article publishing to grow your business

Article Publishing to Grow Your Business

with Ken Lizotte CMC

“Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet!”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The 5 Pillars of Thoughtleading

Publish Your Ideas Speak to Groups Fresh Thinking Creatively Leverage the Internet Vigorously Use the Media

WHY Publish Articles?

CREDIBILITY!

Visibility

Marketing Tools

Sales Tools

Build Relationships

Extend Your Value

What NOT to aspire to…

Ernest Hemingway

J.K. Rowling

Ken!

Developing Leading-Edge Ideas

Your AIL must be STRATEGIC

For good article ideas, determine your various value propositions:

How do you improve your clients’ situation? What do you do very, very well? What do you do better than any of your

competitors? What do you ENJOY most? Why are your clients more than happy to

pay you? What problems do you solve? What problems do you see coming? Do you enjoy musing about the future?

YOUR AIL

Umbrella Idea: covers ALL your value propositions

… Expert Selling: How to Win New Business Again and Again

Subtopic … Targeting Prospects Subtopic … Getting Thru the DoorSubtopic … Nailing the Sales Call

Subtopic … Closing the Deal

add blurbs

Can Becoming a “Thoughtleader” Give You an Edge? Attempts to Quantify Its ROI Say YES

Positioning yourself as a thoughtleader—writing articles, publishing books and securing speaking engagements—can help any professional or company establish and maintain credibility with clients, prospects and peers. But can it also offer a tangible, quantified return on investment (ROI)? Thoughtleading expert Ken Lizotte, author of the new book The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn To Every Time (McGraw Hill), says yes! Using research data culled from his book, Ken’s article explains the measurable benefits of becoming a thoughtleader and why and how it truly separates an individual or company from its competition.

Your TPL (Target Publication List)

What do your clients read?What do your influencers and referral sources read?What publications sound prestigious?

Print copy or online?

Researching Target Publications

Google away! Libraries Directories

Ask your clients and referral sources

… but forget about Fortune, Forbes, Business

Week, Fast Company and the Wall Street Journal

And here’s the pitch!

Use email mostlySend 2-4 blurbsSend only very short bio, if anyFollow up in a week if you don’t hear…MAYBE even with a phone call!

Deadline and word count = YES!

Now all you gotta do is … WRITE IT!

How to Actually Write It

First, dump your brains out

Next go back and play with it

Then format it like an article

Now polish it up

Then let someone critique it (not too many!) or hire a good editor

Finally, tweak it a bit more, then hold your breath …and send it out!

AFTER You Submit

Follow up if you don’t hear anything Follow up if you don’t receive copies or a PDF

ALSO:

Do not pay for reprints, make up your own

Copyright laws: you OWN it!!!

Here’s Ralph Waldo again:

Thought is the blossom Language the bud Action the fruit

…… a Competitive Advantage that Separates Your Firm from the Pack!

POST-Publication Actions!

Make up a PDF Add to your website Bring reprints to your speaking gigs Bring to client and prospect meetings Email announcement to your e-list Add to your marketing kit Add to your bio and resume Use STRATEGICALLY!

Thanks for attending!

Ken Lizotte CMC Chief Imaginative Officer (CIO) of

emerson consulting group inc. 978-371-0442 ken@thoughtleading.com Sign up for my popular

“thoughtnotes” eblasts at www.theexpertsedge.com