Industry publications love to publish articles written by experts in the field. Generally, editors of niche publications are short on time and have small (or nonexistent) budgets for freelancers. They need the content, you need the publicity, and publishing bylined articles is one of the best ways to position yourself -- and your company -- as an expert in the industry. Here's how:

1. Target the right publications--Chances are, the magazines and newsletters in your inbox are the ones to target. Ask yourself: Do the people who read this have a problem I can help solve? Don't forget your industry association newsletter. Send an email introducing yourself and expressing interest in writing an article in exchange for a byline. Tell them what makes you an expert, why their readers would be interested, and one or two ideas of what you might write about. Remember that the byline on the article should be that of the CEO or other top executive, not a marketer.

2. Write a useful article --A bylined article is not another sales pitch and shouldn’t read like the company brochure. In fact, you may not mention your company at all until the bio. Instead, use your expertise to help solve a problem for your readers. For example, a landscape company CEO might write about how to manage water restrictions during drought season. Read the magazine you're writing for and make sure your tone, style, and voice are right for the publication.

3. Spend the time--and money if necessary--to get it right--The editor of the publication will help you with grammar, if there’s time, but it’s your responsibility to make sure that your ideas are presented correctly. Have people from your organization read and critique it, and make sure your marketing and public relations team has a look. In many cases, your PR or marketing team will write the article for you. If not, consider hiring a copywriter who will interview you, write the article, and put your name on the byline. In most cases, the money you spend on a copywriter will be far less than what you'd pay for a large advertisement in the publication.

4. Carefully craft your bio --Take the time to craft a new bio for each publication. The landscape company CEO might highlight one aspect of his company in a bio for the Journal of Environmental Horticulture and a very different one for Dig Magazine. (The tone of the bio, and even the accompanying author photo, might also be very different.) Don’t forget to include your Web site address.

5. Use it as marketing collateral--
A published article shows that the industry, as well as the editor of the publication, values you and your ideas. Look for ways to reuse the content. Put an "articles" section on your Web site, include the articles in your press kits, and print extras for your sales people to take on sales calls along with their other materials.