Why newsjacking favours the bold
My clients probably hear me in their sleep on this topic!
In every PR strategy session, I emphasise the value of newsjacking.
What is that, you ask?
This is where you, as experts, take advantage of existing news-related events to generate media coverage for your leader, company, or brand. It can be one of the most effective techniques to loop you into the news cycle.
It makes you shine as an expert and become media-savvy – it is, for many, a secret weapon in the current public relations arsenal – whether you’re trying to get media coverage for your own business or attract more clients.
Here are my tips to expertly execute your newsjacking power.
It doesn’t matter if it’s an hour-long speech, an anniversary of a past event, an annual Budget, a milestone in your client’s history, or something that happened today. Whether taking advantage of something that has already occurred or creating something that never happened, it’s vital to identify breaking news or an event you can newsjack.
Recognise that you can’t (and shouldn’t) newsjack everything. Admittedly, this can be a tough call to make – but if it isn’t something you are known for or want to be attached to, don’t bother pitching yourself into the mix. If you don’t want to be known for your views on real estate trends, financial hardship, or the latest in climate science, don’t put yourself on the radar.
Newsjacking is a timely way to get your brand in the limelight by leveraging a current event to promote your brand, so keep your nose to the ground and KNOW what’s going on. Have Google alerts for keywords, trends, and companies you want to follow, and be quick on the story cycle as the media cycle works faster than ever.
The only way to effectively newsjack the news is by getting out before it. Speed is the name of the game. Media outlets are often receptive to further analysis from experts who offer up a unique angle on a story, but you’ve only got HOURS – not days – to beat the others reading to share their views and add their two cents worth. Have your ‘available for interview’ pitch emails and approved media statements ready!
Don’t assume the news hook is enough to sell the story. Ensure you still provide the sizzle (conflict, human interest, proximity, or impact). Being ‘beige’ on an issue will guarantee one thing – the sound of crickets. We want views, evidence, and advice in media land.
Journalists don’t have time to read between the lines. Please ensure you know the story/angle/commentary you’re offering up and its relevance to the current news.
Be succinct and to the point. Make every word count. (Just like that.) Quotes should be 10 to 15 seconds. No jargon or vagaries.
Think hard about the questions likely to be asked after the dust has settled on the main story and answer them. Offer up your unique take or expert analysis in your answer.
Always consider if the link appears obvious enough. Step away from the pitch if it feels like a stretch to inject your brand or angle into the story. Connections that feel contrived are likely to be perceived as exploitative – even if they’re well-intentioned. This is the long-term journalist relationship-building time.
Always be respectful and think hard before newsjacking a crisis or a disaster unless you offer some tangible value and authority to the medical, legal, or other constructive insights into the situation or have a relevant experience that will provide something helpful or comforting to the victims and the wider audience. Crisis brings emotions to the fore, so be ready to show yours too. For more tips, follow me @bespokead on Instagram or @ (21) Amber Daines | LinkedIn at LinkedIn.
Podcasts have been great gateways to reach new audiences. Rather than relying on earned media for PR wins, podcasts have successfully democratised the reach rate of any leader, expert, or opinion maker to get your ideas out to the masses. In 2023, you can leverage many shows everywhere you tune in.
As a podcast coach and podcaster, I get around 50 pitches monthly to be on my show, The Politics of Everything. Now I only have 46 episodes a year, so that is a lot of “no thanks” emails we get to send, often regrettably.
For those we say yes to, the next thing is to make sure our guests are prepared and can bring the best content to our audience of 25,000 downloads per show on average.
Here I will give you some hints on becoming the ultimate rockstar podcast guest.
These tips mean the host can embrace your ideas, and people listening may want you to be a guest on their podcast.
It would be best to do this before you’ve pitched yourself because you want to suggest an idea that fits perfectly with the show’s content.
But once you’ve been accepted, you want to listen to the show again, thinking about how to bring the best possible value. Listen to the host’s interview style and take note of the content previous guests have got that you’ve found valuable as a listener.
