How to Newsjack a Story
There’s a trending topic that everyone is talking about, now it’s time for you to jump on the bandwagon and put your business on the spot. How do you connect your business to the conversation? Newsjacking. By newsjacking a story, you are putting your company in the forefront of this relatable trend.
The tactical use of newsjacking has proven to be successful for businesses. It is important to only do so when your company has news to add to the ongoing topic. With the right approach, you can leverage this strategy to significantly grow your business, increase brand awareness, engagement, website traffic, and ultimately, increase profits. Who wouldn’t want that? Using newsjacking to the best of your company’s advantage can prove to be a powerful move.
Find out How to Newsjack a Story:
Step 1: Discover the News
What news are you supposed to be talking about if you don’t know what it is in the first place?
It is important to note what the trending/breaking news is. Learn about the story when it breaks or as it begins to escalate in your industry. Yesterday’s news won’t help you out. You have to be in the “now“, especially with the consistently changing news cycle.
How do you stay on top of any trending/upcoming topics? By tracking them via monitoring. For this, you can use a media monitoring platform or Google Alerts. Using monitoring platforms as such will allow you to be notified of the trend before or during it happens. You will be able to jump on the trend and input your company’s perspective or take on the topic. Who knows? Your company could be one of the first in the industry to start the buzz, positioning itself as a thought-leader in the space.
Step 2: Is it Relevant?
You’ve received an alert that has become trending in your industry. What’s your first instinct? To jump on it and insert your company into the conversation. But, wait…is the topic relevant?
Before you jump the gun on newjacking a trend or story, think about tactical ways you can easy insert your business into the conversation. Does it make sense? How beneficial would it be? You should never give input on a subject that is not relevant to your company.
The trending topic needs to add value to your company. How? Here are some reasons why newsjacking a story can be relevant to your business:
- A product offering relates back to the story
- You have spoken about something similar
- Someone on your team is knowledgable about the topic
- A recent press release can relate to the story
These are just a few examples of how you would determine whether or not a trending topic/story is worth newsjacking.
Step 3: Act Fast
“That was so 5 minutes ago…” –Is a phrase you hear more often, especially in the age of the internet. Everyone’s attention span and patience has significantly shortened. Why? Because people want answers “now” and are constantly looking for the next best thing.
When you see a trend rising in your industry and have something relevant to say, make sure to act on it. News does not wait for anybody, it is important to get the word out as soon as possible. If you see a topic beginning to trend, have ideas ready to go for when you see a spike in everyone talking about it. That way, you will have something ready to go to insert yourself in the conversation.
Step 4: Social Media
How does news travel so quickly? Social media.
The power of social media has proved to be unmatched over the years. When an industry trend is occurring, most likely 9/10 you can find people talking about it on social media. So why not be part of the conversation? Publicly talking about your company’s stance on the topic is an important part of newsjacking. When you become part of the conversation at the right time, your company is seen as one of the leaders in the space. People may begin asking you questions online, partaking in your thread, etc. It places your business ahead of others in the industry.
Start with your strongest social media channel. Why? Because this is where you should be getting the most responses. It is difficult to dominate all social media channels, but definitely possible. Starting with the one that you will get the most engagement on. This helps you dominate that social media platform, in regards to the trending topic.
How do you begin engaging about a trending topic?:
- Use #hashtags if relevant to the platform
- Search for other stories/threads/mentions that have been newsjacked (in regard to the topic) –begin inserting your opinion or engage with them
- Create your own thread for other people to speak freely
Make sure you are putting out knowledgable content on social media. Anything on the internet is public and stays on there forever! Align your posts with your brand to maximize the effect of your social media work. Stay engaged for as long as possible and reply to ask many people as you can. This should help boost your business’s credibility when newsjacking a story.
Newsjacking has definitely taken over the world of conversation. It has helped companies become and remain leaders in their industry. Businesses who stay on top of their game and know trending topics before they trend are the ones who have remained successful throughout the years. Track the latest trends in your industry and make sure you never miss out on any of the hype. Engage as much as you can with people and relate the news back to your company. Once you have dominated the news scene, your company will definitely viewed as a leader in the space.
