Newsjacking Can Be a Valuable Tool

Newsjacking, a term coined by David Meerman Scott in his book of the same name, is the process of adding your thoughts and opinions into breaking news stories. It’s piggybacking on trending news topics to get yourself noticed.

I bought the book back in 2011, it was relevant then and it is certainly relevant now. When we do our client media trainings we often talk about how we engage the media and create story ideas that we feel would be interesting to their readers or viewers.  One way, of course, is capitalizing on what is making news and finding a way to be a part of it – in other words, newsjacking.

But it is not as simple as that.

For newsjacking to be effective, you need to add more to the story.  A reporter isn’t interested in simply adding another quote to an already produced news piece.  If you can extend the life of the story, add new perspectives, opinions, etc. you will increase your chances of gaining their attention.

Similarly, social media campaigns that capitalize on the news of the day create a synergy with your brand and what is generating news.

But be careful, not all newsjacking opportunities are good opportunities. In fact, there are some instances where avoiding the news cycle altogether may actually be more beneficial.

Use the news of the day as a springboard for ideas. But use it sparingly and in good taste.