One of the key ways for professional services firms to position themselves as experts is to express their expertise in the written word – through articles.

Promoting your articles in your newsletter, your business blog and on your website is a great way to provide valuable resources for your clients and potential clients and will reinforce your credibility as an expert in your field.

You can also use your articles to drive more traffic to your website or business blog through article marketing.

However, less than 3 percent of professional services firms implement this no cost marketing strategy. So by taking action through writing articles you will certainly stand out from your immediate competition.

Writing articles and then submitting them to key online marketing sites or to sites who are looking for compelling and educational content extends your reach.

Article marketing is less difficult and time consuming than your might think and if properly executed can support you in attracting more of your ideal clients.

Authoring several articles, package them together and you are just a step away from having an information product or perhaps even your business book.

So why is it that many leaders in professional services seem to procrastinate in writing articles?

I usually get told by my clients that they do not know where to start or that they are afraid it will take them too much time to write an article.

So here are 5 tips to get you started in writing your first article – follow these tips and you will find you will write articles in less time than you ever thought possible:

1. Stuck for content? If you are not sure what to write about consider the questions that your clients most often ask you and want to know the answers to
2. Concerned about the style? Do not worry about winning a Pulitzer Prize. Write as you speak so you keep the style accessible and conversational
3. Not sure how much to write? Take your subject matter and write down seven things that your client or prospective client needs to know about the subject you are addressing. Then just write one or two sentences about each tip
4. Will it read well? When you have written your article, read it again and check your spelling and grammar. Make sure that you have a compelling introduction that outlines what your article is about and why it is important. Finish your article with information about how your reader can find out more about the strategies and tips you are sharing – of course with a reference to your services, solutions and products
5. Will it get read? You might have noticed with the newspapers that articles with a strong and captivating headline grab your attention and entice you to read on. Writing a magnetic headline will do the same for your article.

Now you have written your article you have effectively created for yourself a member of your sales team who can work for you 24/7 and 365 days of the year.

The key now is to continuing to write your articles and them marketing them wisely you will be sure to build your personal brand as the expert in your field.

YOUR ARTICLE WRITING AND MARKETING ACTION STEPS:

1. Set aside 60 minutes this week to write an article
2. Follow the 5 step process for writing your article
3. Put your article onto your website or blog and then look for other sites who would value your content and have your ideal clients amongst their readers.

NOTE: Every Monday on “Biz Growth News” I make available a full length branding and business development article.

If you enjoyed this article, you may be interested in accessing more articles about branding and business development strategies to grow your practice. If so you can register to join our weekly newsletter and weekly no-cost workshops at Biz Growth Live.

TERMS OF REPRINT: You are welcome to publish this article in your own online ezine or news letter, providing the article is printed in its entirety and is left unedited and you include the copyright notice and the following statement:

©Krishna De, Oneocean Ltd 2007. All rights reserved. Reprinted from ‘Biz Growth News’ (http://www.bizgrowthnews.com/), a Oneocean Ltd publication for leaders in professional services practices, featuring inspiration, strategies and tips to build your brand, attract your ideal clients and enjoy greater success with less stress.  Subscribe today at http://www.bizgrowthlive.com/.

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