People trust experts. They listen to their advice, buy their products, and turn to them to make consumer decisions. Gaining the reputation as an ‘expert’ in your field or line of business can supercharge your profitability. And it’s easier than you think.
‘Experts’ communicate about a particular subject in a way that others can trust. They become known for their credibility. You don’t have to have special degrees, awards or certifications to become known as an expert. You simply have to be someone who becomes known to the public and trusted by it for your knowledge in a particular area.
One of the best ways to elevate your status to expert level is to write articles about your passion and publish them in local newspapers, magazines, and on the Internet. It’s not hard to do, but there are some things you need to know to do it well. As you publish articles, you can offer yourself as a news source to journalists by contacting them via phone or email and letting them know where you’ve been quoted before. You can also “publish” via YouTube, podcasts, your own blog and websites. The more your face is seen, quotes are read, and voice is heard, the more opportunities you will have for success. Being quoted regularly in journals, magazines, on TV and other media outlets can eventually lead to paid speaking engagements, teaching opportunities and book contracts, not to mention more sales, bookings and business for you.
“By consistently posting to forums and writing articles on topics you are comfortable with and have information on, people will begin to gravitate to you, and your reputation will build,” says Jerry Robkoff, an Internet consultant and marketing professional who posts on Ezinearticles.com and other sites.
Getting Started Writing Articles
When you know a subject well, have experience in it, and feel passionate about it, writing a few hundred words about it really isn’t hard. Your articles need to be organized well, starting with an engaging statistic, story or fact that will get readers interested immediately. In the first paragraph, describe what you are going to share in the article, with at least three specific points you will make. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, let readers know your overall theme.
In the next few paragraphs, unpack what you promised in the first one. These middle paragraphs should be devoted to unfolding one point in each paragraph. Once you’ve unpacked your three to four points, close your article with one final paragraph. This paragraph should summarize the points you just made and end on an upbeat note or a jumping off point for them to find more information on their own. Include links to your website(s) and any other contact information you want readers to see (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Articles can be posted for free on many websites like Articlesbase.com or Ezinearticles.com, and can also be sent to community newspapers, newsletters, magazines and other places where editors do not usually pay for articles but need articles to print. Get to know local publishers and editors, and let them know which topics you can cover for them.
Offering Yourself as a News Source
As you begin publishing and establishing yourself as an expert, you can heighten your visibility by offering yourself as a source for journalists who need people to quote in print, for the Web, and to interview on radio and television.
One inside secret is that journalists on a daily basis are required to “localize” national and international breaking news. For example, if Harvard releases a new study showing that eating lettuce makes you overweight, local news outlets will be looking for people in the community who can comment on all aspects of this study. They might need a doctor to talk about weight-gaining factors, a nutritionist, or even just people who eat lettuce!
Watch headlines daily and think about the services or products you can offer. What stories would meet your expertise? If you see a headline that fits you, make a quick call to your local newspapers or TV stations and ask for the news editor. Let them know that if they plan to “localize” the story you saw, you would be willing to be interviewed.
At any time, you can prepare an introductory letter that lets local journalists know what you know and shares how you would be willing to work with them as a source for their upcoming stories. When a journalist calls, try to be available immediately, or very soon. Deadlines are daily, and opportunities pass by quickly. The good news is that once you’ve proven yourself to be reliable and provided solid facts in an interesting, clear manner, journalists are likely to call you again and again. Reliable sources are a journalist’s best friends.
If you are not a natural public speaker, you may want to get some media training to quickly become an effective interview subject. For a fee, a professional (usually a journalist or former journalist) will spend a few hours coaching you on honing your message, so you don’t become too longwinded, drift off-course, or share information that you shouldn’t. (One veteran training company is The Media Trainers, known for coaching top executives from corporations like Coca-Cola and IBM. Joel Roberts is also a reputable media coach.)
Another way to become quoted is to offer yourself as a source to public relations aggregating agencies such as PRNewswire and PitchRate.com. At PitchRate.com, for example, journalists can list the stories they need help with, and “experts” can register and respond to these news pitches.
When you utilize these opportunities and establish yourself as a trusted expert, you widen your customer base considerably and create business opportunities that will take you places you might never have imagined.
Some Rules of Thumb for Article Writing
- Keep articles for the Internet between 400 and 650 words and use lots of keywords in your text if you will be including links back to your website(s). You can find Google’s lists of top keywords by categories with the Google Search-based Keyword Tool.
- Make sure that your information comes from you. Do NOT copy anyone else’s words or ideas. (This is illegal!)
- Write clean copy. If you want a reputation as an expert, you cannot afford poor grammar and punctuation or incorrect word usage. Try hiring a freelance editor at Elance.com if you need one.
- Keep your writing easy-to-understand, organized well, and entertaining.
- Hit your deadlines. If an editor asks for an article from you, get it in on time.
Tips for Becoming a Great Interview Subject
- Make sure the information you are imparting is accurate, honest, and up to date!
- Practice your message out loud. Develop answers to the questions you think a journalist might ask and “practice” them on a friend, associate or family member. Ask them if your responses were engaging and clear. Try to keep your responses to 30 seconds or less.
- Make sure you look and sound professional. Do not curse or use slang or pop culture terms. If you will meet a journalist in person, dress well. Take extra care if you are going to make a television appearance. Ask if they have a stylist who will do hair and makeup. Seek advice on colors or patterns to wear or to avoid.
- Be prepared to provide high-resolution photos for print journalists. You should have a good headshot of yourself and any other images that might fit the current story.
- Be available. If you ask a journalist to call you back in an hour or wait until the next day, your chance may be gone. News changes every day, and journalists often need to be accommodated right then, if you can.
- Keep a portfolio of your appearances, articles and places where you are quoted. Ask newspapers and magazines for copies of their articles; ask TV and radio stations for CDs, DVDs, mP3s or audio and video links. You can then provide these to other journalists and begin branching out regionally, nationally and even internationally.
