From platforms to people: building a direct audience with push notifications

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Recent shifts in digital ecosystems have made third-party traffic increasingly fragile. Google's rollout of AI Overviews and AI Mode is reshaping how users interact with search results - providing answers directly on the results page and reducing click-through rates to publisher sites by up to 50% in some cases. Many publishers now realize that search traffic alone is no longer sufficient or reliable.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, social media platforms like Meta and X are frequently tweaking their algorithms, sometimes deprioritizing news content, which adds to the uncertainty of referral-based audiences. These combined forces mean publishers must urgently pivot to "destination strategies" that focus on controllable, direct audience channels, such as subscriptions, apps, newsletters, push notifications, and onsite engagement tools.

In this evolving landscape, push notifications, both web and mobile, stand out as a powerful tactic. Because they operate outside algorithmic feeds, push messages allow publishers to reach readers directly with timely, relevant content, reinforcing habits and building loyalty on owned platforms.

"Our job, my job, is to obsessively focus on getting people to come to our destination and build a direct relationship with us," said Meredith Kopit Levien, CEO of The New York Times

What does a "direct audience" actually mean?

Nowadays, the term direct audience has taken on new urgency. At its core, a direct audience refers to users who access a publisher’s content without relying on third-party platforms. These are readers who arrive through:

• Typing the website’s URL directly into their browser
• Clicking a bookmark saved in their browser
• Opening the publisher’s mobile or desktop app
• Responding to a web or mobile push notification
  Clicking a link in an email newsletter or SMS campaign
• Accessing content through a widget or shortcut on their device (e.g., home screen shortcut)
• Scanning a QR code from offline media (print, signage, etc.) that leads to the site directly

This behavior reflects a shift from passive discovery to intentional engagement.

But the term goes beyond just traffic sources. A direct audience represents an ownable relationship. These users can be contacted directly via push notifications, newsletters, or SMS, without needing to navigate opaque algorithms or compete for attention on search engines or social platforms.

In contrast, users who come from search engines, social media, or news aggregators are considered platform-dependent. Their behavior is influenced by external algorithms, and access to them can be throttled or cut off at any time. Publishers have little control over how their content is presented, or even whether it's seen at all.

Building a direct audience means reclaiming ownership over both reach and relationships. It's about reducing reliance on intermediaries and creating sustainable, repeatable engagement on your terms.

A 2024 Reuters Institute survey found that nearly 70% of news executives are focusing on building direct traffic. However, standing out in a saturated digital landscape isn’t easy. So, how to get people to come to you directly when everyone else, including the platforms, is trying to do the same?

Push as a direct channel - key characteristics

According to the research by Rebooting, attracting new audiences remains the top priority for publishers (72%), and retention follows right behind (52%). 

This highlights the importance of keeping readers engaged and turning them into loyal subscribers.

Push notifications, both web and mobile, are perfect for retaining readers, building habits, and even driving subscription growth. 

Interestingly, 10% of respondents in the Rebooting research identified apps and push notifications as one of their primary audience sources. In fact, a recent study by Pugpig revealed that 36% of app users engage solely via push notifications - without them, they’d be lost.

Push notifications are undoubtedly becoming one of the most important pillars in audience strategy. They provide a direct line to the user - one that publishers can control, measure, and optimize. 

Here’s what makes push such a powerful direct communication tool:

Opt-in = consent-based communication

Push starts with user permission. Whether on a website or in an app, the user actively agrees to receive updates. This creates a consent-based relationship rooted in trust and transparency, unlike social or search-driven reach, which is mediated by platforms and algorithms.

Instant reach without algorithms

Once users subscribe, messages can be delivered instantly, without having to navigate a feed, SEO strategy, or recommendation engine. There’s no algorithm deciding whether your content is “worthy” of reach. This immediacy is especially valuable for breaking news, limited offers, or urgent updates.

Repeat visits and habit-building

Push notifications are not just about traffic spikes. They encourage return visits and help establish user habits, especially when delivered at consistent times with relevant topics. Over time, this routine interaction builds audience loyalty and strengthens the publisher's brand presence in the user's daily life.

Segmentation and personalization → content alignment = higher loyalty

Push is not a one-size-fits-all channel. It enables behavioral and preference-based segmentation:

• Send sports alerts to sports readers
• Target local content to subscribers in specific regions
• Re-engage dormant users with tailored incentives

When users receive content aligned with their interests, they’re more likely to stay engaged and subscribed.

How do publishers build direct traffic with push notifications?

Push notifications aren’t just for one-off alerts; they’re a versatile tool for turning anonymous visitors into loyal readers. From breaking news to behavioral targeting, here’s how publishers are using push to bring audiences directly to their content and build habits that last.

1. Push for breaking news

When news breaks, speed is everything. Push notifications let you reach users immediately - no algorithm delays, no waiting for inbox opens. One tap, and they’re on your site.

