Web messaging allows publishers and brands to reach audiences in real time with one-to-one content.
In today’s digital world, where consumers have an endless pick of websites to visit and apps to use — and the human attention span has dwindled to just 8 seconds — establishing those direct connections is crucial.
That’s why web messaging can be such a valuable tool for driving engagement and revenue.
Here’s what you need to know about what web messaging is and how to use it.
What is web messaging?
Web messaging is a short, real-time piece of content that reaches readers right on their screens.
Web messaging is commonly divided into two categories:
- Push notifications. These alerts pop up on a user’s mobile phone or desktop screen. They are opt-in, so you know you’re reaching people who are familiar with your business and want to consume your content. A subscriber, for example, might sign up to receive push notifications about breaking news stories.
- In-browser notifications. These alerts pop up within the pages of your site. A new visitor, for example, might see an in-browser notification inviting them to sign up for your newsletter.
What is web messaging used for?
Web messaging has many applications for publishers and advertisers. Let’s break them down into the two different types of web messaging:
- Push notification use cases
- Driving traffic to your website
- Re-engaging active and inactive subscribers
- Reminding customers about abandoned shopping carts
- Delivering real-time news updates and special offers
- Expanding your monetization mix to increase revenue
- In-browser notification use cases
- Greet new website visitors with custom messaging
- Direct readers to certain website content and features
- Keep loyal audiences engaged with personalized alerts
- Promoting other content offerings or landing pages
How does web messaging work?
With the right web messaging platform, you can automate your one-to-one alerts and push notifications to reach audiences with the right content at the right time.
You’ll only have to add a short piece of HTML code to your website. From there, your web messaging platform can:
- Pull user data from your website
- Create unique audience segments based on that data
- Send customized web messaging at scale
- Drive engagement and revenue
What are web messaging best practices?
Use these web messaging best practices to make the most of your push notifications and in-browser content:
- Segment your audiences. Divide your audiences into categories, such as by interests, demographics, and behaviors. A beauty publisher, for example, might send different push notifications for people interested in makeup and people interested in fashion. Or a tech brand might deliver unique in-browser offers to different tiers of customers, such as prospective buyers, loyal advocates, and inactive users.
- Choose the right distribution times. Use first-party data to understand when your audiences are active online and when it’s best to reach them with personalized messaging. Remember to consider time zones for international audiences.
- Keep your messages brief: Web messages are short in form, so use that small real estate wisely. Make sure your copy is brief and catchy, and pair it well with just the right image, logo, and call to action.
