Hi there,
I have a fun story for you today and it goes a little something like this.
My colleague, Rachel Winicov, wrote about how news organizations are using push alerts to share their reporting. To do this, she analyzed how four large media companies, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, aare writing and sending their push alerts to readers.
What she found:
- Editors treat push alerts like standalone editorial products
- They're more concerned with getting the context correct and accurate than click-through rates
- Alerts were sent at similar times each day, with the 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. hours among the most popular times
“It’s like tapping someone on the shoulder,” said Dan Watson, digital editor at the LAT. “Push alerts are one of the most fragile relationships we have with readers.”
Truly give Rachel's piece a read if you're at all interested in the methodology behind the madness (she tracked every push alert from each organization for a week). Peace and blessings to her Excel sheet and her patience.
In other news:
Fun Fact: Spending on pet-related goods and services hit $95.7 billion in February. Food made up the most of that.
Need a break? Barbie is getting into politics.
Send news tips/other interesting items to sara.jerde@adweek.com.
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