WRITE, WRITE, WRITE! By Dr Kem Thompson

I should just leave this tip at that, shouldn't I?:)

But seriously, writing is a cost- effective way of promoting your business. It exposes you to potential customers in a way that few other marketing vehicles do.

Writing and submitting your work to online sites gives you fr*ee marketing opportunities. It also increases your credibility in eyes of potential customers.

Have you taken advantage of this very effective marketing strategy?

If not, why not?

~*~'What If I Can't Write?'~*~ Common question, common excuse with a simple answer: if you can talk, you can write.

You don't need to be a professional writer before you can write as a way of marketing your business.

All you do need to do is . Want to write . Decide to write . Write

~*~'What Should I Write~*~ A few ideas are:

. Articles . Tips (eg top ten or top five ways to....) . Letters to editors . Reports (yes, reports!)

think of some more and add them to this list.

~*~What Topics Should I Write About?~*~ Here, your only limitation is in your imagination. So be creative and let these questions serve as guidelines in helping you decide what to write about:

. What information will potential customers find useful?

. What are you interested in? Find a way to make it relevant to your business and write about it.

. If you were in your potential customers' shoes, what topics (related to your business) would interest you?

. In what ways have you solved problems for people in past? Write them down. Chances are, other people would benefit from solution you provided.

. What are your experiences as a business owner? Write about them.

. Fill in blanks : a) How To ....... b) Top 5 Ways to...... c) What Many People Don't Know About...... d) My Favourite Pastime is....

What you've got now is a bunch of potential headings for your articles, tips, reports or whatever. If you think about it, there's a lot for you to write about.

All you have to do now is actually put pen to paper (hand to computer).

~*~What Should I Do With What I've Written?~*~

Submit, submit, submit!

Newsletter editors and webmasters all over 'net are looking for fr*ee content for their subscribers and visitors.

Imagine exposure you get by submitting an article to an ezine with thousands of opt-in subscribers. Fr*ee of charge, too! It'd be more expensive (and not always as effective in pulling in prospects) to advertise in same publication.

Maintain a positive attitude. Inevitably, negative feelings can sabotage your job search. If you have anger about your former employer, work through it. Negative emotions will undermine your best efforts. Keep yourself renewed and enthusiastic throughout process.

Network. The number one way of getting a job is through networking. Even if you are involved in computer industry, less than 10% of jobs are obtained through Internet. Devote energy to making real, valuable connections with people.

Develop a schedule and goals. Getting a job is of course ultimate goal, but it is impossible to predict when you will achieve it. Develop daily and weekly schedules of job search activities you can control. For example, send out 10 resumes, research 5 companies and call 10 people in your network. This will keep you on track, and focused.