Real-time social media marketing is known as newsjacking. Even though the term “newsjacking” has a negative connotation, capitalising on popular subjects in the media is not a bad thing when done right. Real-time marketing will continue to develop as technology progresses and monitoring hashtags through social media becomes easier and more common.

The Hashtags are Crucial

Twitter has had hashtags for many years and is the innovative social platform for trending topics. For a long time, users could use Twitter to see what was going on in other nations, regions, and cities. Google Plus and Facebook both display hot topics in real time. A marketing team may forecast and plan for a trending subject in some situations. It is critical to conduct research and understand why a term or keyword set is trending, and the golden rule is to avoid piggybacking on a hot issue that is inappropriate.

When Real-Time Social Media Disasters Occur

There have been several high-profile examples of firms making serious blunders when attempting to newsjack or piggyback on a trendy issue, such as social media. Companies of all sizes have gotten themselves into trouble by abusing trendy hashtags. One of the most common issues is when tweets are planned ahead of time and the social media manager either forgets or does not have time to halt them before they are too late. Some social media tragedies may have been averted by conducting a fast trend search.

This tweet, sent in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado shootings, is a perfect illustration of this:

Situation with a KitchenAid employee who intended to tweet using a personal account. The tweet was made during the Presidential election and was found because they included the hashtag #NBCPolitics. It was swiftly erased, and it may have gone undiscovered if they hadn’t utilised a hashtag. KitchenAid soon apologised on Twitter.

Insensitivity amid natural catastrophes has been another issue for businesses attempting to convert it into a sales opportunity. Perhaps the corporations were unaware of how severe the storm was; still, it is never a good thing.

Social Media Done Right in Real Time

Real-time social media marketing has been around for a long time, but it has gained traction in the recent year. Many believe that Oreo’s iconic Tweet during the Super Bowl blackout sparked the real-time social media revolution. Their marketing team sent out a tweet during the Super Bowl’s unanticipated blackout due to a mix of luck, creativity, and timing. Sure, companies were on the lookout for ways to capitalise on the Super Bowl’s trending issue. When the blackout happened and a large number of bored spectators resorted to Twitter, a new trending hashtag arose. Oreo sent out this amazing tweet:

The Tweet garnered quick attention for Oreo on social media, as it left a greater effect on cookie enthusiasts than their $2 million Super Bowl advertisement. The amount of media attention they earned for the Tweet has expanded rapidly, owing to stories like this one complimenting their marketing acumen and creativity. They are not the only ones that acquired notoriety for social media during the Superbowl, and every subsequent significant media event since the Superbowl has seen firms piggyback on the current issue in an effort to get attention, promote branding, and increase sales.

Oscar Mayer initiated a real-time marketing effort on Twitter during the Oscar Awards Ceremony broadcast in order to draw attention to the name similarities.

The Oscars were the first major television event after the Super Bowl, so everyone was watching to see whether anybody could replicate Oreo’s success in capturing the real-time trending topic enthusiasm. It was so popular that OscarsRTM (Real Time Marketing) became a hot topic throughout the telecast.

Takeaways and Real-Time Marketing Lessons

• interact when you make them feel something.
• Accept Creativity and Spontaneity: Planning can only take you so far. Brainstorm and gather ideas. However, don’t allow this procedure to drag on too long; your chance to shine in the limelight is really limited.
• Meld Your Brand and the Event: This is frequently the most difficult phase. Forced Tweets might be seen as false, stupid, or just incomprehensible.
• Do not anticipate everything to work: Just because you have success with one campaign does not indicate you will have success with the others. Toss out some nice ideas and see what sticks. Continue to test as well as be innovative.

Conclusion

Real-time social media may be an immensely powerful tool for your organisation. It is vital that you pay close attention to what other people are excited about and that you jump in and take full advantage of what is trending in the most effective way possible. As has always been the case, you must maintain your finger on the pulse and ensure that you are the first to present fresh, innovative, and useful ideas that others will embrace.