Fractl: How To Make Newsworthy Content That Earns Mainstream News Coverage [Pubcon Vegas 2024]

In this insightful presentation, Kelsey Libert, an authority in Digital PR and content marketing, delves into the science behind creating viral, newsworthy content. Drawing from over a decade of experience and 5,000+ press-earning campaigns, Kelsey shares proprietary research, industry trends, and actionable strategies that have been featured in top publications like Harvard Business Review, TIME, and Fast Company. Learn how to leverage emotions, storytelling archetypes, and timing to maximize the impact of your content, and discover case studies that showcase the power of digital PR in boosting cross-channel engagement. Perfect for marketers looking to understand the key drivers of virality and elevate their content marketing strategy.

1. By: NEWSWORTHINESS What Makes Content Go Viral Kelsey Libert Fractl Co-Founder Head of Digital PR

2. WHAT MAKES ME . AN AUTHORITY?

3. WHAT MAKES ME AN AUTHORITY? Built Fractl’s Digital PR Department: 12+ years and 5,000+ press-earning campaigns Recognized by BuzzStream as a “Top 5% Most Effective Account” for Digital PR Establishe d on the Clutch "Content Marketing: Industry Leaders Matrix" Earned a prized spot on the "Moz Recommended List" Conducted Industry Research Featured In: Harvard Business Review, The Next Web, Fast Company, TIME, Inc, Entrepreneur, PR Daily, Content Marketing Institute, MarketingProfs, Moz, HubSpot Presented At Leading US and European Conferences: MozCon Seattle Pubcon Vegas Native Advertising DAYS Copenhagen

4. FRACTL IS RENOWNED FOR NEWSWORTHY CONTENT This is interesting! If you have a media list, I would love it if you could add me. The survey and findings are great. If you do more of these, please put me on a list. Fascinating. I’m interested in receiving future studies. I'm absolutely interested in covering this topic! It's right up my alley, and that data is so interesting. Now that’s a f***ing infographic!

5. DO HIGH-AUTHORITY LINKS STILL MATTER? “ ONE GOOD LINK FROM A BIG NEWS SITE CAN BE MORE IMPACTFUL THAN MILLIONS OF LOW-QUALITY LINKS.” — John Mueller, Senior Google Webmaster, Search Engine Journal “ OBTAINING LINKS FROM MORE AUTHORITATIVE SITES HAS MORE VALUE THAN OBTAINING A LARGE QUANTITY OF LINKS.” — The Correlation Between Authoritative Links and Ranking, Eric Enge MOZ “SITES WITH BETTER QUALITY SITES LINKING TO THEM TEND TO BE HIGHER IN RANKINGS .” — Google's 200 (Known) Ranking Factors, HubSpot “ OVER 96% OF WEBSITES RANKING IN THE TOP 10 HAD MORE THAN 1,000 ULDS . ONLY 0.3% HAD LESS THAN 100 BACKLINKS .” — Danny Goodwin, Search Engine Land JUNE 2024

6. Industry Leading Brands We’ve Worked With: FRACTL RANKED #3 FOR CONTENT MARKETING Out of 27K firms ranked on Clutch’s leaders matrix by client reviews, case studies, and industry reputation

7. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY 1. The Content Marketing Boom Industry Trends 2. Leveraging The Science of Newsworthiness Proprietary Research 3. Applying Science to Content Marketing Best Practices Case Studies 4. How To Amplify Reach with Digital PR PR Strategies

8. THE CONTENT MARKETING . BOOM .

9. THE CONTENT MARKETING INDUSTRY EXPLODED IN THE LAST DECADE Search Interest Increased: 🌎 Worldwide: 2.67x 🇺🇸 United States: 2.47x 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: 1.4x

10. BUT, IS SEARCH STILL RELEVANT TODAY? 99% of respondents used a search engine in the past week 80% of respondents used search engines “multiple times a day” Source: Fractl Inbound vs Outbound Marketing Consumer Survey [2024]

11. VIRAL CONTENT MARKETING PROVIDES CROSS-CHANNEL VALUE

12. 70% OF JOURNALISTS SAY PR PROS ARE IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR JOBS Source: Muck Rack: State of Journalism [2024]

