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How To Turn Bylined Trade Journal Articles Into Clients

This article is more than 7 years old.

To find clients, don’t waste money on a brochure. Better than any brochure are bylined how-to articles that appear in a publication or website that your target clients read.

A byline is a printed line of text that identifies the author of an article. The master of helping people get bylined trade articles placed is Russell Trahan, owner and president of PR/PR Public Relations. Amazingly, 100% of his clients get article placements.

“Having articles in association and trade publications makes you an authority in your field,” says Trahan. “Your articles will help you gain name recognition on a national level.”

Here is Trahan’s format for a great article that magazines want to publish:

1. Create a provocative title.

2. Start off with a great opening sentence, also known as “the lead.”

3. Open with a story.

4. Use the second paragraph to relate the dilemma to the readers.

5. Give three to eight tips, strategies, or steps the reader can take to solve the problem. Use bullet points or numbers.

6. Give a very brief, one-paragraph summary with a call to action at the end.

7. Keep the word count around 800 to 1,000 words.

8. Include a resource box with your contact information.

9. In the resource box, mention your book, company, product or service. Also mention any CDs, DVDs or online videos you have.

10. And some don’ts: don’t promote yourself or your book within the article, don’t write it in first person, and don’t give your opinion, but state facts instead.

For many would-be bylined authors the stumbling block is the provocative title. Publicity expert Joan Stewart, creator of the www.publicityhound.com website, uses a fill-in-the-blank approach for brainstorming article ideas.  Consider some of her suggestions:

• A Quiz: Test Your _________ Smarts

• Common Errors that Kill ___________

• The Great _____________ Dilemma

• Mastering the Art of ____________

• Top 10 _____________ Dos and Don’ts

• 5 No-Fail Strategies for ____________

• 25 Quick _____________ Tips to Use Now

Next, how do you turn the article into high-paying clients? Here are five ideas from Trahan on how to leverage your media placements:

1. Make your resource box at the end of the article memorable. Be sure to mention credentials and contact information.

2. Buy reprints and send copies to past clients, current prospects, and advocates.

3. Put a media page on your website. List all the articles that are published.

4. Put a short list of your magazine publication history into your bio.

5. Use your printed articles to market to associations of that industry as a speaker.

As Trahan says: “Media credentials speak loudly on your behalf. Whether you’ve been speaking or writing for a few months or many years, being quoted in the media makes you an instant expert.”