Newsjacking is one of the effective techniques for content marketers to attract the public and media attention. Some use Newsjacking as part of their social media marketing plan. Brands leverage the power of trending news to get in the spotlight and generate links, mentions, and social shares. The key to successful Newsjacking is to build customer trust for the business.
Not all content marketers and promoters use Newsjacking as a common technique; instead, they combine traditional strategies such as producing topic-based content with focused keywords.
However, as content marketing strategies are updated, Newsjacking has become one of the most employed strategies for marketing. Today, startups and reputed brands hire professional PR and marketing agencies such as Los Angeles Public Relations to capture or attract the maximum attention of the target audience.
If this marketing tactic is new to you, the article includes everything from the definition and meaning to examples of Newsjacking. It will help you learn what Newsjacking is, when to use it in PR or marketing, and how to do it well.
What is Newsjacking?
Newsjacking is typically a PR or public relation strategy to promote brands. The main goals of Newsjacking are to improve brand awareness and run marketing campaigns by taking advantage of the current local and global events. Companies and brands join conversations or use raging trends related to their business for marketing and promotion.
The idea of Newsjacking is all about garnering media attention for the business. Many brands do it by simply tying in their ideas within a story or breaking news becoming public. It is one of the benefits of digital public relations.
When to Do Newsjacking?
Remember that timing is critical when you newsjack. Before using this marketing technique, you need to know when Newsjacking works or when to use Newsjacking in PR or marketing. Of course, Newsjacking only works when you use it in the right place or at the right time.
While some businesses have different views and perspectives on the marketing time and method for Newsjacking, many use its technique to:
- Show the products, services, and brand in a good light, in the specific context
- Offer something beneficial to consumers, such as information, tangibles/services, or product features.
- Serve brand-lift in the given situation in the short or long term
- Stand the trial of legal tests and ethics that come to the fore by consumers or stakeholders
- Make all stakeholders happy with the strategy used for breaking news
When using or adding Newsjacking to your PR or marketing strategy, you must consider all these aspects. First, evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of Newsjacking before you embark on this journey.
Also, good Newsjacking needs a comprehensive understanding of newsworthy trending topics and breaking information. When a story trends in media, search traffic for its keywords escalates. The search engine features related articles at the top. It doesn’t end here, as top social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter also highlight the trending stories.
What are the Keys to Successful Newsjacking?
When not done right, Newsjacking may turn into a disaster. That is why it is essential to know how you execute your newsjacking strategy to avoid common pitfalls. Here is a list of keys you can use for successful Newsjacking.
Set Automatic Alerts to Receive the Latest News
Of course, you can’t take advantage of emerging or trending stories if you don’t know about them. This is why you need to stay updated and informed about the latest.
Ensure you actively monitor relevant news and keep your finger on the pulse. Setting automatic alerts to receive the latest news is a great way to discover the trending topics relevant to your expertise or industry.
Here are some automatic alerts you can use for breaking news tracking.
- NPR Breaking News Alerts– Subscribe to it to stay on top of the most recent news stories
- Breaking News Today on Google Play – Find local and global breaking news by downloading the app.
- BBC Breaking News – Follow it on Twitter
- Google News notifications– Subscribe to it to stay updated
- Hashtagify– Find the latest news tags on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
Choose Your Platform
Once your content is ready, the next step is to choose the right platform or channel to target it. One key to successful Newsjacking is leveraging the reach and power of social media. Even if social media is not your most robust lead generation or traffic acquisition channel, posting your content is still a good idea. It makes it easier for followers to share the content and improve your brand visibility.
Research Some Good Keywords
As said earlier, when a topic or story starts to gain traction, people begin Googling it. That means if you research some good keywords, the search engine will rank you higher. As a result, it gets a lot of traffic. For this purpose, using Semrush KW magic is one of the newsjacking strategies.
You can also use long-tail keywords to help journalists and influencers find your story in the Google search.
Get the Media’s Attention
When you create a story ready to show, genuine efforts begin. It is the right time to promote it to garner much-needed media attention.
Here is how you can achieve it;
- Contact relevant media personnel to tell them about your news story and determine if they’re interested in featuring it in the following articles.
- Email your broadcast to your subscribers to inform them about your brand story, as they are 5 times more interested in reading it or spreading the word.
- Get in touch with journalists through reliable forums such as “Just Reach Out” or “Help a Reporter Out.”
Be Accurate and Quick
Verifying the source of your story is crucial before you create and use any content on a trending news story. You need to research the story to find out if it’s authentic. If the news source is not reliable or explicit, don’t use it for Newsjacking. Instead, use only good news that has clarity. Plus, make sure you prepare your story-based content timely.
Align the Story-Based Content with Brand Image
Wondering how to do Newsjacking well?
Aligning your content with your brand image is one way to do that. No matter what type of news you use, it shouldn’t be out of character and has your brand’s voice, identity, and tone.
Characteristics of Newsjacking Action
- Catch the User’s Attention
Be funny, unique, and innovative if you want your newsjacking strategy to work for you. One of the main goals of Newsjacking is to catch your users’ attention and put your brand in front of the audience.
- Produce Relevant Content
To news-jack a story, your story doesn’t have to be related to your industry or domain. But there has to be a logical connection between the products you want to market and your business.
- Think About Going Viral
Your purpose should be to go viral with your Newsjacking. Keep it light by adding a touch of a fun element that catches the attention instantly.
- Use Your Common Sense
Avoid Newsjacking serious or sensitive events such as cultural/religious events, disasters, or anything that may offend people.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Newsjacking
If you’re new to Newsjacking, you may find it complex. It requires you to be vigilant and aware of recent news about your brand or industry. But if used correctly, the PR and marketing technique is highly beneficial;
Newsjacking can;
· Place your brand into better and more extensive social conversations and industry
· Put your brand in front of potential customers and new audiences
· Boost social media engagement
· Show people your brand’s nature to audiences
· Demonstrate that you’re a brand that takes care of customers’ needs and community
Examples of Newsjacking 2022
Still unsure how Newsjacking benefits your brand? Check out these successful examples of newsjacking 2022.
Burger King’s “Big Mac-ish” Menu
Big Mac is a signature burger and trademark of McDonald’s. However, when the international burger chain’s trademark expired, Burger King released marketing materials to advertise its “Big Mac-like” products. This is an excellent example of how a company uses a news story related to its rival brand memorably and professionally.
Oreo’s Area 51 Tweet
In 2019, the Area 51 base in Nevada became the center of attention when an online petition to storm it went viral and got hundreds of thousands of signatures. The US government is believed to conduct experiments on aliens in the base, and people wanted to know if this was the truth or just another conspiracy theory. Following people’s interest in the topic, many brands took advantage of the opportunity, Oreo being one of them. The beloved cookie brand tweeted a joke about which Oreo flavors people would like to eat in Area 51. Millions of users replied to this joke and retweeted it.
Conclusion
Successful Newsjacking is no different from real-time marketing. Instead, it is a blend of soft wit, awareness, authenticity, and finesse to bring a ton of traffic, brand visibility, engagement, and conversions. You need to ensure you only keep the best practices and use the right newsjacking strategies to fruitfully jump an emerging news bandwagon, every time, without breaking the bank.
