Leveraging news to sell products or raise your profile with the news media and other audiences through search is generally called newsjacking. The name implies a possibility to actually take over or steal the news. But the process is actually more like hopping a freight train; a simple way for brands, individuals, organizations and causes to hang on for the ride as a news story cycles through to its end.

Strategist and author David Meerman Scott (probably best known as the author of Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead) wrote a book about how it works and said, “It creates a level playing field—literally anyone can newsjack—but, that new level favors players who are observant, quick to react, and skilled at communicating.”

It’s important to be all three. Your communications skills don’t matter if your timing is wrong, and seeing the opportunity is useless if you don’t have the skills. It’s even worse if you even occasionally act clueless. Continue reading →