Also, take note of anything that didn’t work so you can avoid making those mistakes. Things like too many pauses or too many sales spin about, say, your new book or dropping your business name into every second sentence is typical. You want to go into the chat with a clear idea about what the host responds well to and a deeper understanding of how they work with guests so you can provide the most excellent value for them and their audience.
Often I have two strikes, and your out-rule for any guests who cancel or change our allocated recording time last minute (ok, yes, I know sickness and disasters happen but not often, right?) – my trusty production team and I plan the day you book in. I schedule your show into our season, so when a guest falls away, we can be left with a gap or massive changes to the line-up.
Of course, if you already have your podcast show or are a regular guest, you should have a decent podcast microphone, but if you want to be a podcast guest, it’s a good idea to buy a mic because you want your audio to sound as good as possible.
That also means you need to think about where you record. No noisy cafes, spaces with echoes or wooden floors, or open offices, please. Your recording space significantly impacts audio quality, so stay out of echoey rooms and away from hard surfaces like floorboards and tiles.
My biggie: if you’re recording via a remote recording platform, shut down all other programs, such as Outlook or LinkedIn Messaging – and your mobile, please. A podcast host will value you sounding like a pro!
If you’re recording via a remote recording platform like Zencastr, you’ll sometimes need to keep the session open until the audio uploads to ensure none of the files get lost. If the host doesn’t mention sticking around when they say goodbye, ask if they’d like you to stay on the line until the file uploads. Sometimes they might forget to ask, making you appear like a seasoned superstar podcast guest.
After the podcast is finished, email the host or their producer and get them to send you any links or assets to share on social media once the episode goes live.
If they’ve agreed to have you on their show and expose you to their audience, you want to make sure you return the favour by giving them some love on your social platforms and in a timely way.
You might not have an audience as vast, but the last thing you want, as the podcast host, is someone who asks you to be on their show and then doesn’t share it with their audience. I can’t tell you how much that annoys me as my show costs me time and money to produce, and I don’t charge guests to partake. Also, make sure you ask them for all the links so you’re sending people to the right places, and don’t change them!
If the interview goes well and you think they’d have great content to offer your audience, why not ask them to be a guest on your show? Inviting them on your podcast (if they want to do so) is one less episode you need to think about, and it shows you weren’t just there to capitalise on their audience but that you’d like to open them up to yours. You should think of every guest appearance on another podcast as the start of a great relationship, so stay in touch, and even if they don’t want to come on your show, let them know how grateful you were for the opportunity.
It’s simple stuff that makes a difference, my podcasting friends. Want to start your podcast but need some butt-kicking (aka help)? Download my free guide here at www.amberdaines.com or dive into my online podcasting course, Podcast Idea to Launch in 4 Weeks.
I have waited to write a blog on the ChatGPT chatbot because I am a slow adopter regarding technology, and I can be a skeptic – someone who never rushes to join the shiny new bandwagon when the world is already doing the same.
I downloaded the app two months ago and typed in random questions about “Will climate change be solved?” and “What is the best way to make sourdough?” These have nothing to do with my PR and communications career. Yet it was fun to push the question out to ChatGPT and see it spit forth a more than decent reply each time.
Many PR experts have asked the AI tool to answer more complex questions, ask about the best digital tools for the business, or create a list of responses they can weave into their client communications. It is pretty cool that in a few simple steps, you can generate an answer to almost any question, and it feels like it could bolster your productivity.
Here is the big question: Will it replace me and my agency?
ChatGPT can be beneficial for publicists if used in the right ways. Using ChatGPT, you can research, develop, identify customer values or changing trends, and strategize optimal campaigns for your clients in seconds.
In November 2022, the research lab OpenAI launched ChatGPT, their newest version of the language model chatbot. This artificial intelligence computer program engages in human-like conversation by responding to a prompt.