13. JOURNALISTS HAVE BECOME INUNDATED WITH PITCHES 23% of journalists receive 50-100 pitches per week 49% of journalists seldom or never respond to PR Muck Rack: State of Journalism [2024]

14. LEVERAGING THE SCIENCE OF NEWSWORTHINESS TO BREAK THROUGH THE NOISE -

15. ROBERT PLUTCHIK’S WHEEL OF EMOTION

16. “FOUND ON A FRIENDS GO PRO CAMERA AFTER SURFING”

17. “BRILLIANT AND THOUGHTFUL PARENTS HANDED THESE OUT ON MY FLIGHT"

18. THE EMOTIONS THAT MAKE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS GO VIRAL Positive emotions were more prevalent in viral content than negative ones. Viral success occurred when negative emotions also triggered surprise. Emotions related to surprise were overwhelmingly present, including: Curiosity Amazement Interest Astonishment Uncertainty Admiration was a highly common emotion in viral content. Learn More: https://hbr.org/2013/10/research-the-emotions-that-make-marketing-campaigns-go-viral

19. UNCOVERING EMOTIONAL DRIVERS OF ENGAGEMENT Emotional Strength (40%) : Posts with heightened emotional intensity draw more interaction. Timing (35%) : When a post is published also plays a crucial role in its performance. Themes (25%) : Specific narrative archetypes drive greater impact. Actionable Insight: Prioritize emotional intensity in content creation.

20. MAXIMIZING ENGAGEMENT BY TIMING Actionable Insight: Schedule high-impact posts for evenings to optimize engagement. Evening hours have 24% more engagement than daytime hours. Engagement peaks around 10 PM and again between 12 AM - 4 AM.

21. MAXIMIZING ENGAGEMENT BY TIMING Weekends drive 18% more comments and had 12% higher engagement scores. Saturday had the highest level of engagement. Actionable Takeaway: Time your campaigns for weekend release.

22. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES DRIVE ENGAGEMENT Triumph Over Adversity arc saw 20% higher engagement scores. Conflict-Driven Themes earned 23% more comments. Posts with contrasting emotional journeys saw 32% more comments. Actionable Takeaway: Focus on high-engagement archetypes: Triumph Tragedy Redemption Good vs Evil Hero's Journey Rags to Riches Coming of Age Love Revenge

23. APPLYING THE SCIENCE OF VIRALITY TO CONTENT MARKETING - CASE STUDIES -

24. DATA JOURNALISM Data-driven storytelling on evergreen and emerging interest topics with broad target market appeal A “campaign” visualizes the most surprising findings from your research , hosted on a landing page alongside editorial that weaves an emotionally compelling , newsworthy story. Digital PR helps your brand earn cross-channel coverage across in industry-relevant publications , mainstream news , local news , and relevant influencers. Content can be repurposed across social, email marketing, paid ads, and more. Featured In:

25. ANALYZING EMOTIONALLY EVOCATIVE TOPICS IN BORING INDUSTRIES

26. 69% of Homeowners Feel 'House Poor.' Did You Buy Too Much House? - Motley Fool Half of Americans consistently struggle to pay their bills on time, survey says - Fox Business Most American homeowners are 'house poor' — and 40% of them have taken second jobs to afford a mortgage , survey says - Business Insider 25% of Homeowners Rely on Emergency Savings . Here's Why You Need to Build Some Before Buying - NASDAQ CASE STUDY: CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM “WHAT IS HOUSE POOR?” Negative Emotions Paired with Surprise Notable Placements Motley Fool Fox Business Business Insider NASDAQ Yahoo! News Haus

27. FOCUSING ON STORY ARCHETYPES IN YOUR INDUSTRY

28. Notable Placements AARP Inc Entrepreneur Daily Mail CBS News Go Banking Rates Washington Examiner Motley Fool HR Morning HRD Connect Moneywise Housing Wire CASE STUDY: PAYCHEX “REJOINING THE WORKFORCE” ARCHETYPE: Tragedy & Hero’s Arc TRAGEDY “How droves of employees are now being forced BACK to the workplace as inflation hammers their savings” - Daily Mail “ 1 in 6 Retirees Are Considering Going Back to Work ” - Fool “This Is The Biggest Mistake We Make In Retirement Planning” - AARP HERO’S ARC “Baby Boomers: Your talent shortage secret weapon ” - HR Morning “Tapping into tenure: Re-engaging retirees to fill skill shortages ” - HRD Connect “ 8 In-Demand Jobs for Retirees and Seniors” - Go Banking Rates

