2Buy reprints. Most magazines
offer reprint packages so you
can get a set quantity of your
article professionally laid out
with the magazine masthead. This is
usually much less expensive than buying 500 copies of the magazine. You
also can ask the magazine editor for an
electronic layout (PDF) of your article
or ask permission to photocopy the
article and use it for your marketing
purposes. Then send reprints or copies
to past clients, current prospects and
anyone else on your mailing list who
translates to business.
3Create a media page on your
Web site. On this page list all
the articles you’ve had published, as well as those articles
in which you were interviewed as an
expert source. Make sure people can
click on the article title to read the full
text, which will, of course, include your
dynamic resource box. Also put a notice
on the page that companies and publications are free to use your articles as
needed, provided that they keep your
resource box intact and send you a copy
or tear sheet. Finally, include your publication history in your Web site bio. For
example, “Joan has been published in
over 150 magazines, such as Agency Sales
Journal, Auto Success Magazine and
Broker Agent News, just to name a few.”
4Use your printed articles to
market to niche industries. If
you have an article in a financial journal, write letters to
related associations and companies and
do a promotional mailing. For example,
the financial industry can include banking, mortgage and insurance outlets.
Send a reprint of your article along
with the letter and mention that you
have been published in one of their
industry’s top trade magazines. That’ll
surely get their attention.
MAKE YOUR ARTICLES STICK
To leverage your creative efforts, you need to stick with your article writing
and pitching for at least one year so that meeting planners think of you first.
Realize that your articles need to appear in several magazines consistently
to get high-profile exposure. When meeting planners decide who to hire for
their next event they often consult with staff members who will throw out a
few “it” names to investigate. You want your name to rise to the top of that
discussion. And the way to accomplish that is getting your byline in as
many publications as possible. Before you know it, you’ll hear meeting
planners from every industry saying, “I see your name everywhere!”
