Playful 'Awesomize' push copy: +163% and +171% engagement
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsTwo playful push messages, 'Awesomize a video for your followers tonight!' and '#BreakTheInternet with an awesomized video, adventurer!', lifted engagement by 163% and 171%.
10app, a video-editing app, ran the test and it was published as a MarketingSherpa case study.
The team tested several versions against a control at the same time.
- 'Awesomize a video for your followers tonight!': +163% engagement versus the control.
- '#BreakTheInternet with an awesomized video, adventurer!': +171% engagement versus the control.
- The case study does not define engagement precisely. Another test in the same article used share-button presses as the goal.
Control
A control push notification asked users to share a video. Its exact wording was not described.
Variant
Playful, audience-specific copy: 'Awesomize a video for your followers tonight!' and '#BreakTheInternet with an awesomized video, adventurer!'
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The copy framed sharing as something friends would enjoy, a positive spin on fear of missing out, as 10app's co-founder put it.
- Calling the user 'adventurer' and using a hashtag matched how an action-camera audience talks.
- The playful tone stood out next to the routine alerts most apps send.
Caveats: The control wording and the exact engagement metric were not described, and sample sizes were not shared. The data dates from 2015 and the tests ran on the Kahuna messaging platform.
Who ran it
10app ran this test and published the results (MarketingSherpa case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on 10app →
How to run this test on your site
- Hypothesis
- If we rewrite our push notifications in a playful voice that speaks to our users' identity, then more users will act on them, because the message will feel personal and stand out.
- Primary metric
- The in-app action the push asks for, such as shares or sessions started
- Guardrails
- Push opt-out rate
- App uninstalls
- Performance after three or four weeks, since 10app saw winning hooks fade
- Who should test it
- Consumer apps with a clear audience identity and a casual brand voice. Apps where users expect a serious tone, such as banking or health, should test a toned-down version.
Questions
What makes push notification copy work?
In 10app's tests, copy that spoke to the user's identity and framed the action as fun did best.
Test several versions at once against a control to find what fits your audience.
How long does a winning push message keep working?
Not forever. 10app found that one strong hook worked for about three weeks before results dropped, so plan to keep testing new copy.
Should I test push copy on all users at once?
10app tested on engaged users first, then reused the best messages for dormant users.
Engaged users respond more, so check that a winner also works on other groups.