Serving as an expert source for a journalist or writer is a great way to share your knowledge — and increase your brand awareness and earn backlinks to boost SEO (search engine optimization) for your website.
You might connect with a writer by responding to direct email or phone outreach from them, or you can sign up for a sourcing platform like Source of Sources or Qwoted.
Once you’ve connected with a writer for an interview, you need to provide helpful information and quotable comments in order to be included in the media article.
I’ve written, edited, and managed thousands of articles that quote experts — let’s walk through my top tips on how to get quoted.
Working with a writer
Just like you have customers you like and ones you don’t, writers have experts who are easy to work with … and ones who aren’t.
Being easy to interview and work with makes you more likely to get quoted in the first place and more likely to get future requests for additional interviews. One good interview thus can land you the opportunity to get additional media exposure and more backlinks for your website’s SEO.
What makes you easy to work with? It’s pretty easy:
Be legitimate
If you’re a real human and an actual expert, you’ve already taken the first step. Don’t let your SEO agency or PR rep answer questions for you. If they’re working as your middleman for communicating with the writer over email, at the very least YOU need to answer the interview questions.
Additionally, if you’re a licensed professional, make it easy for the journalist to verify your licensing or credentials.
Be responsive
Writers are split on whether they prefer email or phone interviews. Either way, respond as quickly as you can to emails, and try to be available for a phone call within a day or two.
Urgency on media deadlines vary, but being the first expert to do an interview with the writer vastly increases your chances of getting quoted in the final article.
Answering interview questions
If you’re legitimate and responsive, then you’ve landed the interview. Now, how do you make sure your interview is included in the writer’s story?
Be helpful
You’re being interviewed to provide insights and expert information for the writer’s audience. Answer questions thoroughly, and offer details and nuance. Give your perspective and expert opinion. If you have a strong take on an issue, talk about it.
Err on the side of giving a few deeper details to answer a question rather than a broad, surface-level answer that anyone could find on the first page of Google results. Remember, your role is to provide an expert opinion and explanation of the topic at hand.
Avoid pitching your services or products unless the writer is specifically asking about your business, such as for a case study or profile. However, using your company and customers as examples or illustrative stories is totally fine and often helpful.
Be human
Don’t use ChatGPT or other generative AI to write your quotes if you’re answering interview questions via email. AI-generated answers are boringly bland and can be inaccurate. This doesn’t reflect well on you, and it could be harmful to the journalist and their readers should any inaccurate content slip through.
The writer is interviewing you because they want an expert’s opinion. Don’t waste your opportunity by asking ChatGPT to generate your reply. Be human. Be an expert.
Don’t even worry about being grammatically correct. Simply answer the interview questions as if you were talking to your mom or neighbor.
Be a storyteller
Anecdotes and “color” bring articles alive. If you have a relevant story to tell, tell it! Share real-life examples as much as possible in your answers. Your quotes become more interesting and relatable with stories, and you become more quotable.
Wrapping it up
After you’ve spoken with the writer or answered questions over email, you’re pretty much done. You might receive a follow-up email or call to verify your name and title or clarify a detail on something you explained in your interview. But otherwise, your part is done.
You typically should not expect to see the article draft, unless the writer needs to fact check something with you.
Priorities and lead times vary and can change for writers, even mid-project, so you may wait weeks or even months before the article you’re quoted in is published. Sometimes an editor will cut your quotes, as well, even if the writer loved the quotes you provided.
If all goes well, though, the article will publish with your quotes and a link to your website. Congratulations, you’ve shared your expertise on the topic and earned a backlink to build brand awareness and boost your SEO.
Note: As of publication of this article, Source of Sources is free for both writers and experts. Qwoted has some features for free, but you have to pay for full access.