This document provides guidance on the practice of "newsjacking", which involves adding timely commentary or offers related to current news stories to gain media coverage and links. It outlines strategies for identifying newsjacking opportunities, deciding whether to pursue an opportunity, creating an effective newsjacking campaign, handling media interviews, dealing with criticism, and managing potential risks to brand reputation. Examples of successful and unsuccessful newsjacking campaigns are also discussed. The overall message is that newsjacking can be an effective marketing tactic if done thoughtfully and for the right reasons, rather than just for profits or clicks.
16. HOW DO YOU SPOT AN OPPORTUNITY?
▸ Train your mind
▸ Listen to and read lots of news
everyday
▸ Shift your lens
▸ Be on the lookout (hello
Google Trends)
▸ Who’s not covering it? See if
you can fit their beat
▸ An old, tired news story
(a “never-ending story”)
▸ A series
▸ Your connection
17. HOW DO YOU DECIDE IF YOU SHOULD GO FOR IT?
1. Do you have a connection?
2. Do you have an original angle?
3. Can you ship this in 0-24 hours?
4. Can you offer some value?
5. Are you willing to take the risk to your brand reputation?
6. Are you gonna be a “Newsjackass”?
18. DO YOU HAVE A CONNECTION?
▸ It’s best if you have some sort
of connection
▸ Geographic
▸ Personal connection
▸ Interest
▸ Fandom
▸ Relevant to what you do
▸ The competition
▸ Varying degrees of
connection required
▸ If it feels like a stretch, it
probably is
ONE
19. DO YOU HAVE AN ORIGINAL, UNIQUE ANGLE?
▸ It needs to be unexpected
▸ Spark curiosity
▸ Gets a laugh just from the headline
TWO
20. DO YOU HAVE AN ORIGINAL, UNIQUE ANGLE?
▸ Imagine your potential newsjack as a headline:
TWO
21. CAN YOU SHIP IT WITHIN 24 HOURS?
▸ Newsjacking is a race
▸ You have to act fast to catch
the wave
▸ Even if there’s lots of coverage
THREE
22. CAN YOU OFFER SOME VALUE?
▸ Monetary
▸ Comedic
▸ Emotional
▸ Societal
FOUR
23. ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK
TO YOUR BRAND REPUTATION?
FIVE
Smaller brands can take bigger risks than bigger brands
‣ The three main potential benefits of newsjacking:
‣ Brand awareness
‣ Links
‣ $$$
‣ Big brands get brand awareness and authority, while smaller brands usually won’t
25. WAYS TO MITIGATE THE RISK
▸ Get feedback first
▸ Intimately understand the nuances of the story
▸ Evaluate public opinion
▸ Stay neutral, if at all possible
26. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A STAND
▸ Newsjacking is a smart
way to do this
▸ 66% of consumers want
brands to take a stand
27. TAKE THE RISK
▸ Talked to colleagues,
friends, and family
▸ Evaluated public opinion
29. (n(y)o͞oz jak-ass) (n.)
NEWSJACKASS
One who misleads the media regarding a current
event, or one who trivializes or capitalizes on a current
event without thought to the participants, or without
backing their newsjack with value.
38. HOW TO CREATE A NEWSJACK
▸ Examples of things you can do:
▸ Free offer (a product or service)
▸ Boycott/protest
▸ Refusal of service
▸ Event
▸ Witty Tweet
▸ Comedic commentary
▸ Survey data/Expert opinion
▸ Charitable service
39. HOW TO CREATE A NEWSJACK
▸ Fully establish your campaign
▸ Make sure you have a visual: graphic, video, anything
▸ Vanity domain
▸ Relevant content connected to story
▸ Show that you understand the story
▸ Try and be as lighthearted and even keel with your
content as possible
▸ Cover yourself legally
▸ Don’t get owned
▸ Have the next step or “layer of
the onion” ready
41. HOW TO PITCH IT
▸ Journalists know what you’re doing
▸ Don’t act high and mighty
▸ Don’t be heavy-handed about it. More of a wink and a nod
▸ Get to the point
▸ Let THEM form an opinion
▸ Don’t forget to have the next layer of the onion ready
62. WWMYC TIMELINE
Wednesday
7 p.m.
Rumors of Chargers
move reported
JAN 10TH JAN 11TH
Thursday
8 a.m.
Official announcement. Stories are
being published like crazy
8:01 a.m.
Many people in our office are pissed
11 a.m.
Idea to newsjack hits
Noon
Discussion if we should do this
4 p.m.
Start calling movers and got first
five movers on-board
5 p.m.
Start developing website
JAN 14TH
Sunday
1 p.m.
NBC sports online
interview
6 p.m.
NBC 7 San Diego
evening news
JAN 15TH
Monday
JAN 16TH JAN 17TH
Tuesday Wednesday
JAN 12TH
Friday
9 a.m.
Getting more
movers on-board
11 a.m.
Website launches
12:35 p.m.
Starting pitching
2:05 p.m.
Interest from
Union Tribune
3:30 p.m.
First article is
published
63. RESULTS OF WWMYC
50K+
SHARES
421
BACKLINKS
110
LRDs
$1,195
W SALARY
$715
W/O SALARY
30+
RADIO STORIES
25+
TV/VIDEO
100+
TOTAL STORIES
54
AVG. DA
$10.86
CPL
$7
CPL
64. ▸ Be prepared for your
interviews
▸ Imposter syndrome might hit
hard
▸ Ignore the haterz
▸ Prepare a damage control
team
▸ Prepare any follow ups
HOW TO HANDLE IT
65. ▸ Get your story straight
▸ Study the event/issue from all sides
▸ Prepare for questions like:
▸ Why are you doing this?
▸ Have they taken you up on your offer?
▸ Do you think it will work?
▸ What about the people on the other side of
this that don’t agree with you?
▸ Again, don’t act high and mighty
▸ Have fun with your interviews, be
honest
▸ You’re always on the record
▸ Don’t be coerced into saying
provocative things if you don’t want to
INTERVIEWS
HOW TO HANDLE IT
67. ▸ After it goes viral, imposter
syndrome might hit hard
▸ Especially when the haterz
come out
IMPOSTER SYNDROME
HOW TO HANDLE IT
74. DAMAGE CONTROL TEAM
HOW TO HANDLE IT
▸ Get everyone in your company on
the same page
▸ High fidelity message from all
participants
▸ One point of contact for the media
75. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY
▸ Underused tool in the digital marketer's
toolbox
▸ Affordable way to earn big links and/or
create brand awareness
▸ Anyone can technically do this
▸ Ask the 6 questions
▸ Be prepared, be fast, don’t be a
“newsjackass”