How to get quoted in a trend article

One way involves the “expert quote,” getting your executive (or client) quoted as an expert in trend stories that are sure to be read by your target audience.

In a service industry like mine—real estate—the “expert quote” is a key strategy to show that one service provider is more qualified than the other. This kind of coverage is invaluable, because it says an informed third party—the newspaper or publication—needed a leader in the field and chose your guy.

Some executives and clients, by nature of their stature in the industry, get called by reporters on a regular basis to weigh in on trend stories and breaking news. But what if that phone isn’t ringing? What if your competitors are getting those reporter calls and are being prominently featured on the front page of the daily business section?

That’s when you need to quit waiting and get proactive. Instead of pitching your guy as an expert for a trend story, pitch the trend story itself.

Here’s a recent example: I work in the retail real estate industry, and our Dallas-based company handles services related primarily to grocery-anchored shopping centers throughout Texas. So, I follow the grocery industry as a matter of course.