{"id":29116,"date":"2019-05-03T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T16:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/how-to-write-bylines-for-target-media\/"},"modified":"2019-05-03T12:00:35","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T16:00:35","slug":"how-to-write-bylines-for-target-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/how-to-write-bylines-for-target-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Bylines for Target Media"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We have previously discussed <a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-a-media-interview\/\">how to prepare for media interviews<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/national-for-local-news\">pursue opportunities<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/tackling-sensitive-issues-in-pr-and-media\/\">tackle sensitive topics<\/a> with media, <a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/story-angle\">build a relevant story angle<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/how-to-write-an-effective-press-release\/\">write an effective press release<\/a>. These are all great ways to raise awareness around coaching and promote your message and business. However, when you\u2019re not able to connect with a reporter or get published with target media, you can explore other options. One method includes writing your own bylined article, or byline.<\/p>\n<p>Writing your own byline is a great way to deliver your message in your own words and promote your subject-matter expertise. It cuts out the middleman (the reporter) and lets you elaborate on your topic of choice. So, where do you start and how can you write an effective byline?<\/p>\n<h2>Find a Topic<\/h2>\n<p>The first step is selecting a theme or focus. Choose a topic that is relevant to your target audience and something you are comfortable writing about. Ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is there a topic I have done research on?<\/li>\n<li>Have I presented on a topic at an event?<\/li>\n<li>Do I have expertise that links back to a current trend or event?<\/li>\n<li>What topic would be most effective in portraying the type of coaching I do?<\/li>\n<li>Who do I want to reach with my message, and what do I want them to know?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Do Your Research<\/h2>\n<p>There are plenty of outlets that accept articles from contributors showcasing diversity of thought. To find the right publication, do your research as you would with any other opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure you consider the following before you start:<\/p>\n<p><em><u>Content<\/u><\/em> \u2013 Explore the publication and identify areas of focus. Most publications are divided into different sections that cover subtopics of interest to their readers. Even a general-interest publication will include sections, such as health, travel, opinion, etc. Look the section related to your topic of choice and notice the tone and style of writing. Is the tone positive, negative or neutral? Is it casual or scholarly? It\u2019s also important to review what has already been published, so you avoid overlap.<\/p>\n<p><em><u>Target audience<\/u><\/em> \u2013 It\u2019s important to explore a publication\u2019s target audience, because there is no point in writing an article if it doesn\u2019t deliver the message to the right people. You will usually find this information in the \u201cAbout\u201d section or media kit, commonly found on publication websites. If it\u2019s not, you may contact the publication to inquire. You can also deduce their target audience through the type of content that is produced. For example, if there are various articles about retirement, the target audience is likely older adults. The visuals on the website can also help you identify the publication\u2019s target audience. It\u2019s also worth reviewing the publication\u2019s social media followers and high-engagement content by scrolling through its feed. The link to a publication\u2019s Twitter account is almost always accessible through its website.<\/p>\n<p><em><u>Audience reach:<\/u><\/em> If you\u2019re looking for a big impact, it\u2019s important to review a media outlet\u2019s audience reach. One way to do this is by looking for the circulation numbers in the media kit. You should also look at how many social media followers the publication has. If you\u2019re looking to target a specific region, your research might start by Googling top business publications within a specific area to focus your search.<\/p>\n<h2>Submissions Guidelines<\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve identified your target publication, check to see if it has submission guidelines. By familiarizing yourself with the submission process, you can develop a stronger outline and increase the likelihood of your article being accepted. Also, take note of policies for promotional material. It is important to know if you can mention your business name, the word count, format\u2014do you include subheadings, for example\u2014style of writing, use of source materials, variety in topics and attributions. Publications are usually very explicit in their guidelines for bylines.<\/p>\n<p>If the publication you want to write for does not have clear guidelines, find the editorial team\u2019s contact information through the website and send your questions.<\/p>\n<h2>Write Like a Reporter<\/h2>\n<p>When writing your byline, make sure you don\u2019t sound too promotional. Avoid using industry jargon, the name of your business and links that may make your article look like it\u2019s sponsored.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to be objective and cognizant of your audience. Utilize common byline article themes\u2014including problem solving and lessons learned\u2014which can help promote your business in an indirect way. Using case studies is also a popular approach, because it engages audiences and offers real world examples. For further guidance on getting coaching clients on board with media opportunities, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/client-media-exposure\">this article.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Byline Benefits<\/h2>\n<p>Bylines are a great way to promote your expertise and build credibility as an industry thought leader through strong content. It is an effective tool for reaching your target audience and differentiating yourself from your competitors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We have previously discussed how to prepare for media interviews, pursue opportunities&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":12311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Writing Effective Bylines for Your Target","_seopress_titles_desc":"Increase your visibility by learning how to write an effective byline for target media. Get expert tips and start crafting your byline in our blog.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"audience-type":[118,121,124,120,125,117,113,114],"display-option":[],"post-type":[128],"topic":[64],"_person-tax":[2112],"class_list":{"0":"post-29116","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"audience-type-experienced-coaches","8":"audience-type-external-coaches","9":"audience-type-icf-chapter-leaders","10":"audience-type-internal-coaches","11":"audience-type-mentor-coaches","12":"audience-type-new-coaches","13":"audience-type-professional-coaches","14":"audience-type-team-and-group-coaches","15":"post-type-blog","16":"topic-business-development","17":"_person-tax-2112","18":"not-partnership-post","29":"_person-tax-28026","30":"has-featured-image"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"audience-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience-type?post=29116"},{"taxonomy":"display-option","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/display-option?post=29116"},{"taxonomy":"post-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-type?post=29116"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=29116"},{"taxonomy":"_person-tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_person-tax?post=29116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}