How good are you at presenting yourself and your business as an industry expert? Getting consumers and other businesses to trust in your knowledge is a big step towards brand recognition, and with that comes more sales and bigger profits.
In order to be a recognized and trusted name in your industry, you have to build your reputation. This entails creating original content that shows off your expertise, and then publishing it. Not only on your own website, but by reputable online publications who have a vested interest in your field.
Guest posts not only show off your expertise, they can guide interested consumers back to your site. If you are able to offer valuable insight, advice or opinions about the industry you serve in one article, a reader is going to be intrigued and want to learn more about you and your business.
The Art of Authentic Content
Your experiences and contributions towards your field have already made you a reliable source of information, you just haven’t learned yet how to channel that into profits. By drawing on your personal experiences, you can create authentic content that relates specifically to the types of consumer your company serves. As it is read, your position as an industry expert will be elevated.
In order to be considered by an online publication, trusted blog or website, you need to be writing original pieces with unique insights. Your topic should be fresh and preferably relevant to recent news in your industry. Plus, you need to project a sense of authority on the topic. Most importantly though, the information you provide must be authentic, yet truthful or it will not get published. When you are guest posting on another site, their reputation is on the line as much as yours is. If your content is not reliable, it will be turned away.
Quick Tips for Increasing Your Chances on Getting Your Content Published:
- Research the Publisher – Before you even begin to draft an idea for a post, you have to know who the target audience is, and the preferred tone for the publisher. This entails researching the publication by looking at their past publications and posts, including the comments. Contact the publication ahead of time and ask for a list of guidelines for guest submissions. This will give you the right direction to follow as far as length and tone of your piece.
- Research Your Topic – Even though you are an industry expert, you will still need to do your research first if you want to be regarded that way. If you are writing a controversial piece, make sure you have the evidence to back up your claims. You may even consider conducting a survey of people in the same field and share the results to add integrity to your article. Your goal is to become a go-to figure in your field, but if your content can be disputed, the result will be the exact opposite.
- Be Personal in Your Writing – There is nothing wrong with revealing bits about yourself in your published writing. This will not take away from your industry expert persona, it will only humanize you. Stay in your comfort zone and write about what you know, adding personal anecdotes to keep it engaging. Readers are more willing to believe in a writer, when the writer is unabashed about sharing personal experiences with them.
- Avoid Over Promotion – While your overall objective is to increase traffic to your site, and ultimately build your sales, do not make the mistake of over selling your products or services. Not only will this turn off quality publications, it will destroy your integrity. The level of expertise that is reflected in your piece should be a compelling reason by itself for readers to want to learn more about you and your company.
- Don’t Forget to Edit – There is more to editing and proof reading than running a spell check and checking for grammatical errors. Triple check any facts that you claim and if necessary, add links to other factual articles from reputable sites. Once you are satisfied, have someone else give it a read to check how the article flows and make any additional edits. Only then should you submit for publication. If all else fails, hire an online editor to help you perfect your article.
- Return the Favor – For SEO purposes, many publishers will ask that you do not re-publish a guest post on your own or any other site, but you certainly can mention it and direct your readers with a link. Make sure that you write a snippet about the publication and the positive influences they have had on your industry. A little gratitude can go a long way towards getting another article published in the future.
When you publish informative articles on another site, you are increasing your visibility on the web and reaching out to a brand new audience. Take advantage of this opportunity to present yourself as an industry expert and before you know it, your brand is going to become a well recognized one.
