YEC Members: 5 Tips for Getting Your Next Article Published

Getting an article you’ve written published is a big win for your brand. You can use it to educate prospects, attract talent, inform investors or partners and, more generally, establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.

Not surprisingly, publishing bylined articles (which, unlike Expert Panels, are attributed just to you and carry your bio) is one of the member benefits we get asked about the most.

After talking to a number of members about the process, how our editorial team works and what to expect, I realized there are a few simple best practices that can help every member who wants to publish content through our community. If you’re getting ready to write or submit an article, here are my 5 best pieces of advice for you:

1. Prepare time-sensitive content in advance.

Because our editorial team works closely with you on every single article, making suggestions, providing feedback and asking questions if more clarity is needed, it can take up to several weeks for an article to be prepared for sending out to our media network.

So if you have content that aligns with something you’re working on -- for instance, you plan to hire next quarter and want to write something about culture -- don’t wait. Get started well in advance so we have time to work with you to polish your piece in your dashboard. See No. 2 below for more details on how to speed up the process.

2. Be prepared to collaborate with our editorial staff.

Our editorial team is made up of experienced, awesome editors whose job it is to work closely with you on every article you submit. We’ve developed a hands-on process that makes working through revisions, asking questions and approving changes easy and more importantly, collaborative.

But the best part is that all of this editorial feedback and communication takes place right inside your member dashboard; all you have to do is log in when you get an email notification asking you to revise or approve your article. That way, you can easily make updates, ask us to change something or review final copy, all in one place. If we don’t have the right contact information for you, let your member concierge know so that this important feedback reaches you in a timely manner.

3. Write with authority about what you know best. (And get familiar with our editorial guidelines.)

Thought leadership is all about using your first-hand expertise to educate and inform your target audience, so that you (and your company or organization) stay top of mind with the right people.

Readers don’t want to be promoted to; they gravitate to actionable, real-world insights, and love when members write candidly about their industry and expertise. So, advise them the same way you would a fellow industry leader: conversationally, with tips and insights you’ve culled from your experience and role.

4. Develop a plan to share your content.

Our team will share your article with our social network, but ultimately, articles that perform best (and get the best results for members) are shared and used as resources long after they go live. That’s the great thing about writing valuable, evergreen (i.e. not too timely) content: it has no shelf life. It’s a resource you can use anytime to educate and inform the people who matter to your success.

5. Before you submit, double-check your profile.

Your “short bio” (accessible by clicking your avatar in the upper righthand corner of the member dashboard) is the one we’ll use when we publish your article. Tips:

1. Keep it to 1 link (to your company, a specific landing page or even a book you wrote).
2. Write it in the third person (e.g. John Smith is Executive People-Wrangler of XYZ Company). Most partners will only publish 1 to 2 sentences total, so focus on your current role and area of expertise. Always include your company name.

Finally, remember that articles are just one of many ways we help elevate our members’ brands online. I also encourage you to submit Expert Panel answers each month and submit your company news to our blog editor for potential coverage.