Since 1986, the SIIA CODiE Awards have recognized the best platforms in software, information and education technology.  The CODiE Awards are the only peer-recognized program in the industry based on votes tabulated following a careful platform review/ . The CODiE Award win serves as strong market validation for a product’s innovation, vision, and overall industry impact.

www.siia.net/codie/

2021 CODiE Award - Best Content Marketing Solution (Software Information Industry Association)

The IABC Heritage Region Silver Quill award is an exceptional distinction within the communication profession. Entries are evaluated on their own merit, not against each other. Each entry is evaluated by two communication professionals who follow IABC's seven-point global scale of excellence.

IABC Silver Quill Award

2018 CODiE Award - Best Content Marketing Solution (Software Information Industry Association)

Winner of the Model of Excellence award by the InfoCommerce Group and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).  InfoCommerce Group regularly scans the information services landscape to identify products that are pioneering or perfecting new business models, exhibit best practices or offer technological innovation. Those that are re-setting the standards for data excellence are named each year as Models of Excellence, based on content, innovation, utility, functionality, revenue.


2012 Industry Award Recipient - InfoCommerce Group & SIIA (Award of Excellence)

Hacking Health is a national organization dedicated to fostering collaboration between health and IT experts.  Over 100 doctors and healthcare practitioners (VIP/administrators) as well as over 220 hackers gathered to develop solutions and show off their prototypes.
With a focus on frontline clinicians who have identified opportunities for technology to improve the way we practice and deliver healthcare.

Workshop Leader - Hacking Health

Big Brothers of Metropolitan Toronto

Junior Achievement - Economics of Staying in School

ExpertFile is the worlds largest open-access, curated search engine for experts. ExpertFile is the best way to search and connect with credible experts on over 45,000+ topics. Our award-winning software platform is trusted by leading knowledge-based organizations to help them manage and connect their research and perspectives to a broader audience.

ExpertFile Inc.

MaRS Entrepreneurship 101 - Guest Lecturer (Marketing, Strategy & Investment Presentation)

Peter’s work has been featured in publications such as Inc. Magazine and PRWeek and has won industry awards including a 2021 IABC Award and 2 CODiE Awards for "Best Content Marketing Solution" (2021 & 2018). With over 20 years of technology experience in corporate roles and venture backed startups, he has been at active as an operator, consultant and angel investor in markets such as media, telecom, healthcare, Internet services and SaaS software. He has spoken as a keynote/panelist at global conferences hosted by organizations including PRSA, Conference Board of Canada, Business Marketing Association and IABC. He holds an MBA from Queen’s University.

Professional Experience
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SaaS Software, Information Services, Market/Product Research, Corporate Strategy, Channels/Alliances, Product Management, Brand Strategy/Architecture

Speaking Experience
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US, Canada, Europe, Asia

Citizenship
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European Community (United Kingdom) + Canadian Citizen (Received in 2000)

Thought Leadership

Marketing

Technology

Innovation

Strategic Planning

Online Media

Software as A Service (Saas)

Business Model Innovation

Expertise Marketing

Collision Global Tech Conference

10 Minutes with ExpertFile: An Interview with Peter Evans of ExpertFile

Associated Press, ExpertFile

Connecting Journalists with Knowledgeable, Responsive Sources

Dejero

Dejero and ExpertFile Announce Partnership at NAB Show to Add Expert Directory Feature for Newsrooms

AP, Associated Press

Associated Press Integrates ExpertFile Planner Platform

This week, Google started prioritizing mobile-friendly websites in google searches made on a smartphone. the change could hurt businesses whose sites don't pass google's mobile-ready test.

Experts Available to Comment on Today's Google Mobile Changes

Google's latest update, dubbed "mobilegeddon" began rolling out yesterday.  This update poses a significant threat to the way top websites are ranked in its search results. Google has effectively changed its definition of mobile readiness. Our experts have been studying this development closely, and can provide commentary for journalists looking for perspectives on this emerging story.

“Our Research on over three hundred websites in North America reveals that only 22% of organizations pass Google's new definition of mobile responsiveness,” says Robert Carter, Co-Founder and Vice President of Product at Toronto-based software company, ExpertFile.

