In an era of rapid global news, polarized politics and natural disasters, consumers have grown to expect breaking news alerts from their favorite sources. These digital snippets have become an essential tool for news organizations to engage audiences throughout the day.
Despite their growing popularity, news alerts are not without their challenges. Many people say they are being overwhelmed by mobile notifications, including those from news aggregator apps and publishers, calendar events, sports scores and messaging groups. Many are also experiencing a form of news fatigue, resulting in a decrease in click-through rates and attention to stories.
News alerts are often more effective when they focus on a specific issue or story, as opposed to a broad topic like the “world” or a certain region. This is because they can target the interests of particular audience members and bolster engagement by avoiding over-exposure.
It’s also important to choose the right time of day for media alerts, as this can have a major impact on their success and reception. For instance, releasing your alerts in the morning can boost reader activation by up to 15% throughout the day.
Lastly, it’s essential to identify the right journalists and media outlets to send your media alerts to. This will ensure that your alerts reach the journalists who are most likely to find them interesting or relevant to their coverage. This can be achieved by conducting thorough research to pinpoint the reporters, editors, and influencers who cover your target topics.