The Art of Real-Time Marketing: Capturing Opportunities in the Moment

Marketing today moves faster than ever. With social media, constant news cycles, and buyer habits changing on a dime, brands need to stay nimble to capitalize on trends as they happen. This real-time marketing approach allows companies to reach customers right as interests peak and drive greater attention and sales.

But what exactly does it mean to marketing in real-time? And how can brands start putting this into practice? On Episode 642 of “The Business Storytelling Show,” I chatted with renowned content marketing expert David Meerman Scott, author of  “The New Rules of Marketing & PR”, to get his take.

We covered:

• The importance of real-time marketing
• Putting it into practice
• Potential risk

The Importance of Real-Time Marketing

“So many organizations plan everything at a glacial pace,” David explained. “In the next quarter we’re going to do this campaign, in the quarter after that we’ll do that campaign. But the world is working so fast. And if you’re engaged in what I call real-time marketing, or a concept I invented called newsjacking, then you’re there on top what’s going on when people are interested in it.”

This is the core of real-time marketing – identifying trends as they emerge and creating content that taps into that short window of interest. It could be a news event, like a product launch from a major brand. It could be linked to a holiday or event. Or it could simply be a meme or cultural moment that suddenly grips attention.

Marketers need to be ready to react.

“The world is changing so quickly today,” David said. “And if you’re focused on what’s going on, you might have an opportunity to reach people instantly, because you have what they’re looking for.”

Real-time marketing done well leads to that lightning-in-a-bottle effect of going viral. And even if not viral, it generates momentum and keeps your brand top of mind in the moment buyers are most engaged.

Read next: How to talk to the media in your public relations strategy

How Brands Can Put Real-Time Marketing Into Practice

“I always recommend that what people do is pay attention to what’s going on in the news, look for news stories that are around the area of expertise that you have, that your company solves problems for,” David advised. “As a news story breaks, you might then create real-time content.”

This starts by monitoring what buyers care about and responding with content timed to those moments. Some specific ways brands can monitor the news and trends include:

• Checking Google News and X or other social media networks frequently: David checks about 3 times per day without any filters to identify rising stories.
• Setting Google Alerts: Alerts can be created around key product terms, competitors, and industry news – and delivered to your inbox as they happen.
• Social listening: Use free or paid tools like Mention or BuzzSumo to listen across social channels.
• Media monitoring: Services like Cision track news sources and outlets to surface relevant articles.

The production

Once a trending topic that fits your brand is identified, it’s go time!

“Putting something out around your area of expertise can often lead to super interesting things happening,” said David.

What might this real-time content look like? Options include:

• Blog posts – Quick, timely posts that cover the news event or leverage the meme.
• Social posts – Post thoughts, reactions, or fun takes on social channels like X and Instagram.
• Videos – Create a quick video response with commentary.

The goal is creating content fast that taps into rising interest and gets your brand’s voice and perspective included. This not only drives engagement, website traffic, and visibility in the moment – but also improves brand affinity over time as customers see your brand as an authoritative source tuning into what they care about.

As a simple example, David published a quick blog post when Donald Trump rejoined X after being banned for years. Even though it was short and topical, the piece led to him being featured on BBC to discuss the news.

“Putting something out around your area of expertise can often lead to super interesting things happening,” he said.

Read next: What are the new rules of marketing?

Risks of Real-Time Marketing

Of course, marketing in the moment also comes with added risk. Speed is key, so there isn’t time for extensive planning and approvals. Being reactive, brands must ensure proper review and governance so commentary aligns with company values and positions.

There is also risk of being seen as exploiting a situation rather than adding to the conversation. Brands should avoid overt selling and focus more on informed reactions. Sensitivity around major world events is crucial.While real-time marketing does necessitate more risk management, David ultimately believes the reward far outweighs any downsides.

In a world dominated by major platforms like Google, Facebook and Amazon, brands relying on paid advertising can get lost.

Real-time content – on your own website or blog – breaks through. It demonstrates thought leadership. And it keeps your brand and content in front of consumer eyeballs when they are most engaged. For organizations looking to drive more visibility and connection with core audiences, tapping into trends as they emerge is now table stakes.
As David put it, “If you’re focused on what’s going on, you might have an opportunity to reach people instantly, because you have what they’re looking for.”