"Google is clearly sending a signal that the marked increase in mobile device usage matters. The needs of mobile users must be recognized in the way that relevant search results are delivered,” writes Peter Evans, Co-Founder & CEO at ExpertFile.

Broadcast reporters are encouraged to connect our media relations department via ExpertFile, or contact George Raine at graine@expertfile.com or via cell at (647) 784 7191.

Publishing in academic journals is prestigious, but sharing your ideas with a wider audience is exciting and full of unexpected rewards

Academics: leave your ivory towers and pitch your work to the media

Dr. Kristal Brent Zook's article in The Guardian underscores the growing need for faculty experts to more effectively communicate with the media. 

Our experts are available to speak with media on a range of topics related to this story.

Approved Quotes: 
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"This is an issue that is very much related to the changing role of faculty in institutions. Our research shows there is an incredible opportunity for schools to better promote their academic research by helping media tell their story." 
- Peter Evans, Founder & CEO, ExpertFile

"While many faculty are becoming more attuned to the need to communicate their work beyond peer-reviewed journals, there are still many on the campus who lack both the attitude and the skills necessary to effectively translate their research to the media."
- Peter Evans, Founder & CEO, ExpertFile

SPEAKING TO "JOE THE PLUMBER": HOW ACADEMICS NEED TO CHANGE THEIR MESSAGING

There’s nothing new about fake news. satirical media outlets such as The Onion have been around for a decade giving us a good laugh. but…

In this era of fake news and alternate facts — experts are king

Fake news is suddenly big news. A quick browse this morning and the topic is featured in articles and stories in The Guardian, CNN, Forbes, Reuters, iPolitics and The New York Times. 

Explaining fake news, finding its source, its effectiveness and how to counter it are all top of mind priorities for journalists, politicians and even technology leaders. 

Fake news is eroding the trust the public has in its leaders and media and something must be done soon. We need to see a return of intelligence and knowledge to present true facts.

In this new era, issues such as climate change, economic data, security, crime and healthcare policy -people without qualifications are being asked to speak on topics that require years of study, research, and experience. Opinions — not always informed opinions — are taken as fact.

To reverse this trend, institutions need to work with the media to present a more balanced set of perspectives. We need to see academics, physicians, professionals, and leaders in their respective fields contribute more to these big conversations. 
It won’t be easy, but it is possible.

ExpertFile is the world's first marketing platform and search engine for expert content. The company specializes in providing media access to thought leaders and thousands of experts who are objective, credible and whose opinions are sought and respected worldwide.  Now more than ever – the public needs trustworthy sources of accurate and unbiased information.

Peter Evans is the CEO and Co-founder of ExpertFile. His experience and expertise has made him a leader in the realms of innovation, marketing and digital software. He is a respected speaker and a sought-out panelist for technology, marketing and innovation events throughout the world. Peter is available to speak to media regarding fake news and how technology companies are fighting back. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

Confronting the Fake News Phenomenon with Credibility

Media Distribution Partner

Newsroom Distribution Partner (Broadcast Television)

Flipping the Funnel: How to Build a Trusted Advisor Program that Generates Expert Qualified Leads

"More Brains, Less Bots: Driving Reputation & Revenue with Expertise Marketing"

Inside the Next Generation Newsroom - Joint Presentation & Case Study with the Associated Press

Storytelling in the Age of Disinformation

Expertise Marketing for Institutions

Inside the Next Generation Newsroom - Joint Session with Associated Press

Inside the Next Generation Newsroom - The New Rules for Communications

Promoting Your Faculty to Newsrooms: Best Practices

Thought Leadership to Drive Sales

"From Fail to Scale: Customer Value Design for Startups"

