How can I send push notifications to groups of users?

Sending Push Notifications to Groups of Users

Push notifications are literally a 'push' message from a server, delivered directly to a user's device. These messages come in the form of updates, alerts, notifications, and promotional marketing messages. This tutorial will guide you on how to send push notifications to groups of users.

Step 1: Define your Audience Group

The first step is to identify the users who fall into the group you wish to send the notifications to. This may vary depending on your application usage, user behavior, or eventually, the goals of your notification campaign. You can group users by the following items:

• Geographical location
• Interests
• Usage behavior
• Subscription status
• Engagement level

Step 2: Create User Segments for Push Notifications

After defining your audience group, it's time to create user segments in your push notification service. If you are using Firebase Cloud Messaging or Onesignal for your notifications, each of these platforms provides an option to create audience groups called 'Segments'.

Navigate to your Firebase or Onesignal dashboard, click on 'Segments' then 'New Segment'. Here, you can set the parameters for your segment according to the grouping definition in Step 1.

Step 3: Crafting your Push Notification

Be concise and clear with your message. It has to be engaging enough to make the users want to click on it.

• Title: This is the first thing your users will see. It should be catchy and straightforward.
• Message: This is the main part of your notification. Keep it short and to the point.
• URL: If you want your users to be redirected to a certain page in your app when they click the notification, insert the URL here.
• Images or Icons: Adding images or icons can make your notification more attractive & engaging.

Step 4: Sending Push Notifications

Now, you are ready to send your push notifications. Navigate to the 'Messages' or 'Notifications' section in your dashboard.

• Click 'New Push'
• Select the 'Segment' you want to send the notification to.
• Type your message, title, URL and upload your images or icons.
• Click 'Send Immediately' or schedule it for later, if you want the notification to be sent at a specific time.

After sending the notification, you should monitor the analytics provided by your Notification Service. This data will help you measure the success of your campaign, analyze user behavior and improve your future notifications.

Note: always follow best practices for push notifications. Too many notifications can annoy users and lead to unsubscriptions. Always aim for relevance and timing in your messaging.