How do I become a featured columnist in a media outlet?

It is great to write a single article that is published by a media outlet, but it is even better if you can be a featured expert with a daily, weekly, or monthly column.

Why is this relevant for marketers?

Writing a regular column for a media outlet is a great way to gain exposure for your business and establish yourself as a thought leader. The repeat exposure in front of the same audience also helps you establish roots and the beginnings of a relationship with your target audience.

But how do you get selected as a featured columnist in media out? There are three common ways to become a featured columnist in a media outlet.

1. Pay to be a featured expert. Numerous media outlets have moved to a pay-to-play model for regular contributors. In other words, instead of a media outlet paying YOU to write content, you pay THEM to feature your content. Some pay-to-play publications may still accept one-off articles or non-paid placement in their publication via their editorial department, but provide special priority to paying contributors through their advertising department. Entrepreneur’s Leadership Network and Forbes BrandVoice are examples of paid-placement programs.

2. Apply to be a non-paid contributor via a submission form. Many media outlets, especially industry trade publications, accept applications for regular contributors. The writer’s guidelines or columnist submission applications are often located under “About,” “Editorial Submissions,” or sometimes even a link under the “Contact” page. While most of these opportunities do not pay writers to submit content, they do not require writer’s to pay to be featured like the paid-placement programs mentioned above.

While these are great opportunities, the competition for a spot can be fierce so be prepared to submit your best content. Some examples of these programs include: Business 2 Community, CMS Wire, and The Sociable.

3. Build a relationship with an editor. Some media outlets do not have formal contributor submission forms, but editors often hand select experts to contribute regular content. By having regular contributors on hand, editors do not have to work as hard to find content each month. These opportunities are often born out of submitting quality content to an editor and building a relationship with him/her. If you consistently submit quality full-text article drafts every month that align with a media outlet’s editorial calendar, an editor may take notice and ask you to be a featured contributor.

The payoff of being a featured contributor is huge because you spend your time writing content instead of trying to get content picked up by various media outlets. I currently have a client who has been accepted to write monthly columns in two separate publications. Each month this client has multiple articles published that we do not have to spend time pitching. As a result of the columns, the client has been asked to speak at events hosted by the media outlets. Media coverage leads to more media coverage!

Challenge for Marketers:

Find a publication that reaches your target market and submit a contributor application or a full-text article draft based on an editorial topics the outlet is covering.

#mediarelations, #SGMCtip, #PR

Photo credit: <a href='https://www.freepik.com/photos/business'>Business photo created by drobotdean - www.freepik.com</a>