Trying to establish yourself as a subject matter expert? Credibility is key. Getting your name mentioned in a credible source or having an article you’ve written get published by a trusted blog or magazine goes a long way in proving you are a credible subject matter expert.

But it’s hard getting published in trade magazines and top blogs. Especially when you’re just starting out or don’t know anybody “important”.

I was brainstorming some ways to crack the inner circles of publishers when I had a simple, free, and effective idea:

Name Dropping

Almost anybody who has their finger on the pulse of technology has Alerts set up for their name, company, brand, product, etc. (if you’re not familiar with Alerts, read up on how to monitor the web).

Anyway, the concept is simple: if you want to get the attention of someone, write something that mentions their name, company, brand or product. If they have alerts set up, you’ll get on their radar.

Don’t expect to get an audience with someone like Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Bono or the Pope; but perhaps you’ll get a shout out from someone in your niche or industry.

What do you think? Are you listening Chris Brogan? Mitch Joel? David Meerman Scott?