End-to-end news-triggered signal composite. Takes any piece of news — an article, LinkedIn post, tweet, announcement, event, trend, regulation, product launch, acquisition, layoff, expansion, or any other public event — and evaluates whether the companies or people mentioned are ICP fits. If yes, identifies the connection between the news and your product, finds the right people to contact, and drafts personalized outreach using the news as the hook. Tool-agnostic. Accepts both company-level and person-level news triggers.
AUTO-TRIGGER: Load this composite whenever a user shares a URL (LinkedIn post, article, tweet, blog post) or mentions a company/person they "came across", "saw", or "found" from any external source and asks about relevance, fit, ICP match, or whether to reach out. The user does NOT need to explicitly say "outreach" — any signal evaluation request from an external source triggers this.
End-to-end news-triggered signal composite. Takes any piece of news — an article, LinkedIn post, tweet, announcement, event, trend, regulation, product launch, acquisition, layoff, expansion, or any other public event — and evaluates whether the companies or people mentioned are ICP fits. If yes, identifies the connection between the news and your product, finds the right people to contact, and drafts personalized outreach using the news as the hook. Tool-agnostic. Accepts both company-level and person-level news triggers.
AUTO-TRIGGER: Load this composite whenever a user shares a URL (LinkedIn post, article, tweet, blog post) or mentions a company/person they "came across", "saw", or "found" from any external source and asks about relevance, fit, ICP match, or whether to reach out. The user does NOT need to explicitly say "outreach" — any signal evaluation request from an external source triggers this.
tags
["outreach"]
graph
{"provides":["icp-qualified-targets","relevance-angles","contact-list","personalized-email-sequences"],"requires":["news-input","your-company-context"],"connects_to":[{"skill":"cold-email-outreach","when":"User wants to launch the campaign via their outreach tool","passes":"contact-list, personalized-email-sequences"},{"skill":"linkedin-outreach","when":"User wants LinkedIn outreach instead of or alongside email","passes":"contact-list"}],"capabilities":["web-search","contact-finding","email-drafting"]}
News Signal Outreach
The catch-all signal composite. Every other composite handles a specific signal type (funding, hiring, leadership change, champion move). This one handles everything else — any piece of news or public event that could create a reason to reach out.
A regulation change. A product recall. A competitor acquisition. A market expansion. A layoff. An earnings miss. A new partnership. An industry report. A conference keynote. A viral LinkedIn post. Any external event that shifts a company's priorities, creates urgency, or opens a window for your product.
Why this composite exists: The world generates an infinite stream of potential outreach triggers. The four structured signal composites handle the most common patterns. This composite handles the long tail — the unpredictable, opportunistic moments that often produce the best outreach because nobody else is sending a templated sequence about them.
When to Auto-Load
Load this composite when ANY of these are true:
User shares ANY URL (LinkedIn post, article, tweet, blog, news) and asks about a company or person mentioned in it
User says "came across", "saw this post", "found this article", "check this out", "is this relevant", "is this company a fit", "should we reach out"
User mentions a company or person they discovered from an external source (social media, news, conference, podcast, newsletter) and asks about relevance or fit
User asks "can we reach out to anyone based on this?"
User says "check if this news is relevant to our prospects", "news-based outreach", "trigger-based outreach"
User has a list of companies and wants to check recent news for outreach angles
The news doesn't fit neatly into funding, hiring, leadership change, or champion move categories
An upstream workflow surfaces a news item that needs evaluation
Key principle: If the user shares an external signal (URL, post, article, mention) and asks ANY question about the companies/people in it — load this composite. Don't wait for the word "outreach." The composite handles both evaluation-only (Steps 1-3) and full outreach (Steps 1-6).
Input Flexibility
This composite accepts three input modes:
Mode
Input
Example
News → Companies
A news item. Extract companies/people mentioned, qualify them.
"Here's an article about new FDA regulations on telehealth"
Companies → News
A list of companies. Find recent news about them, evaluate relevance.