According to their website, the bot was trained to utilize both supervised and “Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback” and to be more accurate and creative than anything we’ve seen before. The hype is here!
Across Instagram and TikTok, you’ll find scores of videos of people being seduced and impressed by the platform. It’s grown so much that now people are figuring out how to monetize it, and if you’re also a public relations professional, you should take notice.
Here are the simple steps to using ChatGPT to launch a new public relations strategy.
The chatbot can be prompted with any range of topics you have on hand. Always be very specific with your request — this is the way to maximize utility. For example, if you’re working on a PR strategy, ensure your prompt includes your request for a plan and your target demographic and product category. Most importantly, remember to be clear about its purpose for public relations. A perfect prompt would be: “Can you write a public relations plan for an energy drink targeted at a Gen Z audience?”
ChatGPT should spit out six big strategy buckets to pay attention to if you put in that prompt. After receiving those six buckets, you can ask clarifying questions like your first question. So, for example, if you put in the prompt that we established, the first suggestion would be “social media presence.”
ChatGPT suggests that you help your client develop a strong presence on social media platforms popular amongst Gen Z, such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
However, the tool has been programmed to have a male gender bias which comes out in some of its replies.
Remember, all AI is flawed – we all know, for example, our car GPS sometimes takes us a long way (and often with more toll roads) or leads us to a dead-end street!
So, with ChatGPT, the chatbot answers will be mostly correct, and this is where your hard-earned skills as an expert can come in. After you review its first set of solutions, you should dig into the points that make sense.
A follow-up prompt that does just that can be: “Can you write a social media plan for an energy drink targeted at a Gen Z demographic?” If you do this, the platform should provide precise steps to develop the desired social media plan. By diving deeper into each relevant original bucket, you can start creating the bones of a real strategy.
In PR, we spend much time seeking the best possible partners and media targets for our campaigns. Have the friendly chatbot take the heavy lifting by drilling down even further on its answers. But we also have our brains and tools to make it even better.
To continue with our example, after ChatGPT lists out what social media strategy to embark on, you can ask, “Who are the most popular beauty influencers amongst Gen Z?” This gives you a great starting point to develop a targeted list. ChatGPT doesn’t know who is historically hard to work with or isn’t within budget, so take its answers with a grain of salt.
The list needs to be refined with your industry knowledge and relationships. That being said, the targets it spits out can serve as a framework for your lists. For example, it predicted James Charles in this exercise — a famous personality makeup artist and model — followed by several other influencers who accurately move the needle in today’s beauty market.
ChatGPT did a decent job of nailing down names, whereas, in the olden days, it would have taken seasoned publicists a considerable amount of time to put together a list. Unlike influencer software that can run in the tens of thousands per year, ChatGPT is free.
Do this same exercise for the rest of the buckets that ChatGPT initially gave. Be sure you’re refining as you go using your expertise and connections.
This platform is a game changer and increasing in popularity every day. The New York Times called the program “the best artificial intelligence chatbot ever released to the general public.” So, why waste time and money Googling or analysing data on target demographics when the answers are only a question away?
Simple: Don’t.
However, I would not want it to replace me or my day job. I love writing, and I enjoy the process of creating communications campaigns, meeting clients, and delivering ideas.
Like most AI, ChatGPT will probably never 100% replace human communicators — industry connections, insider knowledge, and even the fact you can question the replies it gives are a few reasons. Publicists and PR professionals will always be valuable; they add a personal touch and provide paths to your media release or push your campaign.
I see that ChatGPT is one shortcut that can help.
This easy-to-use and accessible platform can seed but never master your PR ideas. I value that original thoughts and creativity will always thrive when you have a human expert to check them, test them, and amplify them.
How has ChatGPT helped your business? Let us know in the comments! If we can help you with non-AI PR ideas, email me at amber@amberdaines.com or Book a Discovery Call for a confidential discussion.
