Submitting quotes to publishers on Featured is a great way to further your thought leadership and get featured in publications. However, ensuring your responses meet our submission guidelines is crucial to maximizing your chances of being published. Here are 10 of the most common submission issues we see and the best practices to help you avoid these pitfalls.
1. Answer Formatting Issues
The Featured answer submission box should only contain your response to the question—nothing more. Including unnecessary text such as greetings “Hello!” and “Hi! My name is X…” or sign-offs like “Thanks for considering my quote!” and “My contact information is X…” can complicate the publisher’s job and reduce your likelihood of your quote being selected.
Best Practice: Featured includes your full name, LinkedIn profile, job title, company name, and company homepage URL within the provided attribution. Plus, publishers can always visit your Expert Page for further details on you. This ensures publishers have all the context they need about you without requiring further introduction or sign-off in your answer text.
2. Headings
Your response should be concise, clear, and written in complete sentences. Adding headings, quote titles, or subheadings can cause your response to look less organic and more like it was generated by AI. The appearance of AI-generated quotes can negatively impact a publisher’s trust in your response when reviewing submissions.
Best Practice: Focus on crafting a single, specific answer with supporting details. Avoid using bulleted lists, numbered breakdowns, or additional subheadings unless explicitly requested in the query.
3. Non-Verbatim Responses
Including instructions, contact information, or additional commentary outside the core response reduces the usability of your submission.
Examples of Avoidable Additions:
- Instructions like “Feel free to contact me for further details.”
- Company bios or personal messages such as “Here is the link to a Google Drive with my headshots.”
Best Practice: Submit only your direct answer in complete sentences. Let Featured’s attribution line handle the rest.
4. Responding on Behalf of Someone Else
If you’re submitting on behalf of a colleague or client, ensure they have an expert profile in their name that is complete and accurate. Their quote attribution will automatically include their name, job title, and company information.
Submitting from a profile in your name can lead to issues with a quote being misattributed. As well, you don’t need to indicate in the response you are submitting on behalf of this person.
Best Practice: Anytime you want to submit a response on behalf of someone else, make sure to create an expert profile in their name, with all of their corresponding details.
5. Generic Information
Quotes that include placeholder text like “Company A” or “Person XYZ” come across as filler and detract from the credibility of your response. Publishers value unique, personal insights over generic statements.
Best Practice: Always root your response in personal experiences, concrete examples, and specific observations to enhance its authenticity and value.
6. Facts or Examples with No Reference
Citing a statistic or example without supporting evidence can mislead readers and reduce the quality of your submission. While citations aren’t required, ensuring your information is verifiable adds credibility.
Best Practice: When referencing data or campaigns, establish a clear, logical connection and provide context. For example, instead of “Our revenue grew by 200%,” say, “Our revenue grew by 200% in Q4 2023 due to X targeted social media campaign.”
7. Self-Promotion
While it’s natural to want to showcase your business, overly promotional answers may deter publishers. The goal is to educate and enlighten, not to advertise.
Your attribution, which includes your company information, will always be shared with the publisher. It’s OK not to mention your company name in your response unless it adds important details to why something happened or is the way it is.
Best Practice: Strike a balance between sharing your expertise and avoiding overt sales pitches. Thoughtful, value-driven responses will naturally enhance your credibility and promote your brand.
8. Broad Responses
General or surface-level answers often fail to stand out in competitive queries. Publishers prefer specific, actionable insights that demonstrate expertise. Avoid submitting a response that reads as an umbrella statement on the topic and doesn’t reflect your unique experiences.
Best Practice: Dig deeper into your unique experiences. Share anecdotes, actionable advice, or data that readers can immediately apply. A daring, out-of-the-box perspective often catches a publisher’s eye.
9. Not Speaking from Experience
Your response should align with your qualifications and expertise listed on your Featured and LinkedIn profile. Mismatched claims can undermine your credibility. Avoid writing you’re an expert in X topic within the response, especially if those details cannot be found on your LinkedIn profile.
Best Practice: Select questions that align with your professional experience. Regularly update your expert profile to reflect your current skills and achievements. If you have secondary or unrelated experiences/knowledge areas, make sure it is visible on your LinkedIn profile and Expert Page.
10. Common AI Phrase(s)
Phrases frequently found in AI-generated responses can diminish the authenticity of your submission. Examples of common AI phrases include: “research needed to understand,” “despite facing,” “today’s digital age,” “in conclusion,” “moreover, this.”
Best Practice: Avoid overused, generic phrases and ensure your answers reflect your unique voice and expertise. If you’re going to use AI, we’d encourage you to mainly use it for editorial assistance. AI writing tools like Grammarly can be your best friend for fleshing out a quote or adjusting your tone if you want to be more formal or casual. However, a response that’s 100% generative AI will often miss out on the insights and details only a human can share when writing a quote about their own experiences.
Submitting high-quality responses on Featured isn’t just about answering questions—it’s about crafting insights that showcase your expertise and thought leadership, with the bonus being that publishers can easily integrate your quote into their articles. By adhering to our best practices, you can increase your chances of being featured and establish yourself as a trusted thought leader in your industry. Happy submitting!