Setting the agenda. Controlling the narrative. Steering the conversation.

Or, as we say at Henrich Communications, owning your story.

Leaders in their field can demonstrate authority through both action and words. Thought leadership — writing and publishing op-eds — often serves as an impactful way to exert industry influence and build personal and organizational brand awareness.

The following steps are designed to serve as a guiding overview for determining whether, when, and how to write your next op-ed.

1. IDENTIFY YOUR GOAL

Step one will come as no surprise to loyal readers of the Henrich Communications blog. After all, no public relations tactic can be considered strategic without clearly identifying what you’re trying to accomplish.

In our HC Four Questions to build strategic messages, up first is identifying your priority goals for this specific external communications opportunity. Op-eds are no different, whether you intend to draw attention to an emerging issue or sound off on something in the current news cycle.

Most leaders could sound off on a wide range of topics. But should they? Identifying your goals in advance provides you with a benchmark for your decision-making. Now, the question becomes: Will sounding off on this topic advance my priority goals?

2. GET SPECIFIC

Even the most brilliant writers need to plan their op-eds. Draft a quick outline before starting to write. And every outline should start with a clear call to action.

Op-eds serve to introduce ideas, support a cause, or otherwise sway public opinion. We must push ourselves to concentrate our ideas down to a single sentence that answers the questions on editors’ minds: What is this essay about and what do you want out of it?

Essays heavy on narrative and light on a call to action often struggle to find placement. That’s why we determine our best call to action up front, and let that premise guide our writing.

3. ZOOM OUT

The hardest part is now complete: Zooming in on a concise call to action. The second hardest part is remembering to then zoom out.

When a media outlet publishes your op-ed, new audiences check the one-sentence author bio to learn who you are after reading your ideas. It can be difficult to accept, but in most of the best and most impactful op-eds, that author bio is the only place where your organization officially receives its plug.

Knowing how much of your own work to highlight in your op-ed is a difficult challenge. With too many plugs, editors read it as marketing copy and reject the submission. With too little context, editors fail to recognize why you as the writer have authority to make such claims and reject the submission.

It’s a balancing act — with no one-size-fits-all approach. What we can do is try to thread the needle. Present enough credentialing information. Then, broaden how you support your argument by researching and including outside data or sources. This zooming out helps improve your credibility with the future reader, ensuring their focus stays on your call to action.

4. TIME TO WRITE

It’s just about time to write.

After deciding which news outlets you plan to submit your op-ed to, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with their submission requirements regarding word count, whether they prefer to receive an idea pitch or a full draft, and their exclusivity window expectations. Keep your own voice when you write, but be sure to read some recent op-eds published by those outlets to recognize and be aware of editors’ style preferences.

With your goals prioritized, your call to action established, and your outside support resources identified, it’s now time to start writing an op-ed that will reach new audiences and move the needle.

Ready for a thought leadership partner to help you develop and place your op-eds? Reach out to Henrich Communications today!