CIO Innovation Workshop

Innovation in Publishing Panel

Moving Ideas to Income in a Not So Flat World

Blue Ocean Strategy: Case Study Presentation

From Thought Leader to Market Leader: Rising Above the Market Noise

Marketing for Researchers

Business Plan Workshop

Introduction to Marketing & Strategy 

Investor Pitch Preparation - Workshop

Essentials of a Killer Investor Pitch

Collision Conference 2019

Collision Conference 2019 Keynote

CODiE Awards, Content Marketing

2018 CODiE Award - Best Content Marketing Solution

For marketers today the purchase process has increased in complexity. Today, audiences advance through a process known as the buyer’s journey” – the research and decision-making process that customers go through which progresses from awareness to evaluation and ultimately purchase.   Audiences have become far more sophisticated. Research clearly shows that expert content is setting the bar for relevance, credibility and attractiveness for every stage of the buyer journey. To address this, expert content is more important than ever.  The following 5 areas are influencing this shift.Buyers Have Shifted into Self-Serve Mode When Researching Purchases.  Approximately 67% of the buyer’s journey is complete prior to contacting a vendor (Source: Sirius Decisions).    The research continues to show that many buyers would sooner help themselves to content rather than speak to a salesperson, especially in the early stage of the buyer journey. Audiences are increasingly venturing online to do more of their own research to validate the buying decision.  And they are digging deeper into content and are looking to see the people you have onboard to support their decision-making.The Buyer Journey is More Collaborative &amp; Non-Linear Than Ever.  It is clear that the traditional linear sales funnel has disappeared. In B2B markets, buyers now engage with an average of 11.4 pieces of content prior to making a purchase (Source: Forrester Research). They are now more likely to bounce around on a variety of sites.Experts are a Top Source of Influence in Purchase Behavior.   Research by the Information Technology Sales and Marketing Association (ITSMA) has consistently ranked subject-matter experts as a top source of information influencing purchase behavior in B2B, higher consideration purchases. In this new model, buyers validate the purchase decision by seeking out reliable information from trusted sources.   Decisions such as what lawyer to choose; what IT platform to invest in or where to study for graduate school can be very positively influenced by expert content.The Buying Process is More Inclusive than Ever with Multiple Personas Playing a Part.  In addition to consulting industry peers on social media channels, buyers work with colleagues inside their organizations when making purchase decisions. Marketers and salespeople cannot be content with focusing on key decision-makers. If you aren’t known company-wide this will present challenges.Feeding the Search Engines The Right Content Matters More Than Ever.   According to a Google/Millward Brown study, 71% of business purchases begin with a non-branded search. These generic queries, are from people looking for product first, not for a specific brand or organization name. Huge improvements in organic search rank are possible once when your content is optimized to support the customer at all phases of the buyer journey. Expert content, in the form of articles, infographics, or videos, not only strengthens the trust relationship with your buyer, but also reinforces your value and expertise with search engines. you pay a little more attention to the information structure on your website and add assets such as multimedia content to expert profiles. Search engines continue to reward well developed expert content that has personal attribution with higher trust and authority rankings as it views this content as more relevant.

why-should-experts-drive-your-content-marketing-strategy

Why should experts drive your content marketing strategy?


By definition, an expert is someone with comprehensive or authoritative knowledge in a particular area of study. While formal education and certifications are a starting point for expertise, many disciplines don’t have a set list of criteria to measure expertise against. There are many dimensions of expertise that relate not just to the working proficiency of an expert in their field but also to the degree of influence and authority they have earned within their profession or community of practice. Because of this, expertise is often looked at as a person’s cumulative training, skills, research, and experience.What’s important to consider is all of the roles that the people in your organization can play. While many of these people have put in their 10,000 hours, not everyone is wired to speak on podiums or to the media. But they still hold incredible value – from the perspectives they can help you research and develop to the content they can help produce. Here are some of the key attributes to look for in assessing the various roles for your people as you formulate an expertise marketing plan:Authority: Has a reputation with an audience as a go-to source for perspectivesAdvocate: Demonstrates a commitment to a community of practice to help advance their fieldEducator: Teaches and inspires on the podium or in the classroomAuthor: Develops content to establish their reputation and reach a broader audienceResearcher: Generates unique insights through their research or fieldworkPractitioner: Actively builds knowledge in a specific discipline or practice area by providing servicesGraduate: Has formal education or gained experience to achieve proficiency in a subject

who-qualifies-as-an-expert

Expertise marketing takes the best parts of thought leadership and makes it more inclusive, sustainable and agile. On top of this, expertise marketing incorporates human connections as a fundamental component of both the strategy and execution. It surfaces diverse expert perspectives, delivers authenticity and creates two-way conversations between you and your audiences. Most of all, it can easily be adapted as our environments change and new audience needs emerge.The following chart highlights the main key differences:

what-is-the-difference-between-thought-leadership-and-expertise-marketing

What is the difference between Thought Leadership and Expertise Marketing?


