Apple recently divulged an interesting statistic – the average iPhone is unlocked 80 times each day.

Couple that with Mary Meeker’s claim in 2013 that people look at their lock screens around 150 times daily, and you’ve got a recipe for getting their attention where it matters the most.

We grabbed these stats from The Verge and here’s a telling quote, if you’re interested in reading the rest of their article –

The number was relevant to the conversation because around 89 percent of iPhone owners use either a fingerprint to unlock their device with TouchID or a multi-digit numeric passcode, Apple said.

So…  what does this mean in the context of marketing and lock screen notifications?  A lot, when you break it down.

Why do people look at their lock screens?  Habit, notifications, looking for a specific text or message from someone, and a variety of other reasons.

[Tweet “Putting your message on the lock screen is a BIG DEAL. “]

When you want to get someone’s attention, there is no more prime real estate in the mobile ecosystem than the lock screen.  It’s the first thing they glance at, and the last thing they see before they choose to put the phone back in their pocket or unlock it.  Either way, there’s the message.

One of the somewhat unique features that Apple Wallet offers to iPhone users is the ability to see both the front and the back of a pass while the phone is locked. 

How does that benefit you (as a pass issuer), you might be wondering…  the quick answer is that you can update the front OR the back of a pass and the user can see your new offer, new announcement, new line of text on the back if they want to have a quick look at it without unlocking the phone.

It can be the deciding factor in whether or not they take action when you send them a lock screen notification.

Crafting updates for maximum impact and action sometimes means updating the front AND the back in unison – for instance, if I’m speaking at an event, and they’ve just changed the time or the location where I’ll be presenting, I want to make sure that everyone who’s planning to attend my talk gets that notification and understands the information that I’m trying to convey.

In that case, and depending on the type of pass I was using for the talk, I’d make sure to let people know that the back of the pass had additional information – right from the front of the pass. It could mean removing the QR share code temporarily in order to add some instructions to the front – letting the user know they needed to check the back; it might mean simply updating the time or location field on the front and doing nothing to the back.

My main goal here is to make sure that my audience is clear on what’s happening, and what course of action I’m asking them to take as a response.  People are inclined to follow directions, we know that; giving them specific and simple to execute directions is the key to getting results.  

If you’re not sure how to structure a pass to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that lock screen notifications present, make sure to ask us about it, we’re always happy to make suggestions and show you some viable options.