SME content: How to source expert quotes (without conducting any interviews)
SME content helps you stand out on search engines, avoid the copycat content trap, and gain readers’ trust. But, finding and interviewing subject matter experts (SMEs) is hard, especially for pieces with tight deadlines.
That’s exactly why writers like you and I have to explore faster, more convenient ways to get expert insights and boost the credibility of our articles.
Curious already? Read on for my five best hacks for sourcing expert quotes in record time—all without interviewing anyone. I’ve carefully handpicked these based on the speed of results and experiences as a content writer with over five years of experience.
5 quick ways to find SMEs and get relevant quotes for your content
The following are the five quick ways to find SMEs for your content:
1. Scour the internet
For this technique, you don’t have to do too much or engage directly with anyone. Simply type your keyword into the desired search engine and skim the top results. Tweak the keyword as needed for more relevant insights.
Specific sources to look for include:
LinkedIn posts. The regular text-based ones.
Video content. On platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
Tweets and Threads. Single posts and threads.
Blog posts. From search-optimized articles to case studies and company updates.
Newsletters. Public and within your inbox.
PDFs. Could feature anything from original research to reports, or infographics.
Books. Some roundups online include useful quotes from books which you can then credit to the author.
For example, I once ghostwrote a piece that required expert insights. But because I only had a few days to complete it, I sourced quotes from other pieces with similar yet different topics. The result? A solid piece that began ranking on the first search engine results page (SERPs) for the keyword within a few weeks.
Similarly, while writing a piece on AAVE terms for Writer, I watched many TikTok and YouTube videos to understand the concept and find examples. During my research, I stumbled upon a creator with insights worth sharing, and eventually, her quote formed a critical part of the article’s introduction, perfectly supporting its thesis.
2. Use expert commentary platforms
Quickly connect with and collect insights from professionals across various industries on expert commentary platforms. These sites let you put out your topic and the type of quotes or answers you’re looking for so relevant professionals can respond.
Granted, you need to wait at least 2 days for enough replies and some responses will be spammy. Still, expert commentary platforms are lifesavers with upsides that far outweigh their limitations.
HARO is an older, more popular option but it works best for reporters and journalists though some content writers swear by it. Personally, I recommend free options like Featured, Qwoted, or Help a B2B Writer.
Alternatively, you can explore a paid site like Leaps that lets you receive both text and voice note responses. Say you’re writing a piece on “what to do in your first 30 days as a solo marketer”. Your request can be something like this: Looking for solo marketers to share the best things they did in their first month on the job that set them up for long-term success.
The tool also offers other critical features including follow-up messages, insights, outline creation, and more.
3. Ask within online communities
Your expert just might be in a community. Or, a fellow community member may know someone they can connect you with.
You’ll want to draft a compelling message that grabs attention and communicates quickly though, because groups like these tend to have multiple channels and posts flying around. The call to action you add also needs to be clear and easy to do.
Speaking of communities, are you on the Smarketers Hub Slack? It’s a community of marketers learning from each other and improving our craft. A channel for blog contributors (like me and you, if your pitch gets accepted) is also in the works so you’ll get to share information and network without too much back and forth.
💡 Don’t miss: Top marketing communities for Africans
4. Listen to podcasts and in-house recordings
Podcasts typically have hidden gems and quotes you can use. And while I could easily have added this to point 1, it deserves a section of its own considering how useful yet underused podcasts are for sourcing expert insights.
Seriously, even when I made a LinkedIn post about getting SME quotes some months back, I didn’t think of podcasts till someone else mentioned it.
The podcast doesn’t even have to be external. If the company you’re writing for produces a podcast, you can also extract some nuggets from relevant episodes.
Full disclosure: I’ve never really sourced content-supporting insights from podcasts but I can see myself exploring them soon.
In-house recordings, audio or audiovisual, are also great quote sources. These recordings could include video case studies, past SME interviews, and sales calls.
If the podcast or recording you want to use doesn’t have transcripts already, use free speech-to-text tools like Rev to transcribe it in minutes and skim the text for useful insights.
Some years back, I wrote case studies and SEO articles for an enterprise fintech based on interviews they’d conducted with specific clients. Though they’d extracted key quotes they wanted to use, I still went through some of the materials and existing case studies to:
Identify more compelling angles for the pieces’ titles.
Find more interesting insights to add.
This small but powerful step helped ensure we put the firm’s best foot forward with the pieces, effectively supporting sales activities and boosting keyword rankings.
5. Request SME input via social media
If your social media account gets a lot of engagement, making posts to connect with SMEs and get their input on a topic will be more effective. Still, it’s worth a try because your post can reach the right people—even if it doesn’t command thousands of likes or comments.
Coupled with adding the #journorequest hashtag (used by journalists and writers worldwide to connect with sources), your request is more likely to reach the timelines of relevant experts willing to contribute.
For which social media platforms to focus on, I recommend LinkedIn and Twitter (X), as they’re more conversation-driven than others.
Below is an example of a #journorequest I posted on Twitter a while back.
I didn’t specifically put it out because I was looking for quotes to add to my piece though, I just needed to understand the topic from a first-hand perspective. I don’t think I even got any responses from Twitter, but I could have if it had reached the right person.
It’s also good to post on multiple channels as you never know which might click. I remember posting this request on my WhatsApp status too and from there, I got one connection willing to share his expertise.
Though I only used this strategy to improve my understanding of a topic, you can easily co-opt it for sourcing SME quotes.
What next?
Content writer to content writer, ours is one of the hardest yet undervalued jobs in tech. So hopefully, this guide to sourcing expert quotes without the hassle of interviews makes your job a tad bit easier.
Meanwhile, let me also use this chance to commend you on how far you’ve come in your career, whether you’re a beginner, mid-level marketer, or pro.
You might not be a developer who builds apps or a salesperson who actively chases new business. But you’re a key part of companies’ growth engines—educating, entertaining, convincing, and converting potential customers.
Need to connect with other marketers or get expert answers to your burning questions? Here’s how members of The Room are doing that.
A member’s request on Slack
Join the Smarketers Hub community and get the support you need—just like this Smarketer did!