Use Tekrati to come up with ideas for bylines

Gonna let you in on a little secret. It’s a neat trick that will help you secure bylined/ghost-written/whatever opportunities for your clients. The best part: It works even if you have no idea what you’re talking about. Note: This is mostly going to be of benefit to those of you with technology or biotech clients, though some variation using other search engines may work, too.

See, back when I was a freelance journalist I would frequently pitch articles about things I didn’t fully understand. I could do that because I could take the time to research the topic after I’d secured a go-ahead from the editor, or I could find an expert on the topic and interview them. I was able to come up with these ideas despite knowing little or nothing about a topic thanks to industry analysts and their press releases.

Think about it for a second. Whenever an analyst firm creates a new report, they inevitably put together a release that provides some insight on what the report is about. This makes them an excellence source of fodder for pitching trendy and relevant articles! Just head over to Tekrati and, in the search box at the top right, type in one of the following words: trend; prediction; challenge; pain; headache; future; or growth. Sort the results by date — you’re looking for something newsworthy, remember? — and start reading. Let’s take a look at this one: Gartner Highlights Ten Key Predictions for IT Organizations in 2007 and Beyond. Click that link and scroll down to the bullets. I loves me some bullets. Each one of those bullets is a potential article, depending on your client! Let’s look at a couple:

Through 2011, enterprises will waste $100 billion buying the wrong networking technologies and services. Enterprises are missing out on opportunities to build a network that would put them at a competitive advantage. Instead, they follow outdated design practices and collectively will waste at least $100 billion in the next five years.

As articles go, let’s say you represent a tech client that makes business to business hardware or software. Doesn’t matter what. Put together a pitch to an editor that goes something like this:

“Analysts predict that businesses will waste as much as $100 billion over the next four years simply by choosing the wrong solutions for their IT infrastructure. I’d like to propose an article by Acme Co.’s CTO that details some best practices in determining how to select the right mix of technology and service.”

Here’s another one that practically writes itself:

By 2010, the average total cost of ownership (TCO) of new PCs will fall by 50%. The growing importance and focus on manageability, automation and reliability will provide a welcome means of differentiating PCs in a market that is increasingly commoditized.

Duh. Dear Mr. Editor…

“Industry experts predict that, because technology will be so affordable over the next three years (up to 50% lower than it is now, in fact), there will be a decreased emphasis on choosing the right technology to buy and an increased emphasis on managing it and ensuring its reliability. Our company, Acme Co., has known about this for some time and helps its customers do this every day. I’d like to propose an article by our CTO, Jimmy Sammy Joe…”

But I still have to write it!
Yes, you do. If you think you’ll have difficulty pulling the article off, run it by someone knowledgeable first — your client! If you get approval from your editor, work with your client to get the information you need. Finally, if you’re still at a loss, contact an expert — a consultant of some sort — and pay ‘em their fee so you can pick their brains.