World Hypnotism Day Marketing Strategies #2: Write An Article

The whole point of World Hypnotism Day (WHD), is to create awareness for the general public about Hypnotherapy and get media coverage for Hypnosis as a healing modality.  I would also ad, that every thing you do should be FUN.

With that in mind, let’s dive into Marketing Strategy #2 — Write an Article.  There are many things you can do with an article, and I’ll get to those in a minute, but first some writing tips for your article.

You have been blessed with having one of the most fascinating topics in the world to write about.  People are ALWAYS curious about hypnosis.  All you have to do is say "I’m a Hypnotist", and you’ll have even complete strangers wanting to know more.

Yet somehow, most the articles written on hypnosis make it dull, dry, and painfully boring.  I often wonder how this is possible, because it seems like it would take a lot of effort to make hypnosis boring, and it would be easier to let it stay fascinating.

But I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and blame it on way they teach us to write in school.   So from this point on, throw out what you learned in school and follow these simple tips.

Seven Simple Steps For Writing Articles

1. ALWAYS write at a 6th grade level.  Think USA Today.  In fact, go get a copy of USA today and read some articles.  See how easy it is to read them.  If you have a child, have them read your article.  Any words they stumble on… throw them out.  When your child can read it all the way through, you’re done.
2. Have one main theme you write about.  This keeps you focused, and helps the reader stay with you.  If you jump all over the map or try to use one article to talk about every thing hypnosis can do, you’ll lose people.  Remember this… when people are confused they will move away from the source of the confusion.
3.  Create an outline based on 3 – 5 main points you want to make.  Again you want to keep things simple for both yourself and the reader.  You can use these main points as ‘subheads’ for the people who read by skimming.  Another reason for doing this is to keep the article from turning into the next "War & Peace" novel.  Keep it short and sweet.  It’s better to leave them wanting more.
4. ALWAYS have a headline.  Remember you have to get people’s attention and they get bombarded with messages, information, and distractions all day long just like you do.  The headline will be 80% or more of what gets your article read.
5. Summarize your main theme at the end.  Some people only skim articles even when they are very interested in the content.  Skimmers will usually ready the opening paragraph to decide if they want to read more.  They look at the subheads, photo captions, and the last paragraph(s).  Summarizing will also help nail home your point to regular readers.
6. Put captions on photos and images.  Eye tracking tests have shown humans are drawn to reading a caption under a photo.  So if you have a photo and don’t have a caption, you are missing an opportunity to get information to the reader.
7. ALWAYS provide contact information and a next step for people who want more.  The point of this article is to ATTRACT prospective new clients/customers.  Make it easy for them.  Tell them what to do NOW if they want more.  I would have a FREE offer in it.

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Ten Ways To Get The Most Mileage From Your Article

There is a never ending number of ways you can leverage any article you write, and you should be using each article multiple times.  Don’t worry about using it multiple times.  This is a marketing strategy, and you want the article to be read as much as possible.

I’m not going to go into great detail about each of these potential uses, I just want to get your idea wheels turning.  You’ll think of some I didn’t think of (if you do, please leave them in the comments section below so other Hypnotherapists can benefit from them).  

1. Post it on your blog.   If you don’t have a blog… get one.  I’ll have a future article or podcast on why every Hypnotherapist should have a blog.  The fastest way to start blogging is with Google’s Blogger.
2. Provide it as content to Internet Newsletters & Websites.  There are hundreds of places you can post your article on the Internet and have them picked up by people who need content for their newsletters, websites, blogs, and E-zines.  Do a little research first and find the ones that will get you the most exposure.  You also get a permanent link back from your posts which is another bonus.  One I recommend is Ezine Article Submission.
3. Send it to your local neighborhood newspaper.  In San Francisco where I live, there are numerous neighborhood newspapers.  Mine is called the Sunset Beacon.  They need content, and if it’s local content, even better.  You’ll be doing them a favor by writing an interesting article on Hypnosis.  Call them up and tell the editor what you have.  You’ll be surprised at how easy it can be to get your article published.
4. Send it to the big daily newspaper in your city.  It’s an outside shot, but you never know unless you try.  With larger media outlets, It’s more likely you’ll get attention from your press release (if you haven’t sent a press release, see my post called "Using Press Releases").  You could also try sending it as a letter to the editor.  If you can talk directly to a reporter or editor before you send it to them, you’ll drastically increase your chances of getting it printed.
5. Offer it to local related businesses for use in their newsletters, blogs, websites.  Check with gyms, yoga studios, outpatient clinics, sports clubs, etc. See if they have a weekly or monthly newsletter or a blog.  Anyone that has to put out a publication on a regular basis is always in need of content.  Just make sure you get to publish your contact info.
6. Give it out at your World Hypnotism Day events.  People want information.  People who are thinking about using your services especially want information.  And having an article makes you look like an EXPERT.  Positioning is very important in marketing.
7. Mail it to your past clients.  There are more reasons to do this than I have time to explain in this article, but here’s two…  First, you should always keep contact with past clients if you want to build a referral system.  Second, you should be having an even for World Hypnosis Day, and you want people there.  Your past clients are not only likely to attend, they will also be most likely to invite friends.  This gives you a crowd at your event, and potential new clients in the audience.
8. Include it in any "New Client Kit" you have.  If you don’t have an information ‘kit’ for new prospects, you now have the first piece to build one.  Writing articles positions you as an expert.  If your article gets published, use a photo copy of the published article.  Being published makes you even more of an expert.   This is important because it gives your prospects confidence in you and spending money on your services.
9. Send it to other Hypnotists to use in the World Hypnosis Day Promotions. This event is about Hypnotists working together to raise awareness, and not everyone wants to write articles.  Offer your article on the various Hypnosis forums you are on or through your local professional association.
10. Offer it to local Natural Health magazines.  There are dozens of Natural Health publications in Northern California, and it’s fairly easy to get articles published.  Again, they need interesting content so they can sell advertising.  The great thing about these publications is, they usually put a ‘resource box’ with your article that has ALL of your business contact information, and often your bio and photo too.  One thing to keep in mind is the lead time on magazines is usually months, not days like a newspaper.  You’ll have to plan this early to time it with World Hypnotism Day.

And here’s a bonus idea for you…

Combine 7-10 of your articles into a small book.  Congratulations!  You are now the author of a book.  This gives you even more credibility and makes it much easier to get media interviews.  You can create an Ebook and skip the printing costs, or you can use an "on demand" printing service like Lulu.com. 

One more thing, this is important…  DO IT NOW!  Take action now.  Get out a pad of paper and at least brainstorm one idea for an article.  Write the outline and then set a DEADLINE for getting it completed, and a DEADLINE for each way you plan to use it.  Stick to the deadlines.  You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.