Article
When you hear the term article, what do you think? Most of us think of exactly what an article is: an informative piece that we read in the newspaper or in different magazines and journals. Articles are things written by other people who are experts in their field, good at what they do, and successful. Articles are written by journalists or non-journalists experts. So what do articles have to do with you, other than the fact that you read them?
Even though most people don't have any idea about this, articles are actually one of the best ways for you to get free publicity. That's right: articles, not advertisements, not press conferences, not news releases. Your public relations and your publicity can be helped out a lot by writing articles for your local newspaper, for magazines, and for trade journals and academic journals. And let's admit it: you need publicity. Anyone who depends on the public in any way needs publicity. Obviously this means celebrities, athletes, and politicians. But the life of a business or a firm depends on publicity. It's easy to see how electronics companies, sporting goods companies, or any other company that releases products need publicity. But everyone who depends on customers needs publicity. This includes medical firms, accountants, hospitals, universities, you name it, they need publicity.
"Well, you're right. I do need publicity," you might say. "But how am I of all people supposed to write articles for a newspaper or magazine? I'm just an accountant!" Don't despair! You might just be an accountant, a small business owner, or a lawyer, but you're the best person to write these articles. See, journalists report for a living. They have to report on all kinds of events and be able to cover a ton of different things. They have to be able to write about economic summits, laws that are passed, and the latest city council meeting. They need to be able to write knowledgeably about what happened in the latest school board meeting and how that bond vote will affect the community. Weather, school, local events, and entertainment all have to be covered by one person. It's not too difficult to know a little bit about all of these things, but journalists are the people in charge of letting the readers of their newspaper or magazine understand the events that are happening. Even more than reporting basic facts, understanding also means understanding how the latest tax breaks passed by Congress will affect the little guy in Montana. Here's where you, the expert, come in.
In order to start writing articles, it's a good idea to become involved with your local media. They need you, and you need them. A good way to get involved is to get involved with your local newspapers. Send them news releases. If you hear about a local or national event (for example, a major accounting scandal), call your local newspaper and offer your expertise. Give them a few pointers on how to deal with the story. They'll appreciate it, since they generally have no idea where to start with complicated issues. You want to be the person reporters turn to when they need a quote related to your area of expertise, so be persistent, though not annoying. Become friends with reporters by taking them out to lunch. Introduce yourself and let them know who you are in a non-confrontational way, and they'll turn to you when they need expertise.
Don't just write articles for your local newspaper. Journals and magazines that are dedicated to your area of expertise are a great place to get publicity and to attract clients. Write letters to the editor, and even call the editor and offer to write articles for them on certain events that you know about and that you can help other people understand. The bottom line is that articles are one of the best ways for you to get free publicity, so get out there and start writing!
Here are some links for help with publicity in general and particularly article writing.
General Publicity Tips
http://101publicrelations.com/publicity.html
Online Articles
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/articles_in_series_for_online_portals_000119.html
More on Online Articles
http://101publicrelations.com/pulltraffic.html?s=prideas&c=online_articles
Online Articles 3
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/how_long_should_online_articles_be_000033.html
Headlines
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/headlines_making_your_article_a_cut_above_000090.html
How to Find Publications
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/where_to_find_publications_that_need_your_articles_000042.html
Tips for How-to Articles
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/the_secret_to_successful_titles_when_writing_howto_000039.html
Briefs
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/write_briefs_to_get_more_stories_into_print_000010.html
