Launch Guide & Best Practices
Use this page as an initial review of strategy and deployment/platform best practices
Initial Notification Deployment Strategy
Keep an eye out for tool tips within the platform which provide detail on how each tool can be used, character limits, and other helpful advice. Never hesitate to reach out to your Account Manager, we are here to help!
Begin deploying content within three days of launch. Users are more engaged at the beginning of their subscription and this will help immediately deliver value while getting your team used to the workflow
Remember to prioritize. Supply Subscribers with the content they want to receive. Consider what sections of your site strike a balance between popularity and achieving your KPIs. Reviewing the performance of Segments and Keywords can help direct you to the content in which your audience is expressing interest
As you use the platform you will learn the appropriate frequency for your audience. As a best practice when starting out, most partners deploy one “All Subscribers” Notification every day. Segmentation allows for higher Notification deployment frequency
When sending Notifications, the recommended frequency of sends would be one to two times a day, but this depends on if you are sending to All Subscribers or Segmented Subscribers. Breaking News and highly targeted sends lead many of our partners to send upwards of eight Notifications a day, but consistent monitoring of the user experience, feedback, and attrition is needed. We trust you to use your editorial judgement to decide how many you should be sending. Please contact your Account Manager for further recommendations specific to your domain
Work with your Account Manager to understand how our Segmentation options allow for greater frequency of sending and ultimately more traffic back to your site
Notification Creation – Reviewing Each Option
The Notifications page will give you a full review of the Notification list, KPIs and field definitions. The below provides context on how to think about each option you see when creating a notification
Audience – If you decide to choose to send to Specific Segments, try not to target yourself out of material volume. Send to Segments which balance traffic/audience volume with CTR
Title – Keep it brief, but make sure the audience can tell what the topic of the article will be. Do not input the exact article title. Don’t get too wordy and refer to the Inline Preview to ensure it’s not hanging off too much
Body – Don’t give away the ending of the article. Provide the Subscriber with some sub-context to make them want to engage further
Image – We always recommend including a large image with your Notification. Try creating a stock “Breaking News” Image for your team to use in situations where an article image is not yet available. Publishers get higher CTRs when including images. The larger image format available via PC and Android devices provides a superior user experience and a large click area
Icon – Use the logo your Subscribers will recognize
Keywords – Always use Keywords! We recommend using 2-3 keywords per Notification so you do not overwhelm your workflow. Not only will using this feature provide you more in-depth engagement reporting, it will allow you to target users based on Notifications with which they engage
Silent Delivery – This feature is most useful when sending a Notification in the middle of the night to prevent waking up the Subscriber
Lifespan – Our recommendation is to always ask yourself “How long will this story be relevant?” when setting lifespan. Whether you break it down to 5 hours or 5 days, that’s your choice to decide
Scheduling – Put yourself in the shoes of your Subscribers by asking, “Is there a time when receiving this content would be more valuable than right now?”
Preview – Use the previews on the right side to review copy and image on all three available devices. You can also register preview devices to send yourself actual tests. Contact your account manager if you have any trouble
A/B Testing – Testing your Notifications will help you understand which content combinations drive the highest engagement rates. For example, you can test using urgent language against a more casual cadence to determine the impact on Notification engagement
Segmentation
The Segmentation page provides an overview of how to build a Segment and defines each filter. These best practices are things to keep in mind as you begin leveraging the tool
Our Segmentation tool allows you to build audience groups based on a variety of attributes. Leverage the Segment builder and overview screen to create audiences and gain insights. Your Account Manager is available for training and guidance to ensure you are maximizing the value of this tool
Reference the Segmentation documentation and filter definitions for an understanding of how to build Segments and what each filter does
While Segmentation plays a critical role in getting the most out of the platform, we don’t recommend diving-in too quickly. Send to All Subscribers for the first week or two, tagging with Keywords, then begin leveraging Segments based on Keywords, Page URL, and Allow URL as the audience reach a scale worthy of sends (the definition of “worthy” will depend on the size of your property”). Reach out to your Account Manager to brainstorm ideas for initial Segments for targeting
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