The news cycle these days tends to move quite quickly which has created new challenges for companies trying to keep up with the latest trends. Additionally, the journalism industry has also shifted, which means companies need to work hard and fast so they can get themselves and their solutions in front of the public, which is why newsjacking can be so beneficial.
Newsjacking
The tactic named newsjacking isn’t very old, and it’s simply the process of companies monitoring the news cycle for any trends and figuring out if there are any opportunities where they can insert their brands into that news cycle or trend. It’s a great strategy for generating more exposure, getting in front of a larger audience, and increasing SEO efforts. Essentially, companies have to monitor the news cycle and work quickly to insert themselves in an interesting or entertaining way inside any trending topics that might be relevant to the business or the solutions. The precarious nature of newsjacking is that the news cycle can change at different speeds – lasting anywhere from a couple of hours to a few years. A great example of both is how whenever Apple announces a new product launch, the news circles the entire globe quite quickly but it dies down after a few hours. On the other hand, the news cycle of the pandemic has spanned over two years with different peak times. That means companies have to rely on their communications and media teams to keep up with the latest developments and figure out ways to insert the business and its key messages inside of them.
Pre-Newsjacking
Another option that companies can have is pre-newsjacking. That means will need to get ahead of any breaking news, which is quite difficult because it’s practically impossible to predict the future news stories. However, there are some instances where companies can do that, such as during heavy travel periods around holidays, other national holidays, and more. To effectively utilize pre-newsjacking, companies need to have a robust list of media contacts and a predetermined relationship with those contacts, great visual assets, communication with the company’s spokespeople, and an opinion from those spokespeople. The goal here for companies needs to be to have everything ready to go before a news story breaks so that the business will send out its own information to media outlets and journalists whenever they’re looking for an asset or a source during a developing situation. This strategy requires a lot of upfront work and keeping up with the latest developments in the world, but when it’s successful, companies can successfully place themselves in front of the public and grab their attention.
Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the United States.
With over 20 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America’s most prolific and well-respected Public Relations professionals.
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