Zig Ziglar once said that you can have anything you want in life, if you just help enough people get what they want. That quote definitely rang true at last week’s introduction to the 2009 Copywriting Success Summit.
Michael Stelzner was the keynote speaker last week at the Copywriting Success Summit. His fantastic opening presentation detailed why traditional media (such as newspapers and magazines) are crumbling and closing up shop faster than anyone could anticipate.
The fact is – online, there’s a whole landscape of information from not just the names you know, but small “micro-publishers” that serve a very highly targeted audience. Even the way we get our information is changing – how many times have you clicked on a link just because one of your Twitter followers tweeted about it or one of your Facebook friends or fans mentioned it?
We’re getting more news and information from outlets other than big media – and that’s a great opportunity for not just writers, but bloggers and website owners looking to build authority and increase their exposure.
The Difference: Constant Content
Some of today’s most well-known bloggers and marketers are so well known because they regularly produce very good, thought-provoking content that gets people involved. But even those with the best writing skills (and the best intentions!) sometimes face a dry writing spell where ideas just don’t flow the way they used to.
Michael suggests in this case – that you highlight the work of others in your industry. He calls this “Write Marketing”. The topics you write about could be some of their blog posts or specific products as well as noteworthy events in your industry.
You could interview well known bloggers or speakers, and if for some reason they say no – take a look at up-and-coming presenters that haven’t yet hit the “big time”. For example, if you wanted to see what books were being released in your particular industry soon, you’d want to check out Amazon’s New Releases List and find your particular niche, then check out some of the authors. Many of them will have their own website or even a blog related to their book.
Using Interviews to Your Marketing Advantage
This is where it pays to ask them if you could review their book and write about them on your blog. Just think – if the book becomes a hit, your review will likely surge to the top of the search engines as well as spread virally across the web as people read your review before they buy. Also, because you’ve interviewed the author, you’ve already got a foot in the door for what could turn out to be a very strong relationship that you can build on.
Interviews and reviews like this are just one of the many ways you can market yourself by helping others. Of course, one single interview, when used correctly, can open up an entire network of possible future projects to work on or additional well-known names in your industry. There’s really no limit to how far you could go with this one tactic alone!
