Digital PR isn’t just about the big campaigns. Landing links for data stories or outrageous infographics is one thing, but this takes time.
A more immediate and sometimes easier way to get attention in terms of mentions, links and thought leadership is newsjacking. Getting your clients in front of their niche audiences and broader ones in general can be easily achieved.
Newsjacking, by its very definition, is the act of chasing the latest news story and offering additional insight, opinion or value to those seeking to write on it. If you are in a position to comment, you absolutely should. The level of coverage available for those who are quick is incredible. Identifying a niche and combining this approach with a keyword planner can make all the difference to reaching your customer base.
Find a spokesperson
If you own a business and are confident of your ability to speak concisely and with authority on a subject, then be ready and primed to comment on subjects as they come up. Not confident?
Then appoint someone who is able to, it could be a marketing manager or a senior figure who can comment under your name or on behalf of the company.
Either way, this person needs to be confident enough to speak on a subject with a degree of knowledge and as soon as is physically possible. Journalists and editors are after quick, snappy responses and the most keen will be the ones that get coverage.
Be ahead of the news
The news cycle can be draining, we all know this. But away from war, famine, disease and the rest of the main headlines, what is happening within your niche should be at the forefront of your mind.
If you know that a certain subject is about to raise its head, have something prepared or be ready to formulate an opinion fast. Use Google Trends to see if a news topic you’ve spotted is still trending, there’s nothing worse than chasing a story that’s already yesterday’s hot news.
Even better, have a few stats in mind or ready a short study of your own to be able to knock the competition dead when it comes to being chosen for use in an article. Remember, being able to answer quickly and make comments that only someone in your position can means you can secure mainstream news coverage, be it national TV, newspaper websites or niche magazines online, it all helps.
Be ready to bend your specialism into advice or opinions that will get you noticed and the rest takes care of itself.
Know where to look
Finding newsjacking opportunities is tough, but means that you have to be somewhat of a news sniper. Pick your stories well and find the people who are likely to write on such subjects and you’ll be well placed to make this tactic work.
Find what the pain points are within your niche market and fill that gap with your own knowledge. There are multiple services available on subscription but dozens of free resources too. Seek out journalists via twitter, some actually prefer to be contacted that way.
Build a larger campaign for longer life pieces
If you have a particular niche that your company occupies, there’s sense in creating something that has longevity. Think about what niche publications the group of people you want to reach are reading or consuming.
For example, if you work within the recruitment sector, create an evergreen piece of content that has good search volume year round. Hit your target audience with something that rather than highlighting your products or services, sheds light on a particular issue, for example, quit rates of jobs depending on month. Create a killer piece of content every year and simply update the original to showcase your innate knowledge as a niche business.
Still need help with newsjacking? Talk to us today at eComOne.
