Push advertising is one of the key concepts of digital marketing, suggesting a unique way to engage users directly on their devices.
If you’re looking to expand your traffic sources and connect with potential customers in a highly engaging format, push advertising could be the solution you’re looking for. Let’s explore it in more detail.
Push Advertising Meaning
Push advertising is a type of online ad that appears as a notification on a user’s device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Unlike traditional banner or pop ads, this marketing technique is delivered directly to the user’s notification center, allowing affiliates to grab attention even when the user isn’t actively browsing the web or using an app.

Push notifications are typically opt-in, meaning customers must give explicit permission to receive them. This opt-in nature guarantees a more engaged audience, as users have shown interest in receiving offers or updates from advertisers.
How Do Push Ads Look Like?
Such ads as push notification advertisements comprise:
- The primary image conveying the essence of the product or service;
- An icon elucidating the primary image;
- The headline serving as the key element to captivate users;
- The message text displaying the primary details of the offer.

Push Notifications vs. Push Ads Notifications: Are They the Same?
Push notifications have emerged as a form of internal communication alongside the evolution of push messages and notification technologies. While often used for marketing objectives, they are not inherently linked to the affiliate marketing sector.
On the other hand, push notification advertising are used as a marketing strategy. Online advertisements emanate from websites with the intent of directing traffic towards them, accessible across desktop and mobile platforms. Affiliates possess the liberty to activate push advertising for their website subscribers, rendering push ads a prevalent ad format within affiliate marketing.
Although both push notifications and push advertising fall within the realm of Internet communications, they should not be confused. While both are essentially concise instant messages, promotional push notifications specifically target marketing objectives by intentionally replicating the design of push notifications. Notably, the concept of promotional push notifications synonymous with push traffic owes its existence to the seminal development of push notifications.
Push Ads vs. SMS
Push ads are similar to SMS. Despite this, these two formats have differences that can influence their efficacy.
1. Opt-In Process
Both push notifications and SMS marketing require user consent to receive messages on their devices. Users must download the app and agree to receive push notifications. For SMS, users must provide explicit written consent by texting a specific number with a clear affirmative response. This opt-in process is crucial in SMS marketing to comply with FCC regulations and prevent unwanted messages.
2. Delivery Speed
When it comes to speed of delivery, push notifications typically surpass SMS messages. Push notifications are rapidly sent to the user’s mobile device. In contrast, SMS messages may experience delays due to network congestion and other factors. While push notifications are known for their swift delivery, they depend on an internet connection and may not reach the user if their device is offline.
3. Content
SMS can be transformed into MMS format, enabling advertisers to add web links, images, and multimedia content. In contrast, push notifications are limited to a preview image or graphic. Nonetheless, a carefully designed graphic in a push notification can effectively capture users’ interest and encourage further exploration within the app.
4. Cost
Push notifications entail an initial development cost to create an app for sending them but are otherwise free. In contrast, SMS marketing usually incurs a cost per message sent or through bulk text messaging packages offering a fixed price for a specific message volume. However, businesses can often capitalize on discounts for sending a large number of SMS notifications, mitigating the overall expense of SMS marketing endeavors.
Pros and Cons of Push Advertising
There are several reasons why push advertising stands out from other digital advertising formats:
- Direct and Instant Engagement: Push ads appear directly on the user’s screen, ensuring immediate visibility. They bypass ad blockers and don’t require the user to be actively browsing specific websites;
- High User Engagement: Since users opt in to receive push notifications, they tend to be more engaged with the content. This often results in higher click-through rates compared to other advertising formats;
- Wide Device Coverage: Push ads work on both mobile devices and desktops, allowing advertisers to reach a broad audience with minimal effort.
That being said, some marketers can identify a number of disadvantages to push advertising:
- Intrusive: Push ads can be perceived as intrusive by users, especially if they are poorly targeted or disrupt the user experience. Too frequent or irrelevant push notifications can irritate users and lead to lower engagement rates. Consequently, the affiliate will not gain any profit from this method of promoting offers;
- Compliance Issues: Marketers must adhere to strict regulations regarding push notifications, especially regarding user consent and data privacy. Failure to comply with these rules can lead to legal implications and damage the business of affiliate marketing.
Keeping these drawbacks in mind, affiliates can fully utilize the power of push advertising to effectively drive traffic, engagement and conversions in their affiliate marketing campaigns.
Top Verticals for Push Ads
Push ads excel in industries where quick user action and engagement are key. Here are some of the top-performing verticals:
- Gambling: Push ads are perfect for promoting online casinos, sports betting, and lotteries, delivering time-sensitive offers directly to users;
- Nutra/Health: Push ads perform exceptionally well for promoting health supplements, skincare products, and weight-loss solutions;
- Finance: Financial products like credit cards, loans, and insurance benefit from push ads, which deliver personalized offers to the right audience at the right time;
- Dating: Push notifications are an excellent tool for dating platforms to encourage users to interact with new matches or special events;
- E-commerce: For online retailers, push ads can drive traffic to sales, seasonal promotions, or limited-time offers.
Examples of Push Advertising in Action
Push advertising is used across various verticals and offer types. Here are a few examples to illustrate how they work:
- E-commerce: An online retailer can send push ads featuring limited-time offers, discounts, or new arrivals, driving users to the store’s website to make a purchase;
- Gambling: A Casino operator might use push ads to promote bonus offers, new games, or special promotions, encouraging users to register or place a bet;
- Dating: Push ads are perfect for Dating platforms to alert users about new matches, events, or promotions, prompting them to engage immediately;
- Finance: Financial companies can use push ads to advertise loans, credit cards, or investment opportunities, tailored to users looking for financial solutions.


Top GEOs for Push Advertising
Don’t forget to put your marketing efforts into picking the best GEO for push advertising. In 2024, the top countries for push campaigns are:
- USA;
- Indonesia;
- India;
- Brazil;
- Bangladesh.
According to RichAds ad network, you may test such bundles as:
- Gambling: IDN, BRA, BGL, THA, RUS;
- Betting: BRA, VNM, BGD, IND, NGA;
- Dating: IND, USA.
Conclusion
Push advertising is an effective tool for affiliate marketers, offering a direct way to engage users and drive results through increased visibility and interaction. Whether you’re promoting e-commerce deals, financial services, or online gaming offers, push ads provide a fast and measurable way to generate traffic and conversions. By leveraging the strengths of push ads and targeting the right verticals, you can significantly boost your affiliate marketing campaigns.