29. Notable Placements WSJ Reuters BBC Business Insider Huffington Post Entrepreneur LifeHacker Salon TIME CBS Mashable TechTarget ZDNET BuzzFeed The Hill Observer CASE STUDY: CLARIFY CAPITAL “GHOST JOBS” ARCHETYPE: Good vs. Evil

30. LEVERAGING CURIOSITY AND ADMIRATION

31. Notable Placements CNET The Street Real Simple The Penny Hoarder Bored Panda Fit Small Business Go Banking Rates Capital One Shopping Telemundo Glam House Digest CASE STUDY: COUPONFOLLOW “BEST CITIES TO THRIFT” Curiosity & Surprise CURIOSITY “ 7 Common Myths About Shopping at Thrift Stores” - Go Banking Rates “Here Are the Designer Items That Resell the Best ” - The Street “Home Decor You Should Thrift Instead of Buy New, According to Experts ” - Real Simple “Thrift Shop Like a Pro: Your Guide to Scoring Great Secondhand Clothing ” - The Penny Hoarder

32. GOING BEYOND THE STANDARD - DATA VISUALIZATION -

33. Perceptions of Perfection Illustrations > Social Shares: 925,514 > Publisher Stories: 590 > Notable Pickups:

34. State Timeline Gifs > Social Shares: 300+ > Publisher Stories: 60 > Notable Pickups: College Enrollment

35. The Evolution of Miss America Since 1921 > Notable Pickups: Image Morphing Gifs > Social Shares: 22,368 > Publisher Stories: 784

36. Image Sliders > Social Shares: 2,518 > Publisher Stories: 82 > Notable Pickups: Urban Rehabilitation Portfolio

37. Calculators > Social Shares: 11,336 > Publisher Stories: 156 > Notable Pickups: Sexual Exposure Calculator

38. HOW YOUR BRAND CAN PROVIDE VALUE - IN A BREAKING NEWS CYCLE -

39. REACTIVE PR Based on breaking news in your vertical on topics with broad consumer appeal and potentially divergent views that are gaining traction with mainstream news publishers Campaign concepts seek to add value to the news cycle by analyzing consumer sentiment in a non-biased way, while adding expert commentary focused on actionable advice. Rapid 24-48 hr production timelines to stay ahead of the news cycle Short burst of scaled Digital PR efforts to high-authority and niche-relevant sites over several days to maximize coverage

40. Notable Placements REACTIVE PR CASE STUDY: ROE V WADE VASECTOMIES CONCEPT: When the Roe v Wade leak hit the press, we decided to see how the conversation of men’s birth control was impacted – with surprising results: Interest in vasectomies rose 250% on Google Search after the leak. This indicated more men were looking for men’s birth control online, offering the perfect opportunity for our client, Innerbody, to offer expert insight to address the rising search interest. MSNBC Katie Couric TODAY.com Washington Examiner Politico VeryWellHealth FOX publications

41. Notable Placements WSJ Business Insider USA Today EdWeek Futurism Silicon Republic Forbes REACTIVE PR CASE STUDY: CHATGPT IN SCHOOL CONCEPT: In December 2022, ChatGPT became accessible nationwide. By January 2023, New York City Public Schools were the first to ban ChatGPT access for students and teachers. The implications for national education policy were huge, so we quickly surveyed students and professors to understand: How were students utilizing this tool? What fears did teachers have around ChatGPT? Had students already been caught cheating using this tool? What policies or resources had teachers been shared on? Who is for and against this ban, and why?