Green sheen or greenwashing is something every business must examine closely, especially with regulators like ASIC cracking down on those who overstate their Environmental Social Governance (ESG) credentials.
When communicating your ESG messages on your website or in an investor pitch deck or annual report, several common mistakes may be made. But here we look at the most common and how to avoid them.
Here are some examples:
Using overly general, vague language and buzzwords can be a mistake. For example, saying that a company is committed to sustainability without providing specific actions or goals can be insincere or disingenuous. The proof is key!
Transparency is essential when it comes to ESG communication. Companies not forthcoming with their ESG performance may be seen as hiding something or not taking ESG issues seriously.
While environmental issues are undoubtedly important, ESG encompasses social and governance issues. Companies that only focus on their environmental performance may be seen as neglecting social and governance issues. It is a package deal.
Stakeholder engagement is critical when communicating ESG messages. Companies that fail to engage with stakeholders and consider their concerns and opinions may be seen as unresponsive or dismissive. Do let your internal communications work, as well as your external channels, to ensure that the image and reality of your green messaging are aligned.
Greenwashing makes false or exaggerated claims about a company’s environmental performance or practices. This can be a significant mistake when communicating ESG messages, as it can damage a company’s reputation and credibility. Think of Volkswagon and its infamous diesel emissions case.
Companies that treat ESG as separate rather than integrating it into their overall business strategy may be seen as insincere or not fully committed to ESG issues.
Companies that fail to set measurable ESG goals and track their progress towards those goals may be seen as lacking commitment to ESG issues or not taking them seriously. Customers these days expect the reporting to mean something.
To avoid these mistakes, companies should strive for transparency, engage stakeholders, integrate ESG into their business strategy, set measurable goals, and avoid greenwashing tactics by seeing if these methods stack up should they suddenly be audited.
The interesting reality is greenwashing can happen on social media far more easily and is largely not policed. Ads come and go. They stick on our feeds and minds but often use subtle or suggestive language and images to sell an idea.
In October 2022, ACCC launched two internet sweeps to identify misleading environmental and sustainability marketing claims and fake or misleading online business reviews.
The sweeps are being conducted over the coming weeks as part of the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for 2022-23, with the broad aim of identifying deceptive advertising and marketing practices by businesses or industries.
At least 200 company websites will be reviewed for misleading environmental claims across targeted sectors, including energy, vehicles, household products and appliances, food and drink packaging, cosmetics, clothing and footwear.
Around the same time, a Harvard study published by Greenpeace showed that 67% of companies used social media to speak of “green innovation” without meaningfully acknowledging the climate crisis (only 0.3% of the companies explicitly referenced “climate change” or “global warming”). There was a haunting climate silence in this bandwagon of climate marketing. This seems to teeter on the edge of transparency and can’t be a great place for any company to be long-term!
The lesson is to be ahead of the regulators and do better with your green credentials, which start with honesty.
Many companies are just getting their heads around ESG; however, those that will win the hearts and minds of their people and consumers and the communities they operate in will be the ones who show up with integrity.
Typically, the old and golden PR rule has been to ‘gloss over’ the ‘negatives’. This does not apply anymore. And it certainly does not apply to ESG. Any company which is honest about where it’s at, its lackluster performance, or otherwise, will be seen as having a much more genuine commitment to ESG than one which over-states its performance.
If you need help, I’m here to guide you with communication.
Listen to my recent podcast on The Politics of Greenwashing with John Pabon as my expert guest. It is one big truth-teller episode!
Over the last year, there were many important developments in environmental, social and governance (ESG), and the impact of these will only continue to influence global trends.
What are the most important developments for ESG, and how will these progress? Here I will take a deeper look at five major sustainability developments to keep an eye on this year and how these can be communicated to stakeholders.
First, emerging sustainability themes centre on the ‘think local, act global’ mentality.
This ‘theme’ is pushing Australian businesses to rethink the impact of their operations, especially when compared to competitors globally.
