August 8, 2023
One of the unique elements to Apple News is how stories are surfaced. Readers see articles based on interests, similar publications they follow, search history and even the apps they have on their devices. This can lead to a strong following of hyper-engaged readers – but how can publishers turn anonymous readers into an owned audience through first-party data capture?
Placing call-to-actions within the body of an article is a great way to trigger an offer when a reader is engaging with your content. HELLO! Fashion makes use of FlatPlan’s in-article CTAs, displaying a clear message and a button design that matches the brand. With one tap a reader is directed to a landing page that requires nothing more than an email address to become an engaged subscriber.
Another great time to trigger an offer is once the reader has reached the end of an article. This is where The Cool Down displays a large, beautifully designed graphic to drive readers into data capture. What’s great about the approach from The Cool Down is that the message and the graphic changes based on the type of article. Stories about Tech show a CTA related to technology and stories about the home show a CTA related to money-saving hacks – a great way to attract hyper-targeted readers with an offer that will truly interest them.
Of course, first party-data capture doesn’t just have to be through newsletters. If any of your content is gated by a paywall, you can release a handful of your most engaging content for free, and drive new subscriptions via branded footer links or in-article CTAs.
Creative Review directs readers to premium content with in-article links and then combines that with a branded footer to drive on-site registrations. It’s a great way to start a journey with an audience that is already enjoying your free content.
Here’s another innovative way to drive newsletter signups in Apple News – delivering newsletters directly to the platform.
The Atlantic Daily is one of the regular newsletters that The Atlantic runs. Occasionally, they will publish an issue directly into Apple News. This gives readers a taste of what they’re missing out on and is a fantastic way to show why they should sign up.
It doesn’t matter which Email Service Provider you use to deliver your newsletters, FlatPlan can help you convert newsletter content seamlessly and easily, without adding any extra load to your workflow.
Lastly, house ads can be placed in the middle of your Apple News articles to drive action from readers. The Guardian use these to advertise their newsletters, podcasts and weekly magazines. It's another appealing way to engage your readers due to the creative freedom available as GIFs can be used to add more visual interest to the page.
Initiatives like this help add value to Apple News and ensure publishers get the most out of the system. Yes, it’s a great discovery tool to reach new readers, but it’s also an effective conversion tool that enhances your first-party data strategy. And best of all? You barely have to lift a finger to activate these ideas as FlatPlan can handle it all for you.
Want to learn more about how Apple News can empower your publication? Chat with our expert team for more insights.
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.
