Do you ever feel like a small group of people are constantly being quoted in the media?
You see the same pundits analyzing every inch made on Capitol Hill, the same economists digesting the figures or perhaps the same technology gurus explaining the virtues of year old software. You get tired of the same talk and truth is you are right! You can offer more to that conversation.
What is an expert? The dictionary says an expert is a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area. Well, if you’ve been engaged in your line of business for any length of time, the good news is you already are an expert in your industry—you just need to let other people know about it.
Being quoted in the media might sound unachievable at first but the truth is – it isn’t! With a little hard work and knowledge you too can be quoted on the top fold.
Public relations professionals know that one way to get featured more often is by knowing how to position yourself as an expert in your industry and pitching your professional knowledge to a journalist.
Here are three tried and true tips to help you position yourself as an expert:
Actively look for media opportunities
Journalists are always looking for experts when breaking news happens. Look for those opportunities and consider what you have to offer. Perhaps you can offer expert advice, a fresh new perspective or expert knowledge of the industry. Always remember making sure a journalist knows exactly what you can offer is key.
Another way to engage a journalist is to do some research. Read those industry magazines, newspapers and online publications. Many media relations professionals know publications plan in advance the special reports or features they will write about for the entire year. You can look for a publication’s features list on their website or call them and ask for a copy of their media kit.
Write an article
Write an article about an important issue in your industry or provide helpful tips and advice. You can pitch this article to relevant publications in your industry and explain why it’s a great fit for their publication and interesting for their readers.
Write a blog
Blogs are a great way of sharing your expert knowledge and positioning yourself as an expert on a particular topic.
Always remember by sharing your professional knowledge you can start to build up your profile as an expert in your industry. This may help you to get noticed by journalists and be featured more often in the media. This will also lead to more media exposure for your business and help to build your brand and reach your target audience.
-Team Paula