Increased organisational focus on sustainability initiatives results in the progressive reporting, measurement and monitoring of developments over periods. We know first-hand that 2022 was a significant year for sustainability reporting, with broadening transparency, support and commitments from many organisations.
Clients who do this proactively are winning.
Almost 70% of medium-to-large Australian organisations claim to have publicly disclosed their approach to ‘measuring and managing climate risks’, with 90% of those aligned to the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures, according to an Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) survey.
It is important to note that future-state reporting requirements may be placed on organisations, especially ASX-listed companies, to demonstrate their ESG credentials.
We expect this trend to continue in 2023 as more organisations look to protect or improve access to people, markets and capital through transparency and reporting.
Fast forward, and 2050 will be an important year. Consistent with science-based targets aimed at limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees or less, the focus for governments, businesses and communities is to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It was in September 2022 that the Australian Government put figurative pen to paper, passing its landmark Climate Change Bill 2022. Australia’s emissions reduction target of 43 percent by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050 are now set in law.
Local and globally, urgent action needs to be undertaken now and in the coming decades. Direct and indirect ESG initiatives are essential in achieving a target of net zero by 2050 and include:
COP27 demonstrated the continued commitment from world leaders to decarbonise the global economy, with a particular emphasis on the impacts of climate change. The introduction of the Climate Change Bill 2022 in Australia now requires the incumbent Minister to prepare an annual climate change statement, stating the progress on Australia’s emissions reduction target and other local and international updates.
It is time for businesses to step up too.
Initiatives focused on decarbonisation are important to address the causes and effects of global warming, especially considering the impacts on both people and the planet.
Operations are essential for any business, and ESG has become increasingly important in managing supply chains. Production and distribution cycles must reflect the realities of exceptional human rights, fair labour practices, anti-corruption and modern slavery implications for supply chains.
The integrity and transparency of supply chains have demonstrably contributed to the ability of organisations to maintain operations throughout periods of volatility, material shortages and disruptions.
The causes of these challenges include the pandemic, political instability and inflationary pressures, to name a few of the significant ones. Capital and investment decisions also contribute to how supply chains develop and adapt to market conditions. Supply chains of the future will likely be more sustainable and resilient to global challenges.
Those who can be transparent and show good faith even in tough times will become PR success stories.
Throughout 2022, we’ve seen the continued importance of articulating business ethics (established values, principles, standards and behavioural norms) and determining how integrity and transparency can be demonstrated within the organisation.
Cultural practices will continue to be an essential, preventative mechanism against unlawful and unethical behaviour such as bribery and corruption, money laundering, misconduct and other matters – such as greenwashing — the term is used to refer to companies that have in some way misrepresented their ESG credentials without the appropriate sustainability commitments.
The clampdown that occurred throughout 2022 demonstrated that when company disclosure is misleading, it may be subject to scrutiny.
Responsible governance mechanisms that reinforce good cultural practices within organisations include:
Throughout 2022, ESG commitments have focused on the causal impact these principles have on an organisation’s operations. For example, employee engagement, particularly post-COVID-19, increasingly highlights the importance of flexibility, working conditions and an organisation’s values. While the nuances of cultural practices will undoubtedly continue to evolve as we move into 2023, metrics and monitoring can help organisations remain in step with their stakeholders and employees.
Legislatures and regulators are constantly monitoring developments within their jurisdictions. Developing trends include cryptocurrencies, driverless cars and the ever-changing ‘shared economy’. Throughout the year, statements from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), and the Australian Securities Exchange Limited (ASX) alike have highlighted the undesirable practice of ‘greenwashing’.
Organisations can use ESG to provide investors and the community insight by disclosing their sustainability commitments appropriately. By focusing on environmental, social and governance matters, organisations can use this framework to create trackable metrics for their progress toward ESG targets.
Businesses will need to up their ante on sustainability disclosure, with more and more companies choosing to demonstrate their ESG credentials and therefore creating more room for success.
