“What separates good content from great content is a willingness to take risks and push the envelope.”
– Brian Halligan.
As a digital marketer, you should know by now that content is king.
In fact, for some marketers, content is not merely just the king; it is the kingdom.
Those sentiments highlight the importance of consistently putting out fresh and relevant content. Unfortunately, staying timely and ultra-relevant in an ever-competitive industry can be quite difficult. But this is a daily battle that content marketers must overcome to ensure they are still considered references in their field. As a result, innovating digital marketing strategies is paramount. You can offer all the best SEO services and be one of the top companies for SEO Philippines. Still, without creative and radical ideas, you will inevitably fall behind your competitors.
So, how does a content marketer engaged in the field of SEO services in the Philippines do this?
For starters, you can apply the concept of Newsjacking.
WHAT IS NEWSJACKING?
In a nutshell, Newsjacking is a method to take advantage of a hot topic, subject, or issue to promote your brand. Essentially, what you do is inject your brand into the day’s hottest news which resultantly creates a twist that grabs your audience’s eyes when they are open at their widest.
The idea is to produce content of any kind on a subject that is currently abuzz and on the rise. In this way, you can organically promote engagement with your brand and attract potential consumers through an event that your brand has no direct relationship. In a way, it allows you to take advantage of the popularity of an issue to promote your business.
Keep in mind, however, that Newsjacking is not necessarily a novel idea. It has been around for years and is taken advantage of by public relations professionals. However, as a content marketer, think of Newsjacking as an opportunity to turn any hot news or topic to your advantage.
WHY IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY?
Newsjacking is a way to attract more leads to your company, generate engagement, and increase the relevance of your brand. The subject used to promote your brand does not necessarily need to be in direct connection with your area of expertise. However, it is imperative to analyze each situation and determine whether or not the interaction will elicit positive interaction from your audience and result in positive feedback.
Like any other content marketing strategy, a poorly timed and planned newsjacking strategy can damage your reputation.
To ensure you execute this strategy appropriately and correctly, below are the three significant characteristics of Newsjacking:
CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWSJACKING AS A STRATEGY
a.) Catch the user’s attention
We are at an age wherein information is accessible and abundant owing to the internet. This information can range from bad content to brilliant and novel ideas. That said, use it as your source and look for a way to capture your audience’s and users’ attention. But, much more than that, look for features that will make your content striking and stand out amid other information.
b.) Produce relevant content
Digital content marketers should know by now that producing material merely to follow what is currently trendy will not bring any positive results for your brand. Do not post content simply because you think you should jump on the bandwagon. Keep in mind that content needs to be relevant and should make sense—either through a funny idea or in-depth material. Remember, efficient actions pave the way for your company’s excellent advertisement.
c.) Think about going viral
Standing out amid an abundance of information may be difficult, but it is not necessarily a complicated process. To set yourself apart and attract attention, it is necessary to think of content that can be easily shared. Even better, it should be the type of content that should go viral online.
Producing content that fits these characteristics ensures that your newsjacking strategy would lean toward being more efficient in your brand. In that way, you can generate positive results and feedback for your business.
TIPS YOU SHOULD KNOW TO PUT NEWSJACKING INTO PRACTICE FOR YOUR BRAND
Now that you have an idea of what Newsjacking is, the next step is determining what the right actions are to put this technique into practice.
To help you with this endeavor, below are some tips to make your strategy more efficient.
a.) Stay alert and monitor the main channels
If there is one thing you should know about proper Newsjacking, it should be timely. You cannot afford to waste time, or else you will not be making any sense. To ensure this does not happen, monitor the main channels of communication and media. Be on top of the news by using the alerts feature, and always keep an eye out for any hot and main issues that are being shared and commented on on social networks and forums. As a result, you can stay ahead of the competition.
b.) Choose the right keyword
Once you find appropriate news to promote your brand, your next step is to look for the right keywords to ensure that your idea can be found in search engines. For this reason, SEO (search engine optimization) still has its importance, and it is crucial to any content-producing strategy.
c.) Quickly produce quality content
Time is of the essence when it comes to Newsjacking. As mentioned above, you cannot get into the game too late or risk sounding irrelevant. That said, it is imperative to produce content quickly and ensure that your brand is one of the first to position itself on the subject. Keep in mind that care and caution must be exercised to produce relevant and quality material. Otherwise, any advertising you generate may be taken negatively.
d.) Do not use any event to promote your brand
One of the things you should understand about Newsjacking is how to do it with finesse and care. To do that, it is important to understand that not every buzzing topic should be used to promote your brand. This is especially true for any events or disasters that happened recently. One good example is when Hurricane Sandy hit the United States in 2012. Sears jumped into the bandwagon and began to use the hashtag #HurricanSandy to promote their products which many viewers found tasteless. The negative backlash was terrible.
BOTTOMLINE
As highlighted above, Newsjacking is an excellent way to gain online attention—much more than you expect. Through the correct execution of actions, you can leverage the attention given to your brand and capture a little bit of the popularity of a hyped issue or news on the rise.
