A push notification lands on someone's lock screen, next to messages from their family. That's a privilege, and it's easy to lose. Send too many, or send ones that don't matter to them, and they'll turn notifications off for good.
Here's how to keep them welcome.
Send what's timely
The best notifications are about something happening now or very soon:
- The stream is starting.
- The service moved because of the weather.
- Registration for youth camp closes tonight.
If it could wait for Sunday's announcements, it probably should.
Make every notification open something
A notification that opens your home screen makes people hunt. Link it to the event, the message or the page it's about, so one tap takes them straight there.
Write it like a text
Keep it short and plain. Say what's happening and why it matters, in a sentence or two. Skip the all caps and the stack of emoji.
Find a rhythm
Most churches do well with one or two a week, plus the occasional "we're live" on Sunday. Scheduling helps here: write Thursday's reminder on Monday, set it for the right time in your church's time zone and move on. You can edit or cancel it until it goes out.
Test it on your own phone first
Send a test to yourself before it goes to everyone. Typos look bigger on a lock screen.
Watch what gets opened
Sunday Studio shows how many phones received each notification and how many people opened it. If a kind of notification is never opened, send fewer of them.
One thing to know: today, each notification goes to everyone who has your app with notifications turned on. That's one more reason to keep each one relevant to the whole church.