To react or not to respond? That’s the question every marketer asks themselves when jumping on the latest trend. Marketing is constantly changing, so this question comes up often.
In the last couple of years, the need for reactive content across brands has increased massively, especially on social media. If you’re not talking about what’s happening in the world, then the chances of your brand being heard through all the noise are quite slim.
I’ve always found that a mix of proactive and reactive content hits the sweet spot! How do I know? I’m a social media marketing specialist who’s constantly researching the next hot topic.
What is reactive marketing?
The best type of marketing doesn’t feel like marketing, which is why reactive strategies work well in building brand awareness or what some marketers might refer to as newsjacking.
Newsjacking is when a brand creates a campaign or content around current news and trends. An example of this reactive marketing strategy can be responding to breaking news or a trending topic centred around a brand.
It’s not an easy task, which is why I’m going to share my proactive and reactive strategies:
1. Browse the news
To improve your reactive strategy, spend at least 15-20 minutes of your day reading about the latest news. This will allow you to piggyback on the latest topic. Remember, you must act fast!
2. See what’s trending
Another reactive strategy is staying on top of trends. When it comes to trend research, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are our favourite trend searching platforms and provide a ‘trending now’ tab.
3. Research National Days
For a proactive approach, you need to plan your content ahead of time. I always look at daysoftheyear.com to find specific days that our brand and clients can discuss on social media. Also, consider seasonal days and bank holidays as people mostly love to celebrate, especially online. Plus, they are relatable to everyone.
If you’re seeking help on how your company/brand can become more reactive, get in touch with our team!
