Write Something Worth Reading, Or Do Something Worth Writing About
The legendary Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin once explained how one can make a lasting impression in this world: “Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing [about].”
In an environment where customers increasingly demand credibility of the professionals and organizations they do business with, Dr. Franklin’s words still ring true. The former portion of his quote refers to sharing thought leadership, and the latter describes making newsworthy announcements. Any business can elevate its visibility and credibility by committing to one or both of these PR practices.
Sharing Thought Leadership
The demand for digital media over the past decade has created new opportunities for professionals to share thought leadership on third-party sites through contributed content. While newsrooms across the country have been getting smaller, the demand for digital content continues to grow. Because of that, many outlets have created platforms for experts to contribute online articles – often for free.
Forbes.com, for example, was one of the first notable news outlets to launch one of these platforms, and it remains one of the most robust and successful. They invite experts in various fields to regularly contribute articles. Forbes gets loads of free, quality content, and their contributors have a powerful platform to share thought leadership while aligning with the Forbes brand. Numerous outlets have followed suit, creating fantastic opportunities for professionals with the talent and motivation to capitalize on them.
Sharing thought leadership on third-party sites is an excellent way to distinguish your firm as an industry and community leader. Beyond the added credibility of being selected as a contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal or any other number of publications that accept contributed content, it allows you to build a steady, influential presence in front of a targeted readership.
Here are links to 5 popular business publications that accept submissions:
Making Company Announcements
Certain media outlets, particularly local and industry press, regularly cover company announcements. So if your firm has opened an office, relocated, added a new service, launched a new product, hired someone or celebrated an anniversary or milestone – chances are you did something newsworthy. Here’s the catch, unless you are a major corporation, the press will rarely pick up on these items on their own. They depend on companies to present that information themselves, organized in a press release or other formal announcement.
Too often, small to mid-sized professional services firms fail to capitalize on these opportunities, and they let their organization’s accomplishments go unnoticed by the public. The reason is simple; too many firms mistakenly believe they are not newsworthy. The fact is that you are newsworthy, but it takes an action plan to let your communities and prospective clients know it.
Want to learn more? Download Turning Press Into Profits: A PR Guide For Professional Services Firms today!
Brian Hart is an award-winning financial communications consultant and founder of Flackable, a national public relations and digital marketing agency headquartered in Philadelphia. Learn more at www.flackable.com. Follow Brian on Twitter at @BrianHartPR.
