Healthcare IT is a highly competitive industry. Young companies are continually seeking innovative ways to connect with their target audience and establish credibility. One effective yet often underutilized strategy is leveraging bylined articles and earned content. In this blog, we discuss the importance of these content forms, how they work, and their strategic value in enhancing your company’s marketing efforts.
Understanding Bylined Articles and Earned Content
Bylined articles are authored pieces attributed to a company leader or other expert. These articles typically appear in trade publications. They offer educational insights about a particular problem area, its importance, and potential solutions. Alternatively, earned content is content published by a third-party, such as a magazine editor, after a company pitches a compelling story idea.
Both forms of content stand apart from traditional marketing materials, such as brochures or press releases. They educate rather than promote, lending credibility and authenticity to the message.
Another Dimension of Thought Leadership
Earned content represents another dimension of content marketing and thought leadership. That is, content that doesn’t appear to originate from the company itself. This distinction is crucial. Readers are more likely to trust and engage with content that feels impartial and aligned with the editorial tone of the publication in which it appears. The trick is striking a balance. While companies can influence the narrative, the final product must meet the publication’s standards and resonate with its readership.
Earned content is an excellent vehicle for:
- Highlighting the prevalence and impact of an industry challenge
- Introducing novel solutions or technologies
- Creating awareness and positioning your company as thought leaders
As a bonus, these articles often include backlinks to the company’s website. This boosts SEO performance and drives traffic.
Determining the Appropriate Author
In bylined articles and earned content, the source of the piece shapes its tone, depth, and impact. Content authored by a magazine editor and content authored by a company leader each bring unique advantages and considerations that align with different strategic goals.
Publication Editor
When pitching a story to a magazine editor, the process is all about crafting a compelling and relevant narrative that aligns with the publication’s goals. Here’s how it works:
- Craft a Compelling Pitch. In about 10 sentences, emphasize the importance of the problem and its relevance to the publication’s audience.
- Support with Evidence. Include customer quotes, quantitative results, or case studies to lend credibility.
- Collaborate on the Story. Offer to write the article yourself or connect the editor with customer contacts for interviews.
This approach often yields articles that present a balanced, impartial perspective. Such pieces may discuss multiple companies, solutions, and viewpoints. Doing so enhances credibility and broadens the audience’s understanding of the issue.
It’s important to consider that many trade publications are adopting a paid sponsorship model. Meaning, articles written by or about companies tie to paid partnerships. Before pitching your story, you should investigate the publication’s editorial policy. That way, you can align your strategy and not waste anyone’s time. Sponsored content can provide guaranteed placement. But, it’s critical to ensure the article still offers educational and impartial insights. This ensures you maintain credibility with readers.
Company Leader
When authored by a company leader (or ghostwritten on their behalf), bylined articles offer a unique opportunity to:
- Educate and Inform. Share deep insights into a problem area and potential solutions without promoting a specific product.
- Establish Expertise. Position the leader as a knowledgeable authority who understands the problem better than anyone else, often through personal experience or industry insights.
- Provide Value. Much like a white paper, these articles educate the audience on essential capabilities a solution should have. This builds trust and credibility.
These articles often feature a headshot of the leader. Including a photo further humanizes the content and fosters a connection with the audience. Since they align with the publication’s educational focus, such articles are often published for free, making them a cost-effective marketing tool.
Maximizing Your Success
Bylined articles and earned content require thoughtful planning and integration into your broader marketing and communications strategy. These are not quick-turnaround projects. Instead, they demand a lead time of three to five months to:
- Pitch the topic to editors
- Organize interviews with customers or stakeholders
- Draft and refine the article
- Align with the publication’s editorial calendar
Leveraging existing educational content can streamline this process and ensure consistency in messaging. For example, white papers or case studies.
Once an article “goes live,” its value extends far beyond its initial audience. Here’s how to maximize its impact:
- Archive and Share. Download the article as a PDF for your records. Add it to your website. Promote it through your email and social media channels.
- Employ Sales Enablement. Share the article with your sales team to foster conversations with prospects.
- Leverage Multimedia. Consider accompanying the article with a video or podcast featuring the author or a customer. This caters to diverse audience preferences and further enriches your content strategy.
Why It Matters
Incorporating bylined articles and earned content into your marketing strategy offers unparalleled benefits. They elevate company leaders as trusted authorities, drive awareness of critical industry issues, and enhance SEO performance through valuable backlinks. Moreover, their credibility and authenticity make them a powerful complement to traditional marketing materials.
Are you ready to take your content strategy to the next level? Our product marketing experts can help you craft compelling bylined articles. We can also help secure earned content placements that resonate with your audience and deliver measurable results. Let’s make your thought leadership shine. Contact us to learn more.
