Agents who have had their articles published often leave it at that, hoping their phones will ring with congratulations and new business. That's a huge mistake. Having a story published is half the crusade. What is missed by some agents is the power of publicity and the huge value that can be derived from article reprints.
Once the article is published, the next step should be to ask the editor for permission to reprint the article, complete with a credit line that acknowledges the publication (e.g., "reprinted with permission from Agent's Sales Journal"). Some publications offer article reprint services while others are more than glad to grant their permission to reprint, especially because the credit line represents free publicity for them.
Article reprints can be used for prospecting in the following ways:
o Send article reprints to clients, associates, and other centers of influence for public relations value and to prospects for marketing value. Mail them with a short note ("I thought you'd be interested in the enclosed") on your agency letterhead.
o Article reprints should be an integral part of the direct mail promotions that your agency sends to prospects. They represent a valuable third-party endorsement from the press and should be placed prominently within your mailings.
o Take article reprints with you on appointments and presentations and give them to your clients and prospects if you haven't already mailed them to clients. Article reprints impress the public, and the findings of countless surveys reveal they are much more likely to be read than brochures or ad reprints.
o If you appear at speaking engagements or seminars, be sure to bring copies of your article reprints and distribute them to meeting attendees. You should always leave your audience with something to help them remember you. That includes your business card, article reprints, and any other salient written information you believe will be of interest to them.
o If your agency exhibits at industry meetings and conventions, enlarge the article reprints to poster size and display them prominently in your exhibit. Have 8-1/2" x 11" copies of those same articles ready to hand to visitors and passersby.
o Because clients and prospects visit your agency, have poster-size article reprints on display on your office walls or easel stands. They're morale builders for the staff members who wrote the articles and attention-getters for visitors. The articles can serve as icebreakers and can help to establish or cement rapport and lead to sales.
An industry communications consultant and writer, Thomas Maher has covered the insurance and financial services marketing scene for over three decades. He can be reached at 914-636-0118 or thomasmaher@aol.com.
