Writing Articles to Boost Your Business – and Attract Media Attention

By Rosalind Sedacca, CCT

Article marketing is one of the best ways to draw attention to your expertise and build credibility for your business.

Not only is writing articles a great no-cost way to promote your products or services, it offers another valuable benefit that should never be overlooked. Through articles you can also brand yourself as an expert in your field – a key factor in drawing media attention.

Today’s media professionals use the internet to find and research resources for their feature stories, TV and radio interviews, news articles and more. Using keyword searches, they look for credible authorities in the subject at hand. Your articles, found in a variety of ezines, newsletters, blogs and websites, can open doors to ongoing media exposure.

Here are some proven tips to keep in mind:

· Keep your articles brief, tight and content-rich with information readers can really use. Statistics, facts and details make them valuable resources for the media, as well.

· Write about subjects you know a lot about and in which you can provide true expertise. Answer people’s questions.

· Make your articles between 350-750 words long.

· Focus on offering useful, practical solutions to problems your readers can identify with.

· Offer specific tips, how-tos, dos and don’t and other easily listed suggestions that result in success.

· Make your articles keyword-rich with the keywords relevant to your website and blog.

· Use a friendly, easy to read, conversational style. Always double-check your spelling and grammar.

· Be sure to give your article a powerful title that attracts your reader’s attention. Strong titles, like with newspaper headlines, are pivotal to article-writing success.

· It is wise not to sell anything within the article itself. Your sales pitch should be left for the resource box at the end of your article.

· Your resource box should be written as a compelling invitation to learn more about you, your products or services.

· In your resource box, include links to your website, blog or sales page. Providing a free offer (special report, ebook, ezine, etc.) is a good way to get the reader to click to a specific page.

· Keep in mind that people will evaluate your for-sale information by the quality of your free information.

· Once your reader clicks to your page you can either sell them your product or collect their name and email address for future follow up.

· When your article is complete, the next step is submitting it to a variety of article directories on-line.

· You can Google “article directories” to find a list of dozens. Many are free; some charge a fee. One of the best is http://ezinearticles.com

· Frequency is key to maximizing pickup and media attention as well as growing your email list and boosting product sales. Those who write and submit articles daily or several times a week reap much greater results than those who make occasional submissions.

Ultimately, numerous articles on one subject can be put together as a book, ebook, special report, white paper or other product can you can sell or give away as a premium or as a bonus that comes with a high-price item. You can also repurpose your articles into your blogs, ezines or newsletters.

At the same time, reporters and producers will come to count on you for expert advice that they will incorporate into their feature articles and interviews. Article writing is one of the most effective tools for creating multiple win-win outcomes – for you, your readers and media professionals seeking out your expertise. And all these benefits are available at basically no cost to you. Now that’s user-friendly marketing that works!

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Rosalind Sedacca, CCT is a partner in WomenHelpingWomenMastermnd.com a membership website dedicated to helping women accelerate their business success. She is a Certified Corporate Trainer, an award-winning marketing copywriter and public relations professional who provides consulting, training and coaching services for businesses and professionals in all facets of business relationship issues as well as internet, print and electronic marketing. Visit www.womenhelpingwomenmastermind.com or reach her at talk2roz@bellsouth.net.