I found this wonderful and very savvy piece by Michelle May. M.D. http://www.amihungry.com/ and asked her if I could reprint it here.
Savvy marketers, take note! (I added the subheads, so don’t blame Michelle if you don’t like them. I just thought her info was so powerful, that I wanted you–my readers–to take note.)
STOLEN CONTENT
Like many infopreneurs, I was posting some of my articles in various ezine directories. I have Google Alerts set for several of my keywords so I receive an email when these keywords show up on Web sites or in blogs. I began to see that a lot of my content was being stolen from these directories and published without crediting me as the author.
MAKING THE SWITCH
Therefore, I’ve switched my focus to providing quotes for other authors and supplying articles to more targeted Web sites that value the content and are happy to give me credit and a link back to my Web site.
Last week, I got a Google Alert for my name that led me to an article in US News and World Report that quoted me http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080316/starved-for-sleep-watch-your-waistline.htm. It soon showed up on numerous other reputable online news sources like MSN.com http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100198286.
GOOGLE ALERTS
I had forgotten about the interview and probably wouldn’t have even known the article had been published had I not received the Google Alert. Within a couple of days I got more alerts for my name that led me to the same article on many different Web sites and various blogs, sometimes without the author’s name. In one blog, the blogger even made it appear that he wrote the article in response to a question one of his readers posted http://askglen.blogspot.com/2008/03/lack-of-sleep-linked-to-weight-gain.html.
Another example. My expertise is in weight management without dieting and I was interviewed by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD who writes for WebMD. The article, 15 Best Diet Tips Ever http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/15-best-diet-tips-ever?page=1 was very popular on websites promoting diet drugs, supplements, etc. and appears over 10,000 times in Google. However, Kathleen’s name was not included in many of those posts.
WORSE THAN STOLEN–MISATTRIBUTED
Worse yet, in some instances, the article was stolen by someone who posted it on an ezine directory with HER name as the author, so wherever the article was picked up from there and the byline is left on, she appears as the author. Since my name is in the article, it appears every time that article is published (too bad it didn’t include a link to my website!).
THE LESSON?
The lesson is that your name is more likely to stay with an article when it is in the article than when it is in the byline.
WHAT TO DO?
So what about quoting yourself in an article? Most of us do it for our press releases but would feel uncomfortable doing it in an article with our byline. I asked Mary Westheimer, an expert on marketing with articles, and here is what she said:
I believe that being quoted in the body of the article is the best way to go. Why?
It’s easier to make it like a real news article, which makes it more likely to be printed.
There are more places an article can appear than a column (in which you are the expert-as-writer as opposed to being the quoted expert). That gives you more potential venues.
I think (just a gut feeling) a quoted expert has more credibility with readers.
You can better control the quote (what you would like to be “heard” saying).
Being quoted in the piece means you get the exposure if the byline gets “lost.”
AND THE BEST IDEA YET…
If someone is uncomfortable quoting themselves (being the author and expert), he or she could have a “PR partner” and they could interview each other.
Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly!
Michelle
Michelle May, M.D.
MMay@AmIHungry.com
480 704-7811
http://www.amihungry.com/
http://www.michellemaymd.com/
Blog: http://blogs.eastvalleytribune.com/consumed/