There are many ways to boost traffic to your site, including use of social media platforms and email campaigns. One method a lot of companies are using now is newsjacking, which is taking breaking news stories or widely publicized current events and reporting on them in such a way that relates to the given company's own ideas and personal agenda. A lot of people will be searching for these kinds of hot topics, and in the process they will likely find the given company's articles or social media platform updates related to those topics and will be guided to learn more about the company through its website.
Businesses Using Newsjacking for Marketing Purposes
Some businesses that have used newsjacking for their own marketing purposes include Tide, Arby's, and American Express. Each of the companies took to Twitter to capitalize on the buzz surrounding current events.
Tide made a joke about the blackout that occurred during the Super Bowl of 2013 with this clever play on words: "We can't get your #blackout, but we can get your stains out. #SuperBowl #TidePower."
Arby's drew attention to themselves by tweeting to a celebrity during the 2014 Grammy awards: "Hey @Pharrell, can we have our hat back? #GRAMMYs."
American Express didn't hesitate to remind followers that like the Oscars of 2013, they, too, had their own version of gold, with a tweeted picture of a gold card walking down the red carpet and a simple message: "Congratulations to everyone going home with gold tonight! #Oscars."
These brands knew that by placing themselves in the middle of current events, they could attract attention to their brands while followers were already consuming media in the form of televised entertainment.
Use Newsjacking to Boost Traffic to Your Website
The ultimate goal of newsjacking is to boost traffic to your website, and the way to do this is first to know what the hottest news stories or current events are and identify ones which you can cleverly use to your own company's advantage. Make sure that you pick out a handful of news outlets to keep an eye out for newsjacking opportunities. At least one of these outlets should be industry-focused while another outlet should be relevant to your target audience (for example, if most of your customers are young families then a parenting news site would be a good choice to follow). You should also include at least one national or local news site.
Image Credit: David Meerman Scott
Next, use carefully chosen keywords or tags that people will likely be searching for when they are seeking news coverage about those given news topics or current events. Once people find your content, they will be likely to go to your website if you incorporate a link to the website with your news-related article or social media update.
Share your news coverage with current customers with social media updates or emails so they will know you have new content to share, which they may then share with their friends and family if they find it to be entertaining or insightful, bringing even more traffic and leads to you.
To get the most traffic to your website, take a new angle on news stories and current events, so you won't be telling readers the same thing everyone else reporting on the story is telling them. Include your own opinion and how the news story relates to your brand. Be creative, funny and engaging to get the most attention. Once your website traffic is up, it is easy to gather leads you can convert to customers through other marketing campaigns. Current customers will also be reminded that just like them, you are a consumer of media and have valuable insights to share on breaking news stories and current events, which will encourage them to visit your website often for new content and remain loyal to your brand.