42. Notable Placements NPR CNET ET Online Taste of Country Pop Crush Yahoo! Finance Go Banking Rates REACTIVE PR CASE STUDY: TAYLOR SWIFT SUPER BOWL CONCEPT: Taylor Swift attending the Super Bowl, need I say more? We explored: If fans thought Taylor Swift would make it to the game in time from Japan What surprise announcements they expected (an engagement?) What Swifties were willing to spend to attend the Super Bowl

43. HOW CAN I INCREASE MY REACH? What are the unanswered questions in the breaking news cycle? What is the consumer sentiment on this news ? Social scrapes Niche surveys Is there more granular data available ? Regional data Demographic breakdowns

44. “JUST NUMBERS ARE RARELY INTERESTING. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUOTES ON WHY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED AND WHAT THEY WOULD DO WITH THEM.” ADD ACTIONABLE ADVICE BASED ON YOUR FINDINGS

45. “I'M THINKING THIS DATA WOULD BE INTERESTING TO INCORPORATE INTO A LARGER STORY FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH ABOUT WOMEN IN TRUCKING. I'M CURIOUS IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONNECT WITH ANY FEMALE TRUCKERS.” IF YOUR CLIENT ISN’T A TOPIC EXPERT, FIND A CREDIBLE SOURCE

46. HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PITCH YOUR BRAND CONTENT TO LEADING JOURNALISTS

47. “I RECEIVE MORE THAN A THOUSAND PITCHES PER WEEK , AND TYPICALLY CAN ONLY PICK UP ONE OR TWO OF THEM , SO YOU'LL UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO REALLY STAND OUT TO GRAB MY INTEREST.” — STAFF EDITOR “Content Marketing” on Google Trends FRACTL LAUNCHED HERE

48. MAINSTREAM JOURNALISTS GET HUNDREDS OF PITCHES PER WEEK

49. JOURNALISTS REGULARLY PRAISE FRACTL’S PITCHES

50. “10/10. 90% OF THE EMAILS I GET FROM PRS ARE SIMPLY COPIED AND PASTED WITH A 'HI NAME’ AT THE TOP!” UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF BUILDING PERSONAL CONNECTIONS “The degree to which we perceive another person to be similar to ourselves in traits and attitude and to be worthy of our generosity or assistance depends on the extent to which we perceive a personal connection with that person, no matter how trivial .” - Northwestern Law study IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A VALUABLE NETWORK, AVOID THE “SPRAY AND PRAY” PR STRATEGY

51. “THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EMAIL, THE INTRO MADE ME LAUGH A LOT.” Writer Responses to Our Personalization: I appreciate you checking out my Twitter. LOL hair trauma! So much of it! I am a huge sucker for dog photos. It’s a pleasure to (virtually!) meet another habitual cleaner! Hahaha , love it! 80s songs are the best! Ah yes, well and truly addicted to Love Island. So here for the drama! So glad you noticed the skyline and got a little hit of nostalgia! Always happy to meet another Ravenclaw meets Slytherin! Always good to know there are other eyeliner-loving, cheese-eating gals out there! Glad I'm not the only dessert fan. ;) Nice, I'm headed back to Michigan for the first time since leaving. Thank you. You sound like a great mom! I'm sure you can do a marathon, too! It's all about prepping for it! I'm always glad to hear from another skee ball fan! I strongly agree, it took me a while to not regret my college choices! Thanks for your kind words… I was born with a ton of energy! I appreciate your affinity for Baby Yoda. I, too, am pretty big on Scotch. *laughs* Naturally, one can only do so much sassmouthin’. HOW CAN YOU PERSONALIZE YOUR PITCH?

52. 83% OF JOURNALISTS PREFER TO BE PITCHED VIA 1:1 EMAIL

53. KEEP YOUR PITCH SUCCINCT AND FOCUSED ON THE MOST NEWSWORTHY HOOKS

54. 76% OF WRITERS OPEN AN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE THEY DON’T KNOW BASED ON THE SUBJECT LINE ALONE

55. JOURNALISTS PREFER SUBJECT LINES THAT HAVE STATISTICS OR DATA.

56. SPEND 20% OF YOUR TIME CRAFTING THE PITCH, 80% OF YOUR TIME LIST BUILDING THE MOST RELEVANT WRITERS

57. 90% OF THE TIME, IF THEY DON’T FOLLOW UP, THEY’RE NOT INTERESTED

58. THE FUTURE OF - DIGITAL PR -

59. GPT: Subject Line Writing Prompt “You're a Digital PR expert in crafting newsworthy subject lines that grab the attention of top-tier journalists at sites like Business Insider, Huff Po, CNBC, et al. You know that stat-based subject lines tend to work best, especially when you're able to highlight surprising, broadly appealing, and emotionally evocative findings. Please use these sample Subject Lines for initial guidance, and then use the campaign landing page copy to develop new subject lines to help me pitch this client campaign.”

