Engaging Readers with Push Notifications: Insights for News Editors
The latest push notification studies show how timing, content, and hyper-local targeting can supercharge reader engagement. [Op-ed]
Push notifications are a powerful tool for news apps, but to make them truly effective, it is important to understand what captures readers’ attention.
We're sharing insights from the latest News apps study and Segmentation trends study by Pushwoosh to uncover the key drivers of reader engagement.
The News Apps Study looked at data from over 200 publishers in the EU, India, Bangladesh, Israel, New Zealand, the Middle East, North and South Africa, the USA, and other international outlets.
The Segmentation Trends Study reviewed 50 billion mobile push notifications sent by Pushwoosh clients across multiple industries, including news.
Here are the standout takeaways publishers can use to guide their communication strategies.
#1: Engagement doesn’t depend on how many pushes you send
Many assume that sending more push notifications leads to higher engagement. Others believe that sending too many overwhelms readers and lowers interaction.
The Pushwoosh study suggests it is not that simple.
We found no clear link between how often news apps send push notifications and their click-through rates (CTRs).
Some apps in the study sent more than 40 notifications a day with mixed results. Others sent fewer than 10 and still saw strong engagement.
This is a crucial takeaway for publishers: you won't sacrifice clicks if you change your sending frequency. What truly matters is the value and relevance of each notification.
#2: The most engaging topic is sports; politics gets less attention
You might expect major political events to drive huge engagement, but our studies found a different story.
Push notifications around high-profile sports events, such as the EURO 2024 final or Wimbledon, saw a marked uptick in CTR. Meanwhile, even significant political topics, for example, the US elections, did not lead to a noticeable increase in clicks:
This suggests that even apps focused on political content may benefit from occasionally incorporating trending, lighter topics, such as sports, to maintain high engagement levels.
#3: CTR peaks on Saturdays and in the morning
Our data reveals clear engagement patterns throughout the week and day. While Tuesday tends to see the lowest push notification CTR, engagement gradually climbs, peaking noticeably on Saturdays:
Within the day, two clear spikes emerge: around 7 AM, as users kickstart their day, and again around 11 AM. Afternoons hold steady, with a gradual drop-off after 5 PM:
#4: Questions and emojis drive engagement
Beyond timing and content type, the way you craft your message shapes its impact. Even a few words can make all the difference.
Questions outperform statements
Curiosity is a powerful driver. According to the Pushwoosh Segmentation study, question formats outperformed affirmative statements, resulting in a 20% higher CTR:
Emojis help your push notifications stand out
Don't underestimate the power of a well-placed emoji! Pushwoosh’s data shows that for news apps, emojis in push notifications boost CTR. They can make your notifications stand out, convey emotion, and offer immediate visual context.
This applies to emojis used both in the copy and in the title, though the impact is especially strong when they appear in the title:
When using question-based headlines and emojis, run A/B/n tests to see which options perform best.
#5: Precise segmentation pays off
Hyper-local segmentation brings a 15x CTR boost
This is a particularly noteworthy insight for news publishers. Our data shows that when news campaigns were segmented by town, click-through rates were 15 times higher. This highlights the value of hyper-local relevance—readers are more likely to engage with news that’s relevant to their area:
Segmentation + copy = better results
According to our study, push messages with effective copy performed three times better when sent to granularly segmented audiences compared to unsegmented ones. This shows that combining compelling copy with precise segmentation lays a solid foundation for improved results.
#6: Smaller apps lead in CTR
Pushwoosh found that smaller (up to 10,000 subscribers) and mid-sized apps (up to 500,000 subscribers) see the strongest engagement in terms of push notification CTR, particularly on Android. As apps grow larger (over 500k to 1M+ subscribers), CTRs tend to drop off. Why is this?
Smaller and mid-sized publishers often benefit from a closer connection to their audience and a more focused content strategy. Their push notifications may feel more timely, relevant, and personalised.
Niche apps are also more likely to implement behaviour-based triggers and experiment with tailored content strategies, boosting engagement as a result.
Regardless of your app's size, adopt the principles that make smaller publishers successful. Personalised and segmented pushes will always be your strongest assets.
Key Takeaways:
Use these data-backed strategies to enhance engagement and make the most of your push notifications:
Master push notification frequency by focusing on quality over quantity;
Optimise timing to align with peak user engagement windows, such as mornings and Saturdays;
Craft content that sparks curiosity using questions and relevant emojis;
Leverage hyper-local segmentation to deliver highly personalised, location-based news;
Combine precise audience targeting with compelling copy for maximum impact;
Take inspiration from smaller and mid-sized publishers who build closer connections through tailored communication.
Incorporate trending topics — especially sports content — to tap into peak reader interest and drive higher CTRs, even if your app usually focuses on politics or other hard news.
If you’d like to read more and discover how Pushwoosh supports news apps in putting these strategies into practice: Explore Pushwoosh solutions for news and media →
Pushwoosh is a customer engagement platform trusted by a diverse clientele of over 80,000 businesses spanning various industries all over the world. With Pushwoosh, you can effortlessly connect with your audience through an array of channels, including mobile and web push notifications, in-app messages, emails, WhatsApp and SMS.