Sarah Morris – Copywriter and Blogger

It’s been well over a decade since any of my clients have asked for newsjacking content. Does anyone even practice newsjacking anymore? More importantly, can newsjacking still contribute to an overall boost across all digital marketing metrics?

After looking into it, I’ve learned that the answer to these questions is yes! Newsjacking remains highly relevant and a best practice in the content and medical marketing industries, though it must be executed properly for it to be effective and provide value to your target audience.

Are you at all familiar with newsjacking? Either way, here’s what it is, along with tips for doing it effectively.

What is Newsjacking?

Newsjacking is a content marketing practice in which you inform your audience about news, announcements, and current events related to your industry while adding your own thoughts, opinions, and expertise. It typically involves staying on top of industry-related news at all times, finding hot topics, and summarizing those topics in new blog posts while adding your own unique spin and original content.

Examples of Newsjacking

Here are some example scenarios of how and when to use newsjacking:

• To highlight new products, features, or services. For example, if your bariatric surgery practice offers the gastric balloon by Allurion, write a newsjacking article about how the company is receiving two new patents on March 11, 2025 to enhance its product. Then, add extra information about the Allurion Gastric Balloon such as its benefits, what to expect during the procedure, and how it compares with other weight-loss surgeries.

• To discuss current events and hot topics. A good example is vaccine safety, which is a super hot topic in the healthcare industry right now. Regardless of your stance on vaccines, you can use recent news about this topic to keep your patients informed about the facts (and to possibly promote your products and services). For instance, you could provide statistics about vaccine safety and efficacy to reassure your patients, or suggest ways your patients can boost their immunity naturally using lifestyle interventions like exercise, nutrition, quality sleep, and stress management.

Tips for Responsible & Effective Newsjacking

Newsjacking can help your brand appear more authoritative. It allows you to demonstrate your industry expertise. It also shows that you care enough about your target audience to keep them informed and up to date. 

However, newsjacking needs to be executed in a way that makes your brand appear authentic, genuine, and caring, and not as though you are simply doing it to achieve a higher number of views, shares, and likes. 

Stay on Top of Industry News

This can keep you clued in on the latest industry trends, products, concerns, etc. so you can develop relevant content that speaks to your audience. Start reading Google News and Google Trends regularly, or check out news aggregate apps like Flipboard and TrendFeed. 

You can even drill down and get industry-specific. For example, if you manage content for an addiction treatment center, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) website regularly for updates about new treatments and studies related to substance use disorders and other behavioral health conditions.

Monitor and Capitalize on Relevant Keywords

Keyword research provides great insight into what people are searching for right now. Semrush, Google Alerts, and Google Keyword Planner are examples of good keyword research tools that can help you identify hot topics related to your industry. 

Choose Your Sources Wisely

Make sure your primary sources are reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative. Curating news from illegitimate or poor-quality sources can result in inaccurate reporting and reflect negatively on your brand. In some instances, extensive damage control may be needed to earn back your followers’ trust! 

If you need help finding quality and reputable sources, check out Google’s guidelines on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) for more information.

Revisit, Repurpose, and Update Later On

A major bummer about newsjacking content is that it’s rarely evergreen. It may generate massive interest for a few days or weeks before it becomes completely forgotten about and falls into the black hole of Google.

Repurposing may help with this! Every so often, spend a few minutes revisiting old newsjacking posts to see if anything can be updated or repurposed. For example, if your medical practice published a newsjacking article in 2021 about the official FDA approval of Wegovy (semaglutide, a weight-loss medication), consider writing a new article highlighting the popularity of Wegovy (it’s been in high demand and short supply since early 2022). Make sure to link back to your original article about the drug’s rollout and include updated statistics about its effects on weight loss and general health (just some ideas).

Don’t Be Late

Publish newsjacking articles as soon as possible (assuming your sources are reliable and accurate). This helps prevent your content from disappearing forever into Google’s dreaded black hole without generating a single page view. 

News typically has a short shelf-life as it is, which means publishing content too late could hurt more than help—especially if it makes your business or brand seem like it’s behind the times. Don’t let your competitors get there first when it comes to reporting on highly newsworthy and valuable content.

Add Your Own Spin

Simply rewriting or paraphrasing news isn’t enough to do newsjacking successfully. I once had a client who insisted on doing this and their content generated very little (if any) page views. 

The client—who offered diabetes management products—wanted any and all news related to diabetes to be slightly rephrased and published. Fortunately, many of the client’s metrics improved after we changed its newsjacking format to include more original, insightful, and tailored content.

If you know your industry well, you’ll have no problem finding and choosing the right stories to share with your target audience. Strive to remain ethical, considerate, and respectful, especially when news comes in the form of natural disasters and other tragedies.

Is your business or medical practice in need of newsjacking content? I’d be happy to help! Contact me to get started.