It’s been well over a decade since any clients have asked me for newsjacking content. Does anyone even do newsjacking anymore? More importantly, can newsjacking still boost your metrics?
The answer is yes: it certainly can. Newsjacking remains highly relevant, and a best practice in content marketing. But it needs to be executed properly to be effective, and to provide value to your target audience.
What is Newsjacking?
Newsjacking is a content marketing practice where you share news, announcements, and current events related to your industry. Then you add your own spin, whether it’s your own opinions or expertise, which is where the “jacking” comes in. It’s like you’re stealing the story but not really, because you’re adding original content to it and not copying it word for word.
Newsjacking typically involves staying on top of industry-related news at all times. You need to constantly hunt for hot topics, then write about them.
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 you have a bariatric surgery practice and offer the gastric balloon, tell your audience when the manufacturer releases new, enhanced versions, then talk about the benefits of visiting your practice for this procedure.
- To discuss current events and hot topics. A good example is vaccine safety, which remains 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 facts, while also promoting your products and services. For instance, provide statistics about vaccine safety and efficacy to reassure your patients, or suggest ways patients can boost immunity naturally with interventions like exercise, nutrition, and stress management.
Tips for Responsible & Effective Newsjacking
Newsjacking can make your brand look 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 keeps you clued in to 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. Or whatever happens to be popular at the moment.
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 lead to major inaccuracies that 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 can 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 prevents 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.
Last Updated on February 19, 2026 by Sarah Morris
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