AuthorAmanda Ayres
LinkedIn
Are you struggling to land top tier coverage for your brand? According to Buzzstream’s 2025 Digital PR trends research, expert commentary is the second most popular tactic used in Digital PR, with 93% of people relying on it. But, with so many brands competing for the attention of the media, how can you make your expert stand out?
Image credit: Buzzstream
From how to choose the correct spokesperson to creating the perfect commentary, we’ve shared our top tips to get you and your expert ready to hit the ground running, below.
Selecting the Right Expert
Before you do anything, you need to source an expert who you’ll attribute all your quotes to.
When thinking of who to assign as your designated spokesperson for your brand, there are a few key factors to consider:
Job Title
Make sure your expert has a relevant job title that boasts authority.
For example, if an interior brand is commenting on the latest interior trend, you’ll have a greater chance of earning coverage if your spokesperson is the Interior Designer at the brand over other job roles, such as a Marketing Manager.
The authoritativeness of the job title and how relevant it is to the commentary topic in question will mean journalists will be more inclined to use the commentary over other experts.
Availability
Secondly, when selecting an expert in your company, be sure to choose someone who is available to sign off commentary quickly.
The majority of expert commentary requests from journalists are for quick turn-around pieces. Therefore, you need to make sure you have an expert who is ready to give the green light at the drop of a hat to maximise your chance of gaining coverage.
Expertise
Finally, and probably a no brainer, make sure your spokesperson has the knowledge to comment on topics related to your industry.
You want to showcase your brand as a trusted source and, to do that, you need the best of the best to represent you when it comes to brand communications.
Where To Find Opportunities
Now that you have your expert, how do you find opportunities to get your spokesperson in front of the press?
#journorequests
The social media platform, X, is an easy and free way to find expert commentary opportunities for your brand.
By simply searching ‘#journorequests’, you’ll be able to see all the requests that journalists put out seeking experts to comment on the latest article they are writing about.
A top tip here to narrow down your search is to search the hashtag along with the hashtag of your industry. For example, ‘#journorequests + #travel.’ This will pull up every request related to all things travel.
Then, all you need to do is respond to the ones most relevant to you with commentary from your expert.
Newsjacking
Another way to get your expert in front of journalists is to monitor the latest trends that are happening within your industry.
A trending topic is something journalists will always want to write about and 9 times out of 10, they will want expert commentary to help create their article.
To get ahead of the game and get your expert in front of journalists quickly, spend 10-15 minutes every morning catching up on the news. If you spot new industry trends emerging, draft up some commentary and outreach to a pool of relevant journalists.
Not only are you making the journalist's life easier by giving them commentary before they’ve asked for it, but you’re also putting your expert at the heart of conversations that are relevant to your brand, building trust and authority with both journalists and consumers.
Reponsesource
Similar to how X works for opportunity spotting, Responsesource sends journalist requests straight to your email inbox.
You can select the industries you want to receive requests for to tailor your opportunities and you can respond directly through email by simply pressing the ‘reply’ button, making it a quick and easy way to find opportunities.
However, unlike X, Responesource is a tool that you have to pay for. If you have the budget, it’s definitely worth having a look at getting the platform because the sheer volume of opportunities are sometimes too good to miss!
Write Standout Commentary
So, you have your expert and you’ve found the perfect opportunities to send your commentary to. But, how do you write up perfectly written comms that journalists will want to use?
Having a short window to write expert commentary pieces can be overwhelming. You also need to make sure the commentary includes your expert’s unique opinions, with clear evidence and explanations to ensure it has the authority that journalists are looking for.
Below are 5 steps to draft speedy, yet high-quality commentary and an example of how we achieved this for our workplace solutions expert on a recent workplace trend.
Explain Why the Trend Is On the Rise
When a trend goes viral, the main question journalists will want to know is ‘why is it going viral?’ Begin your commentary by answering this, clearly stating your spokesperson’s opinion on it.
Example:
“The reason the workcation trend is on the rise is because priorities have changed since the pandemic, and goals like travelling are more important to workers than ever before.”
Establish How the Trend Impacts Industry Professionals/Audience in The Client’s Space
Then, showcase your spokesperson’s expertise by explaining how the trend impacts your industry, angling your expert’s opinion in an authoritative way.
Example:
“Giving employees the flexibility to enjoy workcations will do wonders for productivity and employee wellbeing.”
Acknowledge & Anticipate Issues Around the Trend & Offer Solutions
Don’t shy away from admitting if the trend has negative angles. Highlight this in your commentary and offer expert solutions to strengthen the authority of the piece.
Example:
“For industries who are more reluctant at allowing more flexibility for their employees, I believe they need to begin building trust.”
Provide Examples of How to Action These Solutions
After establishing the solutions, give examples on how to action these to really showcase your spokesperson's expertise in the area.
Example:
“To build trust, communication is a key factor. Listen to what your employees have to say and engage in regular feedback that is transparent…”
Explain the Positive/Negative Consequences of the Trend
Finally, finish off your commentary by reiterating your expert’s opinion, to highlight the unique input your expert is providing to the journalist’s piece.
Example:
“Employees are wanting more flexibility within a job role, and if companies aren’t willing to compromise, it could lead to struggles when trying to hire externally.”
By following these 5 steps, it enables you to provide informative, unique and trusted expert-backed opinions, giving the journalist more reason to include you in their article.
Do you want to see your brand land top tier coverage?
Every day we help brands secure coverage in publications such as the Mirror Online, Metro, Vogue, and more. Get in touch to discuss how our Digital PR and Brand PR offerings can help you do the same!