WHAT MAKES YOU THE EXPERT? by David Margolis, President, Syndicated Ad Features

Sometimes, as I watch the myriad of talking heads populating the TV screen from the studios of various news media, I wonder just who these people are. It seems that their mere appearance on television programs with ambiguous titles posted beneath their shoulders provides them with instant credibility. The fact is, viewers are all too willing to unquestioningly believe what they see and hear. As far as I (and many others) am concerned, they best be able to back up what they say.

The same may be said for the type of newspaper advertising we offer. Our advertising is designed with our clients' pictures and bylines to appear as though they are guest

columnists in their local newspapers. As such, readers accept them at face value (pun intended) to be experts in their particular fields. On this basis, they garner reader interest and trust with the goal of cultivating future business. We also back our clients by providing them with verifiable content that assures them that they can be taken at their word.