Auction Your Push Notifications: Let Brands Bid to Message You
A mobile app that lets users auction their push notification slots to brands who want to send personalized, one-time messages - users choose the price, content type, and frequency.
Business Type
Monetization
Minimum Investment
$8,000
Expected Income
$6,200,000
Gender Focus
Unisex
Difficulty Level
Medium
Startup Costs
$13,000
Push notifications are often intrusive, uninvited, and ignored. This business flips the model by allowing users to sell their attention directly to brands through an auction-based push system. Users install the app and set parameters: how often they’ll accept messages, what topics they’re open to, and the minimum bid per notification. Brands join the platform to bid for slots, like 'send a one-time 100-character promo to 5,000 users interested in fitness at $0.03 each'. Users receive only the messages they approve, and earn cash or rewards per accepted ping. It turns digital interruption into a monetizable micro-economy where attention is bought ethically and transparently. Users become their own ad network - on their terms.
Step-by-Step Guide to Success
Build a mobile app that manages push notifications and user profiles with interests, bid floors, and frequency caps.
Create a marketplace dashboard for advertisers to filter users by interests, regions, or time zones and bid for slots.
Design a moderation layer to prevent spam, offensive content, or deceptive messages.
Offer users choices to accept or auto-approve messages based on preferences and price.
Implement micro-payment or token system for real-time user earnings.
Launch with high-relevance niche brands willing to pay more for targeted, opt-in delivery.
Gamify attention loyalty—users who respond or interact with push messages earn bonuses.
Introduce a leaderboard of ‘most valuable attention earners’ to boost community engagement.
Core Areas of Focus
Ethical Attention Marketplace
Turns user attention into a finite, tradable asset instead of an exploited resource.
Learn MoreImportant Highlights
Keep these key points in mind as you move forward
Makes attention transactional—users have full control over their notifications.
Works even better for micro-influencers or niche hobbyists targeted by specialty brands.
No app bloat—notifications are short, one-time, and always user-approved.
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Key Advantages
This business idea stands out because of the following core advantages
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Push Slot Auction
Advertisers bid to send messages to users based on topic, time, and interest matching.
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User Rate Control
Users set how much each push must earn to be accepted or auto-sent.
-
Message Vault
Stores all past push ads for replay, bookmarking, or user feedback.
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Live Attention Dashboard
Shows real-time earnings, missed offers, and upcoming bids.
Competitor Overview
Learn more about the key players in the industry.
These competitors offer valuable insights into market trends, customer preferences, and successful strategies.
Use their approaches to inform your own unique positioning.
Brave Rewards (browser only)
Notik (push delivery only, no user monetization)
Target Demographics
Understanding our key audiences helps us tailor the business approach effectively
Primary Demographic
Privacy-conscious mobile users who want control and compensation
Secondary Demographic
Brands with niche products or low-scale budget for ultra-targeted outreach
Alternative Strategies for Success
If the primary approach doesn't deliver the desired results, consider these backup plans to keep moving forward.
Introduce survey-pushes if brand demand dips
Allow users to pool attention (group bids for shared topics)
Expand into SMS and email notification markets
Revenue Streams Overview
Discover the core ways this business model generates income and explores potential for growth
Revenue Model
Transaction fees + premium tools for advertisers
Pricing Approach
Platform keeps 25% of all successful bid payouts to users
Additional Revenue Opportunities
In addition to the primary streams, here are additional revenue sources
Premium targeting options for advertisers
Explore this channel for additional financial growth and stability.
Analytics dashboards
Explore this channel for additional financial growth and stability.
Verified user badge tier for high-engagement profiles
Explore this channel for additional financial growth and stability.
Team Structure for Success
To effectively bring this business idea to life, the following team structure and skill sets are essential
Mobile Developer
- Push API integration
- Permission management
- Ad payload delivery
Ad Network Strategist
- Advertiser onboarding
- Bid structure optimization
- Segment monetization
Moderator & Trust Lead
- Spam prevention
- Flagging systems
- User complaint handling
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Opportunities for Elimination
Users now approve and earn from every push they receive.
Opportunities to Reduce
Ad Waste in Mobile Marketing
Only targeted, opt-in messages are delivered—high ROI for brands.
Raising the Bar for Excellence
1. Enhancement Opportunity
Value of user attention
2. Enhancement Opportunity
Ethics in push-based advertising
Driving Differentiation Through Innovation
Market Insights
Estimated Market Size
$88B+ mobile advertising market
The potential value and opportunity within the target market.
Potential Customer Count
1B+ smartphone users annoyed by spammy notifications
An estimate of how many customers the business can attract.
Forecasted Revenue
$6.2M/year with 150,000 active users and 5,000 active advertisers
Projected financial returns based on market assumptions.
Key Operating Regions
Discover the regions we target, along with a breakdown of specific areas within each zone
Global
- India
- US
- Brazil
- Germany
- Philippines
- Nigeria
Risk Assessment
Market Risk
Low
Financial Risk
Medium
Legal Risk
Low
Time Commitment
Initial Hours
hours per week for the initial phase.
Long-Term Hours
hours per week for ongoing operations.
Core Skills Needed
Notification Infrastructure
Efficient message delivery without delay or OS throttling.
Marketplace Dynamics
Real-time bidding and inventory control per user profile.
Microtransaction Wallets
Handles user earnings and redemptions for low-fee payouts.
Legal Considerations
Consumer Ad Disclosure
Pushes must include branding and opt-out links to meet FTC guidelines.
Technical Requirements
Push Manager App
Push Manager App
Mobile backend that controls what gets pushed, when, and to whom.
Ad Auction Platform
Ad Auction Platform
Web app for advertisers to set campaigns, bid, and monitor delivery.
Partnership Opportunities
Influencer networks
Mobile-first DTC brands
Push API providers
Fintech payout apps
Environmental Impact
Carbon Footprint
Minimal
Sustainability Initiatives
- Encourages responsible ad delivery
- Limits push overload and server-side ad spam
Compliance and Regulations
GDPR/CCPA Alignment
All user preferences stored and adjustable in real time, with no third-party selling.
Enhance Your Journey with Community Resources
PushEarner leaderboard
Dive into PushEarner leaderboard and gain new insights and strategies.
Referral bonuses for new users and brands
Dive into Referral bonuses for new users and brands and gain new insights and strategies.
Forum to vote on best brand messages of the week
Dive into Forum to vote on best brand messages of the week and gain new insights and strategies.
Revenue Streams
Explore the various revenue opportunities for this business idea.
Push Slot Auctions
Platform charges a fee per completed ad delivery to users.
Advertiser Tools
Premium analytics, targeting, and scheduling packages.
Why This Business Idea Excels in Customer Support
Explore how this approach prioritizes customer satisfaction through proactive and comprehensive support mechanisms.
Push spam reports
Payment questions
Ad flagging and abuse monitoring
Future Scaling Potential
Unleashing growth and innovation opportunities for the future
Additional Markets
- Smartwatch notifications
- Browser notification auctions
- Connected car dashboard messages
Innovative Features
- Auto-attention mode for passive users
- Voice-ping ads for accessibility
- Push-to-earn referral trees
Certifications Needed
AdTech Data Usage Policy
Transparent terms on how data is matched and never sold
Potential Partners
MoEngage
Could offer early advertiser onboarding and cross-integration