February 1- 7 is Publicity for Profit Week

There’s a fairly well-kept secret among top PR agencies and major corporations. What’s the secret? Most newspapers, and many other types of media outlets, are understaffed and often have significant editorial gaps to fill. They rely on free outside copy that arrives in the form of “mat” releases, articles that are prewritten and ready for publication.

You can take advantage of those gaps by writing articles and sending them to your local editorial staff (the one that would most likely handle your topic area).  Be sure to include your byline (signature file) – who knows, they may use it and it could potentially generate dozens of leads–or more.  Make sure the article is filled with quality content, not just a self-promotion piece.

By the way, a good byline (aka signature file or author resource box) is written in the third person (about 3-4 sentences long) and includes your name, your website address, a one to 3 sentence elevator pitch and a call to action or link to more information. Chris Knight, founder of EzineArticles.com has a good byline:

About the Author: Christopher M. Knight invites you to submit your best quality original articles for massive exposure to the high-traffic http://EzineArticles.com/ expert author community. When you submit your articles to EzineArticles.com, your articles will be picked up by ezine publishers who will reprint your articles with your content and links intact giving you traffic surges to help you increase your sales. To submit your article, setup a membership account today: http://EzineArticles.com/submit/

 More great marketing ideas can be found in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year!