Best Practices for Push Notifications

Push notifications are one of the most effective ways to drive engagement, repeat orders, and awareness of promotions through your mobile app. This guide outlines best practices for creating and sending successful notifications through your dispensary’s app.

1. Keep Notifications Clear and Concise

Customers should understand the message at a glance. Aim for:

• Short headlines (1–2 sentences)
• Direct calls-to-action, such as “Limited Time Only,” “See Today’s Deals,” or “Flash Sale”.

Avoid long descriptions or overly detailed explanations.

2. Focus on High-Value Messages

Push notifications work best when they highlight something relevant or timely. Common high-value topics include:

• Daily or weekly deals
• New product drops
• Happy hour or time-limited promotions
• Low inventory alerts for popular items
• Loyalty or rewards alerts

Avoid sending notifications that don’t clearly benefit the customer.

3. Send at the Right Times

Timing matters for engagement. General best practices include:

• Late morning (10 AM – 12 PM): High open rates
• Early afternoon (1 PM – 3 PM): Good for daily deals
• Evenings (5 PM – 7 PM): Works well for online ordering reminders

Avoid sending notifications very early in the morning or late at night.

If your store uses time-sensitive promotions (ex: Happy Hour), schedule notifications shortly before the promotion begins.

4. Don’t Over-Send

Too many notifications can lead customers to disable them.

Recommended cadence:

• 3–5 notifications per week for general promotions
• Extra notifications only for major events or specials, such as 4/20, new product drops, or store-wide sales

Consistency is good. Spam is not.

5. Personalize When Possible (AIQ Integration)

If your app supports segmentation or targeted messaging, tailor notifications based on:

• Customer purchase history
• Product preferences (flower, vapes, edibles, etc.)
• Medical vs. recreational
• Loyalty tier

More relevant messages lead to higher conversions!

6. Use Strong Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Effective CTAs include:

• “View Today’s Specials”
• “Claim Your Rewards”
• “See the New Drop”
• “[Deal] is Today ONLY”

Every notification should nudge the customer toward a clear action.

7. Keep Your Brand Voice Consistent

Write notifications using a tone that matches your dispensary’s brand. Best practices include:

• Friendly, casual language
• No slang that could confuse customers
• Straightforward messaging

Example:

“New strain drop - limited supply! Tap to see what’s fresh.”

8. Track Performance Over Time

Review analytics to understand:

• Open rates
• Which messages perform best

Use this data to refine your strategy and improve future notifications.

9. Encourage Customers to Enable Notifications

Customers must opt-in to receive notifications. You can increase opt-ins by reminding them:

• Notifications help them never miss a deal
• They’ll get exclusive app-only promos

You can promote this at checkout, on signage, or through in-app messaging.