Newsjacking: A Guide to Leveraging Trending Topics

Last Updated March 11, 2024

Newsjacking is a powerful strategy that can help you quickly gain attention and drive traffic to your content. By piggybacking on trending topics in the news or on social media, you can add your unique perspective and commentary to the conversation.

What is Newsjacking?

Newsjacking involves leveraging current events or popular topics to create timely and relevant content. This could be in the form of a blog post, video, or social media update that ties into the trending story. The goal is to ride the wave of attention surrounding the topic and attract viewers who are already interested in it.

Benefits of Newsjacking

Quickly gain attention: By tapping into a trending topic, you can quickly capture the interest of a large audience already engaged with the subject matter.
Establish thought leadership: Adding your unique insights and analysis to a trending story can help position you as a thought leader in your industry.
Drive traffic: Newsjacking can lead to a surge in traffic to your website or social media profiles as people seek out additional information and perspectives on the topic.

How to Effectively Newsjack

Monitor trends: Keep a close eye on news outlets, social media, and industry publications to identify trending topics relevant to your niche. A great resource is Google Trends or Exploding Topics to find what is trending.
Act quickly: The key to successful newsjacking is to move fast. Create and publish your content while the topic is still hot.
Add value: Don’t just regurgitate the news. Provide your own insights, analysis, or unique angle to make your content stand out.
Optimize for search: Include relevant keywords in your content to improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Promote your content: Share your newsjacking content across your social media channels and email list to maximize its reach.

Long-Term Benefits of Newsjacking

While newsjacking is often seen as a short-term tactic, it can also have long-term benefits, particularly on platforms like YouTube. If you create an entertaining or informative video related to a trending topic, it may continue to attract views and engagement long after the initial buzz has died down.

Conclusion

Newsjacking is a powerful tool for bloggers and content creators looking to quickly gain attention and drive traffic. By adding your unique perspective to trending topics, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and attract a larger audience.

While newsjacking may not be a long-term strategy on its own, it can be an effective way to supplement your regular content and expand your reach.

What is newsjacking, in simple terms?

Newsjacking means creating content that connects to a story people are already talking about right now.

You use a trending topic from the news or social media, then add your own opinion, tips, or analysis. The goal is to show up while interest is high.

Done well, newsjacking can bring fast traffic and new followers because people are already searching for the topic. The key is to add value, not just repeat headlines.

How do I find the right trending topics to newsjack?

The best trending topics are timely, popular, and closely related to your niche.

Start by watching what your audience shares on social media and what major outlets are covering. You can also check tools like Google Trends or Exploding Topics to spot rising searches.

Before you publish, ask one quick question: Can I add a helpful angle here? If you cannot teach, explain, or give a useful opinion, skip it and watch for the next trend.

How fast do I need to publish a newsjacking post?

You usually need to publish within hours, not days, to get the biggest boost.

Most trends peak quickly, so move fast with a simple plan: pick an angle, write a clear headline, and hit publish while the topic is still hot.

If you are short on time, draft a quick outline first and keep your post focused on one main takeaway. You can update the post later as new details come out.

How can I newsjack without sounding spammy or insensitive?

To avoid sounding spammy, make your post helpful and respectful first, then tie it to the trend.

Skip tragic events unless you have real expertise and a clear way to help readers. Even then, focus on facts, empathy, and practical guidance.

Always add something new: a better explanation, a checklist, a timeline, or what it means for your audience. If your post feels like a copy of the news, it will not earn trust or shares.

How can RightBlogger help me write and optimize newsjacking content faster?

RightBlogger can help you go from idea to published post quickly, which matters a lot for newsjacking.

You can generate a fast draft with the RightBlogger AI Article Writer, then shape it with your own insights and examples. This helps you publish while the topic is still trending.

To improve search visibility, use RightBlogger Keyword Research to find related terms people are already searching for. Then add those keywords naturally in your title, headings, and intro for a better chance to rank.