higher-education-enters-the-ring

What Linda McMahon’s Appointment Means for Colleges & Universities

Co-Founder & CEO

 Why it matters  Yesterday’s announcement that Linda McMahon is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education ushers in a new era for universities and colleges.  This signals a sharp pivot toward decentralization and pro-business policies, and it's expected that McMahon’s leadership will focus on dismantling traditional federal education structures, expanding school choice, and aligning education priorities with a business-first agenda.  Higher education faces funding uncertainties, new accountability pressures, and the need to demonstrate its relevance in supporting economic growth.
The Big Picture  McMahon’s appointment reflects Trump’s broader strategy to reframe education policy in a way that prioritizes state control, entrepreneurship, and conservative cultural values. This will likely have significant consequences for higher education, including:

Decentralization: Shifting control of education policy and funding to the states.

School Choice Expansion: Redirecting public funds to private, religious, and homeschooling options.

Economic Alignment: Pressuring institutions to support industry, small business, and workforce development through research, partnerships, and entrepreneurship/startup programs.

Cultural Shifts: Rolling back policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion while emphasizing “patriotic” education.
 What’s at Stake  Federal Funding Cuts: Threat: Research funding, Pell Grants, and other federal supports may face cuts.
Reality Check: Congressional approval is required to eliminate funding streams like Title I, making complete federal withdrawal unlikely but changes and funding disruptions possible.

Policy Shifts: Threat: Federal oversight will likely weaken, and policies favoring vocational and workforce-aligned education will likely put increased pressure on programs such as liberal arts. Universities will also likely face increasing pressure to align with ideological goals, such as restricting DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives.  The new administration could wield considerable control over the school accreditation process, which has been seen by some to force ideological changes on campuses.  There has been a movement to decentralize accreditation authority, reduce federal oversight, and align educational standards with conservative values. According to the Council for Higher Education, many of the ideas put forward focus on empowering states to authorize accrediting agencies and even serve as accreditors themselves, shifting control from federal to state governments. 
Action: Institutions must better identify their options amidst a rapidly evolving agenda at both the state and federal levels, develop strategies and secure the resources necessary.  For instance, there are calls to prohibit accreditors from requiring institutions to implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.  Institutions also need to understand what the implications of a more diverse accreditation landscape could be, with standards varying significantly across states, potentially affecting the uniformity and transferability of academic credentials nationwide. 

Reputational Risks: Concern: Growing public skepticism toward higher education undermines enrolment and support.
Impact: Conservative narratives favoring alternatives like apprenticeships and other programs that support the economy and job growth will likely gain traction.

Preserving Institutional Independence: Pressure: Universities face increased scrutiny of their course curriculum and research priorities that may be deemed ideologically contentious.
Opportunity: Institutions must tangibly demonstrate their value to society.  The more they can do to break down barriers between “town and gown” and counter the narrative that paints them as too expensive, elitist, and out of touch.

Demonstrating Economic Impact: Need: Universities must showcase their role in driving economic growth through research, commercialization, and support for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Opportunity: Institutions should communicate their relevance in relatable ways that engage with businesses, emphasizing tangible contributions to research innovation and job creation as a positive return on investment that can be messaged to taxpayers. 
 Key Questions for Higher Ed Leaders  Funding: How can we diversify revenue streams and reduce reliance on federal support?
Advocacy: How should universities engage state and federal leaders to protect their interests?
Reputation: How can higher education rebuild public trust and counter skepticism? 
Relevance: How do we better communicate the value of university research and its role in supporting a pro-business agenda?
Adaptation: Can institutions innovate by expanding industry partnerships, online education, and workforce-aligned programs?
 Implications of Project 2025  Project 2025 is a comprehensive initiative spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, aiming to reshape the U.S. federal government through a conservative lens. Launched in April 2023, it serves as a strategic blueprint for a potential conservative administration, detailing policy proposals, personnel strategies, training programs, and a 180-day action plan. 
 

