There’s nothing like establishing yourself as an expert to elicit confidence in clients and potential customers. One of the best ways to set yourself apart as an expert—or at least someone who really knows what she’s talking about—in your field is through writing and publishing articles. With the increase in online publishing opportunities, as well as the many specialty and trade magazines and publications available, you can grow your business by writing and publishing articles.
You might be surprised how many article topic opportunities probably exist in the daily operations of your home business. Writing about the how, why, where, when and even who of your business makes good copy and is both informative and needed. Finding topics is the first step, finding outlets for your written articles is the next. Look for publishing opportunities all around you—your local newspaper, websites you frequent, other businesses who may be looking for content for a newsletter or webpage, trade magazines, etc. While sharing information that other people are eager to obtain, you’ll also be promoting your business.
Consider interviewing other people, and collaborating with experts and businesses in similar fields. This will strengthen your professional network and further enhance your professional reputation.
If you have your own website, consider making a printable version of your informative articles available to individuals who visit your website. Or, when an article you’ve written gets published, provide a link from your website to the publisher. Individuals will start to see you as an influential expert and your business will likely receive a boost from your efforts.
Even if you don’t think you are capable of writing, or think you are a horrible, awful, no-good writer, you can still publish informative articles about your field of expertise under your name. Consider hiring a professional writer, public relations expert or ghost writer to help you draft and create articles. You can find these professionals online or in your local phone book (or you may be able to find a college student willing to help you shape up some articles)—it may be well worth the effort to put together something polished and ready for print.