By Brandon Lee: Solutions Consultant
In a previous post, we discussed the value of dedicated mobile app experiences and the benefits that they may provide. Researchers can leverage an “always-on” connection with their participants, photo and video sharing has never been easier, and additional research capabilities such as video IDI’s and location-based studies are made possible.
Our mobile-first world has brought with it a new type of engagement exclusive to mobile apps — push notifications. These simple messages in the form of banners across the top of your screen occupy a special real-estate and do more to engage users than email messages.
Push notifications are familiar and pervade our everyday lives — you receive notifications for “Likes” on your latest Instagram post, previews of incoming text messages, and en-route notices from your Lyft drivers as they approach your pick-up location.
Opportunities and striking the right balance
Mobile devices and apps already extend a researchers’ reach and push notifications take that reach a step further to inspire action. Push notifications serve as a natural complement for fast-paced research teams using a Fuel Cycle’s mobile app to conduct research:
- Field faster results — push notifications provide top-of-mind reminders to participate in your latest survey or location-based study. The result: faster turnaround times and quicker in-the-moment insights.
- Mobile ethnographies — combine push notifications with diary studies to facilitate a natural photo and video collection process. Provide gentle reminders and take a non-intrusive backseat to the everyday lives of your customers.
- Increase engagement and retention — delight engaged community members with relevant notifications and nudge inactive members that haven’t participated in a while.
Push notifications are a great compliment to an omnichannel approach to engaging your community on mobile devices. However, just because you can send a push notification, doesn’t mean that you always should. Some research indicates that the “sweet spot” for a number of push notifications lies somewhere in between 1 to 5 per week, with 1 as the most ideal for many consumers.
Fuel Cycle’s push notifications enable research teams to move at the speed of business and capture mobile insights anytime and anywhere. When used correctly, they enable a crucial connection to your customers that ensure your future success.