"Check these 50 companies for any news we can use as an outreach angle"
Person → News
A person or list of people. Find recent news about them or their company, evaluate relevance.
"Check if any of these prospects have been in the news"
Step 0: Configuration (One-Time Setup)
On first run for a client/user, collect and store these preferences. Skip on subsequent runs.
ICP Definition
Question
Purpose
Stored As
What does your company do? (1-2 sentences)
Relevance matching
company_description
What problem do you solve?
Connection angle identification
pain_point
What industries do you sell to?
ICP filter
target_industries
What company sizes?
ICP filter
target_company_size
What geographies?
ICP filter (optional)
target_geographies
Any disqualifiers?
Hard no's
disqualifiers
Who are your buyers? (titles)
Contact finding
buyer_titles
Who are your champions? (titles)
Contact finding
champion_titles
Who are your users? (titles)
Contact finding
user_titles
Your Company Context
Question
Purpose
Stored As
What specific outcomes does your product deliver?
Relevance angle building
product_outcomes
Name 2-3 proof points (customers, metrics)
Email credibility
proof_points
What categories of news are most relevant to your product?
Helps prioritize
relevant_news_categories
Examples of relevant_news_categories:
# For a cybersecurity product:
relevant_news_categories: ["data breach", "compliance regulation", "security incident",
"digital transformation", "cloud migration", "IPO/going public"]
# For a sales AI product:
relevant_news_categories: ["sales team scaling", "market expansion", "new product launch",
"competitor acquisition", "cost cutting", "revenue miss"]
# For an HR tech product:
relevant_news_categories: ["layoffs", "rapid hiring", "remote work policy",
"DEI initiative", "union activity", "culture crisis"]
Signal Detection Config
Question
Options
Stored As
How should we find news?
Web search / Google News / RSS feeds / Social media
news_tool
How far back should we look? (when scanning companies for news)
7 / 14 / 30 / 60 days
lookback_days
Contact Finding & Outreach Config
Question
Options
Stored As
How should we find contacts?
Apollo / LinkedIn / Clearbit / Web search
contact_tool
Where do you want outreach sent?
Smartlead / Instantly / Outreach.io / CSV export
outreach_tool
Email or multi-channel?
Email only / Email + LinkedIn
outreach_channels
Store config in:clients/<client-name>/config/signal-outreach.json or equivalent.
Step 1: Parse & Extract
Purpose: Take the raw news input — whatever form it arrives in — and extract structured entities (companies, people) and the core event.
Input Contract
Three modes:
Mode A: News → Companies/People
news_input: {
mode: "news_to_targets"
items: [
{
type: "url" | "text" | "structured"
content: string # URL to article, raw text, or structured summary
source: string | null # "TechCrunch", "LinkedIn post", "user provided", etc.
}
]
}
Look for: promotions, speaking engagements, published articles, quoted in press, new projects
Group results: Person → list of news items/activity
Output Contract
extracted_signals: [
{
entity: {
type: "company" | "person"
name: string
company: string # Company name (same as name if type=company)
domain: string | null
role_in_news: string # "subject", "affected", "partner", "competitor", "mentioned"
}
news: {
headline: string # One-line summary of what happened
event_category: string # "regulation", "acquisition", "expansion", "crisis", etc.
event_date: string
full_summary: string # 2-3 sentence summary
source_url: string | null
affected_industries: string[]
}
}
]
Human Checkpoint
## Extracted Signals
Source: [news source/input description]
Event: [one-line summary]
Category: [event category]
### Companies/People Extracted
| Entity | Type | Role in News | Industry |
|--------|------|-------------|----------|
| Acme Corp | Company | Subject | Healthcare |
| Jane Doe | Person | Quoted (CEO) | Healthcare |
| HealthTech sector | Industry | Affected | Healthcare |
Also evaluating: X companies in [affected industry] not directly mentioned
Proceed with ICP qualification? (Y/n)
Step 2: Qualify Against ICP
Purpose: For each extracted entity, determine if they're an ICP fit. Drop companies/people that don't match. Pure LLM reasoning — inherently tool-agnostic.
