The Savvy Entrepreneur

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Welcome to this edition of Weekly VA Marketing Tip! This series is specifically designed to help virtual assistants avoid marketing insanity. Every Monday, my posts will prompt you to accomplish one specific marketing action to promote, brand or position your professional virtual business.

Implement these tips each week and I guarantee you’ll sustain your marketing momentum, increase credibility and visibility in your field, build stronger relationships, boost your ‘know, like and trust factor,’ get more ideal clients looking for you, and have a consistent marketing game plan for your virtual assistant business.

You might even start to like marketing!

Turn It Into An Article

Ask anyone who consistently implements article writing to promote their services and they’ll tell you it’s one of the most powerful marketing tools they use to establish themselves as an expert in their field. You can too, whether you’re an experienced virtual professional or new to the VA industry.

This week I’ll show you how by simply turning one of your speaking topics into a Top 5… or How To… article.

If you haven’t already developed speaking topics, stop reading now and take a few minutes to list 2 or 3 of the most challenging issues your current or potential clients face — you know, the ones that keep them up at night, the ones you have solutions for.

Remember, this marketing series is all about differentiating yourself from all the other independent virtual professionals out there. Don’t waste this credibility-boosting opportunity by writing ineffectual articles like Top 5 Ways To Delegate To a Virtual Assistant or How to Use a Virtual Assistant To Increase Your Productivity.

Like I said before, it’s been done to death. This cop out approach certainly won’t make you stand out. And because it doesn’t communicate a solution to the pain your audience is feeling, your article won’t get a second glance. The math is simple: They don’t read your article = You don’t get known, liked or trusted = You don’t clients.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Focus on a specific audience — even if you haven’t yet claimed your target market (this is key to leveraging; I’ll explain why and how in future issues of Weekly VA Marketing Tip).
2. Pack your article with useful, practical, and relevant content (offer concrete solutions).
3. Come up with a compelling title (highlight the key benefit).

Here are 2 article heading examples:

• How Real Estate Agents Can Use Social Media To Get Known Locally
• Top 5 Ways Real Estate Professionals Can Use Twitter To Get More Listings

OK, so I’m no article title expert, but I hope it demonstrates the importance of narrowing your focus (real estate agents), delivering a solution (how to use social media), and stating a clear benefit (to get known locally or to get more listings).

If you’re not in the habit of writing articles or if writing isn’t your strong point, don’t let this stop you. The key to article marketing success is simplicity :

1. Write a short introduction.
2. Expand each of your main points in a few sentences.
3. End with a short ‘n sweet concluding paragraph.

Write as if you’re helping a current client overcome the challenge you’re writing about.

Credibility Tip: Tangible solutions showcase your knowledge, abilities and experience. NEVER make the focus of your article about signing the reader up as a client.

Attention procrastinators: Aim for completion, not perfection.

Here are some resources to help you succeed at article writing:

• How to Get Free Traffic with Ezine Articles by Jimmy D. Brown
• How to write an article in 20 minutes by Copyblogger
• Write Smarter – 3 Strategies for Content Development by Linda Dessau
• How to stop knocking on client’s doors, and get them to call you instead! by Psychotactics
• Article Writing: Seven Mistakes To Avoid by Men With Pens

(I’ll add to this list as I find more.)

Once your article is written, get it proofread and ask someone for constructive feedback (use me for feedback if you have no one else).

Now you’re ready to show it to the world. Here are some ways to get your article out there:

• Send it to your mailing list as a newsletter.
• Print your article and mail it to past clients.
• Hand it out at your next networking event.
• Offer it as a guest article for someone’s newsletter who’s mailing list consists of your target audience.
• Present it as a guest post on someone else’s blog (a blog where your target market hangs out).
• Submit it on a few of the top article submission sites (choose from Top 25 Article Directories and Free Content Sites).

Notice I didn’t say anything about posting it on your blog? That’s because we’re going to cover that next time.

Don’t put off completing this cost-effective marketing tip! Have fun with it!

Have an awesome week!!