INMA master class to focus on building direct audience as attention shifts from search and social

LOS ANGELES (10 February 2025) - In a pioneering first for the news industry, the International News Media Association (INMA) will unveil a master class next month that presents a playbook on how media companies can shift from a reliance on SEO and social media to building direct audiences.

<_o3a_p>

INMA's Building Direct Audience Master Class will be conducted across three modules March 18-25 and tap into a movement sweeping the media industry in light of the collapse of search, more being kept within big techs walled gardens, and the uncertainty of AI-driven content discovery.<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

Click here for master class agenda and to register<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

Led by INMA Product & Tech Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton, the three-module virtual master class will look at

• · Moving from platform traffic to direct audiences
  

• Creating news habits to keep readers engaged
  

• Building community and monetising engagement

The tactics and practical applications that will be covered in the INMA master class are evergreen, Hopperton said. What's new is the trigger and urgency for unleashing new creativity behind building direct audiences in light of the massive shift in search and social in the past 12 months - with more to come.<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

The master class will leverage the learnings from INMA's Product & Tech Initiative, which focuses on how news organisations can develop outstanding multi-channel products and the tech stacks needed to support them.<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

"SEO and social media are becoming less reliable, so news brands must focus on building loyal audiences on their own platforms such as apps, newsletters, and subscriptions," Hopperton said. "The key to retention is making news a daily habit through smart onboarding, personalised content, and interactive features.<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

"Readers ultimately stay when they feel connected," she added. "Live comments, reader discussions, and niche content help create engaged communities which in turn drive revenue."<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

The Building Direct Audience Master Class will feature more than 12 experts that will bring the subject into tighter focus and challenge the status quo with case studies on decoupling from platforms, operating in a post-search era, developing consumer routines and habits, building communities around news products, and more.<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

Members may register for the master class here, with group packages available to corporate member and module registrations available to member. Non-member rates also are available.<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

About INMA<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

The International News Media Association (INMA) is a global community of market-leading news media companies reinventing how they engage audiences and grow revenue in a multi-platform environment. The INMA community consists of 22,000+ members at 1,000+ news media companies in 90+ countries, representing tens of thousands of news brands. INMA is the news media industry's foremost ideas-sharing network with members connected via conferences, reports, Webinars, virtual meetings, awards competitions, and an unparalleled archive of best practices.<_o3a_p>

<_o3a_p>

# # #<_o3a_p>

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.