More often than not, clients looking for freelance help are needing assistance with projects that directly aid the growth or success of their business. As a result, they are adamant about partnering with a freelancer that is an expert in their field.
Luckily, you’ve already started showcasing your expertise through your freelancing profiles and social media channels, but to really amplify your credibility, think about becoming a thought leader. This is someone who is seen as a trusted source within their industry, an individual who actively shares their expertise with a goal to educate, inspire, or influence change.
To put it simply, a thought leader is a go-to expert. The point? You’ve solidified your position as an authority within your niche, causing more people to respect you and ultimately seek you out for any needed services.
The best path to becoming a thought leader is to get published. This sounds difficult, but it’s easier than you think. With hundreds of millions of Americans consuming news digitally, online publications are constantly looking for new story ideas or content topics. The first steps to engaging with these outlets include:
1. Do market research. See which publications are talking about your industry or featuring experts within your niche.
2. Make a list of the journalists that are covering these stories. Be sure to look at a handful of past articles these writers have published to ensure they cover your industry consistently. Journalists dislike when you pitch an idea that isn’t relevant to their content.
3. Find the journalists’ email addresses via a publication’s website, writer’s social media channels, etc.
4. Brainstorm topics that haven’t been written about and that you think would be great for a broader audience.
5. Email the journalist with your story idea and ways you could provide value to that topic. Be sure to share your credentials/expertise and keep the emails concise and not overly promotional.
Another avenue to getting published is to write an article yourself. There are various publications that accept contributor pieces, including Thrive Global, Disrupt Magazine, and Medium. As with the above, there’s no guarantee that your content will be published, however, making the effort may pay off later on. If a writer has a need for an expert within your niche in the future, they may remember the content you drafted and connect with you for help with their piece.
If interested in becoming a contributor, you can find specifications on the publications’ websites. They usually have a section that outlines the content themes they accept, the do’s and don’ts for submission, necessary credentials, stylistic preferences, and more.
If you do happen to get featured in an article, use that to your advantage! Promote that article on your social platforms and your freelancing profiles, as this will put your content in front of a larger audience. As we know, the more people who are aware of the value you provide, the better chance you’ll have to win more work.