Analysis from the Brookings Institution states that "many proposals in Project 2025 would require an unlikely degree of cooperation from Congress, though others could be enacted unilaterally by a second Trump administration.”  While we don’t know the full extent to which Project 2025 will be implemented, its agenda seeks to reshape federal agencies, including the Department of Education, with a significant impact on the sector.  Key areas of focus include:

Title I and Student Aid Proposals to give parents more control over federal funds could deprioritize public education.

Tax Credits for School Choice Incentives to support private school tuition may shift K-12 pipelines, impacting university enrolment.

Economic Realignment Universities will need to align with business priorities, emphasizing innovation, commercialization, and job creation.

Diversity Equity & Inclusion Project 2025 explicitly calls for reducing federal spending on what it deems unnecessary or politicized initiatives, and DEI programs are likely to fall under this categorization.  This could have wide-ranging impacts, including changes to school ranking systems that have a DEI component.  Ranking bodies such as US News & World Report may need to adjust their methodologies to account for changes in diversity initiatives and data availability. With potential reductions in diversity-related data, rankings might place greater emphasis on other factors such as academic performance, faculty qualifications, and post-graduate outcomes. 
This also could extend to endowments, which direct funding toward diversity programs through scholarships and fellowships. For institutions that rely heavily on DEI as a cornerstone of their fundraising and donor relations strategies, they may experience reduced donor enthusiasm, particularly from philanthropic organizations or alumni committed to these causes. 

Regulatory Rollbacks There is the potential for significant changes to Title IX protections and federal loan forgiveness programs, creating legal and financial uncertainty.
 What Universities Can Do Now:  Secure Funding Build relationships with private donors, businesses, and industry partners. Strengthen advocacy efforts at the state level to safeguard funding & other resources.   Adopt proactive strategies to mitigate potential policy impacts, such as diversifying revenue sources, engaging donors with aligned government priorities, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.  Reinforce Public Trust Explain complex topics in accessible ways to help the public and policymakers make informed decisions.  Help promote and support faculty who can serve as credible sources for the media, countering misinformation and fostering informed dialogue. Strengthen community connections with your experts through public speaking engagements, workshops, and local events. Position the university as a hub for knowledge and innovation that benefits the community. Capitalize on the reach and influence of alumni.  Highlight their successes to show how they benefitted from educational programs and research.  Position them as important role models and advocates in the community who are contributing to economic growth.  Demonstrate Relevance Showcase faculty and their research breakthroughs.  Demonstrate how their work benefits industries, supports entrepreneurship and addresses societal challenges.  Speak to real-world outcomes in health, technology, the environment, and more.  Use accessible language to connect with policymakers, business leaders and taxpayers.  Strengthen Advocacy: Partner with peer institutions to shape policy discussions. Position universities and colleges as vital contributors to a pro-business agenda.  Innovate: Expand stackable credentials and micro-credential programs that are aligned with private and public sector requirements and emerging skills-based models. Look at new online education options. Embrace partnerships that connect academic research to real-world economic impact. Universities must deliver a more compelling, data-driven, yet humanized story about their institution’s contributions, fostering stronger relationships with government, the private sector, and taxpayers.  What's Next  This new era will most certainly challenge higher education to rethink its approach to funding, policy, and public engagement. For all institutions, both public and private, there is no place to hide.  As they step into the ring, Higher Education leaders will need lots of support as they look to forge new paths for research, teaching, and community service while engaging their stakeholders in ways that more powerfully communicate their vital contributions to society. 
The bell has rung—are you ready?




Higher Education Enters the Ring

the-secret-to-winning-media-coverage-give-journalists-what-they-want-insights-from-cisions-2024-media-report

The 2024 Cision State of the Media Report is jam-packed with all sorts of detailed PR info which can be somewhat overwhelming.  But there's an important theme to be found in the data.  Kudos to the team at Cision for running this survey that polled over 3,000 staff journalists and freelancers, which is now in its 15th year.
The big takeaway for me?  Give journalists what they want. Sounds simple enough.  Yet, with so many organizations competing for media attention amidst a sea of new AI-enabled platform hacks, many need to focus on the fundamentals of media relations, which this report nicely captures.

   
The media is inundated with pitches. So, the secret to success lies in understanding what jobs journalists have to do and giving them what they need to file their stories…fast.

