Reactive comments placed in the media within relevant news stories will position your company as part of the discussion in real time, generating recognition for your brand for the topic in question. Using our understanding of the news cycle and media relations, we can help your brand with newsjacking and injecting itself into the conversation and evolving agenda.
What is the definition of Newsjacking?
Put simply, Newsjacking is taking advantage of news and current affairs to promote your own brand, company or message. It is a fast moving and time sensitive media relations process, most often delivered by PR experts and PR agencies.
In a way, newsjacking is nothing new, it is simply reactive media relations, but it was made popular in 2017 as it is particularly useful to build both reputation and earn links for digital PR or SEO purposes.
What does Newsjacking do?
Whether it is pre-empting predictable events, calendar dates, or jumping onto news as soon as it breaks, successful newsjacking will drive brand awareness and exposure, as well as providing a number of SEO benefits. Offering analysis, perspective, commentary or insight on a story or trend will deliver significant PR results when it is timely, relevant and compelling – which is where we come in.
It is our job to have our finger on the news pulse, and the team takes advantage of the era of instant communication and constant news by responding to news quickly and appropriately. We can anticipate announcements and trends to capitalise on the news when it breaks and coordinate reactive comments at short notice.
Piggybacking on a topic can often inject you at the heart of a subject which you would like your brand or organisation to be famous for. Used as a press office tactic alongside a PR campaign, newsjacking can put you in the headlines instantly.
With newsjacking, timing is key
Newsjacking involves being ready at a moment’s notice and that i why PR Agency One has a suite of processes in place to ensure its clients can benefit from being reactive to the news agenda.
Our teams are well trained in spotting emerging news stories and trends and build up a suite of content and messaging for clients, allowing us to be first to the story.
Clients also need to be aware that they will need to approve content quickly and make themselves available for interviews with print and broadcast media.
Can news jacking be strategic?
The short answer is yes it can. By its very nature newsjacking is tactical and reactive, but by being prepared with content and key messages to weave into proactive commentary, and by training our staff and client spokespeople, newsjacking can be used to achieve a wide range of objectives for clients.
Newsjacking and Broadcast Media
Just simply having a good story is not enough for the broadcast media. Broadcasters not only need a good story, but they need to be sure that a spokesperson is a good interviewee and will come across well on camera or over the radio. Often a spokesperson needs to evidence their broadcast experience or show they come across well on camera by providing Youtube clips of social media video content. A location can also be very important as not all interviews happen live in the studio or over video conference – TV producers need to know what will be in shot and how they can tell the story visually.
Newsjacking for SEO purposes
Many brands are now well up to speed on the power of digital PR and how it can improve search engine visibility. By securing media coverage with links back to a brand’s website, brands can send ‘signals’ to Google that their website is more trusted or authoritative than other similar sites. By allocating agency time to hijack the media, narrative links can be earned to boost the organic visibility of websites.
Read about how we used newsjacking and reactive PR to capitalise on conversation for Langleys Solicitors’ employment team here.
If your business wants to become part of the news cycle, please fill out our Contact Us form or call on:
- Manchester: 0161 871 9140
- London: 0203 092 1446