“Push notifications are a great solution for any publisher who wants to quickly inform about an airplane crash, a controversial politician's decision or new inflation figures, and in such cases they work best.”
Łukasz Sawala, Managing and Executive Online Editor at Radio ZET

Tools like Multi Push, the Rocket Push Chrome extension, or automated RSS-based push campaigns enable editorial teams to react fast and reach relevant audiences with minimal efforts.

2. Live coverage: keep the momentum going

During fast-moving events like elections, sports matches, or developing stories, live updates keep users engaged and drive repeat visits. Push notifications are ideal for delivering real-time highlights, score changes, or critical updates, helping publishers maintain audience attention over time.

For best results, messages should be concise, relevant, and timely. One effective tactic is to use PushPushGo’s "Topic" feature: when multiple notifications are tied to the same topic (e.g., “Elections 2025”), earlier messages are automatically overwritten. 

This ensures subscribers only receive the most recent update, keeping the experience streamlined and avoiding notification fatigue.

Want to dive deeper into strategies for real-time engagement? Watch our joint webinar with Norkon:  “Real-time updates: maximizing engagement through live blogging and push notifications.”

3. Personalized content: right message, right reader

Personalization drives loyalty. With push, publishers can segment audiences based on behavior, interests, preferences, or location:

• Geolocation-based - send local news, weather alerts, or regional updates only to users in a specific area.
• Interest-based - target readers based on the topics or categories they browse (e.g., sports, finance, politics).
• Reader-type segmentation - reach new visitors with onboarding content, re-engage dormant users, or reward long-time subscribers.
• CRM-based segmentation - sync with your customer data to deliver highly tailored push campaigns.

Žurnal24 ran a geotargeted campaign about a fire in Upper Carniola (Gorenjska), Slovenia. The notification was sent only to subscribers who had previously shown interest in news from that specific area. Despite the campaign being active for just two hours, it achieved a 22.45% click-through rate, demonstrating the power of localized, relevant messaging in driving direct engagement. 

Similarly, 24sata observed that the average CTR of targeted campaigns was 37% higher than that of general mass campaigns, highlighting the value of personalization in building stronger connections with readers.

4. Gamified engagement: make news a daily habit

Push can do more than inform - it can motivate. By integrating gamification elements into your push strategy, you can make content consumption feel rewarding.

Streaks and reading challenges - encourage daily visits and reward users for consecutive reads.

• Achievement badges - offer visual recognition for loyal behavior, for example, a “Super Fan” badge for readers who follow a specific topic or author.
• Exclusive unlocks - offer access to premium or behind-the-scenes content in exchange for consistent engagement via app or site.

5. Automation scenarios

Push becomes even more powerful when used as part of automated communication journeys that guide users through personalized experiences:

• Save abandoned subscriptions - remind users of an unfinished subscription process.
• Upgrade prompts - encourage engaged readers to explore premium tiers or additional content offerings.
• Weekly/daily news digests - deliver daily or weekly curated updates to keep users consistently engaged.

To further extend message visibility and value, you can use the Inbox on your website. This acts as a persistent space where notifications are stored for later viewing - ideal for users who may have missed the original push or prefer to browse updates on their own time.

By combining automation, personalization, and persistent visibility, push helps publishers go beyond short-term engagement to build sustained, meaningful relationships on platforms they own and control.

Metrics to track direct audience via push notifications

Measuring the effectiveness of your push campaigns is key to understanding how they contribute to building and sustaining a direct audience. You can track push performance precisely, especially when each message includes UTM parameters, making it easy to monitor user behavior in tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or other platforms.

Here are the key metrics publishers can focus on:

1. Click-Through Rate (CTR) → direct traffic share

CTR helps measure immediate engagement with a push campaign. Since push notifications open directly to your site or app, clicks represent direct traffic. Analyzing CTR by segment, topic, or timing helps optimize future messages for better performance.

2. Session length 

Longer sessions suggest that push is not only driving traffic but also high-quality engagement.

3. Retention rate (daily, weekly, monthly)

Monitoring retention rates over different time frames offers insight into whether your push strategy is helping to build habitual readers.

4. Conversion

Track how many users who come via push notification go on to register, subscribe, or take another meaningful action. This shows how effective push is at moving audiences further down the funnel.

5. Long-term behavior 

Compare metrics like visit frequency, subscription rate, and churn between users who come via push notifications and those who arrive from social media or search engines. 

Final thoughts

Building direct traffic isn’t about cutting off other channels - it’s about reducing dependency and regaining control. Push notifications work best when integrated into a broader direct audience strategy that includes apps, newsletters, and community engagement. Rather than relying on a single habit loop, publishers should build a diverse ecosystem of touchpoints  - each tailored to different moments, mindsets, and motivations.

Source: INMA

Publishers don’t need to abandon social or search, but relying on them alone is risky. The real competitive edge lies in owning the audience relationship, creating consistent, direct touchpoints that bring readers back on your terms. 

The future belongs to publishers who prioritize loyalty, relevance, and direct connection.

If you're ready to explore push notifications as part of your direct audience strategy, feel free to reach out to us, we’d be happy to help you get started.