According to the Cision 2024 survey, at the top of the journalists' wish list are:

Topical Relevance (68%): Understanding the target audience and what they find relevant. Access to Experts (52%): Connecting journalists with experts and setting up interviews. Credible Data and Research (48%): Providing data and key research. Speed of Response (47%): Responding quickly to inquiries and respecting journalists’ deadlines.  In short, journalists want relevant pitches, expert connections, and credible data, and they want it ASAP so they can meet their deadlines. While the Cision report outlines many other best practices that will undoubtedly improve your coverage rate (such as helping journalists quickly source multimedia assets like images), I want to focus on the importance of nailing these first four rules.
 
 Rule #1: Pitch Relevant Topics to Journalists Irrelevant pitches not only waste a journalist's time but also damage your credibility. In fact, 77% of journalists in the Cision study cited being spammed with irrelevant pitches as a reason to block a PR professional or put them on the "do not call" list. The study also reported that journalists are "fed up" with follow-ups to unsolicited pitches.  Now, only 8% of journalists think it's okay to follow up more than once to check on a story they have pitched. 

Rule #2: Get Your Experts in Front of Journalists Connecting with credible expert sources is time-consuming.  Joint research conducted by ExpertFile and the Associated Press revealed it takes on average, over 2 hours for journalists to secure an expert source for an interview.  We can do better than that.  As a PR/Media Relations pro, one of your "superpowers" needs to be the ability to spot a story opportunity and get your subject matter experts lined up for the media interview.  This is an area where journalists see comms and media pros playing a vital role inside the organization.  But if your pitch "sounds like a marketing brochure" the Cision survey shows that 55% of journalists would add you to their naughty list. One of the best ways to avoid this trap and enrich your story is to bring experts and their unique, specialized knowledge to the interview. That means ensuring you are attributing the source of your blog posts to experts in your organization and including links to their expert profile in your pitch.  Enclosing a link to an outdated, boring biography on your website or a LinkedIn profile that hasn't been updated since the Yankees last won the World Series (2009), won't score points with journalists.

Rule 3: Provide Journalists with Credible Data and Key Research Providing this information not only supports your story but also builds trust. Ensure that your pitches include the latest research findings, statistics, and data from reputable sources within your institution. This evidence-based approach enhances the credibility of your pitches and increases the likelihood of them being picked up by the media.  While primary data is best, if you are curating data from other sources, it's critical to cite sources and, ideally, create derivative insights that help the journalist look at the information in a fresh way.  For example we have many economists on our ExpertFile network that provide insights regularly on data they didn't gather.  But their ability to critically analyze economic data from trusted sources such as the US Census Bureau or the European Union and generate unique, often counterintuitive or provocative insights is what sets them apart from other experts. 

Rule #4: Help Meet the Journalist's Deadline Journalists often work under tight deadlines and timely responses from PR professionals. Our software has helped organizations handle thousands of media requests every year and if there is one thing we've learned, media is all about speed.  If you are a "serious player" you need protocols and processes to quickly respond to media inquiries and get your expert sources lined up to provide the necessary information and insights to meet same-day deadlines.  This shows journalists you respect their time and are a reliable source and you will be on speed dial for future stories.

Are You Pitching Effectively? Here’s a few tough questions.  Answer truthfully.

Are You Personally Wasting Time Pitching? How much time do you spend pitching the media vs. responding to inbound media opportunities?  Data from Propel Media shows 97% of media pitches fail. While journalists open approximately half of the pitches they receive they only respond to an average of 2.99% of the pitches.  Yet the Cision data shows that it's not always your fault.  Why? Well, unless you're a gifted psychic, you simply can't know for sure how a journalist is going to react to your pitch. That's why more media departments and their PR agencies are cutting back on spammy pitch activities and moving to more strategic activities that get more traction.  With the extra time they save, they can focus on promoting their experts online where journalists are actively searching for credible sources. The result is more qualified inbound inquiries from journalists genuinely interested in interviewing your experts.  And that means a lot less anxiety about meeting your media coverage targets.

