You’ve done it.  You’ve written an article that has been printed in a newspaper or magazine.  Congratulations!  You did well.  But now what?

That’s right; now what?  Today’s newspaper or magazine is tomorrow’s recycling, but that doesn’t mean that the life of your article is over — far from it, as a matter of fact.

That piece you’ve written and gotten published, whether it is a top 10 list, book review, article, or “think” piece (like an editorial or letter to the editor), still has lots of promotional juice left in it if you know how to squeeze it out.

Here are just a few things you can do with your published works, once the rest of the world has moved on to the next edition of whatever periodical has published your piece:

Tell the world about your published status by posting your piece on your web site.  You can either post a PDF of the article, or a link to the publisher’s web site (assuming it is on their web site), or you can post the original copy you submitted along with a mention of when and where it was published.

Frame it.  That’s right, make a nice clean copy on archival paper, lay it out nicely to fit on a single page, and frame it like a photo.  Hang it proudly in your office or reception area, so that your visitors who missed your piece when it was published can see what it looked like, and be just as impressed (if not more so) than the readers who stumbled over your article in the first place.

Copy it.  You can use the layout you created to frame your article or the PDF you made for your web site to make copies.  Include the banner of the paper or magazine, along with the date, so that it is obvious when and where your piece originally appeared in print.  Be sure to add your contact information as well, because you never know who might end up with a copy (and they might want to contact you).  Use both sides of an 8.5×11″ sheet of paper if you have to, but make it look nice. 

Use the copies in your press kit (which is now growing with the addition of your published pieces), so that you have proof that your expertise is recognized by some third party (such as the publisher).

Mail copies of your article to your clients with a short note and a special offer.  For example, you might write:  Did you see my article in Tuesday’s paper?  I’m celebrating my fame with a special two-for-one offer (coupon enclosed).

Copies will come in handy for getting business, too.  You can include a copy with your proposal, bid, or sales information to demonstrate your expertise. 

You might also use it to get back in touch with prospects who haven’t committed to working with you yet.  Just send the copy with a business card and a short note that says something like: Hi Prospect, Did you happen to see this article in the Business section of the Times on Saturday?  I know you are interested in [whatever you wrote about], and thought you might like to see this.  I’ll be in touch soon!  Best regards, Your Name.

Submit the article for publication in other media.  Yep, once you’ve published it in one publication, others might be interested in reprinting it.  Distribute your piece to online article banks, EZines, and information sites for reprinting.  Or submit it to the newsletters of your trade associations or networking organizations.  Very often, they are looking for content, and since your article has the endorsement of the publication that published the first time, it might look mighty good to others.

Send it out as a press release.  At the very worst, nothing will happen, but other media could pick it up to use as a filler piece.   And there is always the possibility that an editor might be looking for an expert with your background, and may call you for an interview.

So whatever you do, don’t just let your published article fade away.  Use it again and again to get the most from your work.  You’ll raise your credibility in the eyes of your clients, prospects, and the world.  And you’ll have something to remind yourself of how good you can be when you put your mind to it.

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have the mastery coaching blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate’s elite delivered to your computer,

To subscribe to the mastery coaching blog via email

To subscribe to the mastery coaching blog via RSS reader

Every once and a while I get something that is just too good not to share. Dean is a fellow Master’s Program Graduate and is the CEO of one of the finest Ad agencies I’ve ever been exposed to. I received this article last week from him and thought it dovetailed into the branding series I just wrapped up. I hope you enjoy Dean as much as I do -

Does your company logo really make a difference?

Identity is powerful. Your logo will be front and center on every piece of promotional material you’ll ever create and it will enter the minds of millions over the lifetime of your business.

“Just how important is my company logo?” If this question crosses your mind once in a while along with the oh so seldom: “what if I get audited thought”, keep reading. Consider for a moment that you’ll spend an estimated 5% to 10% of your annual revenue on marketing materials where your logo will be boldly communicating - a negative vibe, a mute statement, or a commitment to innovation and excellence. Identity is powerful. Your logo will be front and center on every piece of promotional material you’ll ever create and it will enter the minds of millions over the lifetime of your business.

The fact is, we live in an extremely visual society. Giorgio Armani, Ferrari, Donna Karan, Rolex, Nike, and Dell are a few representations of identity, looking good, and performing well. These companies are spending millions of dollars and thousands of personnel hours protecting and building their identities. But they’re also making truckloads of money because we live in a society where looks matter, and looks influence buying decisions in the retail and corporate worlds. The difference between these brand-committed companies and many others is that those who invest in their identity capitalize on the power that design has to lure the mind in their direction.

Based on a small research sampling of around 2000 businesses, my agency discovered that 8 out of 10 small to medium size companies had a less than adequate logo while close to half the larger ones had a less than adequate logo. We qualify “less than adequate” based on design features such as obtrusive or dated colors, incompatible type treatments, dated type treatments, clumsy or awkward graphics and type, no conveyed meaning, poor size relation, and lack of easy reproduction. We judge using these factors, plus our 20 years of experience in branding.

We decided to take it a step further and survey representatives of the companies whose cards we reviewed. It was no surprise that we discovered those with well designed logos and identities had credible stories to tell about the impact their corporate image has made in their marketplace. They remarked that positive conversations would often be started when the recipient looked at their logo, their card, their brochure, their shirt, etc. Conversations where the brand played a role in winning new business were frequent as well. Administrative staff spoke confidently about their image, sales people said they would hand out more materials, and the sales process was improved, as were sales results in most every case.

On the flip side, we found that approximately 50% of those companies with a poor logo defended their ineffective brand. We also found adverse reactions and very little willingness to discuss the matter until we started talking to the sales and marketing people. They had plenty to say. “We hate our logo,” or “Our image stinks,” or “I’m embarrassed to hand out a business card,” and many more tiptoe slams against the brand (the company). We observed that not only was the logo unprofessional, but in about 90% of the cases, the rest of the company’s materials such as collateral and the Web followed suit and the sales staff was not motivated to present it.

At Strata-Media, we’ve designed logos for more than 1000 companies across the country, from small concerns to Fortune 500. Since our inception, we’ve never once had a client say they wished they didn’t re-design or upgrade their logo. There can be, however, timing issues when changing your logo. When you’re company relocates is a great time to change your identity because you will be re-printing most of your materials and putting up new signage. Launching a new ad campaign or producing a corporate brochure is great time because you can leverage the expense and exposure of the new printed materials and advertising. Repeated complaints from your staff are grounds to strongly consider a change. In addition to your company’s feedback, it pays to have a marketing professional review your company’s overall image about once every three to five years to ensure the brand is staying in tact. Strata-Media reviews at least 50 brands per year and every client who participates in the exercise says it was a valuable experience.

In closing, changing your logo is definitely a cost consideration, but in some cases it’s more expensive to keep an ineffective logo than it is to change it. There’s often at least one competitor with a stronger image, and that company, without question, will attract more business because of their brand and their commitment to the details. My recommendation: be that brand.

Carpe diem,