Get In Touch

From Thought Leadership to Measurable Business Results – The Power of an Impactful Byline

December 4, 2023

Curating a professional profile is one of the most essential tasks to get your name out there as a business leader. You can use a variety of tactics based on your skill set. An interview, podcast or event speaking opportunity can offer a valuable chance to share your expertise directly with your desired audience. Similarly, the written word makes it possible to supplement and enhance your executive profile on an ongoing basis. 

Today’s reporter teams are smaller than ever and “news deserts” are on the rise, making contributed bylines an essential form of content for overworked newsrooms. While not every publication will accept contributed content— and some, such as Forbes offer membership to do so— there are a wide range of publications seeking thought leadership, tailored towards the key audiences you want to reach.  

Bylined articles give you the chance to supplement both your personal and business profile. It also allows you to keep on top of the times and stay at the forefront of industry conversation, providing commentary on the latest happenings in near real-time. You can effectively leverage a steady cadence of thought leadership to increase your share of voice. Furthermore, your unique perspective can be used to support media interest. 

Before putting pen to paper — or, let’s be honest, fingers to keyboard — it’s important to determine the area of your industry in which you want to own a share of voice. 

Breaking Into Your Niche 

Some elements of determining your niche are easy— you’ll want to cover topics in the same industry as your business. Beyond that, consider your business’s unique selling points. What does your business do better and what elements of that can you offer as advice to the rest of the industry? 

“It’s important to portray the essence of what makes your offering stand out from your competitors,” said Liz McCrea, owner of Flamingo Collaborative. “Tune-in to the message you’d like to communicate to your colleagues, peers and potential clients and be sure to sprinkle in some of your characteristics.” 

Keeping things fresh is also important in topic selection. For example, a generalized point of view — “AI is transforming our industry” — will not grab as much attention as an article showcasing the unique impact it has had on your business. Think critically as you research the top trends and find inroads to any viewpoints that have not been expressed yet. Editors like to review counterintuitive perspectives and leaning into those can improve your chances of being selected for publication. 

Bolstering External Initiatives

Your byline efforts can dovetail nicely with ongoing business initiatives. For example, if you are looking to launch a product, or increase your presence in a new key vertical, thought leadership can be a valuable tool to lay the groundwork for your expertise to industry-specific audiences. By providing a defined perspective around the key challenges that your business solves, you can add a powerful presence to back up these initiatives. 

Bylines can also breathe new life into separate content marketing efforts. Look back at any previous content you have— perhaps an older blog post or a blinded case study. If the topic remains relevant, this content can be effectively recycled into a new byline topic on a current trend, extending its life without overly depleting your resources. 

However, while sharing your expertise is the goal, there is a thin line between practical and promotional. Imagine yourself as part of a publication’s desired audience — what information do they need to know? Your work should always incorporate actionable takeaways that the audience can implement in their careers. Educate your audience, rather than pitching them. The best bylines leave audiences with concrete next steps they can take to enhance their business. 

Reaching the Top Line 

Bylines are a valuable way to prolong the life of your business efforts and enhance your executive profile. By walking the line between what is topical for your business and applicable to others, you can showcase your expertise as a thought leader within your chosen vertical. Effective thought leadership can breathe new life into existing content, keep you on the pulse of industry conversations and open new doors to further enhance your career. 

Evergreen & Oak has the years of PR expertise necessary to create impactful bylines, combining topical industry expertise with a unique point of view. Through a network of mutually beneficial media relationships across key industry verticals, we get clients’ names published, delivering measurable results for their business.