In today’s marketplace, any potential client can go online, type two or three keywords into a search engine and immediately review a lifetime supply of vendors anxious to fill their requests. So how do you standout in a crowded marketplace? Stand out by using writing, speaking, video and other ways of getting your message out there. Let’s focus here on how to get content for writing articles to grow your business.
Write Your Way to More Success
Writing about your area of expertise is a highly effectively way to draw new clients and opportunities to you. All you have to do is sit down and write. Writing is a valuable marketing tool because people keep information. You may be called by potential clients weeks, months or even years after an article sees print because they kept the article you wrote. Write about the topics and issues that answer the challenges your potential clients have and watch your phone begin to ring. Here are a few tips for using writing effectively to build your business.
- Pay attention to your clients. Listen to questions your clients ask and identify the issues they want addressed. What challenges are your clients having? What challenges are plaguing the industry? What innovations are you hearing about? These are all great things to write about. Keep a list, and when you are ready to write, review it for ideas.
- Start with quick tips. Start by writing a helpful list of something that you know about but your clients might not. I call these “quick tip sheets.” A couple of examples are “Twenty Quick Tips to Organize Your Office” or “Ten Ways to Feel Better in five Days.”
- Turn It into an article. To turn a quick tip sheet into an article, write an explanation or an example beneath each quick tip. Add an opening paragraph that states what problem your article solves, then add a paragraph at the bottom that tells the reader to apply what they have read—and you have a completed article.
- Add a benefit-focused title. Do not try to be too clever with your titles. Just tell the reader what to expect from reading your article. Secrets, strategies, or solutions are all good words to include in a title. For example, “Seven Secrets to Looking ten Years Younger” or “Ten Often Overlooked Solutions for Saving Money.”
Remember the resource box. The most important part of the article is the resource box at the bottom where you say who you are, what you do and how people can contact you. Include a compelling reason for them to connect with you. For example, have them go to your website to download your free copy of an e-book or listen to your podcast with more tips.
Caterina Rando is a GSMMA Expert – you can learn more about her at http://caterinarando.com