We know ESG will become increasingly important within the global economy, not only for providing insight into the commitments and resilience of organisations, but also for the ability to contribute purposefully and achieve greater economic access.
Pursuing an ESG communications plan while harnessing goals of economic success, diversity and inclusion and making a real difference in the world is how the most positive communications campaigns will be achieved.
Contact me about how the right ESG communications tools can improve your stakeholder engagement via amber@amberdaines.com.
While blogs and written posts are still valuable (hey, this is what I am doing here), the growth of podcasts remains the future for anyone serious about online marketing, establishing a brand, or imparting their knowledge.
People are increasingly time-poor – it’s just easier to listen to something when you’re on the treadmill at the gym, cooking dinner, preparing school lunches, or even driving in the car between meetings.
So, I encourage everyone to consider including a podcast in their medium to long-term plans.
And the best way to start is to listen to a few – see what works for you as a listener and make notes.
You will often come across podcasts with the same or very similar names. Unfortunately, no legal restrictions with trademarks and no exclusivity like domain names on the web exist.
This happened to me – my podcast name is the ‘Politics of Everything‘… and I had to learn the hard way. It’s disappointing and frankly disheartening when you’ve taken the time to choose a name that encapsulates your brand and your selected topics, only to find that it is already taken.
But if you’re new to podcasting and don’t yet have much of a following, it doesn’t make sense to compete with established shows – of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but you’re best to consider something else.
There are other vital implications to having a unique name, too – when you’re setting up a podcast with the intent to grow your audience, ideally, you want all your platforms – website, social, and podcast all to have the same name, or a version of that name, so that they’re recognisable, and linked. Otherwise, this can confuse your audience and make you harder to find in search engines.
If you’ve never had a podcast but have a registered domain name and social media to match, you must be prepared for this scenario. If your name is taken, you must decide whether you’re proceeding or returning to the drawing board.
Of course, if you want to, you can contact the owners of the competing podcasts to see if they’re willing to sell the name, although, be warned, this can drive up the price. But statistics from Apple, released at the end of 2022, show that only about 18 percent of podcasts on the Apple platform are active. So, it might be worth a go.
On the other hand, if you have to rethink your name completely, don’t think of it as a ‘bad’ thing. It can be an opportunity. At the very least, it will stimulate creativity and even spur you to tweak or update your brand and logo.
When choosing a name, consider the brand characteristics you want to promote and reinforce.
Consider describing these values, tone, and ‘character.’
Check synonyms, definitions, and antonyms, and play around with alliteration.
These activities can help you develop something unique and relevant to who you are and what you’re podcasting. Above all, think about your content and what your audience wants to hear. Ensure your name is relevant; otherwise, you’ll never appear in a keyword search, which is vital for attracting traffic to your podcast as you grow.
You’ll learn all the basics of getting started, including what equipment you’ll need to produce quality sound (without breaking your budget).
We’ll help you develop a strategy, plan the first few episodes, and give you some excellent presentation tips. We’ll also show you how to edit and publish your podcast, how to market your podcast, grow your audience, and much more.
It’s something that should be on your list this year. Podcasts are becoming more popular, and the more confident and polished you are from the get-go, the quicker you’ll be on the pathway to success.
Want to launch a podcast in 4 weeks? Join my online course ‘Podcast Idea to Launch’ in 4 weeks.
Book a time to discuss with me for more information or help podcasting successfully as part of your marketing, PR, and communications.
Managing the Media was a really concise, hands-on workshop that made all the difference to how I plan and execute my ideas for media interviews, whether they be online, print or broadcast. Amber’s passion and ability to unpack ideas targeted at my level was valuable and memorable.
IFAW has worked exclusively with Amber Daines as our media trainer since 2012, for a number of high profile media campaigns. Our media spokespersons have learned invaluable media interview techniques and mastered their own authentic style with her guidance and input.
Rebekkah Thompson-Jones
