It’s crucial to create content that not only engages your audience but also establishes your brand as a trusted authority. One powerful strategy to achieve this is by incorporating external sources that provide expertise, credibility, and trustworthiness to your content. By leveraging human and non-human sources, you can elevate your brand’s content and make it more valuable and reliable for your audience.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore effective strategies and practical insights on how to find and utilize external sources to create trustworthy content that resonates with your readers.
Understanding the Value of External Sources
When it comes to content creation, thinking like a reporter rather than a marketing copywriter can level up your content and boost its credibility. By acting as a reporter, you provide your audience with a valuable perspective that goes beyond self-promotion and product-centric content.
Incorporating third-party sources allows you to bring multiple viewpoints, diverse examples, and real-life experiences to your content, which in turn enhances audience engagement and establishes your brand as an independent and reliable media resource.
The Path to Trustworthy Content: Five Strategies to Find External Sources
1. Ask Industry-Specific Organizations for Expertise
To unlock a wealth of expert sources, tap into industry-specific organizations and associations. These organizations are home to professionals who possess in-depth knowledge and insights in their respective fields. Start by exploring their websites and identifying senior leaders and specialists relevant to your content topic.
Reach out to them through personalized emails or phone calls, emphasizing how their expertise can provide valuable insights for your content. Additionally, review the board members associated with these organizations and connect with representatives from brands that resonate with your target audience.
Attending in-person events organized by these organizations can also facilitate valuable networking opportunities and help you establish connections with potential sources.
2. Engage Your Audience on Interactive Platforms
Your brand’s social media channels are not only platforms for self-promotion but also avenues for gathering valuable input from your audience. By actively engaging your existing audience, you can elicit responses and incorporate their perspectives into your content.
Encourage participation by using relevant hashtags and posting requests for input in topic-related LinkedIn or Facebook groups. Additionally, leverage crowdsourcing sites like Quora and Reddit to identify contributors who possess deep knowledge and understanding of your industry or topic. By reaching out to these individuals individually, you can gain valuable insights and enrich your content with diverse viewpoints.
3. Leverage Non-Human Sources for Research and Media Coverage
In addition to human sources, industry and professional organizations, as well as other reputable brands, can provide valuable resources such as research papers and media coverage. If securing interviews with key individuals is challenging, consider referencing blog posts or media articles that quote or cite these experts.
However, ensure that you provide proper attribution by citing and linking to the original sources. By incorporating trusted third-party research and references, you bolster the credibility of your content and position your brand as a reliable source of information.
4. Utilize Qwoted as a Brand Journalist
Qwoted, a valuable service used by the marketing communication/PR world, can also be a powerful tool for content marketers. By embracing the role of a journalist, you can tap into Qwoted’s database to connect with experts and contributors relevant to your content needs.
When crafting your query, be specific and succinct, clearly outlining what you require and what you don’t. Filter the responses received, focusing on the most interesting and surprising contributors who can provide unique insights. Through interviews and interactions with these experts, you can create fresh and compelling content that resonates with your audience.
5. Build a Reliable Source Network
As you continue to leverage external sources, it’s crucial to build a reliable source network to support your content creation efforts. Maintain a master spreadsheet that documents the participation and contact information of your sources. Include details such as names, titles, organizations, contact information, and social media handles, along with their areas of expertise.
By organizing this information, you can easily reach out to the relevant sources when you require their input for future content. Additionally, keeping track of the content where you’ve included each source ensures a balanced and diverse range of perspectives, preventing overreliance on a particular source.
Conclusion: Elevate Your Content with External Sources
Incorporating external linking to reputable sources into your content marketing strategy is a powerful way to enhance credibility, expertise, and trustworthiness. By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you can find relevant and trustworthy sources that bring value to your content.
Remember to think like a reporter, engage your audience, leverage non-human sources, utilize platforms like Qwoted, and build a reliable source network. By doing so, you’ll create content that resonates with your audience, establishes your brand as an authority, and strengthens your position in the industry.
