DISQUS

VirtualRaven · 7 months ago

Thanks for this information, this is exactly where I am at on my biz strategy...I have built it and now I need to lead them to it!

Cristina Favreau · 7 months ago

You'll hear me say this a lot... but it bears repeating: It's all about building relationships and communicating how you help people solve their problems.

You gain trust much faster when you give with no strings attached.

Let us know how your article writing goes! Share the link with us once you have an article up!

Denise Willms · 7 months ago

Cristina,

I'm enjoying your Weekly VA Marketing Tips, and I'm happy to see you're covering article marketing early in your series. It's an extremely effective way to gain an audience and engage your target market.

I appreciate that you wrote, "Tangible solutions showcase your knowledge, abilities and experience."

So many people have the wrong idea about what makes article marketing work. They know they aren't supposed to promote their businesses in their articles, so they go to the other extreme and avoid talking about themselves completely.

Some business owners proudly tell me they never use the word "I" in the articles they write. But used carefully, that's not a bad word. Your readers want to know who you are, that you can identify with their problems, and why they should care about what you have to say about it.

To build credibility with your audience, you need to give your readers a reason to trust you. Which means revealing something about your own experiences or background to convince them you're someone that should be listened to. It also means including the word "I" once or twice.

Denise
CassidarInk.com

Cristina Favreau · 7 months ago

For sure, you do NOT want to leave yourself out of the equation. The whole point of using article writing as a marketing strategy is to showcase your expertise without blatantly promoting yourself.

Denise, thanks for reminding us that using "I" in our articles is NOT a dirty word.

Diane · 7 months ago

Right on target Cristina. It has been on my "TO DO" list for weeks and weeks. I want to repurpose every Blog I have written into Articles to be posted. And thanks so much for all the resources you have provided.

Cristina Favreau · 7 months ago

I so hear your challenge of trying to get all these things done.

Diane, one small suggestion: For this week's marketing goal, say "I want to repurpose ONE blog I have written into an article to be posted." Then do it.

Chunk big/overwhelming goals into bite size pieces and your chances of procrastinating are lessened.

veronika freeman · 7 months ago

Being seen as an expert is a huge step in being successful! I've looked at "successful professionals" work sometimes and wonder how they charge what they do... until I realized it's because they are viewed as an expert and that's what some people rely on more that actually reviewing their work!
I attended a fabulous talk by Trisha Torrey (EveryPatientsAdvocate.com) - it was very empowering to learn how to position oneself for success in any area with this concept... and, as you say, writing is a great way to do this!
Thanks for all the great tips!
V-

Cristina Favreau · 7 months ago

Veronika, you make an interesting point... It sounds like these "successful professionals" are charging the high fees but are not delivering value. Am I reading that right?

You gotta walk your talk. If you SAY your an expert on your topic, then you better BE the expert. If not, word will quickly spread and cause irreparable damage.

VA-4-Hire · 7 months ago

Thanks for the simple, easy steps to creating articles.

Cristina Favreau · 7 months ago

I struggled with trying to keep this one simple (I tend to ramble...) so I'm glad you found this week's marketing steps easy to follow.

Janet Barclay · 7 months ago

Great tip, Cristina! There are so many ways we can "repurpose" our work. I'm in the process of combining some of my articles and workshop handouts to produce a new e-book which I'll be launching this month.

Cristina Favreau · 7 months ago

Oooh!!! I can't wait to see your ebook, Janet...

Yes, repurposing is an underused tactic by many virtual assistants. My hope is to train you to leverage everything you do to reach as many people in your target market as you can.

veronika freeman · 7 months ago

The quality of their work is questionable, but since they are seen as experts people hire them without question. I wouldn't publicly share an example because a) it's not nice and b) they probably don't think their work is substandard...
I'm just amazed sometimes at the power of the word & notion of an "expert"... and strive to live up to the term.
I think the lesson is to strive to be an expert at something you're truly passionate about and constantly improve/update your skills. Also, focusing on your target market - the ones your skill set is equipped for.
Sorry if I've pulled this too far off topic - I'm just fascinated with the notion of experts... and I think that e-books and blogs are a huge part of that positioning... which is probably why I bought your e-book, right? ;>)
V-