Free publicity can be a great way to expand your customer base

Free publicity can be great for expanding your business, but how do you get your name in the news? The answer is simple: do something newsworthy and send out a press release. David Fray, president of Marketing Best Practices, explains the importance of press releases like this:

There [are] only two ways to land the name of your business in the local newspaper, by paying for an advertisement or by having a newsworthy event that is covered by the local press. Both can be very effective but the all-mighty news release can provide the level of credibility and respect that can spark on-the-spot sales for your business.

He goes on to give the reasons why some press releases are chosen over others, and offers advice on how to get yours published. David then gives the reader 20 ideas for making the news in a good way. Read the full article to find out more.

Helium – A great place to show off your writing skills

I recently became a member at Helium.com, an open marketplace for article submission. This site offers writers a chance to produce their best work on almost any topic. On first impression, this seems like a great site for new freelancers to beef up their portfolios.

If you haven’t heard of Helium, it works like this:

• You can submit an article directly to a publisher in the Marketplace. If the publisher likes your article best, you get paid. If your article isn’t chosen, it transitions into Helium’s content. Based on the number of articles you’ve written and their rankings, you could earn a residual income on your work.
• You can submit an article under a title on the Helium site. These articles are rated and ranked by the community. You can earn money on these articles based on your ranking scores. Publishers sometimes purchase stock content from Helium, another way you can make money from your writing.

The site also offers writing contests and other incentive bonuses for quality work. If you can write great articles and you want to pad your portfolio, you might consider joining the Helium community.