How to Insert Your Brand into Trending News Conversations
“Newsjacking” is a PR strategy coined by marketing expert David Meerman Scott that involves inserting your brand into breaking news stories or trending conversations. Newsjacking can look like:
Aligning a campaign or promotion with a current event or popular cause
Joining a trending conversation on social media
Leveraging new industry research to share your expert opinion
Relating your brand’s product or service to mainstream conversations
Creating a product or service that solves a common problem that people are currently talking about
So why is Newsjacking Important for PR?
Newsjacking is important for PR for a few reasons:
It helps you stay relevant by capturing the attention of consumers who are already engaged with the story. This can lead to increased media coverage, social media engagement and overall visibility for your brand.
It showcases your expertise by providing insightful commentary or expert analysis on a trending topic so you can position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
It helps you connect with your audience by creating content that resonates with your audience and shows them that you are in tune with their interests and concerns.
All of this can lead to increased media coverage, social media engagement and website traffic, which ultimately leads to - you guessed it! - more visibility for your brand.
How to Newsjack Effectively
While newsjacking can be an incredible value PR strategy, it should be done carefully and thoughtfully. Newsjacking can backfire if you come across as opportunistic or insincere.
To avoid this, make sure you stay on top of breaking news stories and trending topics (in your industry and the world at large). Make sure you are adding value to the conversation with insightful analysis, expert opinion or useful information, and most importantly, be authentic by providing commentary or content that actually aligns with your brand’s values and messaging.
That way, when the right opportunity presents itself, you’ll be ready to jump on it.