Approximate read time: 5 minutes
This is probably the easiest thing…
News jacking.
News happens every second.
An almost infinite volume and it’s all around us.
And everyday news is reported on.
When enough similar news is reported, a “news trend” is borne.
News jacking is jumping on news trends to promote your brands publicity message.
And, what do most people struggle with when trying to create positive publicity?
Finding the “newsworthy” in what they do.
So, what if you could hijack a current news trend related to your message?
But, with news jacking, there are almost infinite amounts of “borrowed” publicity opportunities for your message.
Let’s explore an example…
In this case study, I’ll show you how I was able to get a client featured in an Alexa.com top 100 Australian online business outlet, in a well-respected national Australian print newspaper and several niche websites relevant to the message.
The client wanted to be more relevant and innovative in the way we deal with their younger clients, but because they were in a legacy industry it was hard for them to escape being painted with the same brush as other incumbents.
As such, the client wanted to change this public perception.
Bitcoin payments were getting a lot of media attention at the time.
They are innovative, heavily used by and relevant to tech savvy millennials.
The client was already accepting payment for their products and services, so I suggested they start accepting Bitcoin payments in addition to their regular payment method.
It was a perfect match with the message they wanted to tell about their innovative brand and it also meant they could stay relevant to their younger customers.
In addition, this was unheard of as they would be the first in their industry to start accepting Bitcoins.
I set up a Bitcoin wallet for the client and made the relevant changes to their marketing material to explain that Bitcoin was accepted for purchases and how customers could pay with the new currency.
I pitched the online business outlet first, as they had a lot of clout with the types of customers the client wanted to reach.
I simply gave this outlet a short description of the story, some potential people to comment and some potential photo opportunities.
They were interested and I lined up an interview with a source.
I also contacted a local print newspaper.
They interested too regardless of the online outlet’s interest as it would fit within a different beat.
I lined with some interviews and photos for them as well.
The online outlet published the story first
A well-respected national Australian print newspaper saw this and decided to publish a version of the story – with no contact or input from me.
When this happens, you know your story is very newsworthy!
The local print newspaper must have seen the national print newspaper’s article variation.
And due to this, the local print newspaper decided they could not run their version of the story as they the papers were under the same ownership.
Various Bitcoin related news sites also saw the online outlet story and began to publish story variations as well.
The lesson here is to think about how you can trend jack something current to be newsworthy.
And, being the first to do something is usually newsworthy in and of itself.
So there you have it.
An example of jumping on a current news trend.
The specifics are not important, so much as the principles behind them.
No need to copy it exactly, just see if you can use it as inspiration for something unique to your brand.
By being aware of what is trending currently, you are in a great position to leverage it.
What can you see right now?
Pick up a newspaper or scroll through your Facebook news feed.
How does that relate to your brands message?
Start a list today.
You have no excuse.
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And if you’re serious about marketing and selling more, the logical next step is to contact me to help you do it yourself, have me do it with you, or have it all done for you.
This may be the momentum you need to get great marketing and sales results.
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