A server receives a group message from a first user account in a social networking platform, the group message to be sent to a plurality of user accounts, and determines whether the group message refers to one or more user accounts of the plurality of user accounts. For a respective user account referred to by the group message, the server sends a notification to a terminal associated with the respective user account, wherein the notification is rendered at the terminal in a first manner configured by the respective user account. For a respective user account not referred to by the group message, the server sends a notification to a terminal associated with the respective user account, wherein the notification is rendered at the terminal in a second manner configured by the social networking platform, wherein the second manner is different from the first manner.