By Michele Scism
The Results Lady
Achieving expert status is not all hard work. What it takes is a mind that is open and knowledgeable about your business subject. With a little bit of creativity, you can leverage what you have already to increase sales and product variety.
The first part of any strategy you use to become an expert is visibility. Others have to know that you exist and have something important to say. Through article writing and distribution and networking with other business owners, your “sphere of influence” will begin to grow.
But you are still just scratching the surface. Wouldn’t you like to take advantage of tools that help you become an expert without expert work? We figured that you might. So, here are some ways that you can do that.
The Inventory…
Let’s say that you have been writing articles and submitting them to article directories. You might have even written enough to be considered an expert on a certain topic on that site. Ezinearticles.com has experts who blog, answer questions, write articles and provide other multimedia content. Having that label there is a big boost for your business.
The Potential…
Those articles are not just articles but pages of potential. One piece of written content can give rise to another. Look at your articles with new eyes. See them turning into:
- eBooks
- Special Reports
- Audio products
- Video products
- Course material
- Seminars
The list goes on but you get the idea. The information in the articles can morph into each one of these. Better yet, take a series of articles, bundle them to create a special report or an eBook if there is a lot of information. Take each section of the eBook and create a course that customers can buy. Add audio and video to the course and turn your course material into a study guide to accompany them.
The Skies The Limit…
Instead of one solitary article that has increased your visibility through article marketing you now have leveraged that article into a variety of product offerings all of which will add to your expert status and your bottom line. Instead of the press release saying that you have written hundreds of articles, it will also say that you the author of several eBooks, business courses and a lecturer. If that doesn’t say expert nothing does.
If you have a bunch of articles floating around in cyberspace or just sitting on your PC, give them a second look. Each one can bring a new product for sale and a new path to expert status for you.
Excellent list, Michele. There are so many great things we can do with our articles to reach more people in different ways.
Yes Michelle and you are a master at repurposing! People should be watching what you do. Thanks Michele
No question about it, this post rocks!
You can even recycle your blog posts in the same ways as you’ve noted here, Michele. And with services like Blog2Print and BookBrewer, you can turn your blog into a book in about ten minutes. Pretty cool.
The whole premise of your post defines my biggest goal – to become a recognized, sought after expert.
Hey Melanie – You rock girl! Oh hey thanks for that info on Bookbrewer and Blog2Print. I am going to check those out. Thanks, Michele
Years ago, I was afraid that repurposing articles would be considered “Double Content.” I now know that’s not true… and I have been taking advantage of using old content for new projects for some time.
And… I also know that the “bad consequences” of “Double Content” is way over rated.
Thanks Melanie for the extra information on printing content for a book.
I love comment areas on blogs…. they can be fun and sooo helpful.
Thanks Michele, for this important information that you have posted in a clear, concise manner.
Hey Kathryn – I think you make a great point about the double content problem. That is much misunderstood situation. Thanks for commenting, Michele
Hi Michele — In my new article marketing training course for virtual assistants, I’ll be showing VAs how they can repurpose their clients’ articles. Check it out at http://www.virtualarticlemarketer.com
Hey Eric – I am glad to hear you have your new course ready. That looks like a great program for an unbelievably low price. Thanks for letting me know – Michele
Thanks for this post, Michele. Also, the comments have been very helpful. I will look up Blog2Print and BookBrewer. Thanks, Melanie. They sound really resourceful!
Another point is that we can recycle our content through various media. If you wrote a blog post or article you could turn it into a video lesson, podcast or part of an audio book. If you made a video series, it could become a hard copy home study course. This might seem like “double content” but it’s double content that is needed! Some people would never read your written content but would become avid fans if they could “hear” or “see” your work. And others prefer to experience you in different ways. And it would really boost your expert status if your work is out there in multi-media formats!
You’ve all got my mental wheels spinning now! I’m off to take action!
LOL I am so excited to get your “mental wheels spinning” Oma! You are so right about all the possibilities. They seem endless when I start to really think through it. Hey I just checked out your blog and you have some great blog posts. So glad you commented – Thanks, Michele