From hashtags to headlines: driving social and earned media impact

A viral TikTok. A trending Instagram Reel. An influencer’s hot take. These aren’t just fleeting moments – they can drive earned media and a brand’s cultural relevance.

Whether it’s a viral challenge, a captivating product reveal, or a creator’s organic rave review, these digital sparks can catch fire and evolve into full-blown earned media. Social-first content makes your brand discoverable, newsworthy, and shareable. Working strategically and with the right influencer is key to unlocking this.

Here’s how:

• Credibility: Authentic influencer content can get picked up by media as a trusted third-party endorsement
• Momentum: Influencers can kickstart conversations that snowball into trending topics, catching the eye of journalists and editors
• Original: Don’t forget that the right influencer will have a deep understanding of your audience and by working with them, you can create original content that drives social buzz and media interest

At Nexus, we work with influencers not just to promote products or brand moments, but to ignite PR opportunities. A clever TikTok can be the reason your brand ends up in a national media title. For example, for Deli Kitchen, we worked with an influencer to create a Pigs in Duvets recipe in the run up to Christmas. The piece went viral and secured national media coverage. This not only drives brand awareness and relevance but it also delivers a greater return on investment.

The sweet spot is when social strategy, influencer marketing, and PR efforts are aligned under one cohesive vision. This collaborative approach is how we work – integrating real-time content, creator storytelling, and strategic media outreach to build campaigns that don’t just live online – they make headlines.

Next time you’re planning a campaign, ask yourself the following;

• Who’s going to tell it first?
• Where will it live?
• And how can we spark the kind of attention that earns its way into culture?

Because when social, influencer, and PR align – that’s when your brand goes from hashtag to headline.

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