22 June 2022 Business PR Musings Social Media Trends

5 TIPS TO CREATE NEWSJACKING

Newsjacking is a brilliant PR tactic when done right. Jumping on a relevant news story and offering opinion or additional insight can raise awareness and position your business as a credible voice of authority in your industry. Plus, it builds reputation as it demonstrates that you’re taking a position on the most important issues.

However, there are pitfalls to rapid response. Here are our top five tips on how to get it right.

1. Be aware

The news is readily available and at our fingertips, so ensure you pay attention to it. Sign up for Google Alerts for keywords related to your business and industry to help you seize the opportunity as it happens. Don’t just limit yourself to newspapers and online articles. Check out Twitter, TikTok and Facebook to scan for breaking stories.

2. Be relevant

Make sure you are newsjacking stories that are relevant to your industry and expertise. For example, if you want to give an opinion about an emerging beauty trend such as “slugging” in skincare, consider if you have the credentials to do so. Do you have a resident dermatologist, aesthetician or skincare expert to offer to media for comment, and what is your position on the story that the media won’t already have or know?

3. Move fast, but don’t be impulsive 

When it comes to news or trending stories, there’s a small window of opportunity, so it’s important to keep up with the landscape and act quickly. However, before you begin, consider if it’s the right moment to capitalise on the situation. Is the news impacting people’s lives and livelihoods? Should you take a step back for now, in case jumping in appears insensitive or exploitative?

When you decide to go ahead, you must be prepared to respond quickly, particularly if the reporter replies to you. They might only have an hour or two to get their story ready.

4. Don’t sell

The key to newsjacking is to provide a comment that’s interesting or insightful. Don’t try to over-sell your product or service – this simply isn’t the right time to so. Journalists are always looking to differentiate their story and publication from others, so a comment with a valuable angle is more likely to be covered and credited.

5. Don’t depend on it

Newsjacking should complement your existing PR or marketing strategy, so be sure not to solely rely on it for results.

Repeat

Newsjacking isn’t a one-time thing. If you don’t get coverage, try and do it again another week when there’s another relevant story. Don’t give up!

Newsjacking in action – case study

We spotted several TikTok videos where consumers were wedging their toilet rim blocks under the rims of their toilet instead of hanging them over the rim’s edge. We immediately jumped on this opportunity and worked with our client Bloo, bathroom care and regime brand, to create a comment about how this was incorrect and could cause strange consequences. This was pitched to key media, securing coverage for Bloo in top tier media outlets including My London, Tyla and Daily Express, among others.

 

If you’re keen to find out more about newsjacking, or how we can support your PR efforts, contact us at info@cherishpr.com.

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