Below, you will find tips from a Fox News reporter, advice from Ryan Holiday, and insight from the founders of the hugely successful software company Basecamp.
1: Nuances of Newsjacking
One of the ways to create news is by newsjacking. John Brandon, a reporter for Fox News, explains the nuances of this technique in a LinkedIn post. Do not approach a journalist to request an update to a story. (The reason for this is somewhat cynical: only new stories get clicks, while updating a story generates a fraction of the visitors. It simply isn't worth the effort.)
2: Make the Reader Angry, Excited, or Happy
Ryan Holiday is a master at manipulating the media. He even wrote a book about it, titled Confessions of a media manipulator. He explains that news needs to be negative to elicit a reaction from the reader. It's a delicate balance. Despair, for instance, makes us do nothing and fall into passivity. Pity and empathy pull us away from our computers: we want to take action and solve an injustice. But anger, fear, excitement, or laughter make us want to spread a message.
Controversy is never an end in itself for Holiday, but it ensures content spreads like wildfire. As a former marketer for clothing brand American Apparel, Holiday could see the impact of his PR actions at a glance: sometimes, his campaigns would generate tens of thousands of euros in sales.
It's an adage that you hear in various forms. Good news is no news. Sell me the problem. "Murder and fire sell the newspaper."
3: Do Not Underestimate Trade Magazines
Basecamp debunks numerous popular ideas in the acclaimed book REWORK. For instance, we should not just focus on large, national, or mainstream media. The founders of the software company describe how they have been mentioned several times on well-known tech platforms like Wired and Time. However, articles on Daring Fireball (a site for Apple nerds) result in both relatively and absolutely (!) more clicks. Therefore, do not underestimate the power of trade magazines: this is where your target audience resides.
Also worth mentioning: achieving publications in trade journals is an effective way to become credible for national press. I've heard a journalist from a TV news show confess that if someone has already appeared in trade magazines, they become a more credible source. Even journalists from national media value trade magazines.
