Writing articles or a regular column is one excellent way to grow awareness of your expertise and reinforce your credibility. Your articles showcase your knowledge and can bring prospects knocking on your door. Once an article you've written is published, you become an author. This status can do wonders for your business. Even if you are not an experienced writer, you can still implement these strategies with the help of a professional copywriter.

With more than 10,000 publications in print and who-knows-how-many websites and ezines on the Internet, your opportunities are almost limitless to become a published author. From fillers to features, publications need your content to feed their ever-hungry readers. There are thousands of business, trade, and Internet publications that cover every type of industry and audience. So, there are definitely opportunities for you - no matter what your industry.

When you write an article, write about what you know. Make sure it's related to your industry. In your article, solve the problems that are a struggle for your target audience. Easy-to-write articles focus on explaining how to do something, top-ten tips, or industry trends. Look to your own experiences as well as those of colleagues and clients.

Get your articles published everywhere you can. Try your alumni newsletter, your daily paper, or your favorite association magazine. When writing articles, don't expect to get paid, but always ask to have a byline with your name, website, and photo. Once an article has been published, leverage it by reprinting it and sending it to your prospects and clients. Include it in your newsletter, ezine, and on your website. Remember, your name in print spells E-X-P-E-R-T.

If you want to build your Internet presence, you can submit content-rich articles to various websites and ezines. Many website owners and ezine publishers are looking for content. They NEED your articles. For online articles, I have found between 400 - 800 words to be the most popular, although longer can be appropriate in some cases depending on the content. Avoid going any shorter. Once you've written your article, submit it to an article directory site. Helpful, well-written articles are snapped up by thousands of publishers all around the world. In exchange for your content, publishers agree to include a resource box linking back to your site. If 175 publishers use your article on their websites, you get 175 links to your website, building a steady stream of traffic to your site. Submitting articles is more effective than advertising because when your target audience begins reading multiple articles you have authored, you gain credibility.

Maven Action Item: List 5 topics that you could write about. Where could you get your ideas published? Begin a folder to keep your topic ideas and your publisher contact info.