Purpose: This is the critical thinking step. For each ICP-qualified entity, determine the specific connection between the news event and your product. Why should they care about your product RIGHT NOW because of THIS news? Pure LLM reasoning — inherently tool-agnostic.
"Revenue grew 3x → [function your product handles] can't keep up manually"
Industry trend / Report
Category awareness is high, they're thinking about this
"Industry report says [trend] → they're likely evaluating solutions in this space"
Person-level news
Published an article, spoke at a conference, posted on LinkedIn about a topic you solve
"Posted about [pain] → they're actively thinking about this problem"
Question 2: "What's the specific angle?"
Craft a one-sentence connection:
"Because [news event], [company] now needs [specific outcome your product delivers]."
Examples:
"Because Acme just acquired BetaCo, they need to unify two separate CRM systems — exactly what [product] does in 30 days."
"Because the new HIPAA amendment takes effect in Q3, [company] needs to audit their data handling — [product] automates this."
"Because [person] just posted about struggling with [pain], they're actively looking for a solution — [product] solves this."
Question 3: "How strong is this connection?"
Strength
Criteria
Example
Direct
The news explicitly describes a problem your product solves
Layoff in your product's department → they need automation
Adjacent
The news implies a downstream need your product addresses
Market expansion → implies scaling, which implies need for your tool
Thematic
The news is in the same category as your product's domain
Industry report about the trend you're in → awareness play
Output Contract
connection_angles: [
{
entity: { ... }
news: { ... }
icp_assessment: { ... }
connection: {
urgency_reason: string # Why this news creates urgency
specific_angle: string # One-sentence connection
connection_strength: "direct" | "adjacent" | "thematic"
timing_note: string # How time-sensitive this outreach is
recommended_framework: string # Which email framework fits best
}
}
]
Framework Selection Based on Connection Strength
Connection Strength
Recommended Framework
Why
Direct
Signal-Proof-Ask
The news IS the hook — reference it directly, show proof, ask
Adjacent
PAS
Problem (implied by the news) → Agitate (what happens if they don't act) → Solve
Thematic
AIDA
Attention (news reference) → Interest (how it relates to them) → Desire (your product) → Action
Human Checkpoint
## Connection Angles
### Direct Connections (X entities) — Act quickly
| Entity | News | Angle | Timing |
|--------|------|-------|--------|
| Acme Corp | Acquired BetaCo | "Need to unify CRM systems — [product] does this in 30 days" | This week (integration planning starts immediately) |
### Adjacent Connections (X entities)
| Entity | News | Angle | Timing |
|--------|------|-------|--------|
| MedTech Inc | Expanding to EMEA | "Localized [function] becomes a requirement — [product] supports 15 languages" | This month |
### Thematic Connections (X entities)
| Entity | News | Angle | Timing |
|--------|------|-------|--------|
| HealthCo | Industry report on [trend] | "They're likely evaluating [category] solutions" | Flexible |
Approve these angles before we find contacts?
Step 4: Find Relevant People
Purpose: For each qualified entity with a connection angle, find the right people to contact.
Input Contract
connection_angles: [...] # From Step 3 output
buyer_titles: string[] # From config
champion_titles: string[] # From config
user_titles: string[] # From config
max_contacts_per_company: integer # Default: 3-5
Process
If the entity is already a person (Mode C or person mentioned in news):
They're the primary contact. Still find 1-2 additional contacts at their company (buyer if they're a champion, champion if they're a buyer) for multi-threading.
If the entity is a company:
Use configured contact_tool to find people matching buyer_titles, champion_titles, user_titles
Prioritize people whose role is closest to the news event:
## Contacts Found
### Acme Corp — "Acquired BetaCo" (Direct connection)
| Name | Title | Role | Why This Person |
|------|-------|------|----------------|
| Sarah Kim | COO | Buyer | Owns post-acquisition integration |
| David Park | VP Operations | Champion | Will manage unified workflows |
| Amy Chen | Director of Sales Ops | User | Directly affected by CRM unification |
### MedTech Inc — "Expanding to EMEA" (Adjacent connection)
| ... |
Total: X contacts across Y companies
Approve before we draft emails?
