| It's that time of year again ... pages of | | | | This new marketing intrigue fascinated me, so |
| backpacks, notebooks and back-to-school | | | | I fine-tuned my article submission process |
| clothing fill every circular that hits your | | | | creating logs and checklists, and within a |
| mailbox. And you're off to the races ... the | | | | few months, my boss had accomplished his goal |
| races being the mall, plus every other store | | | | of publication in every magazine on his list! |
| in between. | | | | |
| | | | Even online and in-print publications we |
| You're in the same spot you were last year | | | | hadn't contacted began calling and e-mailing |
| this time, getting ready to head off to work | | | | in request of articles. The results of |
| while your kids head off to school. Back to | | | | writing and submitting articles was so |
| hugging them goodbye in the morning and | | | | successful that we put other major marketing |
| seeing them just long enough in the evening | | | | techniques on hold so my boss could travel to |
| to say I love you and tuck them in. | | | | his paid speaking engagements. |
| | | | |
| Wouldn't it be fantastic if the easier | | | | As my interest and experience grew in this |
| schedule of the summer lasted all year long? | | | | area of marketing, I knew that if it worked |
| No more spending all your hours away from | | | | for my boss that it would work for other |
| your kids just to earn enough money to cover | | | | professionals as well. Soon, I was earning |
| the essentials and pay daycare? | | | | over half my income handling article |
| | | | submissions for other professionals. |
| Take it from someone who knows both sides of | | | | |
| the deal here and believe that there's no | | | | Then I realized that if this technique worked |
| time like right now to make the transition | | | | for other professionals that it would work |
| from the regular grind to working from home. | | | | for me too in building my own business. And |
| As the proud Mom of a 2005 honors graduate | | | | it has worked for me! |
| who's heading off to college soon, I know | | | | |
| first hand what a major impact working from | | | | This same marketing technique, which I call |
| home has had on his success. | | | | marketing with articles, has been the success |
| | | | behind my own business. I've used it to |
| When my son was very young, I worked a | | | | expand my client base and build my virtual |
| full-time job away from home, plus at least | | | | assistance business into a solid |
| one part-time job on weekends. This meant | | | | income-generating company, which has allowed |
| that my son was in daycare while I worked. As | | | | me to work full-time at home for the past |
| a single parent who didn't receive child | | | | five years. As my son is getting ready to |
| support (for years) though, I had no other | | | | leave for college, my personal goal now is to |
| choice. | | | | help other parents be successful in achieving |
| | | | their career goals while living the dream of |
| A few years later in the 1990's, I decided | | | | staying home with their children. |
| there had to be a better way so I started a | | | | |
| part-time medical billing service from my | | | | The concept of marketing with articles does |
| home. This allowed me to give up the outside | | | | not require a professional writer. Anyone can |
| part-time job and gave me the practical means | | | | be successful in building their business and |
| of earning the much-needed income. Best of | | | | gaining credibility as an expert in their |
| all, it gave me the priceless opportunity to | | | | industry or area of expertise by writing and |
| take care of my son while I worked. I quickly | | | | submitting free reprint articles to online |
| saw that I was onto something great here ... | | | | and in-print publications. The key to success |
| what a concept! | | | | is in reaching your target audience with |
| | | | resourceful information that is valuable to |
| I moved from the east coast to California | | | | them. |
| with my son in 1995 where my first full-time | | | | |
| job was with a consulting firm co-owned by a | | | | Editors of both online and in-print |
| professional speaker. After some negotiations | | | | publications are in constant demand of |
| with my boss, we entered into an agreement by | | | | quality content for their readers. They have |
| which I would work mornings in the office, | | | | a continuing need to publish content that |
| leave to pick up my son from school in the | | | | appeals directly to their target audience, |
| afternoons and work from home the rest of the | | | | which is where you come in. By writing and |
| day. It worked out incredibly well ... so | | | | submitting free reprint articles to |
| well in fact, that in 2000, I decided to | | | | publications that reach readers in your |
| leave the consulting firm and start my own | | | | market, you have the opportunity to establish |
| full-time home based virtual assistant | | | | yourself as an expert and gain a generous |
| business. | | | | amount of exposure for your business. |
| | | | |
| Starting from scratch, I knew that gaining | | | | True, you aren't earning money for actually |
| exposure for my business was essential if I | | | | writing the articles, but you are earning a |
| wanted to be successful in my new venture. I | | | | huge payoff here. Not only do you establish |
| also knew that traditional forms of marketing | | | | your credibility as an expert in your |
| are very expensive and quickly gobble up the | | | | industry or area of expertise, but you earn |
| profits, particularly in the early stages. | | | | significant exposure for yourself and your |
| However, I also remembered a technique that I | | | | business. Most editors will include your |
| used successfully for my former employer. | | | | byline with your articles, which gives you |
| | | | the opportunity to include your name and |
| Besides being a consultant and professional | | | | contact information, plus the URL of your web |
| speaker, he was also an author, so his goals | | | | site. Readers come to recognize your name and |
| included increasing his number of speaking | | | | relate it with certain topics. The more |
| engagements and selling more copies of his | | | | articles you write and submit, the more |
| books. He hoped to accomplish these goals by | | | | exposure you gain! |
| establishing himself as an expert in his | | | | |
| industry, which meant having his work | | | | The marketing with articles technique helped |
| published by every major magazine in his | | | | turn my dream of working from home full-time |
| field. | | | | into a precious reality that has made a |
| | | | positive impact for both my son and me. As he |
| Committed to accomplishing his goals, he gave | | | | goes off to college, he'll be leaving with |
| me a list of those publications, so I drafted | | | | all the benefits of having had a mom who |
| a query letter based on one of his story | | | | found a way to support him financially |
| ideas and e-mailed it to the editor of one of | | | | without the high cost of being away from him |
| the magazines. The editor responded in short | | | | all day. Me, I'll have the benefit of knowing |
| notice and offered my employer an article | | | | that the bittersweet wind I'm putting beneath |
| assignment. They published my boss's article | | | | his wings comes from my deepest desires for |
| soon afterwards and featured it on the cover | | | | his complete success! |
| of the magazine, producing an onslaught of | | | | |
| calls to the office! | | | | (c) 2006, Davis Virtual Assistance. Reprint |
| | | | rights granted to all venues so long as |
| Writing and submitting that one article | | | | article and by-line are printed intact with |
| produced several paid speaking engagements. | | | | all links made live. |