3 newsjacking tips for word of mouth marketers

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Since Oreo tweeted, “You can still dunk in the dark,” when the lights went out during the 2013 Super Bowl, hijacking news stories for marketing has been a popular tactic. But doing this well is about more than just butting into your customers’ conversations.

Here are some meaningful ways you can tap into the news your customers are already talking about:

1. Have a sense of humor
2. Make something sharable
3. Do something nice

1. Have a sense of humor

Photo thanks to Adweek.

When one guy made a parody commercial to show off his producing skills and sell his beat-up 1996 Maxima on Craigslist, the video went viral. And although the video didn’t paint the best picture of the old car, Nissan didn’t take offense. Instead, they bought the car from the guy and gave an extra $1,000 to his favorite charity. That’s a great way to turn something that could have become bad press into an opportunity to show people how cool you are.

2. Make something sharable

Photo thanks to Adverve.

When everyone was outraged about the leaked NSA tracking tactics, one designer had a beef with a different issue: the NSA’s hideous slide presentation. So he redesigned it and posted his own version of the infamous slide deck on SlideShare with this message to the NSA: “Let me take care of your slides.” This not only capitalized on something everyone was already talking about, but also created a sharable piece of content.

3. Do something nice

Newsjacking doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s just about the right timing. For example, when the FAA announced that passengers no longer have to turn off their electronic devices during flights, Amazon gave their customers a “ThnksFAA” discount on Kindles. It’s a simple discount — but it’s that much more remarkable because Amazon seized a newsworthy opportunity.

Tags: Amazon, Craigslist, design, discount, marketing, News, newsjacking, Nissan, NSA, power point, real-time