Founded in 1891, Irish News is the top selling regional daily newspaper in the UK and Ireland. But whilst it continues to lead the way in print the team were keen to steadily invest in a digital-first future, grounded in editorial integrity and community connection.
Step 1: Build solid tech foundations
Digital transformation begins with infrastructure. Without it, the strategy can't succeed.
The goal here is to create foundations with a single, clear purpose: to collect actionable data. This foundation allows them to understand their audience far more deeply, tracking users through every key stage of the funnel—from registration and engagement to conversion and retention. This data is the engine for better targeting and, ultimately, ongoing optimization.
Irish News now has a solid tech stack made up of best-in-breed solutions that fit seamlessly together.
- CMS and subscription management: ArcXP
- Paywall, landing page, promotional modules, onboarding and cancellation: Poool
- Payments: Stripe
- Tech partners: code.store
- Strategy partners (at various moments): FT Strategies & Atlas
Step 2: Know your audience
With the right tools in place, the team at The Irish News immediately zeroed in on what matters most: their readers. They moved beyond the one-size-fits-all approach and began segmenting and prioritizing their audience.
They've identified and are focused on high-value groups like newsletter subscribers, engaged sports fans, and political readers, as well as registered users and lapsed subscribers. This segmentation is already shaping their strategy, allowing them to tailor content, messaging, and offers to each group's unique needs and behaviors. This ensures their most valuable and engaged readers are always at the heart of their decisions.
Step 3: Optimize the funnel
Of course, a strategy is only as good as its execution. The Irish News is now actively working to optimize every stage of the user journey with clear KPIs. From turning an anonymous visitor into an engaged reader and then a retained subscriber, every action is tied to a specific goal.
The biggest takeaway so far? The power of simple changes. They've found that smart, subtle tweaks—like using dynamic subscription prompts and homepage banners—are already driving powerful results. It's a clear reminder that you don't need to reinvent the wheel to make a significant impact.
What's already in play:
- Subscription promotion
- Metered registration model
- Landing page optimisation
- App engagement
- Structured onboarding
The results: steady, sustainable growth
The Irish News is now seeing consistent subscriber growth, with digital making up a growing share of total revenue.
- Between April-August 2025, their total subscriber base grew by over 15%.
- This has been driven in part by a 109% increase in new subscription orders compared to the previous six months.
The next phase will be focused on deepening engagement and improving the subscriber experience. That includes strengthening onboarding, supporting habit formation, and building a more deliberate content strategy to better serve subscribers and keep them engaged for the long term.
This is just the beginning for The Irish News, and we're excited to see what they do next. Their journey proves that a strong strategy, built on a solid tech foundation and a deep understanding of your audience, is the key to building a sustainable digital future.
If you're interested in achieving something similar to The Irish News, get in touch with Madeleine at madeleine@poool.tech.