How The Daily Aus cracked the youth news consumption code

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The Daily Aus co-founder Sam Koslowski explains how understanding consumers' digital habits and delivering content authentically drives growth in the youth news market

The landscape of news consumption has fundamentally shifted in the digital age, particularly for younger audiences who increasingly rely on social media platforms for their daily news intake. The Daily Aus, founded by UNSW Sydney Alumnus Sam Koslowski and Zara Seidler, has successfully tapped into this demographic by taking a distinctly different approach to news delivery. 

Their journey from a small Instagram page to a thriving media business reaching half a million people daily offers valuable insights for businesses seeking to connect with younger consumers. The Daily Aus began by posting daily news bulletins on Instagram for three years with minimal growth. "We did it for three years every single day – I mean like every day, not skipping Christmas or New Year's or anything – and after three years, the audience was only 3000 people on Instagram only. So it was by all intensive purposes, a failed experiment," explained Mr Koslowski, who was recently interviewed by Dr Juliet Bourke, Professor of Practice in the School of Management and Governance at UNSW Business School for The Business Of, a podcast from UNSW Business School.

However, this persistence laid the foundation for what would become a media success story. Despite the initial slow growth, they noticed encouraging signs in their small but dedicated following, with readers actively seeking out their daily updates and messaging when content was delayed. This early indication of audience engagement proved crucial in their eventual transformation into a trusted news source for young Australians.

Meeting the audience where they are

The core of The Daily Aus' success lies in its deep understanding of young consumers' behaviour patterns. Traditional media businesses have often misunderstood how young people interact with content on social platforms. "Young people want news to meet them where they are," Mr Koslowski explained.

"Let's look at music – they're in Spotify, they're not clicking out to go and listen to something elsewhere. Netflix – they're not finding something they want to watch and then going somewhere else. News companies were approaching social media as a lead generation tool – I'm going to meet somebody on Instagram and say 'To keep reading, click here'. Young people don't behave like that. They stay in-app, and I want them to do that."

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This insight led The Daily Aus to make the bold decision to embed complete news stories directly within social platforms, despite potential drawbacks for traditional metrics. "We heard all the arguments against that – it's terrible for search because they're images, right? They're not words, so you can't search Instagram for a keyword. But we kind of didn't care, like it's not really about the old school metrics of search for us, it's about brand-building," Mr Koslowski noted.

The strategy proved effective, as this approach to delivering comprehensive news content where young people already spend their time has created a loyal readership that eagerly engages with additional offerings like podcasts, newsletters and books.

Building trust through crisis communication

The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a pivotal moment for The Daily Aus' growth strategy, and Mr Koslowski recognised young people's need to understand how government decisions directly impacted their daily lives. "It was the first time that young people had to understand how government decisions affected their lives – really. Of course we're all affected by changes in economic policy or foreign policy, tariffs, healthcare... there's a whole lot of places where government decisions impact us. But it's never really happened that it's impacted whether we can see our girlfriend, or whether we could go to another suburb that we wanted to go to," Mr Koslowski said.

The business' rapid response to this need catalysed extraordinary growth. "We went from 3000 to 40,000 in 12 months, in 2020, and that was when we made the decision to quit our jobs. Went all in on The Daily Aus," Mr Koslowski shared. 

Their success during this period came from breaking down complex government announcements into digestible formats. "We literally did a daily case number post breaking down what all the state premiers were saying that morning, and what we found was that there was this kind of ritual of the 11am press conference. We all watched it. We all tried to figure out what was going to happen next," he explained.

Strategic monetisation through value alignment

The Daily Aus' approach to monetisation demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of both its audience and the modern media landscape. The business has developed multiple revenue streams while maintaining strict ethical standards in its commercial partnerships. "The way we pick our advertisers is very specific, and we knock back about 50% of advertiser pitches that come into us. And the reason for that is that young people expect their brands to be purpose-driven, and we are a brand," Mr Koslowski said. This selective approach has proved successful, with The Daily Aus now employing 15 people and continuing to expand.

The newsletter strategy exemplifies its innovative approach to revenue generation. "The newsletter currently has 250,000 daily subscribers. Totally free, but that's a really lucrative product for advertisers, and the newsletter market in Australia is really underdeveloped," Mr Koslowski explained. 

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The business' commitment to ethical partnerships has also led to strong relationships with aligned brands. "We say yes to brands that have transparency, that have faced scrutiny before ... that are backing The Daily Aus because it's The Daily Aus, not because they think they can make squillions of dollars off people clicking on stuff," Mr Koslowski noted. The business has also introduced a reader revenue program, allowing supporters to contribute financially while maintaining free access to all content.

Practical insights for business leaders

The Daily Aus' success offers valuable lessons for businesses seeking to connect with younger audiences. First, organisations must genuinely understand and adapt to their target audience's natural behaviour patterns rather than trying to force traditional models onto new platforms. The willingness to meet consumers where they are, rather than expecting them to change their habits, has proved crucial to The Daily Aus' success.

Secondly, maintaining authenticity and purpose-driven content is essential when targeting younger demographics. "If we partnered with a big mining and oil company, it's no longer the old school media model of you're watching the news on a commercial network, and then whatever ads you see in that ad break you're not associating with the program. People associate us with the brands that we work with," Mr Koslowski emphasised.

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For businesses seeking to replicate The Daily Aus' success with younger audiences, the key lies in combining patience with adaptability. As Mr Koslowski advised, success comes from the ability to "show them that when something happens that hits them with proximity – whether it be a law that impacts their profession, whether it be a stabbing in their shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon – whatever point in time the news presents something that you actually need to take an interest in because it directly impacts your life, we're there for it."

This commitment to authenticity extends to their approach to audience research and engagement. The business regularly conducts polls through Instagram's tools to gather insights about their readership. "We poll our audience every other day, almost, and what we're doing is gathering slowly a really interesting portrait of young Australians. So the average number of responses we'll get to a question in 24 hours is anywhere from 20 to 40,000," Mr Koslowski explained.

This continuous feedback loop ensures their content remains relevant and engaging while providing valuable insights for potential commercial partnerships. The Daily Aus' success demonstrates that building a sustainable youth-focused business requires more than just reaching young consumers – it demands maintaining their trust through consistent, authentic engagement and a clear understanding of their evolving needs and preferences.