In this article we will go over how to send push notifications on your iOS and Android applications, and cover best practices for setup and how to use them effectively.
Notes:
- To enable this feature on your mobile apps, please contact your Solutions Engineer.
- You must have a Firebase account configured and you must invite dev@powr.com as an administrator to that Firebase account before push notifications are available.
- Push notifications are only available on our mobile apps. We do not have push notifications for web or CTV apps.
Sending a Push Notification
1. In the ViewNexa CMS, from the the left menu go to Platforms >> Push Notifications
2. Click on the Send Push Notification button located on the top right
3. Prepare your Push Notification
From here, you can set the following:
- Platforms: Select if the notification goes to iOS users, Android users, or both.
- Message: Enter the text your users will see when receiving the notification.
-
When: The date and time the notification is sent.
- Send Now - send the push notification immediately
- Send on (select a date and time in the future)** - only available from Firebase console
- Content Type (Optional): You may add a specific video, movie, series, episode, channel, or Live event to open and autoplay when the user clicks the notification. If left blank, the push notification will simply direct the user to the Discover page of your app.
Scheduling a Push Notification in Firebase**
**Please note you will need to follow the steps provided in the ViewNexa Apps CMS to schedule push notifications in advance.
- Go to https://console.firebase.google.com/ to continue your schedule
- Select your project
- Navigate to Engage > Messaging
- Click on New campaign and select notifications
- Enter notification text and select Next
- For Target, select Topic and one of the following Message topics:
-
powr-[sitename]-ios- for IOS -
powr-[sitename]-android- for Android -
powr-[sitename]-all- for Android and IOS
-
- Schedule the message
- On Additional Options, add the following Key/Values on Custom data fields (optional)
Custom Data Fields - Key/Values
-
Open application:
empty custom data. -
Play video by id:
channelId: <channel_id>
contentType: "video"
videoId: <video_id>Channel content type must be
"videos", video type must be"video", video associated channels must include channel, ignored otherwise. -
Channel details page:
channelId: <channel_id>
contentType: "channel" -
Movie details page:
channelId: <channel_id>
contentType: "movie"
videoId: <video_id>Channel content type must be
"movies", video type must be"movie", movie associated channels must include channel, ignored otherwise. -
Series details page:
channelId: <channel_id>
contentType: "series"
seriesId: <series_id>
Channel content type must be"series", series associated channels must include channel, ignored otherwise. -
Play series episode by id:
channelId: <channel_id>
contentType: "episode"seriesId: <series_id>
videoId: <video_id>Channel content type must be
"series", video type must be"episode", episode associated channels must include channel, ignored otherwise. -
Open EPG:
contentType: "epg"epgId: <epg_id> -
Open EPG with specific channel:
contentType: "epg"epgId: <epg_id>channelId: <epg_channel_id> -
Live events:
channelId: <channel_id>
contentType: "live"
videoId: <video_id>Channel content type must be"liveEvents", video type must be"liveEvent", live event associated channels must include channel, ignored otherwise.
Best Practices
Since a Push Notification is a direct alert to users, it is an extremely effective way of getting their attention. However, you need to be careful not to annoy your customers with superfluous notifications. Here are two simple tips to follow to drive success.
1. Promote specific new content:
Users tolerate Push Notifications much more readily if the notifications are promoting something they want to watch. The most effective notifications are those that link to a specific piece of new content that will be appealing to the majority of your audience.
2. Start Slow:
Begin with one Push Notification every week or two. Check the analytics in Firebase, and make sure the notification is receiving engagement and not leading to a spike in uninstalls. If they are performing well, you can begin to experiment with more frequent notifications.
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