Breaking news alerts keep viewers up-to-date on current events. In an age with a more polarized political landscape and frequent natural disasters, keeping viewers engaged is critical.
But the way breaking news alerts are delivered makes a big difference. According to a report from the Reuters Institute, many consumers are getting tired of the notifications on their smartphones. The study found that 79% of smartphone users do not receive any news alerts in a week, and 43% of those have actively disabled the feature due to “alert fatigue.”
In order to grab viewer attention, your media alert needs to be compelling, relevant and contextually interesting. It should clearly communicate the “5 Ws” — who, what, when, where and why. It should also provide supporting information that explores the broader implications of your news story. This can take the form of quotes from people involved or opinions from industry experts.
Ensure that your breaking news alert is easy to access. The best way to do this is to send it as a mobile push notification. This allows the reader to read your alert when they are free, without having to interrupt their work or other activities. It will also give them the quickest and most effective access to your news.
Another option is to use Google Alerts. This service allows you to create alerts based on your company’s name, a specific topic or any words and phrases that are important to your business. You will then be notified whenever Google finds those terms in online news articles or other content.
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