what behavioral data we want from the user.These behavioral data are used to measure the impact of push messages on users.For example, after the user logs on to a social APP for the first time, it will receive the following information, which is the push we made to get users to improve their personal data.

2. What：What do we push?

The content of the push messages have the following three characteristics:

（1）Targeted:

Sometimes small details can play a big role.In the example above, we added the user’s name before the message was sent to the user. “Hi, XXX, welcome…”Instead of sweeping to the point: “welcome…Plus the name makes the user feel more approachable.

（2）Ensure relevance and timeliness:

Push messages must be timely and highly relevant to users.Netease news, for example, is pushed to the user’s nanjing tomorrow weather news, reflects the correlation between geographical position, this message is to push on Friday afternoon, Saturday’s travel plans to give the reference for the user to remind, the right time.

（3）Accurate and rapid direct user pain points:

The user’s time is precious, and the message we push must get the user to the maximum value.Do not push spam messages to users, or do not match the user’s needs.For example, messages for users who don’t have a car.

3. Who: Who are we going to push the news?

The push message object cannot be cut and cut. We need to divide and manage the user through user behavior data.When it comes to user behavior, here are a few more common user behavior analysis platforms, such as friends union, baidu statistics, etc.But these SaaS platforms also have problems, and the raw data is difficult to export, and the data of their own products cannot be owned by us.It is also easy to recommend Cobub Razor, data private and backstage construction.
Different push messages receive different recipients.
We provide personalized news feeds based on the user’s behavior habits, preferences and so on.For example some music APP users to listen to music for different style, favorite star and collection of song single push related update alert, such precision push has greatly raised the proportion of the user to open the message.

4. When do we push the news?

（1）Time of day:

Can select the user free time, such as before going to work in the morning, at noon to eat, after dinner, specific choice which push period, can according to user’s use time was used to determine, in short not to interrupt the user when user busy or rest.

A time period for users of a financial app

（2）Push frequency

Too high push frequency can result in two kinds of results — the user clicks on the push and immediately turns off, or the user simply ignores the message and doesn’t even look at it.The number of push frequency should be determined according to the type of application, generally speaking, the social App can be pushed daily, the information class can be 3-4 times a week, the tool class 1-2 times a week.The number of times should not be too much, otherwise the user will not open up, and probably close the message push, even uninstall the application.

（3）Local time:

Push messages need to be determined according to the user’s local time, this needs us according to the user’s location to determine if your users from all over the world, Beijing time at four o ‘clock in the afternoon when Washington is at four o ‘clock in the morning.If we unified Beijing time to push the news, users in Washington would be disturbed.

5. Where: What situation are we pushing in?

Push scenes can also affect the effect of push messages.We need to consider where the user is when the push message arrives, what he is doing, or what device the user is using when he receives a push message.
We, as users, receive a lot of notifications every day. For example, the taxi app will push express coupons for me on Friday after work.The group purchase app will push the group purchase information of the restaurant near me at mealtimes.If the user is in a disturbed state when they receive a push message, then the user will not be able to look at the push message and take action that we expect.

The messages in the application are pushed based on user behavior, so the effect is better.Regardless of the user, lie sofa eating, no matter the user on the PC, mobile end, as long as we clearly understand the user behavior, according to their behavior push related news, the user is there is a strong possibility we expect action.

Conclusion

The perfect push message must be pre-defined by 5W.Through 5W, we make clear the target, content, object, push time and scene of the push message, so that the user can see the value of the push message to the user.Pushing is the best user touchpoint, and it’s more important to make a thoughtful product that fits the user’s habit than it does daily.