There are many reasons to write articles to promote your business and/or your expertise. But writing articles can seem time-consuming and difficult, especially if you’re not a natural writer.

So, it would be a shame for you to use the article for one purpose.

I teach my clients to leverage their time and effort by repurposing written articles in multiple places for maximum promotion. This is a strategy I use myself and has gained me new sales, e-newsletter subscribers, and credibility.

Here are a few examples of how to repurpose your articles for maximum time-leverage:

Publish in your e-mail newsletter, as a Featured Article

Publish it on your blog

Submit it to other blogs (if you’ve done your homework, you will know which blogs are the best to reach your intended target market)

Submit it to online article directories such as eZineArticles.com

Submit it as a keyword-focused PR Web press release

Submit it as a press release on f*ree press release sites such as express-press-release.net

Submit it as a press release to local media – newspapers, magazines, TV

Send the info to a colleague who can use it in her newsletter

Submit it to your professional organization to print in their newsletter or journal

Find relevant journals and magazines (I use Writer’s Market for this) and submit for publication

I have also been asked by other bloggers and newsletter writers if they can reprint the article, which is great extra exposure. Repurposing your articles makes so much sense for your business. It’s one of the best ways you can leverage your time and effort to reap huge benefits in visibility, credibility and lead generation

What’s the difference? Features are things that are attributes of your service, such as “the social media bootcamp lasts for 7-weeks.” A benefit, on the other hand, would be “the social media bootcamp helps get you new clients so you can increase your profit.”

A great way to determine the benefits of your services is to take a sheet of paper, draw a line down the middle, and write “Features” on one side and “Benefits” on the other. Make a list of features and the corresponding benefits of your services. Give it a try!

People want to know about tangible results – remember the acronym “FEPS”: Financial, Emotional, Physical or Spiritual. For example:

Financial: more money, financial freedom

Emotional: happier, lower anxiety, less stress

Physical: feel better, healthier, less pain

Spiritual: more grounded, peaceful, connected with spirit

Getting in touch with how you help people with their most compelling needs will help you market and sell your products and services. Remember, people buy based on basic human needs (financial, emotional, physical and spiritual). Try incorporating this in your marketing and see how prospects react positively. – Courtesy of Cindy Earl from Get Known, Get Clients

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3.  THE WEB:  To show people why you are an expert, give a little knowledge.  Create a twitter account / facebook business page and blog and then share some of that expertise.  Many people think that keeping their knowledge to themselves is power, when in fact sharing the knowledge makes you and the recipient more powerful.

4.  NETWORKING:  Find events and networking groups where you have opportunities to share your expertise but remember a few very important things.  Go to these networking events not to gain business (it isn’t about you) but to find out about the other business in your area.  Offer to speak or share information with members.  If there is a opportunity to have a booth or a table, take it.  These tips will ultimately serve you as the expert and the go to person.

5.  SPEAKING:  If you aren’t comfortable speaking, find some coaches or speaking groups.  Being a speaker at an event automatically makes you the expert BUT if you are not good in front of a crowd, don’t have anything compelling to say or can’t connect with the audience, this can be very detrimental.

6.  PR:  PR is so important to expertise.  Do some research on local PR agencies and make a list about local news stations, newspapers, magazines, popular groups with newsletters, online web sites and blogs.   Meet with a few agencies to find out what they can offer you on what kind of budget.  Brainstorm what your expertise does for the community and what could be newsworthy.   There is a great book on PR that I can’t think of at the moment.  When I remember it, I will add it to this blog.

.PDF

A .PDF can be opened and read with the free software Adobe Reader and is the best way to make a portable document to add to the web site, as a e-book  or to email to someone.  A .PDF file can also be sent to a professional printer.

.TIF

The .TIF format is the most widely used for all graphic, photos and printing.  It is the most reliable  format to ensure high quality and you will see it often with professional photographers.

.EPS

An .EPS File is vector art and is the easiest file for a designer to transfer an image or logo.  These files are scalable and a prefered file for printers, silk screeners and designers.

.PSD: Photoshop File

A .PSD file can only be opened by Photoshop, image editing software.  It has all the layers and often make it possible for a designer to make changes to your photo.

.AI Adobe Illustrator

Another file that is acceptable for commercial print and other printing professionals, .AI files can only be opened with Adobe Illustrator and can have layers.

Make sure you ask your logo designer for a variety of formats when he/she creates your marketing products.