Are You Wasting Journalists' Time? Is your newsroom or media relations page set up to allow journalists to quickly serve themselves 24x7?  Can they easily search by specific topics to find an expert within seconds to help meet their deadlines?  Or are you expecting them to email or call you for help.  (hint: journalists don't have time for that kind of friction).  Here's a nice example of how US-based health system, ChristianaCare makes their medical experts available to journalists round the clock while saving hundreds of hours a year for their Comms and Digital team.  

I'd love to hear more about how you are helping journalists and how that's paying off with increased media coverage. Let me know in the comments below or connect/follow  me on LinkedIn or on ExpertFile. 

The Secret to Winning Media Coverage: Give Journalists What They Want: Insights from Cision’s 2024 Media Report

from-boring-to-brilliant-writing-that-transforms-your-thought-leadership-into-mustread-content

Insights from our Webinar with Author, Rhea Wessel Ask anyone who develops Thought Leadership programs, and they will tell you that experts are essential to a successful program. But experts are busy people. That makes expert engagement strategies a very popular topic with our Comms and Media Relations pros. That’s why we invited Rhea Wessel, Founder of The Institute for Thought Leadership, to join us last week for our ExpertFile webinar.

Rhea, a former tech and financial journalist and author of “Write Like a Thought Leader,” has worked with organizations such as Harvard, CFA Institute, Accenture and the Max Planck Institute to help their experts focus on developing unique story angles while getting high-quality work produced. Having seen her in action at last year's  IABC Global Conference, speaking to a standing-room-only crowd, I was really impressed by Rhea’s approach. 

 Rhea uses a system that experts and comms teams can use to brainstorm topics and craft story angles that frame expertise and research to make them more compelling. In the session, she showed us how she helps brainstorm and select the best angles for thought-leadership stories using ideas such as “origin” stories, “what if” scenarios, personal-impact stories, and opinion pieces.  Experts often have issues with the "dreaded first draft.” The frameworks Rhrea showed us from her book were clever and designed to pragmatically move experts from brainstorming into a writing mode that doesn’t feel forced.

Here are some key points I took away from Rhea’s session:
    

    
    
Defining Thought Leadership An essential attribute of Thought Leaders is that they share their knowledge for free, using journalistic skills to engage their audience by articulating emerging ideas, steering conversations and influencing others.

Finding the Niche Finding and framing thought leadership is not about covering a broad topic. The best topics are often very narrow. And they are best found at the intersection of the expert’s passion, purpose, and big ideas.

Think Like a Journalist  Write in a conversational tone and include data, quotes & statistics, but not too much. Use short sentences and paragraphs while keeping the story fast-moving. And don’t forget your sense of humor.

Spend Time on the Headlines By “thinking like a journalist” and focusing on headlines, one can narrow the focus when examining research and insights to create more clarity. Quoting Author Sean Coyne, Rhea referred to headlines as having the benefit of being an “enabling constraint."

"One of the curses of subject matter expertise is that your experts know a lot. They tend to pack a lot [of their knowledge] in, and for a good story, you've got to slice out a narrow bit. That’s the constraint.”   Rhea Wessel  Time & Place Matters Stories are best anchored in time and place. When you are working with an expert and you want to enrich a story, don’t just think about how they developed their research and insights. Also, think about “where they were” and “when did it happen?” A good origin story explains why an insight is significant for the expert, creating a more emotional, relatable connection for the audience.

Frame Your Story Keep it focused on a single yet relevant problem the audience has. Then explain why this matters to your audience and why now.

Based on the feedback we received from this session, we'll have Rhea Wessel join us for more conversations on topics related to storytelling. We'd love to know what you think. Details about this session are below:

Full Webinar Recording bit.ly/4e9YuWb  Presentation Slides  To get a copy of the presentation & Templates, just hit the connect button on my profile and let me know.  Enjoy!  

From Boring to Brilliant: Writing that Transforms Your Thought Leadership into 
Must-Read Content

Research shows experts are a top source of trusted information for buyers.  Strong evidence is now emerging that proves the value of making experts more approachable at the front end of the sales process.
For example, IBM’s new “Expert Advice” program is generating thousands of leads by making key employees available for one on one phone calls with prospects for an informed, no pressure conversation. IBM also reports that conversion rates (from consultation to pipeline) are 400% higher than conventional marketing programs.  

