Building a strong personal brand can open up new opportunities for growth for both individuals and the firms they work with. Entrepreneur magazine suggests CEOs invest in personal branding, with key benefits such as broadening impact and attracting better clients.
But even if you are not a CEO, spending time promoting your personal brand can help you stand out from the crowd and provide incredible networking opportunities and raising your profile as an expert. One way to gain visibility for your personal brand is by being quoted in the press as an expert.
Begin Building Relationships With Editors
Often the first thought for getting visibility in the press is to work with a public relations (PR) company. But an often overlooked – yet highly effective way of gaining visibility – is by collaborating with the trade press in your industry.
Trade press includes media outlets that are specific to a certain trade, industry, or career path. For example, SupplyChainBrain, Supply Chain Xchange, Supply Chain Management Review and Supply Chain Digest are a sampling of the trade press targeting individuals who work in the supply chain profession.
Brad Berger – Group President and Publisher for SupplyChainBrain – explained in an interview why collaborating with trade press editors makes sense. “Trade publications are always seeking experts in their focus area who can share examples of best practice or provide insights on trends and key issues.”
Volunteer To Share Your Expertise
Berger’s advice for those wanting to gain exposure to build their personal brand? “Be proactive in connecting with publishers. Often editors go to industry conferences so don’t be shy about asking them if there are opportunities to share your expertise.”
For example, the editors from SupplyChainBrain and Supply Chain Xchange are almost always at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals annual conference each year. Berger also attends several other industry events each year, such as the Retail Industry Leaders Association conference and the ProMat trade show which showcases the latest in material handling equipment.
Ways To Work With Trade Press
Many trade publications have multiple ways you can contribute and get your name out.
For example, CIO magazine conducts in-depth interviews with CIOs as part of its CIO Leadership Live interview series. It also hosts events where industry leaders come together to network and share their insights.
Many trade associations and publishers host podcasts that tap into business professionals who are willing to share their expertise. For example, the National Association of Realtors’ “The Drive With NAR” podcast highlights real estate pros in as a way to bring some of REALTOR Magazine’s most popular content to life.
Become A Contributing Author
For those looking to really step up their presence, Berger suggests becoming a contributing author.
He points to SupplyChainBrain’s Think Tank program, where industry experts share insights on a variety of topics. “We have regular contributors to our Think Tank series which is a great way to build a reputation for being an expert.”
Berger’s advice? Make sure what you write is non-promotional. “Nobody wants to read a commercial for you or your company, and if your article is a thinly disguised promotional piece for you or your company, it will get rejected and sour any relationships you are trying to build with editors.”
He adds that if you are new to writing articles, it is wise to hire a professional editor with a journalism background to review what you have written. “We don’t want to spend more time editing your article that you spent writing it.”
The Bottom Line
Collaborating with the trade press is a win-win for individuals wishing to improve their personal brand as experts in their industry. You will win more exposure and publishers win by having experts provide content.
