April 22, 2024
Publishers are confronted with a never-ending list of key performance indicators - from readership to reach, and from socials to subscribers. Apple News can play a starring role in hitting these targets, especially when it comes to attracting new audiences.
But for newsrooms hoping to feature their content on this app, there are logistical hurdles to overcome, business strategies to consider and questions that need answering… such as:
FlatPlan helps leading publishers build a successful presence on Apple News, with an expert team offering data-driven insights on how to achieve audience growth. Here, we'll tell you everything you need to know.
Cutting-edge tactics for cultivating a loyal following on Apple News are all well and good - but of little use if you're yet to feature on the platform.
The tech giant accepted applications from publishers who wanted to offer their content through this app. But since 2022, all of this has changed. Now, media outlets are personally invited to join Apple News. As flattering as this is, it may be little comfort for businesses who haven't had this opportunity land in their inbox just yet.
If your publication would be a good fit, FlatPlan can help here. Our status as an Apple Preferred Partner means we can pitch your company to their team. It's important to note that new or low-quality sites are typically rejected - and because of this, you'll need to provide compelling evidence that you're a credible organisation with an established audience. This includes:
Get in touch with FlatPlan to learn more about this process.
You may be a publisher who already has a channel on Apple News and wants to make improvements. Clunky and inefficient integrations with content management systems are a common behind-the-scenes pain point. Another concern relates to whether you're making the most out of the opportunity to reach 145 million monthly active readers. FlatPlan offers free audits to help outlets identify strengths and weaknesses in their current setup, which look at:
Some newsrooms publish to Apple News through a bespoke build within their CMS. This can eat up developers' time because it requires constant maintenance - and creates challenges of its own. Why? Because articles sent to Apple News need to be compatible with a special format called Apple News Format.
Apple News Format is a type of code that was created by the tech giant themselves - and is used to display stories ‘natively’ (in the app) to readers. The format ensures articles load quickly and adapt to multiple screens - resulting in a slick experience irrespective of whether a reader uses an iPhone, iPad or iMac. It’s a great format for the end user, but it means delivery to Apple News isn’t simple – each publication is a little like a mini app in itself, with each article created separately from the website version.
Publishers have multiple things to think about here, including:
As you can see, there's plenty to think about - and ticking all of these boxes requires rigorous testing. Because Apple News doesn't accept iframes and JavaScript embeds, publishers also need to make special adjustments to ensure in-line features work properly. FlatPlan's no-code solution does the heavy lifting here by automatically converting content into Apple News Format, with regular quality assurance to check content is looking great.
Moving beyond aesthetic matters, publishers want to know whether distributing their articles on this platform will be an astute financial decision. So… does Apple News pay publishers directly for content?
The short answer is yes - for publishers who are part of Apple News+. This is a subscription service that allows readers to access more than 400 publications by paying one flat fee of £12.99 a month in the UK, $12.99 in the US or $16.99 in Canada.
Some of the best-known names in news - including The Times, Vogue, The Athletic, The Atlantic, HELLO! and Newsweek - distribute premium content through Apple News+. While Apple takes 50% of the revenue generated through monthly subscriptions, the remaining half is split among publications based on engagement time.
Apple News also has a free-to-reader version of the app and here, publishers can monetise their stories through advertising - but what they receive depends on the nature of the ad.
For example, if your media outlet sells advertising space directly to brands - ensuring their spots appear specifically in your content - you'll receive 100% of the revenue.
Apple's partners - Yahoo! in the UK and NBC Universal in the US - also sell advertising which you can optionally run across your content. Here, you receive 70% of revenue. Income generated from pooled ads, which appear in between articles on Apple's feeds, is split 50/50.
You can also monetise directly with native advertising, affiliate links, sponsorships, as well as promote subscriptions, events or other forms of revenue generation – but in short, direct monetisation from Apple is through Apple News+ and backfill advertising.
Let's wrap up by answering a few final common questions that publishers often have about Apple News.
While Apple News can prove to be a valuable tool when distributing stories to a wider audience, it's important to stress that full rights of each article remain with the content creator.
Many websites now embed external content within their articles - and Apple News supports several of these formats. YouTube videos, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, TikTok clips and Twitter/X updates can all appear inline on Apple News. Some notable examples of embeds that aren't supported include Spotify embeds, Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories, and iframes.
No - with FlatPlan, editors have full discretion if they want articles to appear exclusively on their website, or on Apple News as well. This can be especially useful if you don't have the rights to syndicate certain types of content to other platforms. That said, it's important to deliver stories with regular cadence.
Recently unveiled changes to the Apple News Format mean media outlets are required to make it clear when articles have been fully created using tools like ChatGPT, with "AI" listed in the byline. If content is still written and edited by humans prior to publication, but artificial intelligence has been used during the production process, these rules don't apply.
Our experts can help you reach new audiences, boost revenue and loyalty, and bring traffic back to your owned-and-operated platforms. A suite of tools are available to keep readers engaged for longer - including graphical Read More links and prominent Follow buttons. Compatible with any CMS, and complete with guaranteed uptime and fast support, FlatPlan helps major platforms make the most of the opportunities that Apple News brings.
No matter what stage you're at in your discovery of Apple News, we'll help you get the information you need to make the right decision for your media business.
Photos by Kenny Eliason and Towfiqu Barbhuiya