What We'll Cover In This Session
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•  Why expert conversations can work better than traditional content for high value sales prospects
• How to identify, recruit and reward your experts to maximize your success
•  How to design and calculate the ROI for an Expert Advisory Program
•   Why a focus on experts can help you boost employee culture and drive corporate visibility and reputation

Conversations are the New Content: How to Position your Experts as Trusted Advisors to Build Reputation & Revenue

Research shows “experts” help you tell more compelling stories that build reputation and market visibility.  That’s why organizations are turning to “Expertise Marketing” as a way to position their people as brand ambassadors.  It’s a proven way to boost search rank, news coverage, speaking opportunities and customer leads.  Join us to learn how leading organizations are showcasing their expertise to tell more compelling stories that engage audiences.  Drawing from a rich variety of case studies, attendees will also be provided with a toolkit they can take back to the office to help them with a range of activities including expert assessment; content planning; storytelling; business case development and measurement.

What you will Learn in this Session:
• The best ways to better position your people as go-to “experts” to enrich your content and media pitches. 
• How to engage your experts and get them to help you develop better stories 
• How simple changes to your website can boost to massively boost visitor engagement and valuable market connections.
• The 5 most important things that journalists are looking for when they seek out expert sources    
• How to better leverage breaking news and identify key topics that are more likely to engage users online and generate media coverage.
• Ways to quickly measure ROI for your expertise marketing programs

Why Experts Are Shaping the Future of Marketing (Keynote, Workshop or Webinar)

Trends such as the erosion of consumer trust and increasingly complex buyer journey are driving enterprises and institutions to rethink how they make their experts more approachable to key audiences as media sources, speakers and customer advisors. This session will outline how organizations can better engage their internal experts to competitively differentiate their brand and drive new revenues. We will also share key insights and data learned from working with top organizations in sectors such as corporate, healthcare, higher education and industry associations.

What can established companies learn from smaller, innovative firms about making innovation happen - faster, cheaper, better? In this workshop we look at how small startups take an idea, develop it, and ultimately create viable products and services that drive growth. The workshop provides examples of how startups use emerging systems such as lean startup, blue ocean strategy and customer value management and also includes case studies.

More Results...Less Drama: What Big Companies Can Learn from Startups

Your big idea in a crowded market is worth nothing... until you figure out how to competitively differentiate your product and connect with a market that cares.  This session will first focus on the unique marketing challenges faced by early stage technology companies. It will also provide attendees with proven and practical principles for visioning new products, breaking into a market and building a sustainable business venture.


Marketing that Matters for Technology Entrepreneurs

Marilee Yorchak

Executive Director,

Jo Ann Dizy

Executive Director

Dr. Tony Redpath

Director, Entrepreneurship 101 Program

Lucia Gavin

Events Producer

In his 2019 Collision Conference keynote session titled "More Brains, Less Bots: Driving Reputation & Revenue with Expertise Marketing," Peter Evans - CEO of ExpertFile speaks to how organizations can better engage their internal experts to competitively differentiate their brand and drive new revenues. The session outlined how trends such as the erosion of consumer trust and increasingly complex buyer journey are driving enterprises and institutions to make experts more approachable to key audiences as media sources, speakers and customer advisors.  Peter also shared key insights learned from working with top organizations in sectors such as corporate, healthcare, higher education and industry associations.

Keynote: Collision 2019 Global Conference

Showcase your people and reach new audiences with ExpertFile the world’s first expertise marketing platform. From potential clients to media outlets, diverse audiences are actively looking for your in-house expertise.  Through award-winning software, industry know how and leading partnerships ExpertFile’s here to help.

Learn more at www.expertfile.com and sign up for a free trial.

Expertise Marketing, content marketing

ExpertFile Explained

Peter Evans, Best Content Marketing Solution

CODiE Awards

2018 CODiE Award Winner: ExpertFile

Speakers: Peter Evans Summary: Part One of the marketing lectures discusses: - Why marketing effectiveness often matters as much today as pure product innovation - How to identify key market trends and better connect with the real needs of potential customers - How to use "value innovation" methods to competitively design a product as faster, cheaper and better - Pragmatic ways to position your product and quickly build market acceptance - How effective marketing must connect to focused business development and sales channel efforts MaRS - Building Canada's next generation of global technology companies. www.marsdd.com

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