Anyone can be online – so get offline
Now that anybody can publish anything they want online – from blogs to books – there is a lingering prestige to be had from having your content appear offline too.
Yes, the publishing industry is in turmoil and newspapers and magazines are laying off staff in droves BUT many people still view offline publications as more prestigious and even more trustworthy than online ones.
If nothing else, simply being in print means that the publisher / editor has given you some kind of endorsement.
How to get your content into print
So, how can you get your content working for you offline as well as on? Well, the simplest way is undoubtedly to approach a relevant publication and ask.
For example:
- You do your research and find a dozen offline publications that suit your market.
- Once you’ve identified them you get your hands on recent copies. You need to know what kinds of topics they cover, what’s been covered recently and the style and tone that they use. You might even get a feel for whether or not they feature pieces written by businesses.
- Research complete; you draft a short introduction about you, your business and your credentials. You forward this to the editor – either by email, post or a simple phone call.
- Your pitch is that you will be happy to provide them with content, on spec, and if they are happy to run it then all you will need is a detailed byline (including contact details) in return for your efforts.
- Based on your homework you should suggest a few topics that may be of interest to them and have an idea on the angle you would like to take with each piece, length etc…
- If you have a few sample pieces make sure you provide details of these so that they can check your style and writing ability.
Provided that they know that they will receive regular, high-quality content that their readers will enjoy, editors are often happy to accept these kinds of submissions. After all, it’s one less thing that they have to write themselves.
As an alternative, if you have a high enough profile in your industry or a track record in journalism, you could always push for paid commissions.
But, from a purely marketing perspective, the kudos, recognition and inquiries that a great article can produce are worth far more to you in the long run.
Of course, you can always use this same technique when contacting blog owners to suggest guest posts or informative websites to place articles.
Have your say: Have you tried this? Does your offline content get better / different results than your online content?
