Writing articles can quickly establish you as an expert in your industry.
Once upon a time, the word “articles” made people think of either newspapers or magazines. And the articles were always written by journalists.
Fast forward several decades (actually, centuries, since the first newspapers appeared in Europe during the 16th century), and articles are everywhere … especially online. And pretty much anyone can write them – even non-professional writers.
Opportunities to be published exist in more places than you may think. LinkedIn is one popular platform. Medium is another. Substack (for newsletters) started in 2017, but I didn’t hear about it until 2022.
Each of these platforms has a huge audience, so content published there is seen by people all over the world. But another good place to publish your articles is on your own website.
The advantage of publishing articles on your own site (usually as blog posts) is that you own the domain … not limited to restrictions that often come with posting on social media or other online platforms.
In order to increase the odds of being seen, though, your articles need to be search engine-friendly (designed to rank well in search engines). Search engine optimization (SEO) is a huge topic of its own, which I’ll talk about in a future newsletter. I just mention it here because of its connection with online articles.
Benefits of Online Articles
Online articles often take the form of blog posts.
If you’re a business owner with your own website, you have the perfect platform to start promoting your business through a blog. If you don’t already have a blog, I encourage you to consider adding one to your site.
Posting new articles and images to the blog at least once or twice a week, sharing news or helpful information about your business or industry, will quickly start setting you apart as an expert in your field. And once readers start seeing you as an expert, they’ll begin to TRUST you and your brand.
Listed below are 4 other reasons online articles are good for your business. They:
♦️ INCREASE YOUR BRAND’S VISIBILITY. People who read your articles (or blog posts) may share them with others in their social network. They may also mention you on their blog or website and even link to your site, creating a backlink. Backlinks are a fantastic form of SEO, since they attract visitors to your site who would never have heard of you otherwise.
♦️ CREATE LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT. Articles published on a blog remain visible for years. Very different from social media posts or ads! Once a visitor to your blog sees you posting high-quality information on a regular basis, they’ll keep coming back.
♦️ ENLARGE YOUR AUDIENCE. If the topic you’re writing about appeals to more than one audience (for instance, “weekend backpackers” and “hard-core mountain climbers”), you could do some keyword research in Google to see which terms people are searching for. You could then insert those terms into your next article! (Include social media share buttons in your posts, too.)
♦️ GROW YOUR NETWORK. Publishing articles online can also expand your ability to connect with others, leading to opportunities for collaboration, possible referrals, invitations to events, and access to new ideas on ways to grow your business.
Publishing in Print Is Good, Too!
Getting your articles published in small, local community newspapers can also be effective in promoting your business.
A woman I met through a local in-person networking group writes articles about local restaurants, which are then published in a “freebie” newspaper that’s distributed at several outlets around town. I asked Janice if she’d be willing to explain how her articles have impacted the businesses she’s written about.
“I’ve been writing articles about local businesses for about a year,” said Janice. “Business is all about relationships, and the more they get to know you, the better they can know, like, and trust you.”
When I asked how many businesses had followed up with her, she said, “All of them – the local businesses AND their customers. … The responses were amazing. It worked best if the companies followed up with advertising.
“The company would put the article in a frame and hang it on the wall in their restaurant. People love to see people they know in positive print.”
Janice said one business owner called to say their customers loved the article and that their phone was “ringing off the hook.” Another interviewee said, “We’re seeing a lot of new faces and some that we haven’t seen in a while.”
THE KEY TO SUCCESS WITH PRINT ARTICLES …
… is getting them published in local papers. Even though most people get their news from major news outlets online these days, many communities have at least one “freebie” newsletter or newspaper that is available at various locations in their area.
* * * *
But articles published in print publications like local business magazines and community newspapers aren’t just for “brick-and-mortar” businesses. They can also bring more attention to local entrepreneurs who only work online. If readers know you’re locally based, many will go out of their way to ask about your services.
Being able to connect with people one-on-one (whether in-person or online) is important more than ever these days. But being able to do that in person (when you’re local) is an extra perk.
Guidelines for Writing Articles
Writing articles is not as hard as you might think. It’s really all about following a formula (aka “structure”). The first two or three articles may be a little challenging, but after that, you’ll discover ways to make it easier.
Here are the main steps to follow:
1️⃣ STUDY YOUR AUDIENCE. Knowing who is likely to read your article will help you tailor it accordingly.
2️⃣ DECIDE ON YOUR TOPIC. This is easier once you know what your audience is interested in.
3️⃣ CREATE AN OUTLINE. This is your structure.
📌 First comes the hook (a sentence or paragraph that grabs a reader’s attention).
📌 Follow this with a few paragraphs that develop the “plot.”
📌 Conclude with a paragraph that wraps up the concept you’re writing about. Ideally, this paragraph should refer back to the first paragraph (or even the hook) in some way.
* * * *
ONE LAST TIP: If using articles to boost your business is something you’re interested in, but you’d like some help, feel free to contact me. Writing articles is something I’ve been doing for over 40 years … on a WIDE range of topics.
I can either give you feedback on articles YOU’VE written or write them for you. (Ghostwriting articles under your byline is an option, too.)
