The internet age has made transmission of information easier and incredibly faster. It has rendered the traditional forms of media (i.e. TV and Radio) inefficient or grossly outdated. Yet with this new fast paced information network, the same and most common information to be spread about is news. The news (local or international) can be easily circulated on the web. The best part of it is that it can be accessed at any time and usually for free as opposed to newspapers or a channel subscription. Because of this, it is no wonder websites or blogsites wanting to increase their network traffic (or page visits) get into the trade of Newsjacking.
As one might have guessed with the word, newsjacking is similar to hijacking. Newsjacking is a kind of online content marketing that uses news or allows the use of news in websites or blog sites instead of the usual content such as “how to-“guides. Basically, newsjacking is using breaking news (preferably from trusted news sites) or even social media and publish them on your blog site or even the social media wing of the blog site (if existing). Conversely, plenty of big news stories come from social media like Twitter and Facebook. Social media is a good place to start because sharing there is quite fast and your link gets easily passed around. Likewise, social media is always in constant need of updates especially in a developing story. Applying some newsjacking there would be a good place to get possible visitors and subscribers. Newsjacking isn’t limited to the regular news; it can also be used by marketing companies when giving out hints for their new products. Big companies dish out snippets of news that can be used as resources for newsjacking.
Getting started
There’s a right way to getting the news on the internet. As many a time over, information on the internet can be easily manipulated to the point that every post can be either a blatant lie or a clever satire. Because of this, it is very important to choose the news sources wisely. Remember that a lapse in information dissemination could lead to a loss of trust among followers. As mentioned earlier, social media can be a great resource pool of news or newsjackings but it is also at the same time very unreliable. Some may be half-truths (as you can never really tell what 100% accurate on Facebook is) or baseless/biased rumors. Google’s new ranking algorithm (Panda) also takes into account the accuracy of posted information; meaning that wrong or inaccurate information could take a huge toll on your site’s ranking. Remember to search for google using keywords that pertain to the development of a news story that is to be published. The best possible sites to check for the most accurate news information would be big news companies like CNN or Rappler (or Huffington Post).
Right thing to do
Newsjacking is a high-risk method of getting visits and if done right, could be a very effective way of doing so. With the aforementioned downside to newsjacking, it is very important to get a few things clear when using it. Newsjacking means one must use the news and tailor it to suit the brand of information that the blog site puts out; giving the news a sort of “personal touch” while at the same time not twisting the news report. This method is all about finding the right angle to strike. For example, a science-related blog, in order to effectively newsjack, has to find a scientific angle of every news story that comes out. Make sure to never twist the news so much that it is grossly deviated or altered. The best thing about newsjacking is it allows creativity to run wild. A recent event could be used to put in the brand and in a way, gives blog publishing and even advertising a fresh feel. There are many examples to this such as a sports-related blog riding the wave of popularity on the Royal Wedding by having a big sports company or group actively following the event. The basic thing to do when news jacking is to be always online. Always be in tune to the latest development because this could spell a huge wave of network traffic to your website. Make sure that the newsjack is as unique as possible compared to other brands while at the same time to act fast in order to ride the popularity wave as it goes along. Remember to keep the newsjack natural; that is to say, find a natural feeling connection to news and not make farfetched connections.