Step 5: Draft Personalized Outreach
Purpose: Draft outreach where the news event is the hook, your product is the solution, and the email demonstrates you understand their specific situation. Pure LLM reasoning — inherently tool-agnostic.
Urgency is real — they're actively dealing with this
Adjacent
Day 1 / 5 / 12
Standard timing — urgency is implied, not immediate
Thematic
Day 1 / 7 / 14
Slower cadence — this is awareness, not crisis response
Build the email around the news, not the product:
The news is the subject. Your product is the punchline. Never lead with the product.
Element
Source
How to Use
News hook
Step 1 news.headline
Open with what happened — show you're informed
Impact on them
Step 3 connection.urgency_reason
Explain what this means for their specific role
Your angle
Step 3 connection.specific_angle
Connect the dots to your product naturally
Proof
Config proof_points
Show a peer who faced a similar situation
CTA
Config
Low-friction ask
Email structure by connection strength:
Direct connection (Signal-Proof-Ask):
Hook: Reference the specific news event
Impact: What this means for them (1 sentence)
Proof: A peer who faced the same situation and used your product
Ask: Soft CTA
Adjacent connection (PAS):
Problem: The downstream challenge the news creates
Agitate: What happens if they don't address it (1 sentence)
Solve: How your product helps, with a proof point
Ask: Soft CTA
Thematic connection (AIDA):
Attention: Reference the news/trend
Interest: How it relates to their company specifically
Desire: What your product does in this context
Action: Soft CTA
Personalization layers:
Layer
What Gets Personalized
Source
News reference
The specific event and its relevance
Step 1 news data
Company context
What their company does, their industry, their situation
Step 2 ICP research
Role context
Why THIS person cares about this news
Step 4 news_relevance
Your company fit
How your product specifically helps in this scenario
Step 3 connection angle
Follow email-drafting skill hard rules. Additionally:
Never sensationalize negative news. If the signal is a layoff, breach, or crisis, be empathetic, not opportunistic. "I know this is a challenging time" not "Your layoffs mean you need our tool!"
Don't pretend you just happened to see the news. Be direct: "Saw the news about [event]" not "I came across an interesting article."
If the news is about a crisis, wait 48-72 hours before reaching out. Immediate outreach during a crisis looks predatory.
Output Contract
email_sequences: [
{
contact: { full_name, email, title, company_name, role_type, news_relevance }
news_context: { headline, event_category, source_url }
connection: { specific_angle, connection_strength }
sequence: [
{
touch_number: integer
send_day: integer
subject: string
body: string
framework: string
personalization_elements: {
news_reference: string # How the news was referenced
company_context: string # How their company situation was used
role_context: string # How their specific role was leveraged
product_connection: string # How the product was positioned
}
word_count: integer
}
]
}
]
Human Checkpoint
Present samples grouped by connection strength:
## Sample Outreach for Review
### Direct Connection: Sarah Kim, COO @ Acme Corp
News: Acme acquired BetaCo | Angle: CRM unification | Framework: Signal-Proof-Ask
**Touch 1 — Day 1**
Subject: Unifying Acme + BetaCo systems
> Hi Sarah — saw the BetaCo acquisition. Congrats. The integration
> sprint typically surfaces a CRM unification challenge fast —
> two systems, overlapping data, different workflows.
>
> [Peer company] faced the same thing after their acquisition last year.
> [Product] had both systems unified in 30 days. Happy to share how.
>
> Worth a 15-minute call?
**Touch 2 — Day 3**
> [New angle — data migration complexity, with a specific metric]
**Touch 3 — Day 7**
> [Breakup with offer to share the integration playbook]
---
### Adjacent Connection: Dr. Lee, VP Product @ MedTech Inc
News: EMEA expansion | Angle: Localization needs | Framework: PAS
**Touch 1 — Day 1**
Subject: EMEA expansion + [function] localization
> [full email]
---
Approve these samples? I'll generate the rest in the same style.
