As Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2015 come to a close, one thing became evident: mobile shopping was the big winner. Traditionally known for drawing the masses to stores across the nation, mobile shopping accounted for over 36% of the total shopping on Black Friday, up a solid 30% from 2014, according to Forbes. And while online holiday shopping has continued to trend upwards over the past several years, the substantial spike in mobile is a newer, more telling phenomenon.
Mobile has become the premiere choice for Black Friday shoppers. Now that we understand just how many shoppers are turning to their smartphones to shop, it’s becoming increasingly more important to not only have a solid app, but a corresponding push marketing campaign enticing shoppers to buy. That’s why we’ve scouted out seven of the best Black Friday/Cyber Monday push notifications for your inspiration and broke down the tactics behind why they’re successful:
1. Rent The Runway and Domino’s: Exclusivity
Rent the Runway’s message is short and sweet, but not subtle. It was pushed out at noon on Thanksgiving, and clearly states that this early sale is an “app exclusive,” enticing the user to click-through. This is not only a great marketing strategy, but also a retention tactic as users will feel it’s beneficial for them to have the app due to this special treatment.
Domino’s push notification acts in the same vain, but goes one step further to describe exactly what the deal is. This is an extremely effective tactic when used correctly with a very strong offer, and brands who have a streamlined product offering such as Domino’s should take advantage of it.
Takeaway: Reward loyal app users with exclusive offers. You’ll boost conversion all while minimizing churn.
2. Vineyard Vines: Plays to their Audience
If you’re a Vineyard Vines lover, chances are, you love plaid and can appreciate the joke. Brand voice and tone is just as important over push messaging campaigns as it is on traditional channels. Vineyard Vines does a solid job of not only playing to their target audience with their Black Friday message, but also cutting straight to the chase with a solid offer.
Takeaway: Keep in mind brand voice and tone during your next push messaging campaign, and pepper it into a clear and concise offer.
3. Lily Pulitzer: Creates Anticipation
Lily Pulitzer did everything right with this push message. For starters, it’s littered with their branding, and they get brownie points for using the Dancer emoji. Secondly, it does a perfect job of setting the stage for their Cyber Monday deals, while creating strong anticipation. The tonality of the message evokes excitement and provides clear instructions on what to do and when. Putting a definitive time on the event, especially as aggressive as midnight on a Monday, only creates more anticipation and even anxiety of missing out on a deal you know no other details than that it’s “WILD.”
Takeaway: Have fun with your push messages. Personalize them so the user identifies your brand and create some anticipation in the process.
4. Etsy: Simplicity at its finest
People love simplification. What’s unique here is that Etsy makes their app, and the notion of being a one-stop-shop for great holiday gifts, their Black Friday offer. In doing so, they put their best brand differentiator foot forward with the above push message and get all their points across effectively with their list-based approach. They are careful not to come off as braggy and turn the attention back to the user.
Takeaway: Be confident (but not overly salesy) about what you have to offer and make it simple to understand the benefits to the consumer.
5. Free People & Rue La La: It’s all in the Detail
Free People takes a hybrid approach of the last two examples and creates anticipation in a simple manner. The styling of the text is deliberate and conveys excitement without giving anything away. It intrigues users to click through or risk missing out on something big.
Rue La La also does a great job at creating anticipation through simple yet creative messaging. They use a slightly different approach than Free People, calling out a specific brand and using a clever play on words to capture the user’s attention and intrigue them to swipe-through.
Takeaway: It’s not only the message that matters, but also the way in which you deliver it.
There you have it. Some great push messaging campaigns to inspire you as you craft yours for the upcoming holiday. Understand that there is a science to crafting and delivering push messages, so if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Every brand is different so don’t be afraid to play around and A/B test to figure out what works for you. There’s no better time for testing than the holiday season, where users are already so eager to buy.
Did you see any great push notifications over the holiday weekend? Share your favorites below.
Read more: Retailers & Sales: Using Social Listening To Learn More About Black Friday