By now, chances are you’re already familiar with how brands leverage push notifications — the short, real time messages that Shopify stores can send directly to a user’s device. Push notifications help keep your customer community engaged and ready to convert on your latest offers and product drops.
When it comes to the most popular social media networks like Instagram, Meta, and Twitter, push notifications are more commonly used for post updates, likes, comments, and more. However, in recent months Meta has leveraged push notifications as part of its strategy to increase engagement on Shops, Instagram’s in-app e-commerce store. This once overlooked feature of Instagram has now emerged as a powerful tool with the potential to drive substantial revenue for your brand.
Why You May Have Overlooked Push Notifications On Shops
Push notifications on Shops have existed for some time, but most brands would likely admit they never paid much attention to it. Here’s why:
- No ad placement- Push notifications are neither controlled by nor billed to the advertiser.
- No Meta Attribution- Push notifications on Shops do not have the same tracking capabilities as other tools, making it harder for brands to understand their impact.
- No copy/trigger control- Push notifications on Shops are fully automated, meaning your brand can neither customize the copy nor the triggers for your shop’s push notifications.
What’s In It For Meta?
With no ad investment opportunities, you may be curious why Meta even includes push notifications on Shops.
While Shops may not generate revenue directly from push notifications, they do monetize seller fees and processing fees. It is thus in Meta’s best interest to provide a seamless and enjoyable user shopping experience so Instagram Shops becomes an increasingly popular e-commerce platform.
How Push Notifications Work On Shops
Push notifications on Shops are predicated on three overarching triggers:
- User Browsing And Shopping History– Notifications are sent out based on previous shopping and engagement data.
- User Preferences– Notifications are sent out based on a user’s shopping interests or preferences.
- Availability Of New/Relevant Products– Notifications are sent out when new products within a user’s interest become available, or to notify users of products that fall within their preferences.
More specified triggers on Shops include:
- Browse Abandoned: If a user views a product but doesn’t make a purchase, they may receive retargeting notifications to encourage them to revisit the product or explore similar ones.
- Similar Products: If a user views a product, they may receive notifications about similar products that are available in the same or different shops (YES… Meta can now prospect for you, FOR FREE)
- Price Drops: If a user views a product and its price drops, they may receive a notification alerting them of the change.
- New Arrivals: If a user views a product from a specific shop, they may receive notifications when new products become available in that shop.
- Sales and Discounts: If a user views a product during a sale or discount period, they may receive notifications about other products with similar discounts or promotions.
- Recommendations: Based on a user’s browsing and shopping history, Instagram Shops may send personalized recommendations for products that they might be interested in.
- Wishlist: If a user saves a product to their wishlist, they may receive notifications when the product becomes available or goes on sale.
How Your Brand Can Make The Most Of Shops
Meta’s leveraging of push notifications on Shops is another example of their continued investment in promoting Instagram as a social media app AND e-commerce platform.
As more buyers and sellers flood to Instagram Shops, it’s imperative your brand maintains a presence and stays up to date on the latest improvements on the constantly evolving platform. Otherwise, you could miss out on HUGE amounts of added revenue and new customers.
Want to ensure your brand is ahead of the game? Schedule a free consultation with The Snow Agency today. Our experts will work side by side with you to put together a customized digital marketing strategy and scale your brand with our latest insights on Shops and plenty more.