A Consultant could be an expert about absolutely anything.
Calling yourself a "consultant" demands further clarification. A consultant who? What specific problems do you handle? And who needs what you know? Everyone? (Never true) Businesses selling to seniors? (A precisely defined niche) Success depends on how clearly you can define yourself and what you offer. How easily can potential clients understand it?
You provide clients more than your expert knowledge and problem-solving skills. Your delivery style (tricks) are every bit as valuable as your knowledge base. We all relate to some businesses (personally and professionally) more effectively than to others. Great match-ups require something akin to a mating call to help a consultant find and connect with ideal clients.
Every consultant is unique in important ways. Your challenge is to express those significant intangibles - so they set you apart from others using the same job title. Do clients understand what you can do for them? How you're different from the competition? Why they'd prefer you?
Article Marketing is Your Ideal Stage
Whether you're selling a service, speaking or training, nothing persuades like offering a sample. Writing articles that highlight your style and expertise does that for you. A meaty, 600 to 800 word article is long enough to deliver a tangible taste.
Once it's widely posted, the message can be read by thousands. Some readers will search for what else you've said, or click over to your website. Writing repeated in-depth articles further establishes your niche, point of view, and expertise. They're building your name recognition and readership in short order.
Your stock-in-trade is information, so packaging it into articles makes you a content creator. The Internet voraciously demands a steady diet of new material. Websites, ezines (and now blogs) efficiently deliver ideas to targeted readers. But sad to say, too many articles consist of rehashed, low-grade material. Stand out with fresh, professional-quality information. Being a cut above builds respect and trust - a must for doing business down the road.
Local Search can Further Define Your Market
Unlike a plumber or day care center, most consultants needn't be confined to the local arena. Your Internet exposure connects you to a national or global audience, if that's your goal. But if your target market is closer to home, articles still help to position you.
Recent research by The Kelsey Group show that 70% use the Internet to make local buying decisions. And nowadays, 36% of search engine queries request local search results. That means the person includes a geographic term in their search engine query. For example, a query with: "employee benefit consultant" + Denver only lists the small pool of appropriate Denver providers.
Every consultant needs to make sure their information appears in local search queries, http://www.yellowpagesage.com/localsearch.html. The trend toward local search is growing quickly. Businesses can easily be left out-which makes them unfindable by online searchers. Who can afford to miss 70% of their client base? Having your own website isn't necessary - but still helpful for a variety of reasons.
Potential Clients will Check You Out Online
Surveys reveal that over half of respondents consider search engines a better source of buying information than Yellow Pages, newspapers or magazines. When someone enters your name or company into Google (in quotes), what comes up?
It helps if your name is unusual. If not, follow up with "search within results" for a qualifier term (like your specialty, "employee benefits") to find your cites.
In just a few moments, searchers get a picture of your professional standing and scope of recognition. They're likely to be swayed by what they see. Who mentions you, and what are they saying? What kinds of links come to your website? If you've been publishing articles, they'll also show up - enhancing your credibility and incoming links.
In my own case, a Google search for my name showed about 100 cites before I started article promotions. Now that's well over 3,000. So many cites boosted my website traffic and Page Rank as well.
If you haven't gone "ego surfing" on Google for mentions of your name, you should. Because the public will. Make sure there's plenty of stuff for them to find that does you proud.
Copyright 2005 Off the Page
Dr. Lynella Grant Consultant and Author - Promote yourself, business, website, or book with online articles http://www.promotewitharticles.com Free how-to. Or let me write and submit your articles online for you. No learning curves (719) 395-9450
expert residential cleaners Park Ridge ..Some six weeks ago, I began writing and submitting articles... Read More
When you have to share what you've created, where do... Read More
The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More
Writing a letter to your newspaper's editor is a privilege... Read More
Find definitions from Q to Z... ~~~~~~~~~~~ Q ~~~~~~~~~~~ Query... Read More
I have seen the question asked so many times. How... Read More
The name of the game as far as Internet marketing... Read More
No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More
Find definitions from H to P... ~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
If you want to really make your article "SELL" then... Read More
Find definitions from A to G! ~~~~~~~~~~~ A ~~~~~~~~~~~ About... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
Understanding the rules of correct formatting for online articles will... Read More
There's one key rule that every writer should understand before... Read More
It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It... Read More
Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
Most authors are wasting their time producing dozens to hundreds... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
Want your articles to get picked up and reprinted by... Read More
It's no secret that writing and publishing helpful articles is... Read More
Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article... Read More
Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More
It's amazing how quickly free articles can generatetraffic - my... Read More
You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More
green cleaning service Park Ridge ..Every successful website needs to be, what the experts consider,... Read More
Gasp! I can hear it from the purists now: Matt... Read More
What's the quickest, easiest way to get exposure for your... Read More
A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More
Most Internet marketers worth their salt know how effective articles... Read More
The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More
Heard about article marketing but not sure why you'd need... Read More
One of the best things you can do for your... Read More
I get tons of emails from people who want to... Read More
Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More
Part 1 of a 2-part series To read Part 2... Read More
You know that writing articles is the best free way... Read More
Often all the Web Surfer will see is your title,... Read More
A huge problem for many people who are working on... Read More
I have seen the question asked so many times. How... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
A lot of great ideas happen when two or more... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
When writing articles for publication, it is important that you... Read More
Good technical articles are challenging to write. They're time-consuming, demanding... Read More
I was asked to write an article on a short... Read More
Being an Internet Article Author is far and away the... Read More
Marketing on a budget is tough. This is a universal... Read More
One of the best ways to promote your website is... Read More
Article Writing |