Publishing opportunities abound for marketing and advertising professionals. From A-to-Z, publishers of online magazines, blogs, zines, books and emerging media daily ask experts to “write for us.” Google lists more than 2.8 million citations, so there’s no excuse (e.g., lack of PR or freelance writer budget) to hide your professional brand under a basket.
Can’t take the time away from the daily race? Think again. In the age of personal branding, it’s part of your job description to become an expert no matter your specialty. Dedicate 10 hours a month to the development of your voice and thought leadership will follow. The benefits of being published include:
▪ Your article will be featured on sites read by important people in the industry.
▪ Promote your portfolio, website and biography in the author information box with links.
▪ Give back to the community.
▪ Think of the publicity!
Let’s explore several typical opportunities:
This content platform straddles advertising and technology, seeking digital marketing, advertising, marketing and technology professionals whose expertise in branding, mobile, video, social media, innovation and entrepreneurship can advance the conversation.
From veterans and CEOs to strategists and technologists with new perspectives, ad:tech wants to hear from those who are passionate about digital and accepts single submissions, podcasts and videos, as well as suggestions for columns.
If you have been dying to write a computer book, Apress may be your partner. They are always looking for authors with technical expertise and the ability to explain complicated concepts. Again, authors must be passionate, innovative and original. They ask potential authors: “What are you an expert on? What do you have real-world experience in? What are you passionate about?”
Creative Guerrilla Marketing Blog
If you are a non-traditional marketer, the Creative Guerrilla Marketing Blog may be your haven. Striving to deliver quality articles and analysis for marketers and designers, CGMB seeks professionals who can deliver well-written, original articles. Their focus is guerrilla marketing, ambient advertising, OOH marketing, mobile and viral marketing, creative advertising, street art, augmented reality and related content.
If social media is your sphere and you’ve got professional chops, then take a look at The Social Media Examiner. Like all high-level media, they want only original articles with “how-to’s,” reviews and videos that reveal how social media tools like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and YouTube can advance the marketing practice.
To write for SME, you must be an established authority with a published track record. If you’re interested, send along several samples so their editors can evaluate your writing style and experience. If you are selected, an editor will get in touch.
And then there’s The Agency Post, which seeks to create a dialogue among independent thought leaders in advertising, marketing and PR. They are interested in featuring advertising and communications professionals who have unique perspectives in the industry and can provide practical, applicable content.
To sum up, most publications require:
▪ Articles must be original pieces of content that have not been published elsewhere.
▪ Article must be professional with minimal typographical/grammatical mistakes.
▪ The article must match the quality of other posts on the site.
▪ The article should include images.
▪ Author information cannot promote questionable material.
▪ Include a short bio and headshot for use in the author section.
As a practicing public relations consultant, why would I give such information away, you ask? First, because many executives at emerging firms have valuable insights, but the companies cannot afford to retain PR firms. Second, my experience has shown that selecting topics and successfully developing articles often requires an experienced eye of a researcher and editor. Third, what goes round, comes around, so best wishes.