Explore these TopicPulse best practices to get the most out of the tool and drive the most engagement for your station.
On the Pulse of the Content Conversation
For News Directors, Assistant News Directors, Assignment Editors, Digital Directors, Executive Producers
TopicPulse provides your newsroom a clear advantage as a content discovery and verification tool. Utilize your station’s customized Pulses to ensure comprehensive coverage of the day’s major news stories. Alternatively, leverage them to explore innovative approaches in reporting on topics that resonate with your audience—whether through new video and audio content or assigning a reporter to cover the story.
Create a "Competitors" SmartPulse to ensure comprehensive coverage of every story your audience finds compelling. If your newsroom is overlooking a major story idea, leverage TopicPulse to understand why and make necessary adjustments. Consider sourcing fresh video or audio content or assigning a reporter to cover it. For a broader view of your market, utilize the "Excluded" shortcut, which highlights stories your audience cares about from sources beyond just your competitors. This unique tool excludes any stories already on your website from the list.
Both Pulses serve as invaluable content discovery tools, helping you uncover new angles and ensure you don’t miss any stories of interest to your audience each day.
The Story Angles feature enhances your newsroom's competitiveness by presenting both covered and uncovered perspectives on specific stories. It facilitates localizing national news and finding innovative ways to report on ongoing stories that have been in the headlines for hours or days.
Increase Tune-Ins and Win the Market
For General Managers, News Directors, Assistant News Directors, Creative Services Directors, Marketing Directors, Executive Producers
Utilize TopicPulse to guide daily editorial decisions, including determining which stories reporters cover and how stories are teased in on-air topicals and digital platforms.
Keep your audience engaged and tuning in by featuring stories that resonate with them, identified through TopicPulse. Incorporate these significant stories into headlines or bold openings and tease upcoming segments to encourage viewership throughout the broadcast and into subsequent dayparts.
Increase Your Station’s Social Media Following and Engagement
For Digital Directors, Digital Producers, News Directors, Assistant News Directors, Digital Teams
Use SmartPulses in TopicPulse to keep updated on the latest stories your audience cares about and share them effectively on social media.
Utilize both local and national Pulses to curate a blend of trending content. Analyze TopicPulse's story analysis to gain more insight into engagement. When a story's engagement begins to rise, capitalize on it by sharing your coverage on social media, establishing your station as the primary source for stories your audience finds compelling.
If a story’s engagement has plateaued, share it on social media. Incorporate relevant keywords and hashtags from TopicPulse into your social media posts to enhance visibility and engagement with your audience. Then, monitor the topic's growth in TopicPulse.
Explore innovative ways to repurpose content that has maintained high interest over several hours. Utilize TopicPulse's First Draft feature, powered by AI technology, to generate inspiration for fresh social media content or talking points.
Help Drive Web Traffic to the Station Website
For Digital Directors, Digital Producers, News Directors, Assistant News Directors, Digital Teams
If you notice a story trending within your local shortcuts and it's already published on your station’s website, ensure your station is the primary source in your market. Open the story in TopicPulse and review the analysis to confirm your version of the story includes relevant keywords associated with the trending topic. This optimization enhances SEO visibility when audiences search for the story.
If the trending story isn't yet on your website, utilize TopicPulse First Draft and select "Short Article." TopicPulse AI will generate the initial draft for you. Complete the article by consulting TopicPulse's recommended sources, checking with your Assignment Desk for press releases, or conducting further research to finalize the content. Incorporate relevant keywords into the article’s body and headlines to maximize search visibility.
Once the story is on your website, share it on social media, including the link to the story. Use TopicPulse’s First Draft feature to start a social media post, then customize it with your station’s voice, link back to the story, and include the associated hashtags. Engage with your audience in real-time and monitor the story’s engagement, its trending status on TopicPulse, and your web page views.
Verifying Story Ideas and Finding New Angles
For Anchors, Reporters, Producers, Executive Producers, Assistant News Directors, News Directors
Before an editorial meeting, ensure your story pitches resonate with your audience by checking if they are trending on TopicPulse. Review multiple shortcuts to see if the stories are popular with your competitors in the market. TopicPulse is also a valuable tool for discovering new content. Browse your station’s Pulses to identify what stories are important to your audience that day.
For major stories trending for several days and covered by multiple outlets, use TopicPulse’s Story Angles to find a fresh perspective. Story Angles will show you all the covered angles and help you uncover what hasn’t been reported. It can also provide ideas for localizing national stories.
Your station’s Pulses are essential for verifying and finding content daily. Ensure your local Pulses align with your station’s needs. TopicPulse can focus on specific markets, demographics, and topics. Ensure your topics reflect the content you cover and your audience’s interests.
Stacking Your Show & Choosing Stories to Tease
For Executive Producers, Producers, Line Producers, Associate Producers
Use TopicPulse as a guide when stacking your show and selecting your top stories. Identify the stories your audience cares about and incorporate them throughout your show, not just in the A block. This allows you to tease these trending stories and keep viewers engaged.
The stories important to your audience should also inform your bold openings, headlines, and teases.
Consider other shows in your daypart. Check what other producers are including in their rundowns. If a story is trending in TopicPulse, tease it ahead to maintain viewer engagement from newscast to newscast.
Writing Scripts
For Executive Producers, Producers, Associate Producers
When writing a script, TopicPulse can help you get started. The First Draft feature can create a short article or talking points to provide an overview of the story. Use this as your starting point.
Make it your own by adding timestamps, necessary context, and your anchor’s voice and style. If the story has been trending on TopicPulse all day and shows high engagement, mention that in your script. It's a great way to let viewers know that your station is following the stories they see online and on social media.