60. Leticia Miranda is a seasoned retail and consumer trends journalist with a sharp focus on the retail industry. Currently associated with Bloomberg Opinion, she provides insightful analysis on a range of topics including retail strategies, consumer behavior, and market trends. Leticia's expertise lies in dissecting complex market phenomena and translating them into engaging and understandable narratives . She has a keen eye for identifying and analyzing the strategies of major retail players like Target, Macy's, and Walmart. Her work often delves into the implications of these strategies on consumer behavior and the broader retail landscape. She is also known for her thought-provoking commentary on the evolving nature of consumer trends and the socioeconomic factors that shape them. Leticia has written extensively about the changing fortunes of the American middle class and the impact of these changes on retail dynamics . Leticia is also passionate about the role of innovation in the retail industry . She has explored the lack of new and exciting products in the market and the implications of this on consumer spending. In addition to her retail expertise, Leticia is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion . She has written about the importance of companies taking a stand on political issues such as LGBTQ rights and the need for companies to be prepared for inevitable involvement in culture wars . Leticia is an active member of the Bloomberg Opinion team , where she contributes to creating a digital opinion world with her colleagues. In summary, Leticia Miranda is a passionate retail journalist with a deep understanding of consumer trends and market dynamics . Her work is characterized by insightful analysis, engaging storytelling, and a commitment to highlighting the intersection of retail, society, and politics . LedeTime.ai: Bio Builder

61. Hi Leticia, I've been following your insightful articles on the evolving fashion industry, particularly your pieces on gender-neutral clothing and the impact of social media and celebrities on fashion trends. Your exploration of the ways in which brands like Target, Nordstrom, and H&M are embracing inclusivity and normalizing gender neutrality has been particularly eye-opening . Given your keen interest in the intersection of fashion and society , I wanted to share some exclusive research that might pique your interest. We recently conducted a study into the content of our closets and what it reveals about our relationships with clothing . Our findings paint a fascinating picture of the stories our wardrobes tell about our journeys, transformations, and personal identities. Here are some of the highlights: A significant number of Americans and Britons admit to having too many clothes, with men typically having a two-week supply of clean underwear and some women keeping a beloved pair for over a decade. Wardrobe decluttering has become an annual ritual for many, with Gen Z tidying up their closets twice a year on average. Millennials cherish their vintage pieces, with nearly 2 in 5 owning a shirt that's been part of their fashion lineup for 10 years or more. Nearly 3 in 5 women keep clothing that no longer fits, perhaps as mementos of cherished memories. When it comes to dating preferences, some women prefer simplicity in a partner's wardrobe and would not date someone with more shoes than them. Our research also delved into fashion trends, with findings indicating that the "mob wife" aesthetic has gained popularity among American women. Interestingly, age is not seen as a restriction for embracing this style, as 72% believe that fashion is an ageless outlet for personal expression. I thought this research might resonate with you given your recent article on "Gender neutral, nonbinary fashion is slowly coming of age," where you explored how fashion choices can be a form of armor, offering protection and affirmation in a world where one's humanity is often under threat. Would you be interested in covering our research? I believe it could provide a unique angle to your ongoing exploration of the fashion industry and its social implications. When AI Builds Relationships, It’s Incredible

62. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - A RECAP -

63. EVERY SINGLE IDEA SHOULD BE VETTED BY ONE QUESTION READ MORE IS THIS SURPRISING ?

64. WHAT ARE THE KPIS OF EFFECTIVE CONTENT & PR? TARGET MARKET REACH BRAND ENGAGEMENT BRAND CREDIBILITY CONVERSIONS “Our expertise is better regarded in our industry than it was before we ran campaigns with Fractl, as a result of their work.” “Specifically, our KPI is the number of backlinks we're acquiring — we've seen significant traffic increases .” “Some articles have gone viral and gotten hundreds of backlinks from major publications .” “Fractl can and will perform along a wide spectrum of KPIs . They’ll be able to align everything to your goals.” We let our client testimonials speak for us

65. See More Case Studies OUR CLIENTS RENEW FOR OUR CONSISTENT RESULTS