What is “Payment by Byline”?

OK, are you guys very smart or just really, really cheap?

Well, a little bit of both perhaps...

You see, thanks in large part to search engines like Google, Yahoo and a whole host of other search engines, a simple byline has become a pretty powerful thing these days. Simply put, because they can get you, your company and/or your products instantly noticed in a very positive light to an enormous amount of people. Look at it this way; just about everybody in business these days has a computer on their desk and access to the internet. HR departments, when considering hiring someone, have been know to do an internet search on a job candidate before making an offer to them (if for no other reason but to make sure that they were not the instigator of the infamous Pennsylvania string-trimmer incident of ’96).

Sure, if you do nothing, your name may pop up in an odd newspaper article about a local zoning hearing, or even attached to a press release. But, think for a moment; how would it look to that same HR manager if you were the published author on a job-related topic? Can you say …sssssexy?

It serves to reason that if the choice came down to two or three viable candidates vying for the same job, the writer would have a leg up… simply because everybody wants to hire an expert. Of course; if you own, manage or work for a company, the prospect of building your business is probably why you’re there for in the first place. Even if your company has a killer web site, chances are that the articles you place on it are viewed by your readers as possibly self-serving towards only your company’s products or services. No matter how well written and helpful your articles are, they may not have the same credibility as those appearing in a trade magazine or news article. The ability to reach new customers is a good thing and to do so without having to spend the company’s money, is the stuff heroes, legends…and promotions, are made of.

If you own or belong to a national civil engineering firm, a regional manufacturer of carved-wood signs or even a small local legal firm specializing in real estate, writing about what you know does a few things:

It demonstrates your grasp and understanding of a particular subject. As the Latin’s would say: “Qui Docet Discit” - which translates to “Learn by Teaching”. A funny thing happens to a lot of people when they teach… they actually become better at what they do, and that can never be a bad thing. As with the individual interviewing for a job, it gives you credibility.

Well, first feel free to download a copy of our Writer's Guidelines for a good overview of style and content. Then reach into your well of experience and put it down on paper (ok… a Microsoft Word file will work just fine). What we are looking for is honest, helpful and timely advice that entrepreneurs can use to build their businesses. And don’t forget one of the most important things…your byline. A byline is your name, a few lines about who you are and what you do and finally a link to you, you’ll be surprised how many people use them.

So flex those writer’s muscles, let the world know what you know and please…stop calling us cheap...