Using Article Marketing as a Client Acquisition Strategy

I was inspired to write today's blog post by a request for help in the LinkedIn "Resume Recipes for Success" forum for careers industry colleagues. Krista wanted to know:
"Has anyone published online? I am almost done with a blog that I think could be an article. Is there a website that anyone recommends?"

You can read my response to Krista's question here.

But I also wanted to share some ideas for other resume writers who are looking to use article marketing or article publishing as a client acquisition strategy.

Content is king! Jobseekers are looking for information to help them navigate a difficult job search. People looking for a job just can't get enough information on various subjects related to their search -- writing resumes and cover letters, salary negotiation, company resource, using social media -- the list goes on and on. Providing this kind of information -- through articles -- is a great way to drive visitors (traffic) to your website.

You can use a keyword suggestion tool like the Google Keyword Tool to see how many searches are done for certain keywords. WIth these keywords are typed into search boxes of search engines like Google and Bing, indexed websites containing those keywords are displayed. And these links can provide traffic to websites ... including your resume writing business website!

Here are some benefits that writing articles can give your resume writing business.

1. It's absolutely free.
All you need is your thoughts, your computer, and your hands. If you have those, nothing will stop you from typing words that will make you complete that article for your website. Sure, it takes your time, but if you're not currently working on a resume project, you should be spending some time on marketing!

2. Your website can be noticed in a short period of time.
Submit that article of yours to article directories that get the most web traffic and in no time your web site will be "crawled" or indexed, because you'll have included your link to your website in your "resource box," the 2-3 lines at the end of the article that tells a little bit about you and your resume writing business.

3. You can obtain backlinks automatically.
When you submit your articles to directories, they can be published by any other website or blog, as long as you are given attribution, including the link to your website (if you provided one -- and you should!). When the article is published on other websites, it exposes it to people who haven't heard about you, and they can click through your your website (these are backlinks, because they "link back" to your site).

4. Improve your reputation.
Sometimes, it can be a challenge to convert resume prospects into clients. You need to increase your "know, like, and trust" factor with jobseekers. And what better way to do that than by writing articles that will teach jobsearchers how you can help them, and how knowledgeable you are.

If you are looking for more information on how to use content marketing to acquire new resume clients, check out the "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" -- teleseminar recording and transcript. Just $5 from Resume Writers' Digest.