In this talk, Oliver Brett explained how anyone can take inspiration from fake news to create content that brings great exposure to their business and has the potential to go viral.
Overview
- Speaker: Oliver Brett
- Job role and company: SEO Manager at Screaming Frog
- Website: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/
- Twitter profile: @OliverBrett
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-brett
- Link to the slides:
What was the talk about?
Oliver Brett comically took us through the steps of creating content designed to attract attention and gain hyperlinks, commonly known as linkbaiting. Through examples such as a erroneously-named star wars toys and a warehouse full of Lance Armstrong DVDs (soon after the doping scandal), Brett highlighted just how fake news can be. Doing so he has successfully gained coverage in publications such as the Metro and the Daily Star, as well as news coverage in the US.
Easily the BEST talk I’ve seen ! Absolutely smashed it @OliverBrett laughs all round but more importantly great tips ?? #brightonseo excited to see you at @SearchLeeds again! @screamingfrog
— Carrie Rose (@CarrieRosePR) April 12, 2019
The formula to profit off of such newsworthy events is as follows: have a strong idea, launch your fake product and then watch as the uproar/commentary comes in. As simple as it sounds, Brett helpfully gave the audience further insights. Considerations such as: never promise anything, use real world photography, add branding (make it as real as possible), move quickly, make it jokey and (most importantly ), make sure that the brand is right and that they trust you.
Fave quote
“We got links from the Daily Star, Metro and all the other big ones. But we also got some print coverage, which is always nice. So I faxed that over to Google and waited for it to be indexed.”
Potential impact on the industry
One might argue that this would only go further as to blur the line as to what is real and what is fabricated in our news. However, if this method is anything to go by, this technique is mostly harmless and done in jest. It has the potential to allow marketers to get their brands seen more easily, and if nothing else, it’s highly entertaining.
Key takeaways
- Make sure that your client trusts you before you try this.
- Make the news look as authentic as possible.
- Make it funny!
