You’ve finally found the perfect editorial opportunity at your target publication – one that allows you to write the article. You spend time crafting a stellar pitch and send it off to the appropriate editor. You’re excited when the editor responds – that is until you read the email.
“Thank you for your note. We would be interested in a 1,100-word article on _________. Our editorial guidelines specify that contributed content needs to be vendor-neutral, and cannot be a product or service pitch. Are you able to work within these guidelines?”
What do you do? Is there value for your organization when writing editorial pieces that don’t mention the company or product name? The answer is simple – move forward!
There are three major benefits to contributing company-neutral content. This type of editorial:
1. Allows you to control the message. Your article should provide a means for people to make informed decisions about an issue. It may not even be an issue related specifically to your product or service, but should help identify a situation in which your company may play a role and should be an area in which you have credibility. Write the piece in such a way that readers can easily link the content and your company without you explicitly noting the connection.
For example, a hygiene products company may write about how to design a better commercial restroom, addressing issues like how to avoid slip-and-fall accidents, where to place sinks and dispensers, or other ways to improve hygiene. The company does not need to specify a particular product to use in the design, but can set the stage for a reader to envision how its products can be used to solve the problem. And in the process, it provides some useful advice for its readers.
2. Builds your credibility as a thought leader. What establishes you and the company as thought leaders is recognition from influencers outside the organization who can see that you understand and provide valuable insight on the editorial topic. By writing a balanced article that doesn’t specifically feature your company or product, you are more likely to build credibility for yourself. The article should not be an advertisement – that’s the purpose of the paid advertising section. Rather, people read editorial pieces because they are seeking factual, neutral information that allows them to develop their own conclusions based on the information presented. Most contributed articles provide a brief bio about the author, including the company name. The reader should draw the connection between the solution you suggested in the article and your company, and know where to turn for additional information.
A great example of this is shown in these articles with a byline attributed to Chris Hill at Mobidia. These pieces enabled Chris to share his perspective on network congestion and provide a point of view on different solutions operators can deploy. The articles also position Mobidia as a thought leader in the mobile wireless space.
3. Fosters positive media relationships. An editor extends a large amount of trust when allowing people to contribute articles. The editor is seeking an article to address a specific topic and has expectations about the quality of writing to be included in the publication. An editor remembers people who have provided excellent work (and those that don’t!), and will be more inclined to allow trustworthy authors to contribute in the future. In addition, the editor may reach out to you at a later time to obtain your expert opinion on a topic or share information about your company for another article.
At Communiqué PR, we have fostered a number of relationships with key reporters that have enabled us to pitch story ideas and secure byline articles on behalf of our clients. Most recently, our team reconnected with the editors at Medical Design Briefs to secure a bylined article for Tecplot on how researchers at University of California are using computational fluid dynamic visualization software to develop the first artificial heart valve designed to closely mimic the natural mitral valve dramatically and improve the quality of life for patients. The article, written by Scott Imlay, chief technology officer at Tecplot, in collaboration with Ahmad Falahatpisheh, a doctoral candidate in the lab of Prof. Kheradvar (KLAB) at the University of California, Irvine, is slated to appear in the February issue of Medical Design Briefs.
While having content that features your product and company is ideal, your company also can benefit from contributing editorial content that is “neutral” in nature. As you incorporate contributed content into your PR plan, be sure to visit our previous blog posts to read tips on how to write a bylined article and feature writing.
What are some successes your company has had with developing company-neutral editorial?
By Joni Kirk