What is a Bylined Article?
Each month, our team delved into one “tool” in a PR person’s toolbox – a tactic we use to help us do our jobs effectively and exceed client expectations on a regular basis.
(If you missed prior posts, all are available below.)
Today, we explore the bylined article.
Many people confuse bylined articles with profile stories, feature stories and even opinion pieces.
A bylined article is a thought leadership piece AUTHORED by the client, brand or business. It is not a feature story, which is often authored by a reporter or editor. While it is related, it is not an opinion piece, which is often a first-person call-to-action from a client or group with emotion behind it – or at the least an emotional appeal.
Here is an example:
Let’s say you have a client that is seeking to provide financial services to women. Once we as the PR people determine said client is truly an expert and has something important to say to this group – something that will cut through the clutter – we would determine several angles for the media. One, for example, could be “the five myths about females and finances.” Another, perhaps, could be “10 tips to ensure early retirement.” We then work with the client to write a thought leadership piece using their advice and with them as the author on the topic(s). Once complete, it is our job as PR professionals to research media opportunities to “place” said articles, meaning we work to get it posted and published in media outlets.
Once published and/or posted, we work with the client to market the placement – be it on their website, on digital platforms, et al. We also use said placement to help build the client’s reputation on said topic to its target audiences and to broader media moving forward.
Full Series to Date – Unlocking the PR Toolbox
What is a media list?
What is story mining?
What is a story pitch?
What are key messages?
What is a segment sheet?
What is a media advisory?
What is a news release?
What is a photo caption?
What is a deskside media tour?
What is a press conference?
What is an informal media meeting?
