Writing about industry news is a great way to get more traffic to your social media or website. People are searching for information about the piece of news and want to read different takes and perspectives. Where people go wrong is they think they need to be the first person to write about it in order to get traffic. They rush to break the news first or get into the first wave of information. But no one remembers the first account they read of anything.
How Can I Write About Industry News In a Way That Gets Me Noticed?
If you are asking this question, you are on the right track. Writing about industry news is not just another cog in your content creation machine; it is an opportunity to get your business noticed. And the way to do that is by offering value to the conversation. Think about what happens when a huge industry event happens.
First, journalists rush to be the first person to break the news. They lay out the facts as they (or their source) understands them, but accuracy is not their concern. Their goal is to seem like they are the first to know in order to get people watching for updates.
Then, they find out a little more information and write about the event some more. A lot of this is correcting the mistakes they made in the first account.
After that, the news has already “broken” and been picked up by other journalists. There is not much new to add to the conversation, so they start looking for industry experts to weigh in and speculate.
Next, the company involved will have had enough time to strategise and issue a statement. The industry news machine picks apart the statement and speculates some more.
Then, the conversation turns to implications for the economy, the industry, and anything else that is slightly related. The hysteria and newness have died down, and people want quality information.
This is the step where you want to come in. Don’t rush to be the first person to speak on an issue, especially if you do not have all the facts. Something else could come to light that would add very poor context to your take. Instead, use the time to consume information and consider what it means for the industry at large and what opportunities it presents. Look for a different take or spin and gather your thoughts. You could write about industry news a week or two later and still be current; you don’t have to respond on the day. In fact, we would recommend not responding until the company involved issues a statement.
Planning to Write Industry News
When you sit down to write a blog post, article, or social media content addressing industry news, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is an aspect no one is talking about?
- Where do I think the coverage is missing the point?
- Is the current coverage getting too hung up on one aspect?
- Are people missing important context to understand why this is a problem or not a problem?
- Does this point to a bigger pattern that people may not be aware of?
- Does this add context to something else going on?
Slowing down and thinking about these things will make you a part of the bigger conversation rather than just fanning the flames with memes or controversial tweets. Your interesting take on the industry news will mean quality figures are more likely to share or interact with your post, and you are likely to get more attention overall for your post.
Dealing With Imposter Syndrome When Writing About Industry News
Imposter syndrome can really kick in when writing about industry news. You are putting yourself out there big time, and you might find yourself questioning why anyone would listen to you. It is okay; many established entrepreneurs and public figures feel this way too.
Our CEO says that whenever imposter syndrome kicks in, she asks herself, “Why not me?” A whole lot of people are weighing into the conversation, so why can’t you. You are a person, and you have a unique perspective to bring to the table, so you have as much of a right as anyone else to address industry news.
We should also warn you that not everyone will agree with your take on the situation. And some people will, unfortunately, disagree in a hostile manner. That is on them. You do not need to debate or interact with someone who cannot express their opinion or disagreement in a civilised manner. It is okay to have a different opinion than someone; that is encouraged. But, people who use intimidation or belittle people to try and shut them down are not worth the time of day. Our advice is to just not engage with them at all. Ignore those comments, and move on. Block any that stray into the realm of harassment or threats. Also, block any that come at you in your DMs in that manner too. Unfortunately, there will always be people who are hurting and use that as an excuse to try and hurt other people. They do not deserve any of your attention, you are a busy entrepreneur, and you need to focus on yourself and your business.
I Want To Write About Industry News But Can’t Put My Opinion Into Words
As far as we see it, you have 2 options.
Option 1: If you are better at speaking than writing, then consider making a short video where you share your opinion. This will do well on social media or could work for your YouTube if you have one.
Option 2: Pay someone to write your article for you. If you can’t put your thoughts into words as eloquently as you would like, you could hire a content writer to do it for you. We have written about industry news for some of our clients in the past and helped them to join the conversation in a way that felt authentic to them and their brand. Every content writer works differently, but we have worked with clients in the past who gave us background reading for context as well as their thoughts via voice notes or a recorded Zoom meeting.
The traffic you can gain from writing about industry news is too great an opportunity to miss.