In the fast-paced world of public relations, staying ahead of the curve is essential for crafting impactful campaigns that resonate with target audiences. Newsjacking, in simple terms, is strategically aligning your brand or message with trending news stories; ‘jumping on’ trending topics in the wider news, if you will.
It is a simple but powerful tool to amplify your PR efforts and achieve tangible results. Here are the three R’s to implement to ensure newsjacking success:
Relevance
As humans, we long to stay informed and engaged with current events. The same goes for the media. By seamlessly integrating your brand or message into relevant news narratives, you can effectively capture attention, generate buzz, and enhance your brand’s visibility.
This can be a simple comment on a topic from a spokesperson, expert or main figure in an organisation, or creating a meme to stay relevant.
It is, however, very important to ensure that your newsjacking efforts are aligned with your brand’s core values and messaging. Avoid forced connections, just to ‘seem’ relevant – these can damage your brand’s reputation in a heartbeat. It must be relevant to your brand – otherwise it won’t work!
Reactiveness
The success of newsjacking lies in its immediacy – responding promptly to trending news stories while maintaining accuracy and sensitivity.
When a brand or organisation swiftly and effectively links its messaging to a trending news story, it creates increased attention and interest surrounding the subject, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness.
By simply having your name in among these trending topics, there is improved brand reputation, enhanced brand credibility, increased website traffic, and social media engagement, as well as the possible generation of leads and sales.
You’ve got to move quick when it comes to newsjacking, the news agenda changes so quickly it’s no good getting a statement out two weeks after something breaks in the news!
It’s also important to note that banking on timeliness alone does not automatically guarantee success. You must stay authentic, relevant, and valuable.
Revolution
Distinguish yourself from the crowd by offering unique insights, perspectives, or solutions that add value to the ongoing conversation. When appropriate, consider the use of humour, provide an unexpected comment to get people talking, or create a brand-oriented meme.
If the moment doesn’t suit a light hearted feel, make the expert advice something that cuts through the noise – shock readers, have a point of difference, and stand out above the rest.
Revolutionise newsjacking and you’ll be sure to stand out when journalists are looking for comment ops!
Newsjacking, when executed strategically and with due consideration, can be a powerful tool for PR success. By harnessing the relevance and immediacy of trending news stories, you can amplify your brand’s voice, generate positive buzz, and achieve tangible results that drive business growth.
Working with PR experts can give you access to these tools to be able to successfully track and monitor your PR efforts, as well as allow you to achieve quality placements that meet your objectives and reach target audiences. At Prohibition, we work with various brands across all sectors, B2B and B2C to create innovative PR campaigns that deliver real ROI and help meet business goals. Get in touch with us today to find out how we could support you with your Public Relations. Drop us an email: hello@prohibitionpr.co.uk
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