Step 6: Handoff to Outreach
Identical to the other signal composites. Package contacts + email sequences for the configured outreach tool.
## Campaign Ready
Tool: [configured tool]
Signal type: News-triggered
News event: [headline]
Connection strengths: X direct, Y adjacent, Z thematic
Contacts: N people across M companies
Sequence: 3 touches (timing varies by connection strength)
Ready to launch?
Execution Summary
Step
Tool Dependency
Human Checkpoint
Typical Time
0. Config
None
First run only
5 min (once)
1. Parse & Extract
Web fetch (for URLs) or none (for text)
Review extracted entities
2-3 min
2. Qualify ICP
Web search (for company research)
Approve qualified list
2-3 min
3. Connection Angle
None (LLM reasoning)
Approve angles + strength ratings
3-5 min
4. Find People
Configurable (Apollo, LinkedIn, etc.)
Approve contact list
2-3 min
5. Draft Emails
None (LLM reasoning)
Review samples, iterate
5-10 min
6. Handoff
Configurable (Smartlead, CSV, etc.)
Final launch approval
1 min
Total human review time: ~15-25 minutes
Key Difference from Other Signal Composites
Dimension
Structured Signals (Funding, Hiring, etc.)
News Signal
Signal type
Predefined, narrow
Arbitrary, broad — anything can be a trigger
Detection
Targeted search (job boards, funding databases)
Open-ended (any news source)
Extra step
—
Step 3: Connection Angle identification. Other composites have obvious connections (funding = money to spend). News requires explicit reasoning about WHY this event matters for your product.
Input modes
Companies in → signals out
Three modes: News→Companies, Companies→News, People→News
Timing
Predictable windows (post-raise, pre-hire)
Varies wildly by event type — crisis = 48hr delay, trend = flexible
Sensitivity
Generally positive (funding, hiring, growth)
Can be negative (layoffs, crises, failures). Requires empathy calibration.
Sensitivity Guidelines
Some news events require careful tone calibration:
Event Type
Tone
What NOT to Do
Layoffs
Empathetic. "I know this is a tough time."
Don't say "your layoffs mean you need us!"
Data breach / Security incident
Helpful, not salesy. "If you need help with [specific thing]."
Don't pile on or blame. Don't reach out same-day.
Earnings miss / Revenue decline
Efficiency-focused. "Do more with what you have."
Don't reference the miss directly in the subject line.
Executive departure / Fired CEO
Skip the drama entirely. Focus on the new leader or the company's direction.
Don't mention the departure unless it's public and amicable.
Lawsuit / Legal trouble
Generally avoid unless your product directly helps with compliance/legal.
Don't reference the lawsuit. It looks ambulance-chasey.
Product failure / Recall
Only reach out if you have a direct solution.
Don't gloat or compare.
Rule of thumb: If you wouldn't bring it up in a face-to-face conversation at a conference, don't put it in a cold email.
Tips
Direct connections are rare but powerful. Most news creates adjacent or thematic connections. When you find a direct one, prioritize it — these convert at 2-3x the rate.
Speed matters for direct connections. The first vendor to reference a relevant news event looks informed. The fifth looks like they're running the same playbook.
Don't force weak connections. If you can't articulate the angle in one sentence, the connection is too weak. Drop it.
News about competitors is gold. If a competitor raises funding, gets acquired, has a security breach, or launches a product — their customers and prospects are suddenly open to conversations.
Negative news requires a 48-72 hour cooling period. Reaching out the day of a layoff or breach is predatory. Wait, then lead with empathy.
Industry reports and trend pieces make great thematic triggers. "The Gartner report on [category] just dropped — here's what it means for [company]" positions you as thoughtful, not reactive.
Combine with other signal composites. News often contains embedded signals: an acquisition article mentions the acquiring company is hiring 50 people (hiring signal), a new CEO is named (leadership change signal), or the company just raised funding (funding signal). Route these to the appropriate specialist composite for better outreach.
