The Psychology of Personalized Notifications: Tapping into User Motivation in Sports Apps

In the previous blog (Unleashing the Power of Personalization: How Tailored Rewards Keep Sports Fans Coming Back) we looked at how personalized rewards can boost your app’s user retention. Well, there is another form of personalization, that can help you make sure your users keep coming back for more – that is personalized notifications.

Did you know that according to SportechX’s Global Sportstech Ecosystem Report 2023, 74% of fans feel frustrated when they receive generic messages from the teams they support? That means that nearly three out of every four people who receive generic notifications from their favourite teams experience negative emotions.

Here is how personalized notifications counteract those negative emotions by using psychology to their advantage.

1. Motivational Triggers

Personalized notifications can tap into motivational triggers that drive user behaviour. For example, notifications that provide updates on a user’s favourite sports team or player can evoke feelings of excitement, anticipation, and loyalty, motivating the user to take action and engage with the app.

2. Social Validation

Personalized notifications that highlight social aspects, such as notifications about friends’ activities, team discussions, or social sharing opportunities, tap into the psychological need for social validation. Users are more likely to engage with content that connects them to their social network, fosters a sense of belonging, and allows them to share their experiences.

3. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Personalized notifications can trigger FOMO, which is the fear of missing out on important information or experiences. By delivering exclusive updates, limited-time offers, or personalized invitations, apps can create a sense of urgency and drive user engagement to avoid missing out on valuable opportunities.

Our Software Development Kit UseAward can help you utilize these aspects of human psychology and tailor your notifications so that your users only receive those that are relevant to their interests. UseAwards’ simple-to-use personalized dashboard allows you to easily customize the content of your app to better fit the needs of your users while additionally providing you with data on how your users interact with your brand, allowing you to make informed decisions on which notifications are effective for which users. You can learn more about UseAward here.