Get Slightly Famous

Structuring Your Article: Inverted Pyramid and the "Q"

There are a few standard ways to structure a magazine article. The inverted pyramid is an old standby used in newspapers. The “Q” is one of the most common formulas used in magazine articles. Both formulas are built around the premise that you present your most important information first, and then explain its significance in the rest of the article.

Articles: Coming up with Ideas

Coming up with interesting article ideas is often a struggle, but there is no reason to strain your imagination or look for something completely novel.

Study your chosen publications, and determine the types of stories each of them seems to favor—then use them as starting points for your own ideas. Look for patterns, trends, and points of discussion.

• Save relevant news stories as launching points and ready-made research for your articles.
• Gather publications that serve your target market, and look for ideas that relate to your business.
• Look to your own experiences and those of your colleagues and clients—there's plenty of good material all around you. Few story ideas are truly original.
• A new slant, an interesting angle, timeliness, and focus—these are enough to make a story publishable.

Viral Marketing With Articles

A few days ago, I sent a newsletter to my mailing list. The subject was business blogging, and it promoted my upcoming blogging teleseminar with my friend and blogging expert, John Jantsche, of Duct Tape Marketing..

Today, while at my desk, I received a call from the editor of Podiatry Today. A few years ago, I published an article in his magazine. Since then, and without my knowledge, he's been a loyal reader of my newsletter.

He called to ask about publishing my newsletter article How To Create and Launch A Business Blog -- and he will pay me for the privilege!

Lesson: When you commit to writing articles to promote your business and expertise, you never know where they will land, and what opportunities they will attract. My articles have generated leads, new clients and speaking engagements, and joint ventures. The effort it takes to write and publish an article is nothing compared to the potential benefits for your business.

Make time to write and get your ideas out there!

Resources for tailoring your article pitches

Source: SpeakerNet News
-- Steve Kraus
(mailto:Steve@RealScienceOfSuccess.com)

We all know that we should read a publication before pitching an article to it. A great resource for getting sample issues is http://www.magsampler.com/, which offers single copies of magazines for only $2.59, postage included (but you have to buy at least three). It's also a good place for finding new, often highly niched, publications that might be interested in your work.

Take your research a step further by calling someone in advertising sales (they'll be listed on the masthead or intro pages) and request a media kit. They'll send a wealth of demographic/attitudinal information about who reads their magazine, results of reader surveys, etc. It will help you tailor your pitch, and arm you with specific details that will really convince the editor that you are serious about writing specifically for their readers. (The only negative to this approach is that you'll probably get several follow-up calls asking if you'd like to advertise!)

Real World Success Story: Online Article Placement pays off

Nancy Marmolejo helps creative and entrepreneurial women hone in on their core strengths to turn ideas into action. She helps both the wildly creative and the mildly creative launch innovative ideas, enter new markets and build upon natural talents. She faced a common problem, getting targeted prospects to her web site.

Nancy had several articles that she had written which showcased her expertise. She determined that she could reach her target market of creative women and Latina business owners by placing her articles on web sites visited by her target market. Nancy used our Online Article Placement Program to reach this tightly targeted marketplace.

Within a couple months, her articles were appearing on web sites that reached her target market. The results were immediate and profitable.

"Getting my articles out on the web leveraged my visibility faster than anything I could've done on my own. It's had a viral effect, with more and more publications running the articles months after we first put them out there.

"One article was translated into another language, others have been requested by print magazines and other websites. My web traffic has increased, new people are contacting me, and the investment paid for itself quickly. I recommend Get Out the Word to anyone who wants their name out there but doesn't want to spend days and weeks demystifying the process."

Nancy Marmolejo
Comadre Coaching- Where Creativity and Success Meet
www.ComadreCoaching.com

Resource: Online Article Placement Program
http://www.getslightlyfamous.com/services/article-placement.html

Get Published

Placing articles in publications that reach your target market is one of the most powerful and effective marketing techniques available. Besides exposing your business to thousands of prospects you can get from one to three magazine pages devoted entirely to your business.

When your message is in print, it has credibility while gaining prestige for you and your company. As a bonus, article reprints make excellent, low cost sales literature.

Bylined, contributed articles are a mainstay in many publications. Often written for a small fee—or given freely in exchange for an author bio or byline designed to elicit business—these articles show off the expertise of the businessperson or consultant who authored it.

You don't have to be a professional writer or seasoned journalist to get your name in print. From fillers to features, most magazines you see on newsstands every day rely on freelance writers for at least some of their content.

The key to publishing expert articles is to package your ideas in a benefit-oriented fashion. Tell prospects how to think about or apply your business solution. It is important to give readers information they can use whether or not they buy from you.

Articles are usually a one-shot deal. Columns, on the other hand, are regular engagements that allow a writer to build relationships with readers. Columns appear on a weekly or monthly basis in newspapers, magazines, and Web sites. They can brand the authors not just as experts, but also as a friends, confidantes, and mentors.

You don't have to achieve “Dear Abby” status to be a successful column writer. As with any slightly famous marketing strategy, your column only needs to reach the right people in your target market to position you as a resource.